An extract. Vietnam Attends Asia Future Conference Vietnamese Trade Minister Vu Khoan attended a conference on the future of Asia which was held in Tokyo, Japan on June 8 and 9, Vietnam News Agency reports. In his speech at the conference, Mr Khoan said: "we have the ground to be optimistic about Asia's future." He said that Asia, with billions of people, is still one of the largest markets in the world. It is an area with abundant natural and human resources, and is the centre of the world's important trade paths. The continent is also facing a lot of challenges similar to the rest of the globe. Mr Khoan said in the last ten years of doi moi (renovation) process, Vietnam has gained many important achievements, with an average annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 7.4%. Vietnam now not only turns out major products for self-sufficiency, especially food, but is also developing export activities with an average annual growth rate of 18%. The country has attracted US $36 billion of foreign direct investment and over US $15 billion of official development assistance (ODA). Vietnam, being well aware of the challenges of the new millennium, continues to accelerate the renovation process, and industrialisation and modernisation to integrate into the global and regional economies. Mr Khoan had working sessions with Japanese International Trade and Industry Minister Takashi Fukaya, the Director General of the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), and the Chairman of the Keidanren (Federation of Economic Organisations) Vietnam Committee. __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe/unsubscribe messages mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________
