VietNamNet Bridge - British trade and investment minister Gareth Thomas will visit Vietnam on 19-20 January to familiarise himself with trade and investment activities by UK firms in the country.

He will urge the Vietnamese government to follow up on last month’s JETCO2 (Joint Economic and Trade Committee) meeting in London to strengthen bilateral trade.

Mr. Thomas will call on Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to discuss local and international trade and investment matters.

He will also meet Minister of Planning and Investment Vo Hong Phuc, Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang, and Minister of Agriculture and Rural development Cao Duc Phat to discuss Vietnam’s progress in implementing WTO commitments.

The minister will meet with a number of UK business representatives and the UN Resident Co-ordinator in Hanoi.

Visiting Ho Chi Minh City on the 20th, he will meet the People’s Committee chairman to discuss the business environment in the south.

He will visit Harvey Nash’s new software facilities in Tan Binh District and meet a number of British and Vietnamese entrepreneurs during his stay in the city.

(Source: SGGP)