While receiving Coca-Cola International Chairman of the Board and CEO Muhtar Kent in HCM City on September 4, Mr Dung welcomed the company’s decision to double its investment in Vietnam to US$400 million in the next three years.

He praised Coca-Cola’s business operations, its social welfare and environmental protection programmes in Vietnam in recent times and wished the company would expand operations in the country in the future.

Mr Dung noted that trade ties between Vietnam and the US have grown and flourished and hoped that the US would soon grant the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) to Vietnam.

The CEO congratulated Vietnam on its socio-economic achievements despite the ongoing global economic crisis. He said that Vietnam, with its great potential, is expected to be one of Coca-Cola’s large markets in future.

According to him, over the past 15 years, his company has invested a total of US$200 million in building three factories in Vietnam, generating jobs for 1,500 local labourers. He said the US company will pour US$200 million into Vietnam in the next three years.