Present at the meeting were representatives from the Ministry of Planning and Investment, relevant ministries and agencies of the Vietnam-Japan Joint Initiative Committee under the Japan Federation of Economic Organisations (Nippon Keidanren), as well as the Japanese Business Association in Vietnam.

During the conference, participants reviewed the results of implementing the first phase of the Vietnam-Japan joint initiative aimed at improving the business environment and increasing the competitive capacity of Vietnam.

At the end of the meeting, Minister of Planning and Investment Vo Hong Phuc and Ambassador Nirio Hattori signed a report on the action plan for the second phase of the Vietnam-Japan joint initiative, scheduled to be implement until 2007.

The Vietnam-Japan joint initiative was launched during former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai’s visit to Japan in April 2003, with a view to improving the economic infrastructure and direct investment environment in Vietnam.

The Japanese Ambassador highly valued the successful results of the first phase and emphasised the importance of implementing the second phase of the initiative which he said will help attract more foreign investors, especially those from Japan. The Vietnam-Japan joint initiative will also help Vietnam raise its competitive capacity when it joins the World Trade Organisation (WTO), he said.