The Minister made the recommendation at a conference on trade promotion that took place in Hanoi on June 27.

During the conference, experts warned that there was a lack of marketing and promotional activities and that many enterprises consider promotions to be opportunities for selling products only, rather than the establishment of partnerships.

Director of the Trade Promotion Department Do Thang Hai stressed the necessity for drawing up long term trade promotion strategies in key and promising markets for Vietnamese exports and export staples.

Participants at the conference also cited the need to increase the role of diplomatic missions and overseas Vietnamese in marketing activities in the future.

A nation-wide trade promotion system has been set up to link activities both in Vietnam and abroad, while 64 cities and provinces throughout the country have established agencies that specialize in trade promotion.

Sixty-seven associations and overseas diplomatic agencies, trade missions and product introduction centres have also provided enterprises with information, consultancy and assistance in implementing promotional work.

Last year, nearly 500 exhibitions on Vietnamese products were held inside the country and abroad.