ENHANCING INVESTMENT CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN JAPAN AND VIETNAM

The Investment Promotion Conference "Vietnam - Investment Destination" took place in Tokyo on March 12, 2024. The event was organized by the Ministry of Finance. The conference attracted over 200 leading companies from both Japan and Vietnam. With years of experience working with strategic partners from Japan, SSI Securities Corporation made several contributions regarding efforts to promote Vietnam-Japan investment connectivity during the program.

Continuing the activities commemorating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic relations in 2023, 2024 marks the first year when Vietnam and Japan implement the "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World."The Investment Promotion Conference "Vietnam - Investment Destination", chaired by Minister of Finance Ho Duc Phoc, is one of the initiatives aimed at promoting cooperation between Vietnam and Japan. It is also the next event following the successful investment promotion conference in South Korea, as part of the financial investment promotion program led by the Ministry of Finance and the State Securities Commission (SSC).

The conference attracted over 200 delegates from leading financial institutions, banks, life insurance corporations, investment funds, securities companies, and corporations from Japan and Vietnam.

Minister of Finance Ho Duc Phoc delivered the opening speech at the conference.

At the conference, Minister of Finance Ho Duc Phoc affirmed that the relationship between Vietnam and Japan has been increasingly robust and substantial and is currently in its best phase in history. In order to implement the strategy for socio-economic development, Vietnam will continue to focus on three strategic breakthroughs, including enhancing and improving institutional quality, comprehensive human resource development, and upgrading synchronized economic infrastructure. To achieve these goals, Vietnam needs to mobilize both internal and external resources, encompassing foreign direct and indirect investment, developing capital markets and stock markets, promoting green and circular economies, and advancing digital transformation.

In this spirit, the Vietnamese Ministry of Finance highly appreciates the collaboration of Japanese partners in organizing today's investment promotion conference, which serves as a substantial dialogue platform to help Japanese businesses and investors gain a better understanding of the Vietnamese government's policies and determination for innovation. Most importantly, it aims to strengthen the confidence of Japanese investors in Vietnam's potential for development.

"We hope that after this conference, businesses from both countries will generate numerous new ideas and cooperative projects to deepen economic cooperation and the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Japan," stated the Minister. 

Chairwoman of the State Securities Commission (SSC) Vu Thi Chan Phuong shared information at the conference.

As a securities company with Daiwa Securities Group as the strategic partner, Ms. Le Thi Le Hang, SSI's Chief Strategy Officer, delivered a presentation on investment opportunities in the Vietnamese stock market, the potential for sustainable financial development, the capital needs of listed companies for sustainable development, energy security, and the demand for sustainable development cooperation with foreign investors.

As a prominent member of the market with extensive experience in cooperation and collaboration with Japan's major financial institutions, Ms. Le Thi Le Hang highly values the supportive cooperation of Japanese partners in jointly developing and building Vietnam's stock market with SSI. Over the past 16 years, Daiwa has not only been a strategic shareholder but also a friend and important partner in SSI's development. In addition to collaborating on investment funds, introducing investment opportunities, and providing investment advice, SSI and Daiwa also share insights on company governance and a sustainable development mindset. Ms. Le Thi Le Hang also shared the potential of the Vietnamese capital market in the future, especially after the market's upgrade and the efforts of the government and market participants to enhance market transparency and attract a more diverse range of individual and institutional investors.

"Although the goals are challenging, with significant growth potential, ample room for development, a proactive attitude in learning from the international experiences of regulatory agencies, and the collaboration of market participants, SSI believes that the Vietnamese capital market will achieve and surpass the targets set by the government," stated Ms. Le Thi Le Hang.

Ms. Le Thi Le Hang- SSI's Chief Strategy Officer, spoke at the conference.

Regarding Japanese businesses, the presentation included a representative from Daiwa Securities Group in Vietnam, Mr. Takafumi Oue, the Head of Daiwa Securities' Representative Office in Vietnam. Mr. Takafumi Oue mentioned that since 2008, Daiwa has formed an alliance with SSI and has participated in various successful trading and mergers on the Vietnamese stock market. The Daiwa representative expressed that the Vietnamese stock market is welcomed by Japanese investors and affirmed that Daiwa will expand its operations in Vietnam, creating opportunities for Japanese enterprises to invest in Vietnam.

During the event, Japanese investors showed their interest in investment opportunities in the Vietnamese stock market and raised questions about market development policies, market upgrades, and attracting new capital flows. Chairwoman of the State Securities Commission, Vu Thi Chan Phuong, directly addressed the solutions to address the remaining challenges in the market upgrade process, as well as the policies supporting foreign investors' participation in the Vietnamese market.