Mr. Phuc made the statement at the Vietnam-Norway Business Forum in Oslo on Friday as part of his official visit to Norway. He said Vietnam is working to maintain its growth of 6.5% to 7% to expand the size of the economy and increase income per capita. Mr. Phuc said: “We focus on investment attraction and sustainable and rapid development in prioritized areas including infrastructure, renewable energy, blue ocean economy, and human resource development in the 4^th Industrial Revolution and the digital economy. We hope that Norwegian investors will work with us, especially in marine services which Vietnam is weak at. Our tourism services need stronger reform. From today’s forum, I hope that the two countries’ businesses will be the main players to decide the success of bilateral cooperation and open cooperation opportunities in the future.”

Mr. Phuc said Vietnam, a peaceful, stable, and open country is welcoming the Norwegian friends and expressed his hope that the Norwegian businesses will seek opportunities to boost win-win cooperation with Vietnam.

Norway’s Minister of Trade and Industry Torbjorn Roe Isaksen said Vietnam is a bright spot of economic development and that Norway wants to upgrade its ties with Vietnam to economic and trade partnership, benefiting both. Minister Isaksen said he hopes that more and more Norwegian companies will invest in Vietnam given Vietnam’s economic openness and its potential for long-term cooperation. At the forum, 3 cooperative agreements in energy, logistics, and electricity were signed.