Hanoi (VNA) – Politburo member and Head of the PartyCentral Committee’s Economic Commission Nguyen Van Binh hosted a reception inHanoi on November 23 for Chairman of the Board of Japan’s Sumitomo MitsuFinancial Group (SMFG) and Sumitomo Mitsu Banking Corporation (SMBC) KoichiMiyata.

Binh welcomes Koichi Miyata’s visit amidst the Vietnam-Japan relationsis growing soundly, especially in economy. He lauded the effective operation ofthe SMBC in Vietnam with all branches enjoying profits and having no bad loans.

Koichi Miyata said that the SMBC is implementing a new strategy with thefocus on Asia, adding that Vietnam is the most important country in thestrategy.

Many foreign investors have shown their interests in Vietnam, especiallythose from Japan, he said, pledging that the SMBC will support their investments.

Binh noted that Vietnam is a highly open economy, targeting to recordrapid and sustainable growth based on the stable macro-economy and resilient bankingsystem against outside shocks.

Vietnam will also continue improving its business-investment environment,creating more favourable conditions for domestic and foreign investors,including the SMBC, he said.

He expressed his hope that the SMBC will continue its long-termoperation in Vietnam, while expanding cooperation and experience sharing withVietnamese banks and the Vietnamese economy in general.

The same day, Binh also had a meeting with Ioanis E. Raptakis, GreekAmbassador to Vietnam, during which Binh highlighted the need for closercoordination between the two countries in raising two-way trade to matchpotential of both sides.

He proposed that Greece supports Vietnam to promote partnership with theEuropean Union, as well as the signing and implementation of a free tradeagreement between Vietnam and the EU, thus expanding economic and tradecooperation space between the two sides.

Binh vowed that Vietnam always creates all favourable conditions forenterprises and investors from Greece, and welcomes them to seek investmentopportunities in Vietnam.-VNA