Hanoi (VNA) –The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) has made great efforts in cooperatingwith international organisations and foreign embassies in Vietnam to promote partnershipbetween Vietnamese and foreign partners.

The US Agency forInternational Development (USAID) has been working with the VCCI in manycooperation projects, with the most prominent joint effort being the making of theannual provincial competitiveness index (PCI) rankings.

The PCI hassignificant influence on the improvement of Vietnam’s business environment, especiallyfrom 2014 when the Resolution 19/NQ-CP on major solutions to improve thebusiness environment and enhancing national competitiveness was issued.

On the foundation ofthe PCI, localities nationwide have designed detailed plans of actions and specificideas to further better the local business environment.

Meanwhile, accordingto Karashima Hiroshi, President of the Japan Business Association in Vietnam(JBAV), the VCCI has become a bridge linking the business communities ofVietnam and Japan.

With the support fromVCCI, the  has received operation permit in Vietnam and exerted efforts toboost trade and economic cooperation between the two countries, he said.

In 2017, the JBAV wasthe co-chair of the Vietnam Business Forum, and worked with the VCCI tosuccessfully organize the event, he added.

Currently, manyJapanese firms have showed their interest to invest in Vietnam. The JBAV leaderheld that conferences held by the VCCI are useful for Japanese enterprises tolearn Vietnamese trade information.

The JBAV will continueto share information of VCCI events to member businesses, he stated.

At the same time, theVCCI has maintained effective cooperation with the UN Development Programme andother UN organisations to support the sustainable development of businesses.

Caitlin Wiesen, UNDPCountry Director in Vietnam said that the UNDP will continue the closecoordination with the VCCI in supporting private firms, which is also one ofkey focuses of the UNDP currently.

She held that sustainabledevelopment goals cannot be completed without the engagement of the privatesectors as well as the support of an organization representing the businesscommunity.

The VCCI spent nearlythree years to work with social, economic and environment experts as well asinternational partners to compile a sustainability index for enterprises, whichwill be applied soon.-VNA