VIETNAM, August 9 - HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính on Wednesday suggested United States' healthcare giant Abbott expand its investment and upgrade the quality of its pharmaceutical manufacturing plants in Việt Nam, thus helping promote the domestic pharmaceutical industry.

At a reception in Hà Nội for Robert Ford, Abbott's Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, the PM told his guest that Việt Nam considers the US a leading partner in its foreign policy, and wishes to enhance the bilateral comprehensive partnership in a more practical and effective manner and on the basis of mutual respect for independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and political institutions of each other.

The leader used the occasion to thank the US government and businesses, particularly Abbott, for their support to Việt Nam in the COVID-19 fight, and appreciated the group’s practical and effective contributions to national economic development as well as the Việt Nam-US relations.

Both sides noted with pleasure the outstanding development of the Việt Nam-US ties over the past time, saying the US has become Việt Nam's biggest importer, while Việt Nam has been the US’ seventh largest trade partner globally and its biggest in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Chinh affirmed that the Vietnamese government always listens to opinions raised by enterprises, including those from the US, and creates optimal conditions for them to expand operations, especially in digital transformation, digital economy, manufacturing and processing, health care, high-tech, and high-quality personnel training.

He spoke highly of Abbott’s introduction of cutting-edge medical technologies to the Vietnamese market, and asked firms from the US and other countries to further invest in Việt Nam, helping the country in the field of nutrition.

For his part, Ford lauded Việt Nam's development achievements, especially in socio-economic recovery post pandemic, as well as the country’s open policies towards enterprises.

Việt Nam holds potential for the development of clinical research and large-scale pharmaceutical production, he said, stressing that Abbott will continue its long-term investment in the country.

Abbott has been operating in Việt Nam since 1995, with two pharmaceutical manufacturing plants at present. — VNS