The Norwegian Business Forum was organised by the Embassy in HCMC in November, and gathered many of the Norwegian business companies with a presence in Vietnam.
The forum is convened twice a year and gathers representatives from Norwegian companies established in Vietnam. The forum is an important opportunity for the Embassy to meet with the many Norwegian companies in Vietnam as well as an occasion to share experiences and exchange information about current business issues.
Mr. Kristian Ødegaard from the Section for Economic and Commercial Affairs, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, presented the Norwegian Government’s White Paper on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). As a follow-up of the White Paper, the Embassy has written a short report on possible challenges related to CSR that Norwegian companies might face in Vietnam. This report was also presented at the Norwegian Business Forum and the Embassy encouraged and welcomed the participants’ views and comments on this important topic.
Further, the Embassy’s Commercial Section gave a presentation on their work and plans for 2010. Senior V.P. and General Director Arvid Sundli from STX-Europe (former Aker Yards) also gave a very informative presentation on their experiences meeting Vietnamese business culture and bureaucracy.
