Seoul (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had separate meetings with leaders of the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s economic groups in Seoul on July 1 within the framework of his ongoing official visit to the country.

Receiving Cho Hyun-joon, Chairman of Hyosung Group, which has operated in Vietnam since 2007 with a total investment capital of nearly 5.1 billion USD, the PM commended its effective operation in industry, construction, trade, information-technology, and biotechnology, among other fields, as well as its contributions to socio-economic development in the Southeast Asian nation.

Lauding Hyosung’s investment expansion plan in Vietnam, Chinh affirmed that the Vietnamese Government will facilitate its operation, and suggested the group pay more attention to environmental protection, and connectivity with local firms.

The PM showed his support for cooperation between Hyosung and Ba Ria – Vung Tau, under which the southern province is expected to become a centre for production of biotechnology and advanced materials in Vietnam and the region.

At a meeting with Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin, Chinh suggested the business expand investment in such areas as smart urban development, contributing to spurring tourism, and pledged to support it in implementing large-scale projects.

Shin, for his part, expressed his belief that Vietnam will grow further and become a highlight of the global economy, and his hope for mutually beneficial economic cooperation.

Lotte wishes to invest in large-scale projects in Vietnam, he said.

The same day, the PM received representatives of Hyundai Motor Group, which has invested 415 million USD in Vietnam, suggesting it pour capital into green transport, transfer technologies to Vietnam, raise localisation rate, support Vietnamese firms to join supply chains and train personnel, and pay more heed to social welfare activities.

He called on Hyundai to sponsor and invest in the field of football in Vietnam. Regarding this, and the group's leaders said they would take the matter into consideration seriously.

The group’s site noted its wish to step up operation in the Southeast Asian nation, and its readiness to transfer and invest in new technologies in Vietnam, especially in the context of the growing global and Vietnamese e-vehicle markets.

Hyundai hailed Vietnam’s strengths in high-quality, young human resources, saying it plans to roll out training programmes for Vietnamese professional talents for the auto industry.

At another meeting with Yeonin Jung, Vice Chairman/COO at Doosan Enerbility, PM Chinh highly valued the group’s practical, effective contributions to Vietnam in the production of industrial equipment and energy equipment, and supported and welcomed its new solutions and technologies in green and clean energy.

Doosan Enerbility’s representatives informed the PM about the business’s investment plans, saying Doosan Enerbility wishes to sign cooperation documents with Vietnamese enterprises in clean energy and emission reduction.

Receiving Korea Federation of SMEs (KBIZ) Chairman Kim Ki-moon and Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK) Chairman and CEO Kim Sung-tae, the PM called for their support for Vietnamese small-and medium-sized enterprises./.