On 3rd April 2010, the Vietnam trade fair in Myanmar 2010 organized by the Vietnam MOIT – the Trade Promotion Agency, in coordination with the Vietnam embassy in Myanmar, officially opened at the Myanmar Convention Center.

Attending the opening ceremony was Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung; Chairman of the government office Nguyen Xuan Phuc; Minister of Planning and Investment Vo Hong Phuc; Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat; Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Thanh Bien; leaders of other ministries and departments along with over 170 enterprises from approximately 20 provinces and cities of Vietnam. On the Myanmar side; Senior Colonel Tyn Nang Thein, Minister of Commerce; Senior Colonel Aung Thein Lin, Mayor of the Yangon city and a great number of senior officials and enterprises of Myanmar.

The fair is the biggest ever one of Vietnam in Myanmar so far with the attendance of 71 Vietnamese enterprises and 11 Myanmar enterprises. Goods at the fair were displayed on the area of 2,000 m2 from 3rd to 6th April, 2010.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Thanh Bien stressed the meaning of the fair, saying that it was a great festival given the context that Vietnamese goods is more and more favorite in Myanmar market. Minister of Commerce of Myanmar Tyn Nang Thein highly appreciated the cooperation and the prospect of economic and commercial development between Vietnam and Myanmar in the coming time.

The official figures show that the two countries’ trade turn-over in 2009 reached approximately 100 million USD despite negative impacts of the global economic crisis. In the first two months of 2010, the bilateral trade exchange has gained strong recovery. The two countries’ export – import turn-over in the first two months of 2010 reached 17.2 million USD, up 210% as compared to the same period of 2009.

This is an event of great significance, contributing to the development of the Vietnam – Myanmar economic, trade and investment cooperation. At the same time, it helps to introduce the Vietnamese enterprises’ production capacity and potentials; the Vietnam’s business and investment environment as well as to popularize the image of Vietnam.