As many as 16 Vietnamese businesses in the food and beverage industry took the opportunity to showcase their latest products at the 2012 International Fair Food and Beverage, which got underway in Paris, France, on October 21.

The fair, internationally known as SIAL Paris, is one of the biggest food and beverage exhibitions in the world. It is held every two years.

At the fair, which will runs until October 25, Vietnam’s exhibitors have put eye catching displays of a wide range of the country’s typical foodstuffs and beverages.

Taking part in such a prestigious international event, the Vietnamese firms are also eager to learn more about the French market in particular and the European Union in general.

Finding more cooperation and investment opportunities with foreign partners, are essential, said Vu Thanh, an official from the Agriculture Trade Promotion Centre of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency, Duong Chi Dung, Vietnam’s ambassador to France said Vietnamese producers should take the chance to learn from their European counterparts and how to accelerate the economic integration process at both regional and international levels.

He also called on Vietnamese enterprises to make better use of the country’s agricultural potential to produce more organic products which have become increasingly popular with European consumers.

Nguyen Canh Cuong, a commercial counsellor at the Vietnamese embassy in Paris, stated that despite having to deal with the prolonged debt crisis, the 27 member bloc continues to be one of Vietnam’s leading export markets, especially in the food and beverages sector.

The fair attracted almost 6,000 businesses from 200 countries and territories worldwide.

Source: VNA