Alena, whose particular area of expertise is Vietnam, is expecting to see a renewed interest in the country from foreign companies in the near future. "Following the appointment of Nong Duc Manh as new General Secretary of Vietnam’s Communist Party we can expect fresh efforts towards "doi moi" (renovation) to attain Vietnam’s goal of becoming a modern and industrialised country by 2020. The country's senior political leaders, the General Secretary, Prime Minister and President, are now all moderates and reformers. This looks promising for a restart of Vietnam’s reform programme, which has stalled during the last few years. On the agenda are the continuing development of a transparent legal system, increasing productivity, developing opportunities for international co-operation in trade and investments and dealing with social issues. Complaints of foreign partners will hopefully be addressed with more vigour in order to improve Vietnam’s business environment. This potentially opens great opportunities for foreign businesses in Vietnam."

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