HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng hosted a reception on Thursday for CEO of FTSE Russell Fiona Bassett and a delegation of global investment organisations who are on a working trip to Việt Nam. 

PM Hưng highly valued FTSE Russell’s role in monitoring, assessing, reviewing, and supporting the Vietnamese stock market, as well as in fostering its development toward greater transparency and efficiency in alignment with international standards. 

On September 21, Việt Nam’s stock market is set to officially attain the "Secondary Emerging Market" status under FTSE Russell’s classification criteria. 

He outlined key aspects of Việt Nam's recent economic performance, highlighting significant achievements – most notably a GDP growth rate of 8.18 per cent in the first half of 2026, the highest in 15 years. The country is determined to achieve double-digit growth this year and throughout the 2026-30 period, while maintaining macroeconomic stability, controlling inflation, and ensuring major economic balances. 

Realising this goal requires substantial capital mobilisation; therefore, developing a deep, broad, and efficient capital market is an urgent task to harness resources from both domestic private and foreign sectors, alongside public investment and bank credit, he noted. 

The Government leader underlined many important reforms Việt Nam has carried out to create more favourable conditions for investors, particularly for foreign ones, demonstrating a strong commitment to reforming the stock market and fostering an increasingly open and transparent investment environment. 

FTSE Russell’s decision to upgrade the status of Việt Nam’s stock market serves as an objective recognition of the country's vision, political determination, and reform efforts, he remarked. 

PM Hưng stated that Việt Nam views this market upgrade as the starting point for a new phase of development characterised by higher quality, greater scale, and increased professionalism for the Vietnamese stock market. 

It will focus on subsequent actions to sustain this upgraded status by maintaining seamless information flow and regular dialogue with market participants to establish a transparent and periodic communication channel with FTSE Russell to stay abreast of new standards or areas requiring improvement identified during reviews. 

The country will also ensure the smooth and stable implementation of reforms; expedite the deployment of the Central Counterparty (CCP) mechanism; effectively address issues raised by global securities firms and global custodians; and intensify supervision and support for listed companies in adopting ESG standards, enhancing information transparency, and implementing corporate governance practices aligned with OECD principles – all of which are essential to retaining significant capital inflows from global investment funds, he added. 

He expressed confidence that through cooperation with FTSE Russell and global partners, Việt Nam’s stock market will achieve further growth – not merely maintaining its current rating but truly rising to a regional level. 

PM Hưng asked FTSE Russell to continue monitoring the market and providing objective, accurate, and comprehensive assessments that reflect the realities of Việt Nam’s economy and capital market. He also called on the firm to collaborate with the Ministry of Finance, the State Securities Commission, and relevant regulatory bodies to recommend practical solutions that foster a stock market with increasing transparency, efficiency and alignment with international standards. 

Furthermore, he requested continued support for the country in its efforts to develop and actively participate in the stock market, and the financial market at large, including initiatives to operate and attract resources to the International Financial Centre. 

For her part, Bassett affirmed that FTSE Russell views Việt Nam as a remarkable growth story in Asia and a long-term partner, adding it wishes to further deepen cooperation with the Vietnamese Government and market participants. 

FTSE Russell’s decision to upgrade Việt Nam’s stock market reflects the country's commitments, reform efforts, and recent achievements, as well as investor confidence, she said, noting that Vietnam has emerged as one of the most liquid markets in the Asia-Pacific region, with high levels of foreign investor participation. 

She stated that FTSE Russell’s announcement regarding the upgrade of Việt Nam’s stock market, along with the increase in Việt Nam’s weighting within the FTSE Emerging All Cap Index by nearly 50 per cent (rising from 0.329 per cent to 0.49 per cent ), could drive billions of US dollars in capital inflows into the Vietnamese stock market. 

FTSE Russell is committed to providing comprehensive support for the continued development of Việt Nam’s capital market, helping to achieve strategic goals, foster deeper international integration, and attract foreign investment. It stands ready to partner with Việt Nam in executing the development roadmap and contributing further to the country's success story in the era ahead, Bassett stressed. 

FTSE Russell’s support extends beyond mere market reclassification. It encompasses developing standards and enhancing market depth, liquidity, and resilience; boosting confidence, attracting international investor participation, and raising the international community's awareness of Việt Nam’s capital market; modernising market infrastructure and boosting the growth of institutional investors; developing risk management tools; and supporting the introduction of new products, according to the CEO. —VNA/VNS