Looking back on 26 diligent years

VIR has turned itself into Vietnam’s leading multimedia agency, with various publications written both in English and Vietnamese languages, through a 26-year journey filled with unceasing innovation, renovation, and development.

Growing from strength to strength, VIR has produced numerous publications about property, finance and banking, environment, climate change, and energy, and organised many national- and international-level forums and events, such as the M&A Vietnam Forum and the charity golf event Swing for the Kids. All these have created a unique identity for the group.

These publications are distributed widely in Vietnam and abroad. This has given VIR a special strength rarely found in other media agencies in Vietnam.

Through its publications and forums, VIR has successfully found itself in the mind of readers, including the government, ministries, agencies, international organisations, embassies, investors, and enterprises.

VIR has developed an important, open, debate-based information channel, contributing to the promotion of democracy in the process of making policies and plans for the country’s socio-economic development.

The historic handshake between Prof. Nguyen Mai (left), Vietnam Investment Review’s first editor-in-chief, and an executive of Australian-invested VIR Ltd. gave birth to the newspaper 26 years ago. The business co-operation contract (BCC) signing was witnessed by Minister Vo Dong Giang (centre), who made great contributions to the establishment and direction of VIR’s development in its first years. In May 1998, due to the Asian financial crisis, the Australian partner pulled out of the BCC which means the Vietnamese side under the Ministry of Planning and Investment took over the entire business and production activities of VIR.

Successes harvested from the persistent implementation of its motto “Pairing well with investors and enterprises” have strengthened VIR’s fine media-enterprise relations. They have also enabled VIR to continue its core mission to vibrantly mirror the business and investment developments in the economy, and simultaneously to deliver on our responsibilities as economic media, ensuring a more sustainable future.

VIR’s achievements would not have been possible without its mature and experienced journalists, who are well-equipped with expertise and political qualifications. They have made great efforts to weather all challenges to establish a prestigious newspaper, with reliable and objective information for readers.

VIR’s strengths have also always been fostered by great support from the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s Party Committee and leadership, the Central Committee for Communication and Education, the Ministry of Information and Communication, and agencies of the Party and the state, as well as valuable encouragement from the Vietnam Journalists’ Association.

Such support has laid the groundwork for VIR to build a brighter future, which will be seen with new opportunities pertaining to the country’s economic reforms and international integration.

Inspired by such support, VIR as a whole will continue making greater strides in its new journey and accomplishing its goals in the time to come.

By Le Trong Minh - VIR’s Editor-in-chief