Upgrading is not the ultimate goal
On September 18, 2026, in Hanoi, the Ministry of Finance in coordination with FTSE Russell organized a conference for Vietnam to officially participate in the FTSE Russell Global Equity Index Series global index basket.
Speaking at the conference, Minister of Finance Ngo Van Tuan emphasized that this is a particularly important historical milestone for the Vietnamese financial market, and also shows the increasing interest of the international investment community.
According to the minister, Vietnam is striving to affirm its position as a dynamic, attractive and potentially rich investment destination. In the context of strong shifts in international capital flows, Vietnam is steadfast in its goal of stabilizing the macroeconomy, improving the investment and business environment, promoting innovation, digital transformation and green growth.
Vietnam also prioritizes attracting quality, long-term capital flows, associated with knowledge transfer and advanced governance. Over the past time, the capital market has had many institutional and operational reforms, while expanding dialogue with the international investment community.
The solutions focus on improving the quality of governance and market discipline, strengthening the effectiveness of handling violations; creating favorable conditions for investors, especially foreign investors; improving market access according to international standards and completing the legal corridor for new models and products.
However, upgrades are not the ultimate goal, but a new step forward, while also posing higher requirements for the market and management agencies," Minister Ngo Van Tuan assessed.
In the coming time, Vietnam will continue to improve market liquidity and quality; modernize infrastructure; strengthen risk management tools; diversify products and attract capital flows towards sustainability. Market management, supervision and openness will also continue to be improved.
Creating a platform to attract long-term international capital flows
Ms. Fiona Bassett - CEO of FTSE Russell - said that market classification changes do not happen overnight, but are the result of many years of commitment, cooperation and persistent efforts. This achievement reflects the contribution of the Government, management agencies, stock exchanges, securities companies, custodian banks, investors and other members of the Vietnamese financial ecosystem.
According to Ms. Fiona Bassett, participating in global standard indices is a recognition of Vietnam's progress and increasingly deep integration into the international capital market. This also strengthens Vietnam's position as an increasingly important destination for international investment capital flows.
Currently, there are more than 22,000 billion USD of assets globally using FTSE Russell indices as a reference. The upgrade is expected to help the Vietnamese market increase its presence in front of international investors and create conditions for more global capital to participate in the coming time.
Vietnam's upgrade not only recognizes the achieved results, but is also an important step forward to help the market increase its presence in front of international investors," Ms. Fiona Bassett said.
FTSE Russell is committed to continuing to be a long-term partner of Vietnam in the capital market modernization process, with support activities spanning the fields of stocks, fixed income, foreign exchange, sustainable investment and digitization.
Also at the conference, Mr. Iain Grant Frew - Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Vietnam - assessed that FTSE Russell's upgrade of the Vietnamese stock market is an important milestone in the capital market development process.
Reforms in the past, including removing the requirement to deposit in advance for foreign institutional investors, have contributed to reducing barriers and creating favorable conditions for international capital flows to access the Vietnamese market.
However, the Ambassador believes that upgrades do not automatically guarantee long-term success. To maintain trust and attract long-term, large-scale capital flows, Vietnam needs to continue to improve market infrastructure, strengthen investor protection, upgrade trading systems and dispute resolution mechanisms.
According to Mr. Iain Grant Frew, the construction of the International Financial Center in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang may contribute to transforming benefits from upgrading into a driving force for capital market development in depth, while improving the ability to mobilize international capital.
The United Kingdom is committed to continuing to accompany Vietnam in areas such as building a legal framework, financial services, financial technology, professional services and green finance," Iain Grant Frew committed.
