Addresssing the event, which was hosted by the Committee for External Relations of St. Petersburg, Director of the HCMC Department of Foreign Affairs Tran Phuoc Anh said that the fruitful development of friendship and cooperative relations between Vietnam and Russia in recent times has created a favorable foundation for the HCMC - Petersburg friendship to constantly develop.
HCMC considers St. Petersburg one of 12 key localities that it will actively promote cooperation in the coming time, he noted.
According to the official, there is a great prospect for the two sides to strengthen economic cooperation because HCMC is a potential market with a growing number of middle-class people, and an attractive investment destination with advantages in terms of geographical location, political stability, flexibility, and support policies for foreign businesses and investors.
HCMC has chosen green growth as its future development strategy, focusing on innovation, developing modern infrastructure, and improving the efficiency and competitiveness of the economy, thus promoting sustainable economic growth, Anh added.
Grigoriev Evgeny Dmitrievich, Chairman of the Committee for External Relations of St. Petersburg, highlighted the development of the bilateral relations between Vietnam and Russia, and the relationship between localities of the two countries, including HCMC and St. Petersburg.
HCMC is home to over 20 Russian businesses, while there are more than 60 enterprises in St. Petersburg regularly doing business with Vietnamese companies, he said. However, Dmitrievich noted that the above-mentioned numbers do not fully reflect the potential for cooperation between the two sides.
Businesses of the Vietnamese and Russian cities have the demand to set up cooperation in information technology, health care, and education, he added.
The authorities of St. Petersburg encourage its businesses to promote trade and investment cooperation with foreign firms, including those from Vietnam, Dmitrievich said.
Goryshina Olga Anatolievna, vice head of the Committee for Industrial Policy, Innovations and Trade of St. Petersburg, said St. Petersburg is one of the cities with developed industry and vibrant commercial activities in Russia. Goods produced in St. Petersburg are currently exported to more than 100 countries around the world, including Vietnam.
Vietnam, and HCMC in particular, can enhance cooperation with the Russian city in the fields of shipbuilding and water treatment, she said.
Representatives from businesses of St. Petersburg said that HCMC is not only the largest economic hub in Vietnam but also an international trade gateway that connects dynamic economic regions in Asia.
