Mr. Nguyen Van Dung expressed his gratitude to the Bogota city government for their hospitality, emphasizing that the delegation's visit to Colombia strengthens the traditional friendship between the two countries, particularly as they celebrate 45 years of diplomatic relations (1979-2024).
In discussions with the Deputy Mayor, Mr. Nguyen Van Dung highlighted HCMC's role as Vietnam's economic, cultural, scientific, and technological hub, and a key international gateway. With nearly 300,000 businesses operating in the city (accounting for one-third of the country's enterprises), he pointed out the favorable conditions for enhancing trade and investment cooperation with Colombia and Bogota.
The city aims to become a modern service and industrial hub, a center for the digital economy and society, and a leading economic, financial, commercial, cultural, educational, and scientific-technical center in Vietnam by 2030, with a significant presence in Southeast Asia. By 2045, the vision is to become a major economic, financial, and service center in Asia. To achieve these goals, the city has been focusing on strengthening cooperation with global partners to attract international resources, including from Colombia and Bogota.
Discussing opportunities for collaboration, Mr. Nguyen Van Dung expressed the desire to promote the traditional friendship between the two countries and their peoples. He emphasized the importance of helping both populations, especially the younger generation, understand and support the bilateral relationship for mutual prosperity. Mr. Nguyen Van Dung suggested encouraging and facilitating the participation of businesses from both countries in fairs, exhibitions, and forums, providing them with opportunities to engage directly with partners, access useful information, develop suitable business plans, and explore each other’s markets. He also proposed that departments and specialized agencies from both regions enhance exchanges, interaction, and cooperation in areas, such as investment attraction, people-to-people exchange, tourism, and social welfare.
Mr. Nguyen Van Dung affirmed that the HCMC government is willing and eager to advance local cooperation with Bogota, leveraging each side's strengths to support mutual development.
During the meeting, both parties explored opportunities for collaboration in economics, culture, tourism, and infrastructure development. In line with Ms. Sandra Borda, Deputy Mayor of Bogota’s proposal for a contact point in HCMC to facilitate economic and cultural exchanges, Mr. Nguyen Van Dung confirmed that the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Industry and Trade, Department of Tourism, and the Investment and Trade Promotion Center of HCMC will participate in the cooperation process.
Mr. Nguyen Van Dung also extended an invitation to the Deputy Mayor of Bogota to visit HCMC to continue discussions and gain a deeper understanding of the city.
On the morning of the same day, Mr. Nguyen Van Dung and the HCMC delegation met with Ms. Claudia Florez Sepulveda, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Colombia. During the meeting, Mr. Nguyen Van Dung highlighted HCMC's economic development achievements and provided an update on the city's poverty reduction program, which has been renamed the Sustainable Poverty Reduction Program since its initiation in 1992, showcasing its positive outcomes.
Mr. Nguyen Van Dung affirmed the HCMC Party Committee and the government's commitment to deepening traditional ties and leveraging mutual strengths. He proposed that both parties enhance efforts to promote their traditional friendship, increasing mutual understanding and support, particularly among younger generations.
On this occasion, Mr. Nguyen Van Dung invited Ms. Claudia Florez Sepulveda, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Colombia, to visit HCMC. He expressed confidence that the visit would further strengthen the traditional friendship between the Communist Party of Colombia and the Communist Party of Vietnam, especially enhancing ties between the Communist Party of Colombia and HCMC's Party Committee, government, and people.
Also on the morning of August 20, during a meeting with Mr. Manuel Chacon, Director of Commercial Relations, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Mr. Nguyen Van Dung said that Vietnam, including HCMC, and Colombia have significant opportunities to boost economic cooperation.
The two sides discussed areas of mutual interest and strength, such as timber exports and tourism, emphasizing the need to promote tourism and showcase attractive destinations in both countries to strengthen trade and tourism connections.
In the afternoon, during a meeting with Ms. Paola Buendia, Permanent Vice President of the National Business Association of Colombia (ANDI), Mr. Nguyen Van Dung praised the cooperation potential between Vietnam, including HCMC, and Colombia, particularly in trade, investment, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges. He proposed organizing trade and investment promotion activities to showcase business environments in Colombia and Vietnam, especially in HCMC, and to connect businesses from both countries to boost trade.
At the end of the meeting, both sides agreed to continue working together to specify cooperation areas of mutual interest and strength, such as electronics, textiles, tourism, and timber exports.
Following the visit to Colombia, the HCMC delegation will continue to visit Peru from August 21 to 23 (local time).
Export revenue from HCMC to Colombia has increased from US$25 million in 2013 to $35 million in 2023, with a peak of $43 million in 2022. In the first seven months of 2024, exports from HCMC to Colombia totaled $16.2 million. The main export products include machinery, equipment, tools, spare parts, coffee, footwear, garments, and textiles.
