The reception was held on the occasion of their participation in the 2025 Autumn Economic Forum in Ho Chi Minh City.
Speaking at the reception, Vice Chairman Nguyen Loc Ha emphasized that the Finnish delegation’s visit comes at a time when Vietnam–Finland relations have made significant progress, particularly following the upgrade of the two countries’ ties to a Strategic Partnership in October 2025.
Over the past three years, Ho Chi Minh City and Tampere have maintained numerous high-level exchanges, focusing on promoting cooperation in education, trade and innovation.
The Vice Chairman expressed his belief that this visit would provide additional momentum for new collaborative projects and open up opportunities for businesses on both sides to explore and harness the significant potential for cooperation.
He also called on Finnish companies to increase investment in sectors prioritized by the city, including digital transformation, green initiatives, education and innovation.
Congratulating Ho Chi Minh City on successfully organizing the 2025 Autumn Economic Forum, Ambassador Pekka Voutilainen described the forum as an effective bridge to promote bilateral cooperation. He affirmed that Finland is ready to work with Ho Chi Minh City in the areas of strategic interest to the city.
Deputy Mayor of Tampere Ilkka Porttikivi expressed his admiration for Ho Chi Minh City’s role and status and committed to continuing to promote cooperation between the two cities, particularly in sustainable development, education and training and innovation.
During the working session, the two sides exchanged views on the implementation of the Ben Cat wastewater treatment project and on furthering cooperation in digital and green initiatives, innovation, as well as trade and investment.
