Speaking at the meeting on the afternoon of December 5, Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee and Chairman of the HCMC People’s Committee Nguyen Van Duoc expressed his pleasure in welcoming the delegation on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam–EU diplomatic relations.
In the context of Ho Chi Minh City’s recent expansion of scale and area from the merger, he emphasized that this is an opportune period to create new space for cooperation between the city and the EU.
The Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee proposed that both sides prioritize cooperation in the following areas of green transition, digital transformation, strategic transport infrastructure, maritime transport, artificial intelligence and the semiconductor industry. He also called for stronger connections between the European business community and localities across Vietnam, including Ho Chi Minh City.
He expressed gratitude to the Ambassadors for effectively fulfilling their role as bridges of cooperation and for actively promoting many practical initiatives, and expressed confidence that with the potential of Ho Chi Minh City and the strengths of the EU, the two sides will continue to implement many concrete projects that will make meaningful contributions to Vietnam–EU relations.
At the working session, representatives of Ho Chi Minh City’s departments and agencies presented the city’s development orientation for the coming period, provided information on key projects, and outlined mechanisms to attract foreign investment, particularly from the EU.
The city’s departments also responded directly to the EU delegation’s concerns on urban transport, infrastructure development, medical waste treatment, green and digital transitions and renewable energy.
Representatives of EU countries highly appreciated Ho Chi Minh City’s role and position and expressed their desire to establish regular dialogue mechanisms to share needs, capabilities and cooperation opportunities between the two sides.
They expect that investment cooperation projects between Ho Chi Minh City and the EU will continue to be optimized and benefit from the Vietnam–EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).
