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| Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Vo Van Hoan (R) presents a souvenir to Ms. Philippa Scott at the reception. (Photo: hcmcpv.org.vn) |
At the meeting, Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee Vo Van Hoan highly appreciated the delegation's visit and emphasized that the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Australia are developing comprehensively. Noting that this is an important year for the two countries as they have just upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in March, opening up a framework for cooperation in many aspects for businesses and people of the two countries, including promoting political and diplomatic exchanges; economic and trade cooperation, science and technology cooperation, innovation, digital transformation, and strong green transformation; cooperation in culture, education - training, environment, and response to climate change.
There are currently many leading Australian businesses operating effectively and with promise in the city. As of 2023, two-way trade cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and Australia reached more than USD1 billion and there are currently 309 investment projects with a total capital of more than USD230 million, ranking 19 of 122 countries and territories investing in Ho Chi Minh City. In addition, the city currently has four Australian trade and investment representative offices from the states of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia.
Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Vo Van Hoan said that Ho Chi Minh City is a special urban area, a major economic center of the country, the locomotive of the southern key economic region, and has a large contribution rate to the socio-economic development of the region and the whole country. The city is also a major center of culture, education - training, science - technology, a focal point for international exchange and integration with great investment attraction and spillover power.
He added that in the coming time, the city would encourage green production and investment activities, speed up and effectively develop a sustainable green economy. By 2030, the city strives to become a modern service-industrial city, a leader in digital economy, digital society, economic, financial, commercial, cultural, educational, science-technology center of the country, with a prominent position in Southeast Asia.
The city’s leader hoped to continue to receive the attention, support and suggestions from the Australian Political Exchange Council for promoting cooperative relations between the two countries, including Ho Chi Minh City in the fields of investment and trade, education, tourism and youth exchanges.
Ms. Philippa Scott said that the purpose of the delegation's working visit was to learn about the Youth Union's work and the youth movement, typical models in entrepreneurship activities of the city's youth; to exchange cooperation contents between the two sides, and to put forth measures to promote relations between Vietnam and Australia, and between Ho Chi Minh City and Australian localities.
She expressed confidence in the future of the relationship between the two countries, including Ho Chi Minh City./.