 |
| Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Phan Van Mai receives Mr. Ville Tavio, Finland's Minister of Foreign Trade and Development. (Photo: hcmcpv.org.vn) |
He made the statement during a reception on October 21, for Mr. Ville Tavio, Finland's Minister of Foreign Trade and Development, on the occasion of the Green Economy Forum (GEFE) 2024 in Ho Chi Minh City.
During the reception, Mr. Mai suggested that a meeting with Finnish businesses should take place this year to introduce potential programs that could enhance cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and Finland.
Welcoming the Finnish Minister and business delegation to the city for the GEFE 2024 event, he expressed confidence that the Minister’s visit would lay the groundwork for new projects and cooperative activities between Finland and Ho Chi Minh City, helping businesses from both sides better understand untapped potential and cooperation opportunities.
He highlighted that the trade turnover between Ho Chi Minh City and Finland reached over USD35 million in 2023. Finland currently has 24 investment projects in Ho Chi Minh City with a total registered capital of nearly USD27 million, ranking 36th out of 122 countries and territories investing in the city. In 2023 and 2024, delegations from Ho Chi Minh City visited Finland to strengthen cooperation in areas such as smart urban development, education, vocational training, innovation and climate change adaptation. Ho Chi Minh City and Tampere, Finland, are currently discussing the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation.
In addition to promoting economic and trade cooperation, Chairman Phan Van Mai requested Minister Ville Tavio’s support in connecting Ho Chi Minh City businesses with Finnish partners to invest in projects related to building an innovation startup ecosystem, enhancing capacity, technology transfer and sharing experiences in sustainable urban planning, green economy development, clean energy usage, and climate change resilience.
He also appreciated the establishment of the Vietnam-Finland International School in Ho Chi Minh City, which aims to expand Finland’s advanced education model in Vietnam. He expressed hope that Finland would continue to strengthen cooperation with educational institutions in the city.
Minister Ville Tavio praised the Green Economy Forum and hoped it would further connect Finnish businesses with Vietnam. Finland, being a leader in wastewater treatment, hopes to expand cooperation beyond economic fields to include environmental management and high-quality human resource training in the future.
Ho Chi Minh City and Tampere are working towards signing an MoU, which is expected to contribute to enhancing cooperation between the two cities, and between Ho Chi Minh City and Finland more broadly./.