Secretary General of the Association of North East Asia Regional Governments (NEAR) Hong Jong-kyoung invited Ho Chi Minh City to be an associate member of the NEAR while being received by Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Le Thanh Liem on July 26.

Vice Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Le Thanh Liem(third from the left) and NEAR Secretary General Hong Jong-kyoung (fourth from the left)

Associate members have all rights full members do, bar the right to vote and the responsibility to pay annual membership fees, he said.

He expressed his hope that by participating in the NEAR, Ho Chi Minh City will have more opportunities to promote its potential to Northeast Asian localities and intensify international cooperation through NEAR forums and activities, especially trade and tourism promotion programmes.

Liem stressed that Ho Chi Minh City values international organisations and associations, considering them an effective channel for international cooperation.

He pledged to assign relevant offices to study this invitation and reply to the association soon.

NEAR is an international organisation founded by 29 regional governments from four Northeast Asian countries, including China, Japan, the Republic of Korea (RoK) and Russian in September 1996 in Gyeongsangbuk-do province, the RoK.

It has grown into a local diplomacy and cooperation organisation representing Northeast Asia with 77 member regional governments from six countries.

VNA