The HCMC delegation and the government of Rotterdam City sign a memorandum of understanding

During a business trip to Europe, the Ho Chi Minh City delegation led by Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Duong Anh Duc yesterday had a working session with the government of Rotterdam City.

The visit is a continuation of the business trip to Ho Chi Minh City of the delegation of Rotterdam City led by Mayor of Rotterdam Ahmed Aboutaleb in July 2022.

Speaking at the meeting, Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Duong Anh Duc thanked the leaders of the Rotterdam City government for spending time receiving the HCMC delegation.

According to Mr. Duong Anh Duc, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the Netherlands. In 2019, Vietnam and the Netherlands upgraded their bilateral relationship to a comprehensive partnership. Until now, the friendship and cooperation relationship between Vietnam and the Netherlands has been developing strongly in all fields.

The Netherlands is currently a major trading partner of Ho Chi Minh City with a total two-way trade turnover of US$1.6 billion in 2022. Out of 117 countries and territories pouring money into Vietnam, the Netherlands came fifth with a total capital of more than $5 billion for 185 investment projects in Ho Chi Minh City.

The Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee thanked the city of Rotterdam for its support of climate change response. Rotterdam’s support has helped the southern largest city to properly orient its urban and port development toward the sea in the context of climate change impacts.

Following the success of cooperation between the two cities, Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Duong Anh Duc proposed to promote further cooperation in some fields including technology transfer, building seaports and logistics operation capacity, transshipment port planning, as well as experiences in transshipment port and supply chain operation.

Vice Chairman Duong Anh Duc called on Rotterdam City to study the possibility of participating in the planning of the Can Gio transshipment port, share experiences in operating the transshipment port and supply chain when the port is put into use in the future.

The Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee also wants Rotterdam to cooperate with the city in improving the forecasting and warning capabilities of natural disasters as well as transfer and upgrade of technology for monitoring, analyzing, forecasting and warning of natural disasters. HCMC also needs the Netherlands’ assistance in the studies and application of new materials and advanced technologies in housing construction and disaster prevention and control works to ensure sustainability and environmental friendliness.

On his part, Deputy Mayor Enes Yigit of Rotterdam City expressed his pleasure to welcome the Ho Chi Minh City delegation. Deputy Mayor Enes Yigit said that the city leaders highly appreciated the cooperation relationship with Ho Chi Minh City. The city is always looking forward to sharing experiences and technical solutions with the southern metropolis of Vietnam in response to climate change.

At the meeting, representatives of the municipal People's Committee and the government of Rotterdam signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in response to climate change and flood management in Ho Chi Minh City.

The Memorandum of Understanding will pave the way for the creation of favorable conditions for the two sides to strengthen cooperation in the field of climate change response and flood management through the implementation of specific projects. In addition, the two cities will discuss the field of port development in and around Ho Chi Minh City.

Accordingly, the two sides jointly study the situation of climate change and flooding in Ho Chi Minh City and propose specific cooperation projects in line with relevant orientations and planning.

The two sides planned to promote the exchange of experience, technology transfer, application of science and technology and information technology in the construction, management and operation of seaports; develop the transport infrastructure system connecting the seaport system; develop maritime channels and port logistics systems such as logistics centers and inland container depots.

The Rotterdam City Government and the Port of Rotterdam Management Board have been calling on Dutch businesses to pour more money to build new and modern seaports in Ho Chi Minh City with the green port criteria.

Source: SGGP