Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Le Thanh Liem made the statement during a reception in Ho Chi Minh City on November 8 for a delegation from New South Wales, led by Niall Blair, who holds incumbent titles as the state’s Minister for Primary Industries, Minister for Regional Water and Minister for Trade and Industry.
Vice Chairman Liem told his guests that Ho Chi Minh City is currently home to 182 Australian projects. Two-way trade has been on the rise, hitting US$ 800 million in 2017, he said, adding that the figure is projected to reach US$ 1 billion this year.
In addition, Ho Chi Minh City has worked with Australia in multiple fields, including education, agriculture, and tourism.
The Vice Chairman noted that Ho Chi Minh City is paying heed to water resource management as the city often faces flooding, triggered by downpours and the rising tides caused by climate change.
Additionally, the city has high demand for water to maintain and improve people’s livelihoods, he said, stressing that it is looking to exchange experience in water resource management with New South Wales.
He also informed his guests of Ho Chi Minh City’s socio-economic development orientations in the time to come, saying that the city is working on a smart urban project and the construction of an innovative urban area on the east side.
For his part, Blair said New South Wales is a major state in terms of economy in Australia. He added that during its development process, the state also encountered similar challenges in infrastructure, water resource management, and wastewater treatment.
Blair expressed his hope that Ho Chi Minh City and New South Wales will enhance cooperation in the near future, which will contribute to Vietnam-Australia ties and help to make full use of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
Blair noted that the Vietnamese community living in the Australian state have also contributed to strengthening bilateral cooperation.
He pledged to bolster collaboration between New South Wales and Ho Chi Minh City in the coming time, not only in water resource management, but also in climate change adaption, high-tech agriculture, clean water in rural areas, and other issues relating to urban development.
