At the reception, H.E. Ms. Gillian Bird expressed her strong impression of the development of Vietnam in general and Ho Chi Minh City in particular, especially the former Binh Duong area. She also noted that the current bilateral trade volume has reached USD 30 billion, doubling compared to the figures in 2020. Vietnam is currently a major trading partner of Australia, particularly since the two nations upgraded their cooperative relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The Ambassador thanked the leaders of Ho Chi Minh City for their ongoing support and for creating favorable conditions for Australian enterprises to operate effectively in the locality. She expressed her confidence that in the coming time, an increasing number of Australian investors will choose Vietnam as their investment destination, particularly Ho Chi Minh City.
On behalf of the City's leadership, Standing Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Loc Ha thanked the Ambassador for sharing insights regarding the cooperative relationship between Vietnam and Australia. The Vice Chairman stated that following the administrative merger with Binh Duong and Ba Ria - Vung Tau provinces, Ho Chi Minh City's total area has expanded to 6,700 square kilometers, with a population reaching 14 million people. This serves as a highly favorable condition for Ho Chi Minh City to be planned and developed into a national megacity of international stature.
To realize the aforementioned goal, Ho Chi Minh City is focusing investments on a synchronous transportation system connecting three growth poles: the former Ho Chi Minh City area, the former Binh Duong area, and the former Ba Ria - Vung Tau area. Furthermore, the City has recently commenced construction on a series of key infrastructure projects, including Metro Line No. 2, the City Central Square, the Ho Chi Minh City Administrative Center, and the International University Urban Area.
Given these advantages, the Standing Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee expressed his strong belief that in the near future, Ho Chi Minh City will continue to serve as an attractive destination for foreign investors, including those from Australia.
Source: Mai Xuan / Ho Chi Minh City Portal