Addressing the event, which also commemorated the birthday of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Vice Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Duong Anh Duc highlighted the sound development of the two countries’ relations in the fields of politics, economy, trade, investment and people-to-people exchange over the past 44 years since Vietnam and Thailand established the diplomatic ties.
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Vice Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Duong Anh Duc speaks at the event. |
Despite the outbreak of COVID-19, the economic partnership between Vietnam and Thailand has grown strongly, with bilateral trade in the first nine months of 2020 hitting over 11 billion USD. In the first half of this year, Thailand invested 1.58 billion USD, ranking second among foreign investors in Vietnam.
According to Duc, people-to-people diplomatic activities between HCM City and Thailand have been promoted via programmes of the Vietnam-Thailand Friendship Association in HCM City. As of September, 2020, Thailand had operated 219 investment projects with total capital of 454 million USD in HCM City, ranking 12th among 111 countries and territories investing in the southern hub. Total import-export turnover between HCM City and Thailand reached 2.3 billion USD in the January-September period.
Thai Consul General in HCM City Apirat Sugondhabhirom thanked the Vietnamese government and HCM City authority for assisting the Thai community in Vietnam amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
He spoke highly of the success of Vietnam in the role as ASEAN Chair in 2020, emphasising that Vietnam has showed the leading role and innovative spirit in the fight against COVID-19 in ASEAN as well as in cooperation fields, including post-pandemic economic recovery.
Congratulated the HCM City Party Committee on its Party congress’s success, the Consul General expressed his belief in the further development of the friendship between the two countries as well as between Thailand and HCM City.
He affirmed to closely coordinate with the city’s authorities to boost the Thailand-Vietnam relations, toward the celebration of the 45th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties in 2021.
The Thai government has supported 30,000 USD, and the Thai Consulate General, businesses and community in HCM City has donated over 1.3 billion VND and goods to help people affected floods and storms in Vietnam’s central region.
Source: VNA