Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Le Hoang Quan has thanked foreign consulates, organisations and businesses for their significant contribution to the city’s development, asking for intensified cooperation in the time to come.

He delivered his acknowledgement at a get-together on January 23 on the occasion of the upcoming Lunar New Year, with the attendance of more than 200 representatives from general consulates, international economic, trade and cultural agencies, non-governmental organisations, and business associations.

The mayor informed them about the city’s economic, cultural and social accomplishments in 2013 and major development directions for 2014.

He said this year, HCM City will carry out drastic measures to overcome challenges, accelerate business recovery, improve investment environment, curb inflation, stabilise macro-economy, and maintain fair growth, adding that the city aims for a gross domestic product growth at 9.5 – 10 percent in 2014.

The municipal authorities are determined to speed up streamlining administrative procedures and build quality workforce to meet the demand of development and international integration, he noted.

On behalf of diplomatic corps and international organisations, Russian Consul General A.V. Borovik sent his New Year greetings to officials and people of HCM City and praised the city’s achievements.

He said a wide range of cultural activities to celebrate the establishment of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and other countries in the city last year have helped consolidate their friendship and mutual understanding.

HCM City has proved its role as a financial and economic hub of Vietnam with the big volume of investment attraction and an average growth rate doubling the country’s figure, he added.-VNA