Da Nang (VNA) – The official session of the City Partnership Forum – Da Nang 2025 has taken place in the central coastal city a hybrid format, drawing leaders from Vietnam’s ministries and agencies, representatives from 35 cities with current or planned ties to Da Nang, foreign ambassadors, consuls general, and delegations of international businesses and cultural groups.
In his opening remarks on January 17, Chairman of the Da Nang People's Committee Le Trung Chinh affirmed that the city always welcomes foreign localities and partners worldwide to strengthen friendship, expand global partnerships, and work together to harness potential for sustainable development, bridging geographical gaps, and connecting communities.
Speaking at the forum, Anouphab Tounalom, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Lao capital of Vientiane, said it is necessary to bolster locality-to-locality collaboration to promote economic growth and deepen the Vietnam-Laos relationship.
Tom Tate, Mayor of Gold Coast, highlighted tourism as a key bridge between the Australian city and Da Nang. Da Nang is a rapidly developing city in Vietnam, he said, expressing optimism about future collaboration in economy, education, and culture to benefit residents of both cities.
Addressing the forum virtually, Song Junji, Vice Governor of China’s Shandong province, announced plans to enhance cultural exchanges with the central Vietnamese economic hub to deepen bilateral ties and broaden people-to-people connections, strengthening the Vietnam-China friendship.
Participants shared experiences and discussed strategies for international cooperation and integration toward sustainable development, offering insights from both local and international perspectives.
During the session, Da Nang formalised friendships and partnerships with Kazakhstan’s Aktau city and Italy’s Genoa city. With these agreements, its international partnership network now spans 50 localities across 24 countries and territories./.
