Hanoi learns from Singaporean partners’ experience

Singapore (VNA) – Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung led a delegation to visit Singapore from September 21-23, aiming to learn from partners’ experience in organizing the Formula One Vietnam Grand Prix in 2020 (F1 Grand Prix) and promote investment cooperation with the country.

During his meetings with organizers and partners of the F1 Grand Prix, the Hanoi official briefed them on the city’s preparation for the race and introduced the Vietnamese capital’s socio-economic development achievements as well as potential for cooperation with partners across fields.

At the meeting with Chase Carey, Chairman and CEO of the Formula One Management Ltd, the two sides discussed and agreed to implement contents related to IT infrastructure development, and communication campaigns to prepare for Vietnam’s hosting of the F1 Grand Prix – one of the top prestigious car racing tours in the world.

Chung expressed his hope that the company and Carey in particular will coordinate and create favourable conditions for Vietnamese reporters to operate at the F1 races worldwide from now until April 2020, thus enhancing communication work about the race in Vietnam.

Carey praised Hanoi’s efforts in preparing for the sport event, stressing that Formula One will swiftly foster cooperation with Vietnamese partners and work closely with the municipal People’s Committee to promote the race to Vietnamese people,  and Vietnam’s culture to regional and international friends.

Meeting with Chairman of the international sports car federation (FIA) Jean Todt, the Hanoi leader highly valued the role of the official for preparing for the race in Hanoi and organising cooperation activities to raise public awareness of traffic safety in Vietnam.

The two sides agreed to continue coordinating in encouraging people to wear standard helmets, use electric vehicles to reduce environmental pollution, implement training programmes and raise awareness of traffic safety associated with the F1 Grand Prix.

They also agreed on the proposal to hold FIA Members' Meeting in Vietnam during the F1 Race in April 2020, with the participation of delegates from more than 60 countries around the world.

In the framework of the visit, Chairman Chung had meetings with representatives from Singaporean enterprises of ROK Group, Grab and NPark Singapore.

Jonathan Kendrick, Chairman of ROK, proposed the firm’s plan to invest in technology development cooperation projects in Hanoi, including producing 3D mobile phones, electric cars and exporting Vietnam’s traditional beer products to the US.

Chairman Chung applauded ideas of ROK Group and pledged to support and create the best conditions for realizing these projects soon.

Receiving Russell Cohen, head of Regional Operations of Grab in Asia, the Hanoi official highly appreciated the company's business results in Vietnam, saying that it has contributed to the development of the digital economy in Vietnam and the country’s goal of cashless payment.

Russell revealed Grab’s plan to invest another 500 million USD to expand its business activities in the Vietnamese market and Hanoi in particular in the next five years.

For NPark Singapore, Chung highlighted the recent effective cooperation between the firm with Hanoi in the field of urban landscape development, saying that Hanoi expects NPark to send its leading experts to the city to help train and transfer technology to Hanoi’s staff and employees, contributing to realizing the goal of Hanoi becoming a livable city in the future.

In the framework of the visit, on September 23, Chairman Chung accompanied the Standing Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh in a working session with Singaporean Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean on the occasion of the Binh’s visit to Singapore.

At the meeting, the Singaporean leader highly appreciated the fruitful development of relations between the two countries, including Hanoi’s contributions.

Singapore is currently the third largest foreign investor in Vietnam and the second in Hanoi. The two countries aim to further strengthen cooperation in investment, smart city development, education-training, tourism and people-to-people exchange.

The visit to Singapore offered a good chance for the Hanoi People’s Committee to learn from experience of the host country and F1 Grand Prix’s important partners in organising the race in Vietnam for the first time.

At the meetings during the visit, all partners pledged to five Hanoi the highest support, while business owners and leading billionaires in the world agreed to visit Hanoi in 2019 and 2020, promising to open a new investment and business waves in the capital in the future./.