HCM City, Finland’s Tampere city boost ties
HCM City (VNA) – Vice Chairman of
the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Vo Van Hoan hosted a reception on
October 11 for visiting Deputy Mayor of Tampere city of Finland Ilkka Sasi,
saying that the
city is aiming to build a smart city and a regional innovation and
creativity hub, with a focus on digital economy and green growth.
Speaking
highly of Finland’s education potential and strengths, Hoan hailed the
positive results of education cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and the
European country through various joint projects among schools. He expressed his belief that
these cooperation models could be spread in the future.
In information
technology (IT), he briefed the guest on the Quang Trung Software Park and
the Saigon Hi-Tech Park, which are attracting hundreds of leading technology
companies globally. He stressed that along with favourable policies for foreign
investors, these conditions provide a great opportunity for Finnish firms to
invest in IT, chip production and artificial intelligence (AI).
Sasi said his visit aims to expand education and vocational training
cooperation programmes, seek opportunities to step up investment in AI and
smart urban development.
Introducing Tampere, the third largest city of the Netherlands with a population of
400,000 people, Sasi said Tampere is also focusing on developing IT. He believed
that cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and Tampere in this field will benefit both sides in their development efforts.
On the
back of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), the two countries as well as Tampere and Ho Chi Minh City are
well-positioned to further nurture their trade and investment ties./.