HCM City looks to EU’s support in urban infrastructure

Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong on June 14 asked the European Union (EU) partners to help the city develop urban infrastructure, especially railway routes and Ben Thanh underground shopping centre.
HCM City looks to EU’s support in urban infrastructure ảnh 1Metro line No.2 in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: VNA)
HCM City (VNA) – Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh CityPeople’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong on June 14 asked the European Union (EU) partnersto help the city develop urban infrastructure, especially railway routes andBen Thanh underground shopping centre.

During a working session in the city with a delegation of EUambassadors to Vietnam led by Ambassador Bruno Angelet, head of the EUDelegation to Vietnam, Phong suggested providing technical support for projectsand conducting feasibility studies for them.

As for the metro line No.2 project, Phong proposed theEuropean Commission extend time for financial assistance reception to conductfeasibility studies for the project and adjust several terms in financial aidpackage to better suit construction progress and Vietnamese law.

The official said since the establishment of bilateraldiplomatic ties in 1990, ties between Vietnam and the EU have grown, evidencedby the signing of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement in 2012.

As Vietnam’s largest metro area, Ho Chi Minh City is strivingto become an economic, financial, trade, science-technology centre in theregion.

To such end, the city has devised two schemes on turningitself into a smart city and international financial hub, thus creating adriving force for the southern key economic zone and the country’s economy ingeneral.

The EU now has 1,081 valid projects worth 3.95 billion USDin the city, mostly from the Netherlands with 136 projects worth 1.8 billionUSD, the UK 617 million USD, Germany 286 million USD, Sweden 274 million USDand France 262 million USD.

In the first five months of this year, 41 European projectswere licensed with a total capital of 26.82 million USD.

Angelet expressed his impression on the city’s developmentin terms of infrastructure and business climate, and vowed to offer technicaland financial support to the city in infrastructure projects.

He said that the EU – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) isbeing completed for signing soon, adding that once the deal takes effect, moreVietnamese goods will be available in EU market.

Phong expressed his wish that EU countries would acceleratethe ratification of the EVFTA.

In order to deliver on the EVFTA’s commitments, the citywill review policies, step up administrative reform and pay attention toworkforce training, he said, adding that it will also improve corporatecompetitiveness and tap opportunities to boost trade with the EU in the nearfuture.

The city’s leader vowed to do his best to ensure a stablesocio-political environment, legitimate rights and interests of investors aswell as offer all possible support for enterprises to do long-term businessthere.

Both sides also agreed to enhance coordination in culture,education and people-to-people exchange.-VNA
VNA

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