Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Le Hoang Quan hosteda reception on August 26 for Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, President ofthe European Commission (EC), who is on a Vietnam visit at an invitationof Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.
Quan said hehopes that Barroso’s visit will help to further strengthen friendshipand cooperation between Vietnam and the European Union.
The bilateral ties have grown strongly despite the global-scaleeconomic crisis, he said adding that the promotion of negotiations on aVietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) toward the early signing of theagreement will contribute to intensifying cooperation for both sides’interests.
According to Quan, HCM City, thecountry’s largest economic hub, has received much attention from EUinvestors, focusing on economics, trade, science, education, health andtourism.
The city now has 233 representative officesof European groups and companies. EU investors are running 833 projectsin the locality with a combined capital of over 8.9 billion USD.
Two-way trade between Ho Chi Minh and the EU has developed rapidly. Inthe first seven months of 2014, the city exported products worth morethan 2.1 billion USD to the EU, while spending over 1.2 billion USD onimporting goods from the union.
For his part, EC PresidentBarroso expressed his pleasure to witness the city’s strong developmentand briefed the host of outcomes of his talks with Vietnamese leaders.
Hesaid he had earlier the day met with representatives of Europeancompanies operating in Vietnam and almost of them affirmed they aresatisfied and see the future for cooperation and development in Vietnam,including HCM City.
According to the EC official, the conclusionof the Vietnam-EU FTA in the coming time will be a basis for promotingtrade between the two sides, benefiting both business community andpeople.
European firms highly value Vietnam’s human resources, hesaid, adding that EU is willing to increase cooperation in the fieldwith the Southeast Asian nation.
As part of his visit to the city, Barroso toured several cultural and historic establishments.-VNA
Quan said hehopes that Barroso’s visit will help to further strengthen friendshipand cooperation between Vietnam and the European Union.
The bilateral ties have grown strongly despite the global-scaleeconomic crisis, he said adding that the promotion of negotiations on aVietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) toward the early signing of theagreement will contribute to intensifying cooperation for both sides’interests.
According to Quan, HCM City, thecountry’s largest economic hub, has received much attention from EUinvestors, focusing on economics, trade, science, education, health andtourism.
The city now has 233 representative officesof European groups and companies. EU investors are running 833 projectsin the locality with a combined capital of over 8.9 billion USD.
Two-way trade between Ho Chi Minh and the EU has developed rapidly. Inthe first seven months of 2014, the city exported products worth morethan 2.1 billion USD to the EU, while spending over 1.2 billion USD onimporting goods from the union.
For his part, EC PresidentBarroso expressed his pleasure to witness the city’s strong developmentand briefed the host of outcomes of his talks with Vietnamese leaders.
Hesaid he had earlier the day met with representatives of Europeancompanies operating in Vietnam and almost of them affirmed they aresatisfied and see the future for cooperation and development in Vietnam,including HCM City.
According to the EC official, the conclusionof the Vietnam-EU FTA in the coming time will be a basis for promotingtrade between the two sides, benefiting both business community andpeople.
European firms highly value Vietnam’s human resources, hesaid, adding that EU is willing to increase cooperation in the fieldwith the Southeast Asian nation.
As part of his visit to the city, Barroso toured several cultural and historic establishments.-VNA
