HCM City (VNA) – Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s working visit to Ho Chi Minh City is expected to create valuable opportunities for effective cooperation between the city and Spain through concrete projects in potential areas, a municipal official has said.
Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Van Duoc made the statement while receiving Prime Minister Sánchez at the Reunification Hall on April 10.
Congratulating the Spanish leader on his successful meetings with Vietnamese leaders in Hanoi and the signing of several key bilateral agreements, Duoc expressed his confidence that the visit would inject new momentum into trade and investment ties between Vietnam and Spain.
Regarding current cooperation, Duoc noted that Spain has invested in 44 projects in HCM City, with a total registered capital of 16.2 million USD. Bilateral trade has surpassed 400 million USD — a figure that reflects positive relations but still falls short of the two sides’ full potential, he said.
Describing HCM City as a young, dynamic, and fast-growing urban hub, Duoc emphasised the city’s strong interest in expanding partnerships with international businesses, including those from Spain. He spoke highly of Spanish enterprises’ capabilities and experience, and identified several priority areas for cooperation: transport infrastructure, tourism, digital transformation, port development, clean energy, and people-to-people exchanges.
The Chairman reaffirmed HCM City’s commitment to providing the best possible conditions for Spanish companies to invest and operate successfully, contributing to advancing the Vietnam–Spain strategic partnership.
For his part, PM Sánchez extended his congratulations to Vietnam on the upcoming 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification (1975–2025). He underlined the significance of his visit to Vietnam, the first-ever by a Spanish prime minister since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1977.
He shared that his meetings with Vietnamese leaders had yielded important results, including the signing of cooperation agreements across multiple sectors. These agreements, he said, underscored the shared determination to upgrade bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership in the near future.
PM Sánchez highlighted that Spain and Vietnam are among the most dynamic economies in the world and possess complementary strengths. He noted that Spain was the first EU country to ratify the EU–Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and continues to actively pursue stronger trade relations with ASEAN, particularly with Vietnam. Spanish businesses, he added, expect to contribute to Vietnam’s and HCM City’s development, especially in sectors where Spain holds expertise.
He also expressed his appreciation to the city’s leaders for supporting the successful organisation of the Vietnam–Spain Business Forum and for creating a favourable environment for Spanish companies currently operating in HCM City.
Earlier on the same day, PM Sánchez attended and delivered a speech at the Vietnam–Spain Business Forum./.
