Vice Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Duong Anh Duc speaks at the event (Photo: VNA)HCM City (VNA) - The Thai Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh Cityheld a ceremony on December 4 to mark the 93rd National Day of Thailand (December5).
Addressing the event, which also commemorated the birthday of the late KingBhumibol Adulyadej, Vice Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Duong AnhDuc highlighted the sound development of the two countries’ relations in thefields of politics, economy, trade, investment and people-to-people exchangeover the past 44 years since Vietnam and Thailand established the diplomaticties.
Despite the outbreak of COVID-19, the economicpartnership between Vietnam and Thailand has grown strongly, with bilateraltrade in the first nine months of 2020 hitting over 11 billion USD. In thefirst half of this year, Thailand invested 1.58 billion USD, ranking secondamong foreign investors in Vietnam.
According to Duc, people-to-people diplomatic activities between HCM City andThailand have been promoted via programmes of the Vietnam-Thailand FriendshipAssociation in HCM City. As of September, 2020, Thailand had operated 219investment projects with total capital of 454 million USD in HCM City, ranking12th among 111 countries and territories investing in the southern hub. Totalimport-export turnover between HCM City and Thailand reached 2.3 billion USD inthe January-September period.
Thai Consul General in HCM City Apirat Sugondhabhirom thanked the Vietnamesegovernment and HCM City authority for assisting the Thai community in Vietnamamid the COVID-19 pandemic.
He spoke highly of the success ofVietnam in the role as ASEAN Chair in 2020, emphasising that Vietnam has showedthe leading role and innovative spirit in the fight against COVID-19 in ASEAN aswell as in cooperation fields, including post-pandemic economic recovery.
Congratulated the HCM City Party Committee on its Party congress’s success, theConsul General expressed his belief in the further development of thefriendship between the two countries as well as between Thailand and HCM City.
He affirmed to closely coordinate with the city’s authorities to boost theThailand-Vietnam relations, toward the celebration of the 45th anniversary ofthe two countries’ diplomatic ties in 2021.
The Thai government has supported 30,000 USD, and the Thai Consulate General,businesses and community in HCM City has donated over 1.3 billion VND and goodsto help people affected floods and storms in Vietnam’s central region./.
VNA
