The Netherlands is now the largest investor from the European Union (EU) in Ho Chi Minh City, with a total investment of over US$5 billion, deputy chairman of the municipal administration Vo Van Hoan announced on Thursday.  

Hoan made the announcement at a ceremony held by the Dutch Consulate General in the city to celebrate the National Day of the Netherlands and also the 57th birthday of Dutch King Willem Alexander (April 27).

Earlier, he had conveyed congratulations to Dutch Consul General Daniel Stork, along with the Dutch business community and citizens in Ho Chi Minh City, on their anniversaries during the ceremony.

Dutch Ambassador to Vietnam Kees van Baar was also present at the event.

With the theme of ‘bridging the gap,’ the ceremony highlighted the solid connection between the Netherlands and Vietnam.

“Relations between Vietnam and the Netherlands have become a typical example of a dynamic, effective, and practical relationship, which has achieved many significant milestones," Hoan remarked.

He emphasized that the support from the government and Dutch investors is making practical contributions to Ho Chi Minh City.

With a total investment of around $5.1 billion, the Netherlands currently tops the list of EU investors in Ho Chi Minh City.

The city is drawing up an action plan to implement the memorandum of understanding signed between the southern Vietnamese metropolis and the Netherlands on flood prevention and control, Hoan stated.

The deputy chairman commented that the Vietnam - Netherlands relationship banks on a foundation of many similarities. 

Both countries have large deltas and have been dealing with many challenges of climate change and sustainable development over the past 50 years, he elaborated.

Consul General Stork expressed his delight at witnessing the flourishing cooperation between the Dutch city of Rotterdam and Ho Chi Minh City, particularly emphasizing the significant progress in key areas such as port development and water and flood management.

There remains plenty of room ahead for cooperation between the Netherlands and Vietnam, including Ho Chi Minh City, as more than 40 deals were inked during a visit to the Southeast Asian country by a Dutch economic delegation of 140 enterprise representatives last month, Stork said.

With the Netherlands being the number-one European investor in Vietnam and the primary market for Vietnamese exports to Europe, Stork expressed confidence in the immense potential for further enhancing cooperation between the two countries in the future.  

The Dutch diplomat affirmed that both countries have narrowed the geographical gap through connecting people, businesses, governments, artists, and intellectual institutions.

Vietnam and the Netherlands have seen their bilateral ties develop fruitfully since they established diplomatic relations in 1973.

The two nations set up a strategic partnership in climate change response and water management in 2010 and entered a strategic partnership in sustainable agriculture and food security in 2014.

Five years later, the two sides upgraded the bilateral relations to a comprehensive partnership.

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