During his Thursday reception for Finnish Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Viet Nam Kari Kahiluoto, Da Nang People's Committee Vice Chairman Ho Ky Minh highly appreciated the bilateral fruitful cooperation between his city and its Finnish partners over recent times.

Da Nang People's Committee Vice Chairman Ho Ky Minh (right) warmly receiving Finnish Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Viet Nam Kari Kahiluoto

In particular, Vice Chairman Minh thanked Ambassador Kari Kahiluoto for his active support for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in September 2016 to establish the bilateral relations between Da Nang and Turku city.

Vice Chairman Minh said his city needs a helping hand from Ambassador Kari Kahiluoto to encourage even more Finnish organisations and experts to give their consultancy on implementing a pilot project to promote innovative features and hi-tech startup at the Da Nang Hi-tech Park. Besides, their experiences in the aspects of innovation, smart urban models and operational models of tech development centres, business incubators and other related facilities to establish a tech startup ecosystem in Da Nang are also welcomed. 

With regard to smart traffic, Vice Chairman Minh said he hoped the Finnish Ambassador to appeal for Finnish investors and experts to offer a helping land to Da Nang to build smart transport system and promote applied research in the smart management of vehicles.

In reply, the Finnish Ambassador affirmed his country’s willingness to assist Da Nang in turning itself into a smart city in the coming time. Amid the concerning global plastic waste crisis, the Finnish diplomat remarked that his country boasts many ideas in collecting and treating plastic waste found in rivers and sea.

A Finnish business now shows their keen interest in realising its own new initiative in collecting plastic waste in Da Nang in the future. Also, other many units in this European country have taken many highly feasible plans for waste-to-energy and waste-to-resources projects.

The Finnish Ambassador, therefore, hoped that the city authorities would create favourable conditions for the deployment of the above-mentioned projects, hereby helping to enhance the efficiency of waste collection and treatment, and environmental protection in the city.

At the invitation of Ambassador Kari Kahiluoto, a Da Nang delegation will attend the World Circular Economy Forum which is scheduled to take place in Helsinki, Finland, on 4 June, and carry out trade and investment cooperation promotion activities on the sidelines of this event.