On Monday, Da Nang Party Committee Secretary Truong Quang Nghia held a reception for newly-appointed US Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Marie C.Damour.

Secretary Nghia (right) and newly-appointed US Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Marie C.Damour

Secretary Nghia highly appreciated fruitful results from comprehensive cooperation programmes with the USA over the past years. During that period, numerous economic and cultural exchange events between Viet Nam and the USA have been organised in Da Nang. Especially, Da Nang was selected to host the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in 2017.

In recent years, the municipal leaders have paid high-ranking visits to the USA to attract investment inflows from US businesses into some key projects in Da Nang.

The host, however, noted that the bilateral cooperation between Da Nang and localities in the USA was still modest. He, therefore, asked for help from the US diplomat to appeal for even more US businesses to pour their money into such the city’s aspects as hi-tech, information technology, tourism and services, healthcare, education and logistics.

For her part, Ms Damour affirmed that the US government has always given active support for Viet Nam's independent and its prosperous development.

She added she would work closely with the US Embassy in Viet Nam and the American Business Association to encourage even more US investors to visit Da Nang to learn about the city’s investment opportunities. She pledged to do her utmost to help Da Nang build a smarter city in the future.

When meeting with Ms Damour on the same day, municipal People’s Committee Chairman Huynh Duc Tho said many US businesses have already implemented hi-tech projects in his city, thereby promoting the city’s economic growth and creating more job opportunities for job seekers in the locality.

Chairman Tho emphasised Da Nang has strengths in developing tourism, hi-tech, information technology, and supporting industry.  Besides, Da Nang boasts modern transport infrastructure, and it is striving to become a hub of education and training, automation technology and hi-tech in the central region and highlands.

Therefore, Mr Tho said he would like the US guest to encourage even more businesses from her country to invest into the city in the years ahead during her new tenure in Viet Nam.

In reply, Ms Damour said she was very impressed with the city’s rapid and dynamic growth over recent years. She pledged to make her every effort to boost the bilateral cooperation relations with Da Nang, and Viet Nam as a whole, in the years to come.