Many highly feasible measures to step up the time-honoured bilateral cooperation between Da Nang and the UK were put into discussions at the Thursday meeting between Da Nang People’s Committee Vice Chairman Ho Ky Minh and Deputy Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Viet Nam Marcus Winsley. Most noticeable amongst them was Da Nang’s proposal to launch non-stop flights to British localities as soon as possible.

Da Nang People’s Committee Vice Chairman Ho Ky Minh (right) meeting with Deputy Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Viet Nam Marcus Winsley. (Photo: danang.gov.vn)

Over recent years, the UK-Da Nang ties recorded multi-faceted cooperation results. As of October 2020, total value of Da Nang’s exports to the UK had reached 28 million US$, whilst value of total imports from this European market stood at 550,000 US$.

Da Nang has till date attracted 23 UK-invested projects worth 94.18 million US$ in total.

Over the 2021 – 2025 period, Da Nang will remain on its strong feet on leveraging five spearhead economic sectors, namely travel and high quality services associated with resort real estate; seaports and airports; hi-tech industry associated with creative urban construction and startups; IT, electronics and telecommunications associated with the digital economy; and hi-tech agriculture and fisheries.

Based on these development strategies, Vice Chairman Minh re-affirmed his city’s constant stance on boosting its cooperative ties with the UK, especially in high technology and IT in the coming time.

Deputy Ambassador Marcus Winsley affirmed that the British government has always attached great importance to its partners in the ASEAN region, including Da Nang, and Viet Nam at large.

In particular, the British diplomat expressed his strong support for the opening of non-stop flights between Da Nang and British localities as a constructive move to boost win-win economic cooperation, especially in the tourism industry.

The visiting guest also pledged that he would try to call on even more British investors especially IT and high-tech enterprises, to grasp cooperation opportunities in Da Nang once the complicated coronavirus pandemic is completed contained globally.

LAM PHUONG- Translated by A.T