Da Nang People Committee Vice Chairman Ho Ky Minh held an online talk on Wednesday afternoon with the Deputy Mayor of Tangier (port and principal city of northern Morocco), Driss Riffi Temsamani, on ways to boost bilateral ties and cooperation between the two localities.

Vice Chairman Minh said Da Nang and Tangier share many similarities in their development strategies, their strengthens and opportunities.

Mr Minh remarked “ In 2020, Da Nang found it very difficult to broaden ties and boost cooperation with foreign countries around the world due to the impact of COVID-19. However, Da Nang took drastic measures to yeild fruitful results in performing the dual tasks of fighting the pandemic and boosting socio-economic development. In addition, Da Nang launched new campaigns to promote the tourism and promote Da Nang as a safe and attractive destination for travellers and investors in the New Normal”.

Vice Chairman Minh highlighted the opportunities to develop bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interests, particularly in tourism, transport services and trade.

He also said the focus should be paid on promoting the tourism through organising seminars and exhibitions in the two localities, boosting their social media posts, helping their local travel businesses explore the two localities on familiarisation (FAM) trips. In addition, the importance should be attached to participating in building the new Lien Chieu Port in Da Nang through the public-private partnership (PPP) model, developing planned logistics centres in Da Nang, building more marinas and inland waterway ports in the city. Heed should be paid to organising trade fairs and exhibitions in the two localities in a bid to promote their exports and imports on the basis of mutual interests.

For his part, the Deputy Mayor of Tangier Driss Riffi Temsamani said “Tangier is on the Maghreb coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel. The town is the capital of the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, as well as the Tangier-Assilah prefecture of Morocco".

Mr Driss Riffi Temsamani hoped that their online talk would open up new opportunties to bilateral cooperation between Da Nang and Tangier, especially in sectors that they have strengths.

He also underscored the significance of conducting online marketing campaigns and “virtual tourism” campaigns to promote the tourism industry of the two localities in the new context of complicated developments of COVID-19.

Reporting by KHANG NINH – Translating by H.L