During his meeting on Wednesday with Spanish Ambassador to Viet Nam Pilar Méndez Jiménez, municipal People's Committee Chairman Le Trung Chinh expressed his delight at seeing the growth of the diplomatic ties between Viet Nam and Spain over the past 45 years. He added Da Nang has implemented many practical activities to strengthen cooperative relations with Spanish localities and businesses.

Municipal People's Committee Chairman Le Trung Chinh (right) and Spanish Ambassador to Viet Nam Pilar Méndez Jiménez. Photo: L.PHUONG

Chairman Chinh informed that Da Nang has till date attracted eight Spanish-invested projects with a total investment capital of nearly US$643,000. However, the coastal city has not yet established a cooperative relationship with any locality in Spain, but the exchange of delegations at all levels between the two sides is still maintained regularly.

He remarked that the city was showing its keen interest in promoting the development of such aspects as IT, hi-tech, digital transformation, innovation, seaports and airports.

Mr. Chinh took the opportunity to ask the Spanish diplomat to organise some activities in Da Nang in the coming time, aimed at promoting connection and cooperation activities between Spanish and Da Nang businesses.

He also asked for the support from Mrs. Pilar Méndez Jiménez to encourage more businesses and investors from her country to visit Da Nang to seek investment opportunities.

For her part, Spanish ambassador Pilar Méndez Jiménez said that the purpose of her trip to Da Nang was to enhance mutual understanding between Da Nang and Spanish businesses, as well as learn about the city's investment climate.

She underlined Spanish businesses highly appreciated the stability when investing in Viet Nam thanks to the Vietnamese government’s effective COVID-19 control and prevention measures, and its preferential policies for businesses affected by the pandemic.

The visitor noted that both Viet Nam and Spain shared many similarities in development policies and orientations, especially their focuses on developing clean energy and renewable energy, boosting digital transformation, training high-quality human resources, and ensuring social welfare for locals.

She pledged to do her utmost to appeal for more Spanish businesses to invest in the city in the time to come.

Also on the same day, a workshop on promoting connection with Spanish businesses took place in Da Nang.

Hosted by the municipal Investment Promotion and Support Board, the event was attended by a delegation of Spanish economic and commercial counselors, and representatives of some Spanish businesses, and relevant departments and agencies in Da Nang.

During the event, Spanish businesses and investors introduced their strengths about clean energy production, digital transformation, information technology consulting, and hi-tech application in traffic.

Spanish businesses have successfully implemented some projects nationwide, including projects on developing BRT (Bus Rapid Transit), metro and trams in Da Nang and Quang Nam Province’s Hoi An City; promoting the values ​​of sport in general and football in particular in the region; and fostering cooperation in sustainable energy development.

A representative of the Da Nang Investment Promotion and Support Board affirmed that Da Nang always created the most favourable conditions for Spanish businesses to seek cooperation and investment opportunities in the fields of IT, hi-tech, logistics, supporting industries, tourism, trade, and finance.

Also, the city asked for a helping hand from the Spanish government in assisting the city to access ODA capital in the fields of climate change response, environmental pollution treatment, and public health.

Currently, Da Nang is now home to eight Spanish-invested projects, totalling about US$650,000.

In 2021, the export and import turnover between Da Nang and Spain is estimated at US$4.5 million and US$ 4 million respectively. The main export items are garment products, aquatic products, children's toys, handicrafts, whilst the main imported goods are western medicine, chemicals and spare parts.

Some Da Nang enterprises have set up the import-export relations with Spain such as the Hoa Tho Textile and Garment Joint Stock Corporation, the D&N Food Processing Co., Ltd., and the Matrix Vietnam Co., Ltd.

Reporting by L.PHUONG, THAO NHI, PHONG LAN - Translating by M.DUNG