An overview of the meeting. (Photo: VNA)

At a meeting with Stuart in the city on April 5, Mai said that when Covid-19 is totally controlled, the city hopes that the UK speed up the resumption of cooperation programmes and projects that the two sides have agreed on.

The city also wishes to strengthen its partnership with the UK in trade, investment, tourism, personnel training, technology research and transfer, health care and education, he stressed, adding that exchanges between businesses of the two sides should be promoted so as to reach specific joint projects.

In addition, Mai asked for the UK’s support and cooperation in building a legal framework for the operation of the city's financial centre and introducing UK investors to take part in the construction of the centre.

He hailed the UK’s initiative to organise a global education forum in HCM City, and the British Council's establishment of an international education facility also in the city.

For his part, Stuart congratulated Viet Nam and HCM City for successfully putting Covid-19 under control. He said that his visit aims to promote trade ties between the UK and Viet Nam and the city in particular.

Highlighting the cooperation potential between the two sides, he said that the UK hopes to expand collaboration with the city in areas of shared interest such as green traffic development, health care, human resources training, smart city building, and digital transformation.

According to the envoy, the UK is particularly interested in education and training cooperation with HCM City as well as the city’s project to build a financial centre.

He said the UK is willing to support the project through sending its experts to the city, sharing experience in finance-banking, and assisting the process of building and operating the centre.

Stuart said he believes that with the positive progress in trade ties between the two countries recently, the partnership between the UK and HCM City will continue to thrive in many areas, thus benefiting both sides.