THE HANOI TIMES — The United Kingdom will support Ho Chi Minh City in advancing transit-oriented development (TOD) projects, a key focus of the memorandum of understanding on urban infrastructure signed on September 23.

Under the agreement, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee and UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Northern Ireland will work together to develop TOD policies, explore financing, implement strategic frameworks and organize management and operations.

The UK government agency will also help local leaders and officials strengthen their capacity in urban planning, management and development.

Their cooperation also covers sharing experiences in planning, infrastructure operations, researching advanced technologies and attracting investment for major projects.

In transport, both sides will collaborate to build a modern urban system including metro lines, new public transport modes, management technologies, the adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and digitalization of project data from design to operation.

The two parties will prioritize workforce training, maintenance, and infrastructure upgrades.

At the signing ceremony, UK Member of Parliament Matt Western said that the agreement would lay the foundation for long-term cooperation.

He noted that it reflects the UK’s commitment to supporting Vietnam in developing public transport infrastructure and improving urban quality of life.

The UK stands ready to share expertise in planning, financing and public-private partnerships, Matt Western added.

Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Bui Xuan Cuong said that the city is proud of its contributions to Vietnam-UK relations.

Cuong hoped that the UK will continue to support TOD development, making the Strategic Partnership, established in 2010, more substantive and effective.

Vietnam and the UK established diplomatic ties on September 11, 1973. In 2010, the two countries upgraded their relationship to a Strategic Partnership.

In September 2020, the two governments issued a joint statement on their strategic partnership focusing on seven priority fields. Three months later, Vietnam and the UK signed the Vietnam-UK Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA).

Bilateral trade in 2024 exceeded £8 billion (nearly US$11 billion), including £6.8 billion (US$9.2 billion) in UK imports from Vietnam and £1.3 billion (US$1.8 billion) in UK exports to Vietnam.