HCM City (VNA) – Chairmanof the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong committed to keepingpartnering with Israeli firms operating in the city to improve its businessclimate during a business forum held in the city on March 23.

In his speech, Phong spoke highly ofIsrael’s technology and management experience and believed that Ho Chi Minh City,which boasts abundant workforce and great potential, would become a promisingpartner of the Middle East country, contributing to their mutual development inthe near future.

Lauding trade and investment tiesbetween Israel and the city, Phong vowed to offer all possible support toIsraeli visitors, businesses and investors to the city to seek partnershipopportunities.

Vietnam, including Ho Chi Minh City,and Israel are not competitive markets but development partners supportingmutual development on the basis of cooperation potential, common friendship andprosperity, he stressed.

Israeli President Reuven Ruvi Rivlin,for his part, hailed the growing trade ties between the two countries over thepast years, adding that there is room for its further growth not only incommodity trade but also technical know-how in water resources management, milkindustry, medical equipment and education.

While recalling Israel’s path to becominga start-up nation, he expressed his belief that Vietnam, on the back of itslong-standing history and young population, will work closely with Israelipeople to bring benefits to the two countries and the world.

Atthe event co-hosted by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) andthe Israeli embassy in Vietnam, the two leaders witnessed the signing of aMemorandum of Understanding on research and development cooperation between theIsrael Innovation Authority and the National Technology Innovation Fund.

Nearly500 participating Vietnamese and Israeli enterprises sought to boost trade andinvestment in hi-tech agriculture, information technology and communications,water resources management and green energy.

Earlier,a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on a 200 million USD financial package inhealth care between Israel’s Jasmine Group and Dat Vang Real Estate InvestmentCompany was signed.

Asof the late 2016, 11 Israeli firms invested in Ho Chi Minh City with a totalregistered capital of more than 10 million USD. Two-way trade between the cityand Israel neared 1 billion USD.

Overthe past years, the two sides have partnered effectively in the fields ofagriculture, information technology, chemicals and cosmetics, among others. - VNA