HCM City (VNA) 💧– Ho Chi Minh City alwayspays attention to promoting cooperation with Kuwait, thus helping  to develop Vietnam-Kuwait relations in a comprehensive and practical way and in line with the needs andpotential of both sides, said Vice Chairman of the municipal People’sCommittee Vo Van Hoan.

Speaking at a ceremony held by the Kuwaiti Consulate General in HCM City on February 23 to celebrate the63rd anniversary of Kuwait's Independence Day and the 33rd anniversary of Liberation Day, Hoan said that Vietnamese people, including HCM City's residents, are happy to see achievements that the Kuwaiti Government and people havemade during the past time. According to the official, the mutual understanding and shareddesire for independence, freedom, peace and the will to thrive have been thefoundation for the strong friendship between the Vietnamese and Kuwaiti peoples for nearly half a century since the two countries officiallyestablished diplomatic relations on January 10, 1976.  Vietnam always considers Kuwait as one of the mostimportant partners in the Middle East in general and the Gulf region in particular,he said, adding that it is proved by Vietnam’s selection of Kuwait as the firstcountry in the Gulf to open its embassy in 2023, which creates the foundationfor future development. Hoan emphasised that based on the good relations between thetwo countries, HCM City wants to further strengthen cooperation withKuwait in the fields of trade, commerce, health care, education, tourism,heritage preservation, and the Halal industry.  For his part, Kuwaiti Consul General in HCM City Talal Alhazza emphasised that Kuwait – Vietnam relations havealways been built based on friendship, mutual respect and understanding, andsolidarity between the two peoples. The good relationship between the twocountries has always been strengthened through mutual visits at all levels andbilateral cooperation agreements in many fields. Over the past years, the Kuwait Fund for Arab EconomicDevelopment (KFAED) has played an active role in strengthening the bilateral relationsbetween Kuwait and Vietnam by providing loans for infrastructure developmentprojects in many rural and mountainous areas in Vietnam.  In addition, investment cooperation, trade promotion, andtourism activities promoted by the two countries’ agencies have opened upopportunities for cooperation between their businesses in the future. Kuwait has remained Vietnam's largest trading partner in the Middle East, and oneof Vietnam's leading trading partners with two-way trade turnover reachingnearly 6 billion USD in 2023.  On this occasion, the Consul General called on Vietnameseentrepreneurs and businesses to continue investing in development projects inKuwait, helping to promote bilateral trade and strengthen trade andinvestment relations between Kuwait and Vietnam./.