Ambassador of Vietnam received in Porto to promote cooperation

At the invitation of the Mayor of Porto, the Vietnamese ambassador to Portugal spent the day, last Friday, visiting the Town Hall. After the reception by Rui Moreira, Dinh Toan Thang also learned about the work developed by InvestPorto.

The meeting between the mayor and the diplomat took place with the intent to deepen relations between Portugal and Vietnam, as well as promote greater cooperation between Porto and Ho Chi Minh.

The meeting, which was attended by the ambassador's commercial adviser, VU Anh Son, as well as the first secretary, LAI Thi Thanh Mai, responsible for relations between Portugal and Vietnam, and DANG Thi Hong Nhung, representing the Vietnamese community, and José Pedro Busano de Sousa Vieira, ended with the promise of a future visit by a delegation from Porto to that Southeast Asian country.

In the afternoon, Dinh Toan Thang met with the councilman in charge of Economy, Employment and Entrepreneurship. Ricardo Valente presented to the diplomat the work that has been developed by InvestPorto, the municipal investment attraction platform for the city, and both managers had the opportunity to discuss the next steps in this close relationship between Portugal and Vietnam.

The ambassador stressed the dynamism of the city of Porto and the importance of sharing economic experiences and ambitions in order to create opportunities for both countries, particularly in the areas of technology, tourism and sustainable development. Ricardo Valente showed a willingness to create this "bridge" between Porto and Vietnamese cities such as Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi, namely through initiatives in the area of higher education and entrepreneurship, emphasizing that "a bridge is only useful if it is used" and creating this type of relationship is important for the economic and social development of both countries.

With decades of Vietnamese international relations, and residing in France, Dinh Toan Thang also holds ambassadorial positions in Andorra, Monaco and the Central African Republic. He is also the representative of the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the International Organisation of the Francophonie.