HCM City (VNA) - The Ho Chi Minh City Unionof Friendship Organisations (HUFO) hosted a ceremony on May 14 to celebrate the48th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the Netherlands.

Addressing the ceremony, HUFO Vice President Tran Hoang Khanh Van said the two countrieshave witnessed solid progress in bilateral relations over the 48 years, especiallytheir decision to lift ties to a strategic partnership in 2019.

People-to-people relations between Vietnam and the Netherlands had existed before thetwo countries established diplomatic ties, she added.

Of particular note, the Medical Committee Netherlands-Vietnam (MCNV), which was set up in the Netherlandsin 1968, has conducted a range of activities to support the Vietnamese people.

In addition to MCNV, many Dutch non-governmental organisations (NGOs)continue to cooperate with and help Vietnam in the fields of health, education,and poverty reduction, she said.

HCM City is one of the leading localities nationwide in implementing cooperationactivities with the Netherlands, especially in climate change adaptation and sustainableagricultural development, Van added.

For his part, Consul General of the Netherlands to HCM City Carel Jacob Johan Richter affirmed that Vietnam is a prioritycountry in his country’s external relations, especially in trade and investmentand sustainable development.

The Netherlands also remains an important economic partner of Vietnam, hesaid, adding that there is great potential and prospects for the two sides to furtherfoster relations in the future.

On the occasion, a committee to promote the establishment of a Vietnam-Netherlands Friendship Association in HCM City was launched. The association is expected to strengthen multifaceted cooperation between the two countries as wellas mutual understanding, solidarity, and friendship between their people./.