The Consulate General of the Netherlands in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) held a bicycle tour around District 1 on April 8 to celebrate the growing diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the Netherlands.

Some 400 participants, including local officials and staff of the Dutch Consulate General in HCMC, the municipal Department of Transport, the Vietnam-Netherlands Friendship Association, and the Dutch Cycling Embassy, cycled past the city’s tourist attractions (the Opera House, Ben Thanh Market and Central Post Office, among others).

The participants also cycled through many streets in the downtown city, contributing to conveying the message of protecting the environment and fostering green development.

To popularize environmental protection measures, all cyclists donned eco-friendly T-shirts designed by the Dutch Consulate General. They are made from 50% coffee yarn and 50% recycled PET, an 100% recyclable plastic type.

Consul General of the Netherlands in HCMC Daniel Stork (the middle in an orange hat) was seen at the cycling tour around District 1. Photo: Congluan.vn

Dutch Consul General Daniel Stork said that the bike tour is expected to promote sustainability, reduce carbon emissions, improve air quality, and prevent car accidents around the city.

The Consul General also underlined that the event had been designed to help connect local cycling communities and, more importantly, to raise public awareness of measures to keep the environment clean and green.

Daniel Stork added that cycling is one of the solutions for HCMC’s sustainable development, noting that bicycle is the easiest, cheapest, and most accessible to everyone at any level of society.

From April 5 to 7, a workshop entitled "ThinkBike Sustainable Development" was held to share knowledge, experiences, and stories about cycling with university students.

Experts from the Dutch Cycling Embassy talked about promoting cycling and developing cycling infrastructure in HCMC to spread the cycling message to more students. They learned about the cycling culture in the Netherlands, the benefits of cycling, and the history of building cycling infrastructure in the Netherlands.

HCMC is striving to make great efforts to become a cycling city like Amsterdam and Rotterdam in the Netherlands in the future.

The Netherlands and Vietnam have cooperated closely in sustainable agriculture, water and green energy management, urban development, and sustainable mobility.

On April 6, the HCMC People's Committee organized a ceremony to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the Netherlands. The celebration is an opportunity to look back at the development of the traditional relationship between the two countries, reaffirm bilateral commitments, and work together for a future with new, greater, and brighter cooperation prospects.