Hanoi welcomes ideas from the Netherlands to further develop the bilateral relationship between Vietnam and the European country, said city mayor Tran Sy Thanh on February 8.

Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Tran Sy Thanh (right) meets the Netherlands Ambassador to Vietnam Kees van Baar on February 8. Photo: The Hanoi Times

In a meeting with Dutch Ambassador Kees van Baar, the first to visit the Hanoi People's Committee in the Year of the Cat, Thanh said that Vietnam and the Netherlands have achieved a strong and firm relationship in all fields.

The most notable result of the relation is the Hanoi-Amsterdam High School for the Gifted, one of the most outstanding educational institutions in the country, he said.

Thanh also hailed economic and investment activities between the two nations, which have made strong progress despite the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The city authorities are willing to discuss key issues with the Dutch partners to foster two-way relations," Thanh said.

For his part, the Ambassador of the Netherlands said he is happy to see the cooperation between the two nations flourish in recent years.

In terms of trade and investment, the Netherlands is the largest European investor in Vietnam and the country's second-largest European trading partner.

The bilateral relationship is at its peak following Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's official visit to the Netherlands in December 2022 and Dutch Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Liesje Schreinemacher's trip to Vietnam in November last year.

The visits by senior government officials have revealed opportunities for the two nations to harness, especially in water and waste management, he said.

Thanh agreed that Hanoi will provide the best conditions for the upcoming celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam-Netherlands diplomatic relationship in order to foster affection and friendship between the two peoples.