HCM City (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City’s Department ofPlanning-Architecture and Singapore’s Centre for Livable Cities (CLC) signed amemorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in developing sustainableurban planning in the city on April 26.

The signing of the deal was witnessed by Vo Van Hoan, ViceChairman of the city People’s Committee, and Singaporean Ambassador to Vietnam JayaRatnam.

Sharing the city’s development orientations in the future,Hoan said that the city aims to become a smart and innovative city and afinancial centre of the country and the region.

Its Thu Duc city is designed to be a high-tech city, hesaid, adding that HCM City hopes that Singaporean firms will seek investmentopportunities in the city and engage in the building and development of thecity.

Hoan underlined HCM City defines that economicdevelopment must go along with the improvement of the sustainable growth of thecity as it is facing many challenges in urban expansion, including fastconstruction speed, high population density, and environment pollution.

Therefore, the MoU will lay the foundation for cooperationbetween the two sides in an important issue of the city, and pave the way forbilateral collaboration in the future, he said.

For his part, Ambassador Jaya Ratnam noted that therelationship between Singapore and Vietnam and HCM City in particular hasseen strong growth. He spoke highly of important achievements that Vietnam and thecity have gained in COVID-19 prevention and control.

The diplomat said that over the years, Singapore has beenthe largest investor in HCM City, which reflects the great interest andconfidence of Singaporean investors in the city at present and in the future.Singaporean firms are willing to work with HCM City partners in sustainableurban development, he added.

Under the MoU, the two sides will support each other in thecoordination among experts and businesses to give consultancy and training for HCM City in coping with challenges arising during the urban developmentprocess, while collaborating in giving advice or organising training to improve the life quality and sustainability in housing development, smartcity, planning adjustment, as well as in urban infrastructure, traffic, landmanagement, architectural conservation and green space.

Both sides also agreed on other cooperation formats such asmeetings, conferences and workshops, as well as in the provision of consultationservices and programmes on capacity improvement./.