(VOVworld) - Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong says that HCM City has been fostering friendly relations and cooperation with 44 foreign cities around the world, which have contributed to the building of a modern, civilized, and sentimental city.

Part of Ho Chi Minh City. (Photo: Ngoc Ha/VNA)

Mr. Phong made the statement at the opening of a festival on Thursday to feature Ho Chi Minh City’s integration and development. The event involves representatives of 25 consulates, international organizations, businesses, and overseas students in Vietnam’s biggest economic hub.

Mr. Phong praised contributions by the community of foreigners living, studying, and working in HCM City to the local socio-economic development, adding that he hopes the foreigners will continue to stand side by side with the city in the process of building, protecting, and developing it into a place worth living in and remaining an open and friendly destination for all.

This year’s “HCM City – Integration and Development”, the fourth of its kind, features an array of activities, including the introduction of cuisine, books, art performances, and traditional cultures and costumes of Vietnam and other countries.