Vietnamese Consul General in Hong Kong (left) bid farewell to Chief Executive of the Macau Special Administrative Region Ho Iat Seng. — VNA/VNS Photo

HONG KONG — Vietnamese Consul General in Hong Kong and Macau (China) Phạm Bình Đàm has suggested the authority of the Macau Special Administrative Region take measures to resume and expand two-way tourism, including relaxing visa policies for Vietnamese visitors.  

The diplomat made the proposal when making a farewell visit to Chief Executive of the Macau Special Administrative Region Ho Iat Seng on March 12.

Đàm thanked the host for his attention and facilitation provided to Vietnamese people working and living in Macau, calling on the Macau side to expand the reception of Vietnamese labourers, effectively coordinate in handling labour issues, and remove visa restrictions for Vietnamese workers and tourists.

With cultural similarities and transportation connections, the two sides have great potential to further promote tourism cooperation, he said.

Along with the fruitful development of the Việt Nam-China relations, the cooperative ties between Việt Nam and Macau have also seen significant progress, he said, expressing his belief that with the determination and readiness to act from both sides, the cooperative relationship between Việt Nam and Macau will continue to make new strides in the future.  

For his part, Ho highly evaluated the cooperative relationship between Việt Nam and Macau across all fields, especially in labour and investment, stressing that Vietnamese workers are highly skilled, hardworking, adaptable, and quick learners of foreign languages, and have made positive contributions to the local economy.

He showed his impression of Việt Nam's rapid economic growth, especially its spectacular recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic, which attracts the attention of many Macau businesses and investors.

Ho also appreciated the Vietnamese diplomat’s efforts to promote the Việt Nam-Macau relationship in various areas, expressing his hope that in his new position, Đàm will continue contributing to stepping up the relations.

The host said he supports Đàm's proposals, promising to simplify visa procedures, implement online visa applications, and introduce visa-on-arrival for Vietnamese citizens as soon as possible. He also welcomed more Vietnamese labourers to Macau for work.

The Macau official added he welcomes Vietnamese officials and businesspeople to explore opportunities for cooperation and investment in the special administrative region.

On the occasion, the Vietnamese consul general paid a courtesy call to Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in Macau Liu Xianfa, met with the Executive Board of the association of Vietnamese in Macau, and had a working session with representatives of the University of Macau. — VNS