Chairman of the Đà Nẵng People’s Committee Huỳnh Đức Thơ held up the Memorandum of Understanding setting up friendship between Đà Nẵng and Australia's Gold Coast City. — VNA/VNS Photo Quốc Dũng

ĐÀ NẴNG — The central city of Đà Nẵng and the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to beef up their friendship and cooperation during an online ceremony on Thursday.

Held online between the two sides for the first time, the ceremony was chaired by Chairman of the Đà Nẵng People’s Committee Huỳnh Đức Thơ and Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate.

Addressing the event, the Mayor spoke highly of Đà Nẵng’s development over recent years, saying the MoU aims to strengthen strategic relations between the two parties in multiple fields of endeavour, such as education, healthcare, natural disaster management, maritime transport, trade, investment, technology, renewable energy, and more.

The two will now flesh out the details of cooperative activities, he said, adding that he has invited Thơ to visit the Gold Coast for further discussions.

Thơ, for his part, said that both Đà Nẵng and the Gold Coast are young and dynamic coastal destinations boasting substantial potential for further tourism development.

Experiencing robust growth over recent years, Đà Nẵng is now facing a host of challenges in urban development, transport, environment, and employment, he said, and is therefore looking to learn from the Gold Coast’s experience in coping with such problems.

The two leaders agreed they would implement specific programmes together to foster sustainable economic growth when the COVID-19 pandemic is fully brought under control. — VNS