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The 52nd Anniversary of the Independence Day of the State of Kuwait in Ho Chi Minh City

On the occasion of the 52nd Anniversary of the Independence Day and the 22nd Anniversary of the Liberation of the State of Kuwait, the Consulate General of the State of Kuwait in Ho Chi Minh City organized a reception on 25 February 2013 at 06.30 pm at the Ballroom of Park Hyatt Saigon Hotel.

Mr. Le Manh Ha, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City attended and delivered a speech at the reception. Other distinguished guests include leaders and representatives of cities and provinces in the south, diplomats from the Consular Corps, entrepreneurs, Kuwaiti expatriates, etc.

In his speech, H.E. Mr. Omar Al-Qenaei, Consul General said: “The cooperation between Kuwait and Vietnam dated back to 1976 when the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development started to provide funds for a number of infrastructure projects in Vietnam. The Fund has so far financed 35.5 million KW Dinars (around 121 million USD) and continues to play an important role in contributing to enhancing the mutual relations between the two countries. The Consulate General of the State of Kuwait in Ho Chi Minh City is doing its best to act as a bridge to help cities and provinces in its accreditation have access to this Fund.”

Regarding Kuwait’s investment in Vietnam, he said that one of the biggest projects is the Nghi Son Oil Refinery Plant with total investment capital of 9 billion USD. Kuwait contributes 35.1% to investors’ capital and will be a long-term crude oil supplier to the plant.

The Consul General also informed that the Government of Kuwait has granted a number of scholarships to Vietnamese students to study in Kuwait. The Consulate General of the State of Kuwait has also supported the establishment of the first Arabic Studies discipline at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Ho Chi Minh City.

In his remarks, Mr. Le Manh Ha, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City said: “Vietnam and Kuwait have enjoyed time-honored relationship. Kuwait was one of the first countries in the Middle East establishing diplomatic relations with Vietnam. During the last 37 years, the traditional friendship and multi-faceted cooperation between the two countries have continuously been promoted and developed. Over the past few years, Ho Chi Minh City - Kuwait bonds have made encouraging progress.”

The Vice Chairman also hoped that with the active support of the Consul General, the sisterhood between Ho Chi Minh City and the Governorate of Al -Ahmadi would be further boosted, hence contributing to the prosperity of the two localities.

Below are some photos at the reception: