On April 9th, 2026, Vice Chairman of the City People’s Committee Hoang Minh Cuong hosted a meeting and working session with the delegation of the Embassy of the Republic of Austria to Vietnam, led by H.E. Mr. Philipp Agathonos, Ambassador of the Republic of Austria to Vietnam. Also attending on the city’s side were representatives from departments and agencies, including the Departments of Foreign Affairs, Finance, Construction, Science and Technology, the Municipal Public Security, and the Office of the Municipal People’s Committee.
In his welcoming remarks, the Vice Chairman informed the Austrian Ambassador of Hai Phong’s potential and strengths as a major industrial center, a key transportation hub, and the main maritime gateway of northern Vietnam. Notably, the city has been granted a dedicated resolution by the National Assembly on special mechanisms and policies—an important advantage in attracting investment. In addition, the city benefits from a high-quality labor force and possesses world natural and cultural heritage assets. The Vice Chairman also outlined the city’s development orientation in the near future, focusing on industrial growth driven by digital transformation, green transition, and innovation. Hải Phòng aims to develop into a leading national hub for high-quality tourism, services, logistics, and clean energy. The city will continue investing in transport and port infrastructure to become a regional and global transitional logistics center. It also seeks to become an international center for education and training, as well as for research, application, and development of marine science and technology.
However, cooperation between Hải Phòng and Austria has so far remained limited and has not been commensurate with the potential and strengths of both sides. Currently, Austria has no FDI projects in Hải Phòng.
The Austrian Ambassador expressed his impression during his first official visit to Hải Phòng. He highlighted Austria’s strengths in the railway sector, noting that the country ranks second in Europe in transport output and that its railway enterprises are profitable. Austria is ready to cooperate with Vietnam in urban railway development in major cities such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, and Hai Phong through various forms of cooperation, including technology transfer to enable Vietnam’s self-reliance, training programs, and simulation laboratories. The Ambassador also agreed with several areas in which Hải Phòng called upon Austrian support, including investment and tourism promotion; strengthening connections and exchanges between Hai Phong and Austrian localities such as the city of Linz; organizing Austrian musical performances in Hải Phòng; and facilitating working visits by Hai Phong delegations to Austria./.