PM urges Sumitomo to accelarate North Ha Noi Smart City project
VGP - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh called on Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation to early kick off construction of the North Ha Noi Smart City in order to mark the 80th anniversaries of the August Revolution (August 19) and National Day (September 2) in Viet Nam in 2025.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) and Group CEO of Sumitomo's Urban Infrastructure Development Group Yukihito Honda, Ha Noi, July 22, 2025 - Photo: VNA
The Prime Minister made the call during a meeting with Yukihito Honda, Group CEO of Sumitomo's Urban Infrastructure Development Group, in Ha Noi on July 22.
He spoke highly of Sumitomo's investments in Viet Nam, praising their large scale and strong contribution to the Southeast Asian country's socio-economic development.
The Prime Minister also emphasized that the corporation's contributions benefit not only localities hosting its projects but also help deepen the Viet Nam-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Sumitomo-invested industrial parks in Viet Nam have attracted a total of US$6 billion in investment and created more than 90,000 jobs, he noted.
Pham encouraged the group to expand investments, particularly in its areas of strength such as infrastructure, finance, real estate, transport, railways, electronics, chemicals, high-tech agriculture, industrial parks, smart cities, logistics, digital transformation, and green transition.
The Vietnamese Government welcomes and strongly supports Sumitomo's new initiatives, reaffirming the country's commitment to maintaining an open, transparent, and stable investment environment with streamlined procedures and clear regulations.
In response, CEO Yukihito Honda reaffirmed Sumitomo's commitment to contributing to Viet Nam's development process. He also took the occasion to seek support from the Vietnamese Government for the group's ongoing projects and backing for the proposed Van Phong 2 gas-fired power plant project.
Sumitomo has operated in Viet Nam for 70 years and is actively involved in the North Ha Noi Smart City project. The group has invested in industrial parks in Ha Noi, Hung Yen, Phu Tho, Thanh Hoa, and Quang Tri; participated in the EPC contract for Ho Chi Minh City's Urban Railway Line No. 1; and developed the Van Phong 1 BOT thermal power plant, with a capacity of 1,320 MW, which is already in operation.
North Ha Noi Smart City is a transformative urban development project covering approximately 272 hectares in the communes of Hai Boi, Vinh Ngoc, and Kim No, part of Dong Anh District, about 10 km north of Ha Noi downtown. It is spearheaded by North Ha Noi Smart City Development Investment JSC, a joint venture between Viet Nam’s BRG Group and Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation./.
