General Consul Tran Tuan Anh wished the guests and their families a happy new year, and expressed thanks to the US and international friends for their support and assistance to Vietnam's national development, as well as to the country's General Consulate in San Fracisco.

William Brown, former mayor of San Francisco, recalled the memories of his Vietnam visit and expressed his delight at the fine cooperation between San Francisco and Ho Chi Minh City and described them as sister cities.

The Deputy Mayor of Oakland took the occasion to present the Vietnamese General Consul a certificate of merit to acknowledge his contributions to the cooperation between Oakland and Vietnamese partners.

The guests enjoyed musical performances by artists from Ho Chi Minh City.