Can Tho looks to build stronger ties with US partners

Nguyen Van Hieu, secretary of the municipal Party Committee, made the statement with at a meeting with US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper on November 21.

Can Tho is in the process of shifting from its traditional agriculture development to large-scale industrial development for the purpose of greater economic efficiency, giving priority to attracting foreign investors, Hieu told the US diplomat.

The southern city also focuses on developing infrastructure in its industrial parks, particularly in hi-tech industrial zones, he said, while calling on the US to support Can Tho in science - technology, education – training, as well as in healthcare in a bid to ensure that help is given to the city and the Mekong Delta region to effectively respond to diseases and improve medical services and the skills of medical workers'.

The nation and the US recently celebrated the first anniversary of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (September 10, 2023 - 2024) and will mark the 30th anniversary of the normalisation of the diplomatic ties ahead in 2025, which will be a prime opportunity to boost economic, trade, investment ties, and education-training collaboration in order to develop high-quality human resources, Ambassador Knapper said,

According to the diplomat, US partners have established strong relationships with Can Tho University and An Giang University. The US therefore hopes to have more students from these institutions study in the US.

Regarding healthcare, environmental protection, and combating climate change, the US has been implementing many programmes and projects in Can Tho and across the Mekong Delta region, he went on to say.

During the 10-month period, Can Tho grossed US$106.29 million from exports to the US market, with key products including agricultural goods, garments, handicrafts, and steel products. However, this figure is not commensurate with the city's potential to supply high-quality export commodities.

As part of the occasion, Ambassador Knapper, US Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Susan Burns, and a delegation from the US Embassy in Vietnam participated in a workshop aimed at examining ways for Can Tho’s businesses to expand business in the US market.

They also visited a circular agriculture model which produces organic fertilizer from rice straw, as well as a straw mushroom farming model at Tien Thuan Cooperative in Vinh Thanh district.