National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and delegates attending the Japan - Mekong Delta Meeting conference - Photo: VGP/LS
Attending the conference were National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung, President of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians' Union Obuchi Yuko, Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Ito Naoki, representatives of ministries, sectors, leaders of Mekong Delta provinces; many large enterprises and Japanese investors.
In his welcoming speech, Secretary of the Can Tho City Party Committee Do Thanh Binh said that from July 1, 2025, the new Can Tho City will be established on the basis of merging Can Tho City (old) and Hau Giang and Soc Trang provinces, marking an important turning point in the development process of the Mekong Delta region, establishing its role as a dynamic growth pole in the center of the Southwest sub-region.
In the context of Can Tho entering a new development stage, the City is striving to create breakthroughs, attract effective investment, shape a modern and sustainable development ecosystem, develop multi-sectorally, from agriculture, industry, trade - services, eco-tourism, where specific economic zones converge including marine economy with more than 72 km of coastline (old Soc Trang), smart agriculture with the core of the High-tech Agricultural Zone (old Hau Giang), innovation center, processing industry; is a trade hub connecting intra-regional, inter-regional and international transport through the road, waterway, air and sea transport system.
The Secretary of the Can Tho City Party Committee emphasized that organizing the Conference right after the merger is a valuable opportunity for the City to affirm its determination to innovate, its organizational capacity and the flexible adaptability of the two-level local government. At the same time, this is also a strong message that Can Tho City wants to send to international friends, especially Japanese partners: Can Tho is ready for a new development path, more effective, more transparent and closer companionship with investors and businesses.
President of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians' Union Obuchi Yuko highly appreciated Vietnam's strong development with the leading economic growth rate in the ASEAN region, affirming its important position in the global supply chain. The two countries celebrated the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2023 and there are currently about 630,000 Vietnamese people living in Japan. Recently, the Vietnam Festival in Tokyo was held on a very large scale, attracting more than 140,000 visitors, contributing to spreading the beauty of Vietnamese culture in Japan in a lively and intimate way. The Expo 2025 exhibition in Osaka-Kansai is also attracting about 10,000 visitors/day, showing the growing interest in Vietnamese and Japanese culture.
As Chairwoman of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Alliance, Ms. Obuchi Yuko affirmed that she will continue to make efforts to promote exchange activities between parliamentarians of the two countries, thereby bringing Japan-Vietnam relations to a new level, deeper and stronger.
National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man speaks at the Conference - Photo: VGP/LS
Speaking at the conference, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man stated: The Vietnam-Japan relationship is a successful model of bilateral cooperation, built on the foundation of more than 50 years of political trust, cultural similarities and historical ties. There are currently more than 2,500 Japanese enterprises operating in Vietnam and over 600,000 Vietnamese people living in Japan - the second largest among foreign communities here.
The National Assembly Chairman said that the Mekong Delta is known as the "rice granary" of Vietnam, contributing about 50% of rice output, 95% of rice exports, 65% of aquaculture output and 70% of fruit output of the whole country. Despite its great potential, the region is facing many serious challenges that affect sustainable development such as: the impact of climate change, limited human resources, poor transport infrastructure and connectivity, lack of supporting industrial ecosystems, lack of regional connectivity, etc.
Emphasizing that Vietnam always considers Japan as a leading strategic partner, especially in the fields of economy, investment and technology transfer, the National Assembly Chairman expressed his appreciation for Japan's great contributions through ODA projects, such as Can Tho Bridge - a symbol of the friendship between the two countries, or the Can Tho University upgrade project and many other projects in the Mekong Delta provinces.
On the occasion of this conference, the National Assembly Chairman suggested that the Vietnamese Government and enterprises coordinate with the Japanese Government and enterprises to promote cooperation, focusing on strategic areas. Vietnam encourages Japanese enterprises to invest in supporting industries, high technology, digital transformation, clean energy and smart agriculture.
National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man said that the two sides need to increase technology transfer and human resource training; he hopes that Japanese enterprises will not only invest financially but also share experiences and transfer modern technology, especially in areas such as green transformation, circular economy and corporate governance.
National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung at the Conference - Photo: VGP/LS
According to the National Assembly Chairman, Vietnam aims to become a developed country with an upper middle income by 2030 and a high income by 2045. In this journey, the Party and State of Vietnam identify the Mekong Delta as playing an important role in the strategy of sustainable development and adaptation to climate change. Initiatives such as the Asian Energy Transition Initiative (AETI) or the Asian Zero Emission Community (AZEC) of Japan will find strong support from the Mekong Delta, especially in renewable energy and environmental protection projects.
The National Assembly Chairman affirmed that the National Assembly and the Government of Vietnam always put people at the center, not sacrificing progress and social justice to pursue mere economic growth.
With the advantages of administrative unit arrangement, streamlining the apparatus for effective, efficient and effective operation; strong administrative reform; and the work of preventing and combating corruption, negativity and waste, the National Assembly Chairman believes that these innovations will support foreign enterprises to invest in Vietnam and the Mekong Delta, especially Japanese enterprises. The National Assembly Chairman called on Japanese enterprises to actively participate in building sustainable value chains, contributing to the prosperous development of both sides.
At the conference, leaders of provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta region and Japanese enterprises discussed the potential and advantages of the provinces in cooperation with Japan and called for investment in areas such as infrastructure development, energy, high technology, agriculture, labor, and tourism. In addition, the conference also included bilateral meetings, business connections, and exhibitions and introductions of typical products of Can Tho city.
Le Son
Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/gap-go-nhat-ban-dong-bang-song-cuu-long-tang-cuong-hop-tac-ket-noi-tren-nhieu-linh-vuc-102250808174312248.htm
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