Tien Giang – a strategic bridge between the Mekong Delta and Ho Chi Minh City.

Tien Giang – a strategic bridge between the Mekong Delta and Ho Chi Minh City.

On November 29th, in Can Tho, the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, in coordination with the People's Committees of 13 provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta region, organized a conference to review the agreement on socio -economic development cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta for the period 2023-2024 and to implement the plan for 2024-2025. Leaders from Tien Giang province also attended and shared many important opinions.

Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai (in blue shirt) visits the Tien Giang booth at the Conference on Economic and Social Development Cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta provinces.

Many outstanding events linking Tien Giang – the Mekong Delta and Ho Chi Minh City need to be promoted.

The agreement on socio-economic development cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and 13 provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta region includes eight areas of cooperation: connecting supply and demand, promoting investment and trade; developing transportation infrastructure; developing tourism; cooperating on climate change adaptation; developing science and technology, digital transformation; developing the health sector, training human resources; labor and employment; and the current state of bilateral cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and each province and city in the Mekong Delta region.

During the period of 2023-2024, the supply-demand connection conference between Ho Chi Minh City and other provinces and cities attracted 322 participating units with 657 booths, including participation from all 13 provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta region, with 184 registered businesses and 328 booths showcasing their local specialties.

Notably, the "On the Wharf, Under the Boat" Spring Flower Market is one of 19 typical annual cultural, artistic, and festival events in Ho Chi Minh City, attracting a large number of locals and domestic and international tourists to enjoy the spring festivities every Tet holiday. To prepare for these activities, District 8 (Ho Chi Minh City) has organized promotional activities and connected supply and demand in many provinces and cities, creating a location for traders and gardeners to display and sell ornamental flowers and fruits to tourists. In 2023, there were 788 stalls, selling 138 tons of goods and fruits and 120,000 flower pots; in 2024, there were 745 stalls, selling 95 tons of goods and fruits and 90,000 flower pots of various kinds…

Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, Phan Van Mai, stated that during the 2023-2024 period, Ho Chi Minh City and the provinces and cities of the Mekong Delta implemented many regional cooperation programs, helping to develop businesses, improve people's lives, and contribute to promoting socio-economic development in the localities. This conference shows that the cooperation agreement between Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta region is still only in the initial stages of research or proposals. The conference hopes to hear the opinions of local leaders, business representatives, and delegates to identify key priorities and effective methods so that cooperation truly yields practical results and contributes to the socio-economic development of the Mekong Delta and Ho Chi Minh City. At the conference, representatives from the provinces and cities summarized the achievements made in the past period and focused on discussing the contents of cooperation implementation for the 2024-2025 period.

Speaking at the conference, the Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Committee of Tien Giang province, Nguyen Van Vinh, said that in 2023 and 2024, the cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and Tien Giang province achieved many positive results. Specifically, Ho Chi Minh City and Tien Giang province have collaborated on three areas: the Can Gio Ferry (Ho Chi Minh City) – Go Cong Dong (Tien Giang province); investment cooperation in tourism development in Thoi Son (My Tho City) and Tan Phong floating market (Cai Lay district); and cooperation in supporting the transfer of technical and scientific technology to Tien Giang Provincial General Hospital.

Chairman of the People's Committee of Tien Giang province, Nguyen Van Vinh, emphasized that in the coming time, coordination will continue to implement the Ho Chi Minh City – Long An – Tien Giang Urban Transport Axis Project in a synchronized and effective manner; cooperation and linkage in human resource training between universities in Ho Chi Minh City and Tien Giang University; and hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City will support Tien Giang Provincial General Hospital in opening new specialized departments to meet the medical needs of the people. He requested the leaders of Ho Chi Minh City to continue researching and investing in the Mekong Delta provinces and cities to create opportunities to provide Ho Chi Minh City with the advantageous products available in the Mekong Delta region.

Tien Giang is in the trend of strengthening its ties with the Mekong Delta region and Ho Chi Minh City.

In 2024-2025, Ho Chi Minh City and the provinces and cities of the Mekong Delta will focus on implementing cooperation in the eight committed areas:

Regarding transportation infrastructure development, localities will coordinate with the Ministry of Transport to implement the project to expand the Ho Chi Minh City – Trung Luong – My Thuan expressway. Simultaneously, they will coordinate with the Ministry of Transport to implement the Ho Chi Minh City – Can Tho railway project; and study investment in the Ho Chi Minh City – Mekong Delta coastal road, connecting the Ho Chi Minh City – Mekong Delta waterway.

Regarding linkages and cooperation in tourism development, we will continue to implement Plan No. 2080/KH-UBND dated June 23, 2021, of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City on the implementation of the Program for linkages and cooperation in tourism development between Ho Chi Minh City and 13 provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta region for the period 2021-2025.

In the field of science and technology development and digital transformation, localities will organize workshops on developing circular economy and green economy models that take into account sustainable linkages; and develop projects to encourage and support innovative startup activities.

Regarding education, healthcare, human resource training, and labor, we will continue to develop cooperation projects for transferring experience in medical examination, treatment, and specialized care, remote consultation, and improving the capacity of grassroots healthcare; and projects to connect universities and institutes, share information, and develop the labor market.

The Mekong Delta and Ho Chi Minh City, including the Southeast region, are two inseparable entities. Linking them together to achieve greater progress is the development goal for the Mekong Delta, Ho Chi Minh City, and the entire country, especially in the current trend of deep integration. Elevating regional linkage thinking to create a common regional brand, fostering cooperation, and generating shared value while expanding beyond regional boundaries has been and continues to be an urgent and ongoing task for the government, people, and businesses.

In fact, over the past period, Tien Giang province has participated in cooperation and linkages with provinces and cities in the two sub-regions of Dong Thap Muoi and the Eastern Coast to develop socio-economic cooperation with Ho Chi Minh City. With its favorable geographical location, stretching along the northern bank of the Tien River, about 70 km from the largest center, Ho Chi Minh City, and about 100 km from Can Tho, this provides favorable conditions for connecting raw material sources, production, consumption markets, and exports. Tien Giang can be considered the midpoint, the connecting axis between the Mekong Delta and Ho Chi Minh City.

According to the planning orientation of the Mekong Delta and Ho Chi Minh City, Tien Giang province, playing the role of a gateway between Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta, benefits from important transportation and economic routes passing through the province such as National Highway 1, National Highway 30, National Highway 50, National Highway 60, and the Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong - Can Tho expressway. Tien Giang province will primarily develop in the processing of agricultural and aquatic products; specialized fruit farming, aquaculture, and high-tech agriculture; supporting industries and port industries; while also strengthening efforts to attract investment in trade, services, and eco-tourism along the river. Furthermore, Tien Giang province boasts a highly diverse agricultural ecosystem and is considered the largest fruit-producing region in the country, with a total area exceeding 84,000 hectares and an annual output of over 1.76 million tons. Agricultural production covers 190,000 hectares, including 136,000 hectares of rice paddies and over 54,000 hectares of vegetable and food crops. Tien Giang province has a 32 km long coastline with thousands of hectares of coastal alluvial plains, and over 15,044 hectares of water surface suitable for aquaculture. The province's annual seafood production exceeds 310,000 tons. In addition, the long coastline facilitates the development of a diversified marine economy. Along with infrastructure serving agriculture that has been invested in, such as My Tho fishing port, Vam Lang fishing port, Hoa Khanh fruit market, Vinh Kim fruit market, rice milling area in Cai Be… With the advantage of abundant raw materials, Tien Giang province ensures large-scale industrial processing production.

In particular, regarding transportation, Tien Giang province prioritizes investment in inter-regional connectivity projects, especially with provinces in the Mekong Delta. These routes create new development spaces and connect external transportation routes with the region and other provinces, positively impacting local socio-economic development, such as Ho Chi Minh City, Long An province, Can Tho city, Ben Tre province, and Vinh Long province. Simultaneously, the province plans investment in transportation routes connecting and developing important sectors, products, and fields such as industrial development, urban development, key agricultural production areas, tourism, logistics, and functional zones. In addition, Tien Giang province also focuses on infrastructure connecting disadvantaged and particularly difficult areas with areas that play a driving role in the province. Tien Giang province also prioritizes investment in power supply projects to serve production, focusing on new industrial zones and clusters, better meeting the production and living needs of the people and businesses. In the cultural and social sectors, Tien Giang province will prioritize investment in the restoration, preservation, and promotion of the value of special national relics, national relics, and provincial-level relics; and investment in important cultural and sports facilities…

Regarding cooperation activities to adapt to climate change, localities will organize workshops to exchange experiences and scientific, technological, and technical solutions in flood and storm prevention, rescue, and disaster response; international cooperation workshops on new farming solutions, new crop varieties adapted to climate change, and solutions for flood control and climate change adaptation. At the same time, they will propose projects to protect and develop nature reserves, biodiversity areas, and important wetlands such as the Dong Thap Muoi Ecological Reserve; establish a biodiversity corridor connecting the Mui Ca Mau National Park – Dam Doi Bird Sanctuary – Thanh Phu – Can Gio Biosphere Reserve; and establish a biodiversity research center in Phu Quoc.

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc stated that the Ministry of Planning and Investment is ready to cooperate with Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta in the development linkage between Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta. Specifically, it will continue to advise the Government and the Prime Minister to prioritize resources for investment in the development of socio-economic infrastructure in the Mekong Delta region, especially in removing development bottlenecks and obstacles in the implementation of projects, promoting investment attraction, and resolving regional bottlenecks in accordance with Resolution 13 of the Politburo on perfecting institutions and policies for development and promoting regional linkages, and achieving rapid and sustainable economic development in the Mekong Delta region by 2030, with a vision to 2045.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/tien-giang—cau-noi-chien-luoc-giua-dong-bang-song-cuu-long-va-tphcm-d232560.html