Vice Chairman of the Can Tho People’s Committee Nguyen Ngoc He (R) and Dutch Ambassador Kees Van Baar (L) at the meeting on February 15 (Photo: VNA)Can Tho (VNA) – Can Tho wishes Dutch firms come to do business and strengthen their investment in the Mekong Delta city in the fields that they have advantage, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Ngoc He told a delegation from the Dutch Embassy in Vietnam during a working session on February 15.
He said as a centre of the Mekong Delta region, Can Tho boasts strengths in agriculture and aquaculture production, and tourism.
The city has received huge support from the Netherlands over the last five decades, especially in projects to protect the environment and water resources, and respond to climate change, He said, noting that the projects of these kind have proven greatly effective for the region.
He also called on the Dutch side to share its experience in education and agriculture with Can Tho.
The city will organise a delegation to visit the Netherlands this June, he said.
Dutch Ambassador Kees Van Baar said businesses from the Nethelands are interested in investing in projects on aqua feed, export of fresh fruits, and seedlings in the Mekong Delta region in general, and in Can Tho in particular.
The diplomat expressed his concern about soil erosion, saline intrusion as well as the adaptability of Mekong Delta localities, saying that his country can support them in salt-tolerant varieties, methods of planting mangroves based on nature to prevent riverbank and coastal erosion, and in exploiting and using groundwater for shrimp farming to increase income for local farmers in a natural and sustainable way.
According to the Ambassador, the Mekong Delta region is the focus and priority in activities of the Dutch Embassy in Vietnam. The Netherlands has supported Can Tho in a project to clean up the ocean by boats collecting plastic waste on rivers.
As many as 20 Dutch businesses will attend a shrimp exhibition held in Can Tho in April this year, which is expected to be a good chance for firms operating in the shrimp industry to seek investment opportunities and partners.
According to the municipal Department of Foreign Affairs, the Netherlands has one investment project worth 32 million USD, which specialises in producing beverage products in Can Tho. The Dutch also support three non-governmental projects on cleaning up the ocean, water supply adapting to climate change, and improving capacity in managing water resources.
Can Tho’s export turnover to the Netherlands in 2022 hit nearly 71 million USD, with key exports being rice, aquatic products, farm produce, processed foods, and textiles./.
