Ho Chi Minh City and the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong should further comprehensive cooperation, focusing on health, education and culture, for their mutual benefit, said the State President.

State President Nguyen Minh Triet made the request at a conference held in the resort city of Da Lat on August 26 to review socio-economic cooperation between HCM City and Lam Dong province from 2004-2009.

President Triet said the two localities need to make greater efforts to attract more investors, speed up the reform of investment procedures and share experiences in capital mobilisation, project site clearance, human resource development and the building of investment mechanisms.

Alongside with creating incentives for business, HCM City and Lam Dong should deal with companies which have been licensed but have no plans to carry out projects or intend to “re-sell” their projects, he stressed.

Secretary of the HCM City Party Committee Le Thanh Hai said that although the results of cooperation have yet to match their potential, the two sides have laid an important foundation for cooperative ties in the years to come.

HCM City and Lam Dong province embarked on their bilateral cooperation programme in 2004. Since then, the two localities have signed a wide range of deals covering agriculture, industry, tourism, trade, health and education.

The city’s enterprises have to date invested in 212 projects in the Central Highlands province. Businesses from the two localities have also worked together to organise numerous fairs showcasing the latest technology and equipment used in production as well as seminars discussing ways to promote investment and human resources development./.