Can Tho(VNA) –The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho is seeking Japanese investments in nineprojects, focusing on high-tech agriculture and industry, centralized IT,logistics and construction, said Chairman of the municipal People’s CommitteeVo Thanh Thong.
At a working sessionwith a delegation of the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam and Japanese partners onApril 19, the official said the nine are among 46 projects with totalinvestment capital of about 100 trillion VND (4.4 billion USD) calling forinvestors, to be announced at an investment promotion conference in Can Thocity slated for August 2018.
The city is alsolooking for partners and donors for pre-feasibility study on a cable carproject linking Can Tho International Airport with Cai Rang district, and anurban waterway project along Hau River, which runs from An Giang province to HauGiang province through Can Tho city, he added.
The Chairman took theoccasion to ask the Japanese Consul General, Embassy and partners to join handswith the city to organise celebrations of the 45th anniversary ofthe Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties, and the fourth Japanese culture and tradeday in the city in the coming time.
The municipal leader suggestedestablishing a research centre or office on Japan at the Can Tho University,which, he said, will work as a channel to provide Japanese partners withinformation on Mekong Delta localities, especially Can Tho, while supportinghuman resources development for investment projects.
He also sought Japan’sofficial development assistance (ODA) for the construction of the 300-bed CanTho Cardiovascular Hospital, which will need investment capital of some 1.5trillion VND (66 million USD).
Present at the workingsession, former State President Truong Tan Sang said the Vietnamese Governmentaims to turn Can Tho into a centre of the Mekong Delta, thus spurring the regionalgrowth. Therefore, Vietnam hopes Japan can help the city build a master planfor the development of not only the city but also the Mekong Delta as a whole.
He also appealed tothe Japanese side to help the city with social sectors like hospitals, schoolsand scientific-technological facilities in order to ease the burden for Ho ChiMinh City.
Japanese Ambassador toVietnam Umeda Kunio said many Japanese firms hadexpressed willingness to engage in comprehensive cooperation with Mekong Deltalocalities during the April 18conference in Can Tho that aimed to connect Japanesebusinesses and the 12 provinces and Can Tho city in the Delta.
He asked Can Tho to provide officialinformation about the upcoming investment promotion conference for the Japaneseside.
The ambassador hailed the Can Tho Chairman’sproposal on a Japan research centre, adding that Japan is willing to cooperatewith Can Tho in this issue.
He noted that Japan and the Can ThoUniversity have partnered in agriculture, and Japan wants to increase Japaneselanguage teaching and cultural exchange at the university.
Regarding the Can Tho Cardiovascular Hospital, the ambassador saidthe Japan International Cooperation Agency will be assigned to work on thismatter.-VNA