Can Tho – potential partner of Germany in Mekong Delta

Can Tho (VNA) – As an economic centre of the Mekong Delta, Can Tho city is a potential partner of Germany in several investment projects, including urban transport development, renewable energy application, environmental protection and climate change adaptation.

Speaking at a working session with the municipal People’s Committee on November 21, Deputy Consul General of Germany in Ho Chi Minh City Daniela Scheetz said German businesses have described Can Tho as a potential market for investment in energy, technology, and smart city. 

Can Tho boasts dynamic development, special position in the region, and competitive advantages of young and high-quality human resources and favourable investment policies and mechanisms, she added. 

The German Consulate will implement more exchange and cooperation activities with the Mekong Delta city to further promote bilateral friendship, she affirmed. 

In 2016, a delegation of experts from the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) began conducting fact-finding tours to collect information on the transport situation in Can Tho and to talk with local agencies about procedures in transport planning.

As a result, Can Tho has been listed among cities in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to get German government support to develop the transport sector, with a project starting this year.

The main purpose of the German transport development project is to help Can Tho avoid shortcomings in the field, especially traffic jams. It will be carried out over three years, starting from the end of this year, with total investment of about 3.8 million USD, including the transfer of technology to managerial officials, technical assistance, and human resources training in urban transport management and development. 

Meanwhile, the German Technical Cooperation Agency (GTZ) will study and evaluate the development potential of different forms of renewable energy in Can Tho such as wind, solar and biogas energy.                                               

The GTZ will also support the Mekong Delta city to pilot new technological application projects to produce renewable energy in hi-tech agriculture or aquatic processing. Effective models will be expanded to cities and provinces in the south western region. 

The German agency will also work with Can Tho to implement clean air projects in Ninh Kieu and Binh Thuy districts and major processing and industrial parks such as Tra Noc 1 and 2, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve water drainage management and waste treatment to increase the city’s resilience to climate change.-VNA