Lai Chau (VNA) - Chairman of the People's Committee of the northern province of Lai Chau Le Van Luong on May 8 hosted a reception for Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Shawn Perry Steil, during which the host proposed stronger cooperation between the two sides in the coming time.
Luong said Lai Chau has consistently received cooperation and support from Canadian partners in recent years. He suggested the Canadian Embassy support Canadian businesses in investing in Lai Chau, and continue to provide official development assistance (ODA) to projects in the locality.
He called on Care International in Vietnam (CARE) to continue conducting surveys and implementing support projects and programmes in the locality, focusing on economic development and climate change adaptation.
The official thanked the Canadian government, through CARE, for supporting the project “Advancing ethnic minority women’s economic empowerment in Vietnam” in three communes of Tam Duong district, saying that the project has contributed to promoting poverty reduction and socio-economic development and improving the livelihoods of the ethnic minority community in Lai Chau.
For his part, Steil expressed his joy at CARE’s contributions to Lai Chau.
Similar to Lai Chau, Canada is rich in natural resources, minerals, and cultural diversity, he stressed, expressing his delight that the Vietnamese locality has demonstrated a development vision aligned with Canada's investment interests.
The project to advance ethnic minority women’s economic empowerment funded by CARE in Tam Duong district not only increases opportunities for women but also shows the potential for cooperation between Canadian businesses and Lai Chau, he said.
Director of CARE Vietnam Le Thi Kim Dung said the project has helped many ethnic minority women gain confidence in economic development, thus affirming their position in their families and the community. She expressed her hope for more cooperation with and support for Lai Chau to gain sustainable development.
After the reception, Ambassador Steil visited some local production establishments./.
