The two-day 12 th plenary meeting of the Asian Network of Major Cities in the 21 st century (ANMC21) opened in Hanoi on November 18.

Representatives from 12 member cities of ANMC21, including Seoul, Singapore, Bangkok, Taipei (China), New Delhi , Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Manila, Yangon, Ulaanbaatar and Tomsk (Russia) attended the meeting.
In opening the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai expressed his pleasure at the growing and deeper friendship and cooperation ties between Hanoi and other capital cities and cities in the region and the world at large.

Deputy PM Hai highlighted the agenda of the meeting related to topical issues that the member cities are facing.

Two dialogue sessions on “Urban planning - issues of implementing current urban planning projects” and “Policy of urban energy in Asia ”, will allow the member cities to find optimal solutions to their implementation and management of urban planning, he added.

The cities are also expected to reach a consensus in urban planning and the effective use of energy in the context that climate change has serious impacts on countries’ sustainable development, including Vietnam , one of the five countries forecast to be hardest hit by climate change.

The deputy PM suggested that delegates centre on the discussion and sharing of experience in getting the private sector involved in urban development and the effective use of new and renewable energy, adding that one of the key solutions to the cities’ current difficulties is solidarity and cooperation.

Naoki Inose, Governor of Tokyo, voiced his hope of sharing experience with other Asian countries in urban development and how to maximise benefits that urban planning brings to citizens.

Tokyo will share its experience in urban expansion and development strategy along with initiatives that the Japanese city has applied to reach positive environmental development, Naoki Inose said.

Hanoi , Tokyo , Bangkok , Jakarta and Singapore representatives delivered speeches on urban planning and the difficulties they encountered in the process of carrying out the planning, including solutions to cope with climate change and the greenhouse effect, temperature reversal, flooding and rising sea water levels.

The five cities also mentioned issues related to transport infrastructure planning, links in socio-economic development and urban expansion in harmony with natural, environmental, historical and cultural aspects.

On the same day, participants also attended a field trip to survey the planning of Hanoi ’s Old Quarter, Pham Hung Street and the content of policies of urban energy.

According to Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen The Thao, ANMC21 also includes an Asia trade, investment and tourism promotion conference and a children’s painting exhibition.

In the framework of the event, an ANMC21 exhibition themed “attractiveness of cities” was also kicked off the same day.-VNA