Japanese investors are ready to set up long-term cooperation with the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh which possesses abundant marine resources.

Japanese Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Hida Harumitsu made the statement at a November 12 conference held in the city to promote investment in Tra Vinh.

At the event, the provincial leaders pledged to address weaknesses including undeveloped support industry, asynchronous infrastructure system, along with improving administrative procedures and human resources quality to meet the need of investors.

The province is calling on Japanese firms to invest in several key industrial parks and projects majoring in processing farm produce for export and clean water supply.

Located 130km from Ho Chi Minh City in the south, down the Mekong River, Tra Vinh province has potential in industrial, agricultural and tourism development. However, the locality has so far secured only one Japanese-funded project worth 48.6 billion USD in registered capital.

The locality wants to set up twin relations with Japanese localities in the context that they are likely to expand investment in Vietnam .

Japan now ranks first among foreign investors in Vietnam with 5.1 billion USD in FDI capital poured into the country in 2012 and 4.7 billion USD in the first three quarters of this year.-VNA