Vietnam ready to cultivate Flanders-Mekong ties: ambassador
Brussels (VNA) – Vietnam is ready to cultivate mutually
beneficial ties between Belgium’s Flanders and Mekong region, said Vietnamese
Ambassador to Belgium Nguyen Van Thao.
Addressing a forum on the Mekong River
Commission recently held at the Flemmish Parliament in Brussels, Thao suggested
that Flanders-Mekong cooperation should focus on cross-border water management
and hi-tech agriculture in adaptation to climate change, given the challenges facing the Mekong region such as climate change impacts, floods, droughts, rising sea level, and saltwater intrusion.
He proposed enhancing experience sharing,
workforce training and transfer of technology such as smart cold warehouse in
service of farm produce export, wind power, water-by-wind, logistics centre and riverway
transport infrastructure.
Delegates at the event discussed ways to boost bilateral
coordination in water management and seek solutions to common challenges
related to climate change, drought, flooding and transportation. A number of
Flemish technological solution providers also expressed their interest in business opportunities in the Mekong region.
At the 27th meeting of the MRC
Council held in November 2020, Flanders officially became a development partner
of the MRC and signed a cooperation agreement worth 1.07 million USD for the
2021-2025 period./.