Can Tho city expands cooperation with France

Vietnam’s Mekong Delta city of Can Tho and Nice city of France have signed an agreement on their twin relations during a France working visit by Can Tho senior officials from September 24 to October 2.

In the framework of this agreement, four partnership agreements on tourism, hospital, tertiary and primary education cooperation were inked in Nice city, nearly 950 km south of Paris.

Under these documents, the two sides will strengthen the exchange of teachers and students between primary and secondary schools of Code d’ Azur region and Can Tho city, and between the Can Tho University and the Sophia Antipolis University.

The Nice side will encourage exchanges between French teachers of the two sides to improve their teaching methods.

The two sides will also enhance cooperation between the Can Tho General Hospital and the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) of Nice city.

In the tourism sector, Nice is ready to help Can Tho train tour operators and hotel managers.

The Vietnamese city has been invited to participate in Nice city’s carnival scheduled for February 2012 and the International Fair in April 2012.

On September 29, the delegation, in coordination with the Vietnamese Embassy in France and the French Business Confederation (MEDEF International), hosted a seminar in Paris to promote investment in Can Tho city.

Participants were introduced about the dynamic development of Can Tho city, which locates in the centre of the Mekong River Delta, with an average GDP growth rate of 15 per cent and a per-capita income of $1,950 per year.

The city’s total export value reached $1.4 billion in 2010 with rice being its main export product.

To date, six French businesses have invested in tourism, liquefied gas and agricultural product processing, and opened consultancy offices in Can Tho city with a total investment capital of $13.7 million.

The city’s nine tourism and infrastructure projects calling for investment were introduced at the seminar.

French businesses showed their special attention to such fields as energy, urban development, tourism, environment, chemical industry, agricultural products and finance.

On the occasion, Nguyen Thanh Son, chairman of the People’s Committee of Can Tho city, granted investment licences to two businesses of France’s Casino Group to build a BigC supermarket and invest in real estate in the Mekong Delta city.

In the coming time, Can Tho expects the Accord hotel group to invest in a luxury hotel and resort project in the city. – VIR

Tags: Vietnam France cooperation