At the meeting, Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Le Quang Manh gave an overview of the cooperation relationship between Can Tho City and Japan in recent years. Specifically, Can Tho city exported 169.34 million USD worth of goods to Japan last year. The figure for the first two months of 2022 was 23.49 million USD.

Secretary Le Quang Manh further added some information regarding COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control as well as the post-COVID-19 economic recovery, the city’s economic development orientation, and several outstanding achievements in the socio-economic development of Can Tho. In specific, he informed that the city grew 5.7 percent in the first quarter of this year, becoming one of the localities with the highest growth rate nationwide.

Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Le Quang Manh stressed his wish to further receive assistance from the Consulate General for the sides’ collaboration in various sectors, especially investment in economic development, transport infrastructure, and education and training. He hoped Japanese investors will accelerate the progress of a high-speed railway project connecting Can Tho to Ho Chi Ming City; and the Japan International Cooperation Agency to pay attention to a project on building the O Mon bridge that links Can Tho, Kien Giang, Vinh Long, and Dong Thap. Moreover, Secretary Le Quang Manh suggested the Consulate General sustain 2022 forums that inform Japanese investors about Can Tho’s business climate and attract their investment in the city.  

He also wished that the bilateral cooperation in science and education could be exploited and expanded, especially in supporting academic exchanges and creating favorable conditions for young scientists to access new scientific knowledge from Japan.

Mr. Watanabe Nobuhiro, Consul General of Japan in Ho Chi Minh City, thanked the city’s leaders for the warm welcome; At the same time, he highly appreciated the direction and administration of the city's leaders in the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially the rapid socio-economic recovery of Can Tho city post-COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr. Watanabe Nobuhiro said that the cooperation relationship between Japan and Vietnam in general, Japan and Can Tho city in particular has been developing strongly in many fields. Therefore, many Japanese investors and businesses wish to cooperate and invest in Vietnam for a long time. Currently, there are 6 Japanese-funded projects worth some 1.35 billion USD and 7 Japanese enterprises operating in Can Tho city.

As these firms all want to expand business investment, the Japanese Consul General hoped that the city's leaders will continue to support and create favorable conditions for Japanese businesses to develop further in Can Tho.

Mr. Watanabe Nobuhiro affirmed that he will make efforts to promote the bilateral cooperation between Japan and Vietnam in general, Japan and Can Tho city in particular.