At the meeting, Vice Chairman Nguyen Thuc Hien said that Vietnam, including Can Tho, always values the support of the Swiss Government through official development assistance (ODA)-funded projects addressing poverty reduction, environment protection, administrative reform, agriculture, education and training, as well as its assistance for Vietnam in enjoying preferential trade treatment. Particularly, Can Tho City has benefited from Swiss organizations like Dariu Foundation and VMA over the past few years for various non-governmental projects related to education and health. In 2023, Can Tho's exports to Switzerland, primarily aquatic products, exceeded 556,000 USD.

For official development assistance (ODA) projects, Switzerland has assisted in the implementation of the third component of the Can Tho Urban Development and Resilience Project, financed by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). The total capital of the project is 254 million USD, of which 250 million USD comes from the World Bank and the rest from SECO. Several completed works under the project are very useful for the city's development. Among those, the embankment along Can Tho River and Cai Son - Muong Khai embankment help with flood control in the city’s urban core area. Additionally, the completion of Quang Trung Bridge and Tran Hoang Na Street contribute to reducing traffic congestion and serving people's travel needs. The city is also focusing on speeding up the implementation of resettlement areas to serve people affected by the project.

Vice Chairman Nguyen Thuc Hien said Can Tho has been actively engaging in cooperation activities with Switzerland, especially in the economic field, he said, wishing for further collaboration in areas of Switzerland’s strengths, such as digital transformation, public financial management, urban infrastructure adaptable to climate change, education and training, healthcare, etc. Can Tho will create favorable conditions for Swiss firms to explore investment opportunities, he said.

Vice Chairman of Can Tho City People's Committee Nguyen Thuc Hien presented a gift to Swiss Ambassador to Vietnam Thomas Gass at the reception.

The official also informed that a working delegation from the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho will pay a visit to Switzerland and attend The Swiss-Viet Economic Forum (SVEF).

Swiss Ambassador to Vietnam Thomas Gass said that Switzerland is one of the founding members of the Mekong River Commission. Through ongoing and past projects, Switzerland has actively supported upstream areas like Can Tho in developing climate-resilient strategies for their core areas.

Mr. Thomas Gass stated that his visit to Can Tho City is to attend the Conference on Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin. He hopes to review the reality of climate change impacts and listen to Can Tho City's response strategy to these impacts in the coming time. Additionally, he plans to review the need for coordinating activities from different Swiss partners to help Can Tho City develop rapidly and sustainably in the future.

He also expressed Switzerland’s interest in sharing experiences in circular and green economies, renewable and solar energy, which are also priorities of Vietnam and Can Tho in particular. Therefore, he wished that both countries would continue increasing cooperation in these areas at both national and local levels.

Can Tho authorities and the delegation from the Swiss Embassy in Vietnam at the meeting.

The Vice Chairman of Can Tho City People's Committee Nguyen Thuc Hien stressed that environmental protection, climate change response, and sustainable development are always important issues for the development of Can Tho City and the Mekong Delta. Vice Chairman Nguyen Thuc Hien hopes that Swiss Ambassador Thomas Gass will voice his concerns about saltwater intrusion and landslides, particularly addressing the negative impact of dams in the upstream of the Mekong River on the Mekong Delta, including Can Tho City at the Conference on Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin.