Can Tho (VNA) – Officials of the Mekong Delta cityof Can Tho introduced the local potential and advantages to French companiesand called for their investment, especially in agriculture, during a meeting onApril 10.

They highlighted Can Tho’s potential ofagricultural production such as rice, fisheries and fruit, along with hi-techagricultural projects that need investment. They expressed their hope thatFrench businesses will come to seek investment opportunities here.

Chairman of the Can Tho municipal People’sCommittee Vo Thanh Thong said agriculture is a strength of his city as well asother Mekong Delta localities. Many products made in Can Tho have been importedby France and other European countries like agricultural and aquatic products,apparel and handicrafts.

French firms should come to the city to investin those areas in order to increase trade between Vietnam and France, he noted.

There are six French-invested projects worthnearly 6 million USD in Can Tho. Meanwhile, bilateral trade has been on anupward trend. The city earned about 31 million USD from exports, mostly aquaticproducts, garments and handicrafts, to France in 2016. Its imports from the EUnation include pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, and agricultural medicine, Thongadded.

Can Tho has also carried out numerouscooperation activities in culture, education and health care with France. Itexpects bilateral relations will be intensified in the future, the officialsaid.

Martine Fumey, vice chairwoman of the World’s No1 Club, said the club gathers exporting companies in various industries ofFrance, and they want to bolster partnership with Vietnamese businesses. 

Their visit to Can Tho this time aims to enhanceconnections with local firms and seek investment opportunities, therebygradually turning French enterprises into a key trade partner of the city, saidFumey – chairwoman of the Ares company, which specialises in security deviceproduction.

Jacques Aurin, secretary general of the club andpresident of the Baron de Madaillan AE company, said they are also interestedin educational cooperation with Can Tho-based universities since education is abasis for economic development.

After the working session, the French delegationvisited some rice, fishery and fruit processing companies in Can Tho.-VNA