Paris (VNA) – The pot🌠ential and strengths of Can Tho and other localities in the Mekong Delta region were introduced to French businesse▨s at a trade promotion conference held in Paris on November 30.

Hosted by the Department of Foreign Affairs of Localities under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Vietnamese Embassy in France, the Can Tho People’s Committee, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of France in Vietnam (CCIFV) and the Vietnam European Business Network, the event aimed to promote trade links between France and regional localities. According to Nguyen Hoang Long, Acting Director General of the Department , the Vietnam-France strategic partnership has witnessed important development steps recently, especially in economics. Leaders from the city said Can Tho is calling for investment in high-tech agriculture, processing farm products and food, biotechnology, agricultural mechanics, supply chains, agricultural service, textiles, IT and education. Meanwhile, the Mekong Delta, as the largest area for agriculture and aquaculture in Vietnam, with an abundant labour force and upgraded infrastructure system, hopes to be an attractive destination for foreign investors. CCIFV President Guillaume Grouzet, also Director of the Vietnam European Business Network, detailed assessments of prospects for Vietnam’s economic development from the France business community and the EU. They also discussed opportunities and challenges for the two sides’ enterprises as the European Union-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) is signed. After the conference, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Can Tho Vo Thanh Thong had a working session with the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss preparations for the 10th Conference on cooperation between Vietnamese and French localities, which is slated for September 2016 in Can Tho. France is Vietnam’s leading trade partner in the EU, with two-way trade hitting 3.5 billion USD in 2014, up 10.7 percent against the previous year. The country is the second largest EU investor in Vietnam, with a total registered capital of 3.38 billion USD as of June this year. Trade and investment cooperation between the two countries is expected to become stronger when EVFTA takes effect.-VNA