Can Tho (VNA) – Leaders of Can Tho had a meeting with the consulates generaland attachés of Australia, the US, and Japan on October 24, highlighting theMekong Delta city’s willingness to expand multi-faceted cooperation with theforeign partners.

At theevent, participants expressed their hopes to tighten cooperation to help promoteregional and international peace and prosperity, with a focus on the realisationof the Sustainable Development Goals and climate change adaptation in the MekongDelta.

Australian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Sarah Hooper said her country paysspecial attention to the development and prosperity of Asia-Pacific, including Vietnam,so as to achieve the sustainable goals.

Since 2000,the Australian Government has invested 650 million AUD (413.3 million USD) inthe Mekong Delta to improve local infrastructure, boost investment attraction,develop human resources, and facilitate innovation.

She alsounderlined bilateral cooperation in developing climate-resilient plant varieties,implementing projects benefiting coastal areas, commercialising studies’results, and carrying out the Mekong - Australia Partnership.

ConsulGeneral of the US in HCM City Susan Burns said the US prioritises cooperationwith the Mekong Delta, including Can Tho, especially in the fields of climate changeresponse, public health, and higher education. It will continue to carry outkey activities in humanitarian assistance, war legacy settlement, andunexploded ordnance clearance.

Meanwhile,Japanese Consul General in HCM City Ono Masuo noted Japanese businessesare strong at biotechnology, clean energy, and the processing - manufacturing industryserving agriculture. Therefore, the Northeast Asian country hopes to enhancepartnerships in these areas.

For hispart, Secretary of the Can Tho Party Committee Nguyen Van Hieu said that as thecentre of the Mekong Delta, his city is willing to expand multi-faceted tieswith foreign partners, including Australia, the US, and Japan, which all havegood relations with Vietnam.

Given thestrengths of Australia, he expressed his hope that the two sides will step up collaborationin agriculture, health care, renewable energy, information technology, telecommunications,and real estate, among others.

To theUS, Can Tho wishes to bolster ties in sharing experience in in-depth medicaltechniques, supporting disadvantaged patients, implementing the programmes andprojects on climate change adaptation and impact mitigation, Hieu noted.

To Japan,the official added, Can Tho is proud to be one of the localities activelycontributing to the Vietnam - Japan relations, especially amid the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties this year.

The cityhas built the Vietnam - Japan Friendship Industrial Park as part of the HungPhu 1 Industrial Park in Cai Rang district, which is a favourable condition forpotential investors from Japan to make investment, he went on, adding that italso looks forwards to stronger connections with Japan in labour, vocationaltraining, supporting industries, the processing and manufacturing industry,high technology, and logistics./.