Long An (VNA) - With its excellent geographicallocation for trade and economic development and the potential to become thecountry’s leading agricultural hub, the Mekong Deltaprovince of Long An is ideal for developing a smart urban area, according to experts.

Le Thanh, director of the Institute of Organic Agricultural Economics, said as agateway connecting Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta and with its excellenttransport system, Long An has everything requiredto become an agricultural - industrial smart urban area.

Speaking at the “Long An authoritiesexchange experience with experts and South Korean investors towards developinga smart agricultural – industrial urban area” seminar in early September, he said with sea levels rising in the Mekong Delta area, Long An wouldsee a wave of migration in the future.Therefore, developing smart cities issuitable, he added.

Lee Gyeong Taek, CEO of Lavi E&C JSC,said Republic of Korea’s investors have set their sights on 10,000ha of land near the Vam Co River.

They plan to develop a self-sufficienturban area with smart farms, hi-tech agricultural processing plants,universities to train human resources, smart flower gardens, and smart cattlebreeding areas, he said.

They also plan to build the largest lakein the country in the project in the smart urban area to make it an attractivedestination for local and international visitors, he revealed.

Explaining why the Korean investors chosethis area, he said they could take advantage of the river water to irrigateagricultural land in summer when there is often a shortage of water.

The convergence of overland and waterwaytransport networks enables the area to trade with leading provinces and citiesin the Southern Key Economic Region and surrounding areas, he pointed out.

He said building a smart city would bringbenefits to the province such as helping it develop clean and greenagriculture, and produce and process agricultural products right in urbanareas.

As for selling the products, he said theywould be supplied in the domestic market but also exported to Hong Kong,mainland China, Japan, and Singapore.

Other RoK investors said the province should focus more on transport infrastructure,human resource training and building hi-tech logistics infrastructure.

Pham Van Ranh, secretary of theLong An Party Committee and chairman of its People's Council, said, new modelsin line with global integration trends are needed to develop the provincequickly and sustainably.

The ideas proposed to develop smartagricultural - industrial urban areas promise bright prospects for theprovince's development, he said.

The province wants to find investors whoare enthusiastic about the project and could complete in the shortest time, hesaid, promising to create the most favourable conditions forinvestors. /.