Strengths and great cooperation potential of localities in Central Viet Nam’s key economic zone were introduced at the ‘Meet the USA 2018’ event which took place in Da Nang on Monday afternoon. 

The ‘Meet the USA 2018’ event in progress (Photo: Khang Ninh)

In attendance at the event were Vietnamese Permanent Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, Deputy Minister for Information and Communications Phan Tam, Da Nang People’s Committee Chairman Huynh Duc Tho, People’s Committee Vice Chairman Ho Ky Minh, and a total of over 300 representatives from national government agencies, the localities’ authorities, and US and Vietnamese businesses.

In his remarks, Deputy Minister Son expressed his delight at the fruitful results from the bilateral cooperative ties between the 2 countries over recent years.

It is the fact that the US has shown its willingness for and commitment to boosting mutual cooperation with Viet Nam and other counties in the Asia-Pacific.  In an active response, Viet Nam has affirmed its great resolve to promote its open-door policy and deeper its international integration, especially considering the US as a leading important partner.

In particular, Deputy Minister Son described the growing cooperation between Vietnamese localities and US businesses, partners and localities as one of the important pillars of the comprehensive partnership between the 2 countries which was established in 2013.

At the event, Chairman Tho said his city has to date established the bilateral cooperative ties with 3 US localities.  In particular, the city has so far attracted about 50 US-invested projects with a total of registered capital of 519 million USD.  Recent years have seen a significant increase in the city’s export and import turnovers of goods to the US, hitting 287 million USD and 20 million USD respectively last year.

The city leader also pledged that very favourable conditions would be created for US investors to seek cooperation opportunities in the city.

Vice Chairman Minh briefed the participants on the investment environment at the Da Nang Hi-tech Park. 

Enjoying the national government-approved Decree No 04/2018/ND-CP regulating preferential mechanisms and policies, the venue will be widely promote the publicity of its potentials and strengths in the US, Europe and such traditional markets as Japan and South Korea.

The Deputy Mission Director of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Viet Nam, Mr Craig Hart, said his agency is attaching importance to enhance the capability of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) so as to help all of them integrate to the global supply chain.

With regard to the building of a smart city, the Director of the Da Nang Department of Information and Communications, Mr Nguyen Quang Thanh said he would like the US to work closely with Vietnamese partners to select technologies suitable for the project, as well as appeal for the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises.

The ‘Meet The USA’ conference featured 4 sessions, with a focus on Viet Nam-US trade and investment prospects 2018 – 2020, smart cities – high technology, start-up, education and workforce.

To mark this occasion, the External Affairs Department under the Foreign Ministry signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation with Coca-Cola Viet Nam.