Director of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI)'s Branch in the Mekong Delta city of Cần Thơ Nguyễn Phương Lam at the online signing ceremony. — Photo courtesy of VCCI Cần Thơ

CẦN THƠ — Director of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Mekong Delta (VCCI Cần Thơ) Nguyễn Phương Lam and Netherlands Ambassador Elsbeth Akkerman have signed an Action Programme of the Việt Nam-Netherlands Business Platform for the Mekong River Delta.

This Action Programme is established under the framework of the Letter of Intent to establish the Netherlands – Việt Nam Business Platform for the Mekong River Delta, which was signed at the Sustainable Business Event in January 2021.

The platform will serve as an important foundation for the effective transformation of agriculture in the Mekong Delta of Việt Nam, especially in water resource management and agricultural technologies, with the private sector given a bigger role in the process.

Ambassador Akkerman said the Netherlands Government would support Việt Nam in agricultural transformation, and cooperate with universities and institutes in the region to conduct research, while the Netherlands private sector was ready to work together on sustainable agricultural value changes, agro logistics, inland waterways and agro-water technical solutions.

VCCI Cần Thơ Director Nguyễn Phương Lam affirmed that the establishment of the Netherlands-Vietnam Business Platform in the Mekong Delta was an important milestone for the development of agriculture and business in the region.

Activities under the action programme include exchanging and disseminating market and business information between Mekong Delta businesses and Netherlands counterparts, and conducting a study comprising of market assessment and business development in the Mekong Delta to facilitate Dutch companies and/or relevant potential projects.

The two sides will work together to hold a Dutch Business Forum as a side event of VCCI Cần Thơ’s Economic Forum in December 2021 to promote the Dutch business development in the Mekong Delta.

The Netherlands side will support VCCI in the process of preparing the annual Mekong Delta Economic Report 2021 by nominating experts to join the evaluation committee and co-organising thematic workshops. —VNS