CẦN THƠ – Officials of Cần Thơ City in Mekong Delta met with a delegation from South Korea on Friday to explore opportunities for enhancing cooperation in the healthcare and construction sectors.

Haeseung Shin, director of Korea’s Gumi Gangdong Hospital, who is leading the delegation on this investment promotion trip, said Cần Thơ is among their six destinations, the others being Hà Nội, HCM City, Thái Nguyên, Bắc Ninh and Sóc Trăng provinces.

The delegation had meetings with the Cần Thơ municipal People’s Committee and People’s Council, Cần Thơ General Hospital, Hoàn Mỹ Cửu Long Hospital, and some construction companies, to understand local mechanisms and policies on foreign investment, especially in these two fields, Shin said.

He expressed hope that the city would support Korean businesses in building medical equipment factories, and distributing medical equipment and materials. Shin added that they are also looking to invest in construction, building materials supply, and construction consultancy and supervision.

Trương Quang Hoài Nam, vice-chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, said Korea ranks first among foreign investors in Cần Thơ City. To create an optimal investment climate for foreign firms, aside from administrative procedure reforms, Cần Thơ has also paid attention to upgrading both its hard and soft infrastructure, focused towards large healthcare and education projects, Nam said.

In the first half of 2017, the city sent many investment promotion delegations to step up cooperation with Korea in smart city building, hi-tech agriculture and education training, Nam said.

As of this May, Cần Thơ had nine Korean investment projects with a total registered capital of US$247 million, and the $17.7 million Korea Vietnam Incubator Park, which uses official development assistance (ODA) from Korea.

Another ODA project on supporting agricultural mechanisation in Cần Thơ is being considered by the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the municipal Department of External Affairs said.

Four other projects sponsored by Korean non-governmental organisations are also underway in the Mekong Delta city, which include healthcare for children and women; and teaching Korean language and culture to Vietnamese women who wish to marry Korean citizens.

In 2016, Cần Thơ posted $9.5 million in exports to and $6.9 million in imports from South Korea. The figures were $2.1 million and $1.7 million, respectively, in the first four months of this year. – VNS