Chairman of Hà Nội People's Committee Vũ Đại Thắng during an exchange of a delegation of Luang Prabang Province, Laos on Monday morning as part of the ASEAN City Leaders Conference. — VNS Photos Khánh Dương

On the sidelines of the ASEAN City Leaders Conference held in Hà Nội on Monday, Việt Nam News reporter Khánh Dương speaks to delegates about building smart, sustainable and connected ASEAN cities as mentioned in the conference’s theme and about their expectations of learning and sharing at the event.

Dr Hj Tuti Ruswati (right) speaks to Việt Nam News.

Dr Hj Tuti Ruswati, Regional Secretary of Sumedang, Indonesia

Sumedang delegation held a group exchange of leaders of Việt Nam’s Cần Thơ City as part of the ASEAN City Leaders’ Conference. The primary objective in this cooperation is to strengthen regional partnership and promote the exchange of knowledge, experience and innovation between our two local governments, Sumedang and Cần Thơ City

We set a commitment to improving public service and advancing digital transformation, fostering economic development and achieving sustainability growth.

We aim to create tangible benefits for our communities while learning from each other and make best practice.

I think Cần Thơ City is recognised as one of Việt Nam's most dynamic and progressive cities, particularly in economic development, education and urban governance. At the same time, Sumedang Regency has made significant progress in digital government transformation and smart city development. The similarity of our development visions and our mutual common commitment to innovation make Cần Thơ City our ideal partner for collaboration.

I expected to share about government and public service innovation, investment and economic development, education and human resource development, tourism, culture of promotion, agriculture, food security, capacity building, and knowledge exchanges between government institutions.

Sumedang has several innovative initiatives in digital government that may be valuable for knowledge sharing. One of our flexible innovations is the 'One Village One Product' system. I hope Sumadang can make continuous improvement.

Nguyễn Minh Hoàng, Deputy Director of Cần Thơ City’s Department of Construction.

Nguyễn Minh Hoàng, Deputy Director of the Cần Thơ City’s Department of Construction, Việt Nam

Cần Thơ City has relatively flat terrain and is located at the end of the Mekong River. According to climate change projections, it is expected to be among the areas most severely affected by sea-level rise.

Through this conference, we hope to learn from other cities’ experiences in developing smart cities and adapting to urban flooding, particularly in the context of limited landfill materials. We are also keen to exchange experiences on promoting green growth, especially in developing logistics systems based on inland waterway transportation.

In addition, the conference provides an opportunity for us to engage with cities that have already gained significant experience and achieved success in smart city development. By learning from those that are ahead of Cần Thơ in this field, we can quickly acquire valuable insights and apply them effectively to accelerate the construction and development of our own smart city initiatives.

Mateus dos Santos Tallo, Timor Leste’s Secretary of State for Local Development.

Mateus dos Santos Tallo, Timor Leste’s Secretary of State for Local Development

Timor-Leste may be ASEAN’s youngest member, but our municipalities are moving quickly to build cities that are smart, sustainable and connected.

At the national level, we are advancing this through the Timor Digital 2032 strategy, which uses digital tools and AI to improve governance and public services. The launch of the South Submarine Cable and rollout of satellite internet are expanding connectivity across the country, including to remote areas. We are also investing in climate-resilient infrastructure, from flood protection to renewable energy, and piloting innovations like digital twin technology for traffic management in Dili municipality to tackle congestion and air pollution.

In all municipalities, we are putting these national priorities into practice through a Smart City initiative. The plan will be focused on four pillars: digital governance to make public services more transparent and efficient; smart mobility to improve urban transport; climate resilience to protect communities from environmental risks; and a digital economy to create opportunities for youth and local businesses. This aligns with Timor-Leste’s decentralisation and Local Power reforms, ensuring municipalities have the mandate and tools to respond directly to their people’s needs.

We see ASEAN as a platform for learning and partnership. Timor-Leste is eager to exchange experiences, adopt proven solutions, and contribute our own innovations in community-led sustainability and digital inclusion.

Through this conference, we hope to identify concrete cooperation opportunities that will help our municipalities become models of inclusive, resilient, and connected urban development in the region.

Ngouv Sengkok, Deputy Governor of Siem Riep Province.

Ngouv Sengkok, Deputy Governor of Siem Riep Province, Cambodia

Siem Riep is interested in expanding cooperation with HCM City, one of the leading systems in the field of economic trade investment and innovation in the ASEAN. Therefore, we are going to use the conference to strengthen practical and effective cooperation with HCM City.

In Siem Riep we also have the smart city. We want to learn from HCM City to control the smart city.

Siem Riep is actively improving public services, attracting investment, developing sustainable urban growth and promoting digital transformation in public administration. In this sense, the experience of HCM City is highly valuable and can greatly support Siem Riep’s development. — VNS