Can Tho expands cooperation with Hiroshima prefecture on environment and energy

According to the memorandum of cooperation MOC, the Can Tho City Department of Agriculture and Environment and the Hiroshima Prefecture Department of Labor and Industry will cooperate to promote economic exchange in the environment and energy sectors.

Specifically, the Hiroshima Prefecture Department of Labor and Industry will encourage businesses in the prefecture to invest in Can Tho City, primarily focusing on enterprises related to environment and energy. This includes creating suitable opportunities for Hiroshima businesses to invest, initially by supporting pilot projects and establishing facilities in Can Tho City.

Both sides will invest in environmental improvement and economic development, taking into account the environment and energy needs of Can Tho City. Concurrently, they will conduct negotiations and actively participate in forming cooperation projects that efficiently utilize public funds from both Governments. They will also strengthen exchange and cooperation, promoting mutual visits between businesses from both sides to seek suitable opportunities.

Mr. Nguyen Tan Nhon, Deputy Director of the Can Tho City Department of Agriculture and Environment, stated that over the past years, the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Japan in the Mekong Delta have continuously expanded and strongly developed across many fields. Can Tho City, in particular, has carried out various cooperation programs with Hiroshima Prefecture in areas such as clean agriculture, fishing technology, preservation, and seafood processing.

Furthermore, Can Tho City has deployed many practical cooperation activities through delegation exchanges, investment promotion, and introducing businesses operating in the energy and environment sectors.

Mr. Nguyen Tan Nhon, Deputy Director of the Can Tho City Department of Agriculture and Environment, affirmed that signing this cooperation agreement with Hiroshima Prefecture will promote the development of the environment and energy sectors, moving towards carbon neutrality.

As of July 1, 2025, Can Tho City officially expanded its administrative boundary after merging with Soc Trang and Hau Giang provinces. The city now boasts a larger geographical area, possessing significant advantages in transportation, an international airport, and a modern logistics system, transforming it into a trading hub connecting the Mekong Delta with the entire country and the world.

The signing ceremony is a concrete step, demonstrating Can Tho City's commitment to deepening the friendship and mutual understanding between the localities, aimed at mutual development in the fields of environment and energy, including sustainable irrigation, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, striving toward carbon neutrality.

In the context of the world's strong shift toward green economic development, the Deputy Director of the Can Tho City Department of Agriculture and Environment confirmed that learning advanced management models and applying clean technology and renewable energy is the right direction. "With the experience, capacity, and spirit of cooperation of Hiroshima Prefecture, combined with the dynamism and determination to innovate of Can Tho City, both sides will jointly build practical cooperation projects, bringing mutual benefits to the community, environment, and economy of both localities," Mr. Nhon expressed confidence.

Can Tho is historically the economic, commercial, and logistics hub of the Mekong Delta, possessing an international airport and modern infrastructure. The city recently expanded its administrative boundaries after merging with parts of Soc Trang and Hau Giang provinces, creating a larger area and new advantages for transportation and global trade. This expansion increases its role as a key gateway for the Delta region. The cooperation aligns with Can Tho's determination to innovate and develop towards carbon neutrality and a green economy.

Friendly and cooperative relations between Vietnam/the Mekong Delta and Japan have been expanding across multiple sectors, including clean agriculture and seafood processing. Discussions and cooperation between Can Tho and Hiroshima, particularly the Hiroshima Environmental Business Promotion Council (HEBC), have been ongoing for several years (at least since 2017). Previous collaborations focused on urban waste and wastewater treatment, seafood processing, and appropriate technology transfer.