At the reception, the Secretary of the Party Committee of Can Tho city Le Quang Manh expressed his delight to welcome the US Consul General Marie C. Damour. Mr. Le Quang Manh said that, in the complicated situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, Can Tho city continues to maintain good cooperation with international partners, including those from the United States. He also noted that the areas that US Consulate General Marie C. Damour mentioned are all development priorities of the Mekong Delta city both at present and in the future.

Speaking of agriculture, Mr. Le Quang Manh - Secretary of the Party Committee of Can Tho city informed that agricultural products are the strength of the Mekong Delta. However, the city of Can Tho hopes for the US's further assistance in processing to reduce post-harvest losses, as well as in product examination and certification to export to the US.

In terms of the development of projects on education and training, Mr. Le Quang Manh - Secretary of the Party Committee of Can Tho city, highly appreciated the cooperation of US partners with Can Tho University and research education institutions. Mr. Manh said that education and training is a potential field and the United States of America has a high-quality education system. Therefore, he believed that Can Tho city and US localities can expand cooperation in the field of education and training. Mr. Le Quang Manh hoped that through distance education as well as cooperation programs between US educational institutes and Can Tho city, students in the Mekong Delta can access top-quality education in the US at an affordable cost. Moreover, the municipal Party Secretary added that via scholarships for cadres to study in the US, Can Tho city will have more high-quality personnel.

Regarding the cooperation in response to climate change, Mr. Le Quang Manh - Secretary of the Party Committee of Can Tho city noted that the Mekong River Delta is one of the three deltas greatly affected by climate change. However, the basic research on climate change adaptation solutions still faces many difficulties and challenges. Mr. Le Quang Manh wished to connect with partners and leading scientists of the United States to create appropriate and sustainable solutions for climate change adaptation.

On the issue of healthcare, Mr. Le Quang Manh - Secretary of the Party Committee of Can Tho city said that the rapid development of science and technology, especially the global digital transformation, has contributed to promoting the cooperation and development of healthcare sector in the world. Typically, Can Tho city and US localities have cooperated in remote medical examination and treatment, as well as supporting each other in providing information and initiatives between hospitals.

Mr. Le Quang Manh expressed his hope that the US Consul General Marie C. Damour will continue to work as a bridge to help US businesses come to seek investment opportunities in Can Tho city. Furthermore, he also wished that US cooperation activities, programs, information exchanges, and projects will be deployed in Can Tho city more often. Besides, Mr. Le Quang Manh voiced the wish to maintain and promote the bilateral cooperation between the US and Vietnam in general and Can Tho in particular.

Secretary of the Party Committee of Can Tho city Le Quang Manh presented a gift to the Consul General of the United States Marie C. Damour in Ho Chi Minh City.

The US Consul General Marie C. Damour thanked Can Tho city’s leader for the warm welcome and congratulated Can Tho city and its people for the good control and prevention of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, she highly valued Vietnam’s achievements in controlling and preventing COVID-19, describing these as lessons for the US and the whole world to learn from. According to the diplomat, with the anti-pandemic success, Vietnam has a chance to be a destination for healthcare enterprises of the US to invest in.

In terms of climate change response, The US Consul General Marie C. Damour added that this is a global issue to which the Mekong Delta is vulnerable. Meanwhile, the US has much experience, solutions, and initiatives that have been applied and generated positive outcomes in this regard.

Concerning education and training, the US Consul General Marie C. Damour informed that during her work in Can Tho city, she will have a meeting with Can Tho University students to provide them information about several US educational programs.

Besides, the US Consul General Marie C. Damour said as the hub of the Mekong Delta with many healthcare and education facilities, research centers, port, and logistics systems, Can Tho is a potential strategic partner for many US localities. As a result, the United States is ready to be a partner to support Can Tho city as well as the Mekong Delta region in the fields of energy, infrastructure development, trade promotion, investment, climate change response, healthcare, education, and training, etc. Based on the strategy and development orientation of Can Tho city, the US Consul General Marie C. Damour fully believed in the future cooperation between the two sides and hoped the diplomatic cooperation between the United States and the city of Can Tho is developing well. As for her, Marie C. Damour expressed her wish to work as a bridge to help US businesses come to seek investment opportunities in Can Tho city in the upcoming time.