At the meeting, Mr. Nguyen Thuc Hien, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Can Tho City, congratulated the new Consul General Alexandra Smith and hoped that she would have a successful and meaningful term in Vietnam. The Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee also provided an overview of the socio-economic situation of Can Tho, and expressed hope that this working visit would help connect the city with partners in the United Kingdom. Mr. Nguyen Thuc Hien hoped that the Consul General would contribute to promoting the image, potential, and advantages of Can Tho, as well as introducing the city's investment attraction mechanisms and policies to British business associations and investors.

In addition, the Vice Chairman also hoped that the Consul General would provide information on the UK's investment regulations and trade cooperation policies, helping Vietnamese businesses, especially in Can Tho, to better understand and open up opportunities for future cooperation and development. He also requested support in connecting British businesses with Can Tho businesses in the fields of agricultural and seafood exports and related products.

Regarding education and training, Mr. Nguyen Thuc Hien suggested providing scholarships to outstanding students, university students, and faculty members to enhance the quality of training at colleges and universities in the city.

City leaders took a souvenir photo with Alexandra Smith at the reception

Consul General Alexandra Smith expressed her sincere appreciation for the warm hospitality extended by the city of Can Tho. According to her, Vietnam is a dynamic country with rapid growth in Southeast Asia. She said this was her first working visit since taking up the position of Consul General, and expressed her desire to learn more about the potential, strengths, and development orientation of Can Tho City through this trip. Her goal is to maximize the opportunities from the agreements signed between the UK and Vietnam, especially the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which is expected to come into effect on December 15th, 2024.

Furthermore, Ms. Alexandra Smith also emphasized the importance of promoting investment cooperation and trade promotion activities between businesses of the two countries in the coming time. She highly appreciated the cooperation achievements between the United Kingdom and Can Tho City in the fields of education and health, and expressed her desire to continue expanding the cooperative relationship in these areas, bringing more development opportunities for both sides.

* In the afternoon of the same day, Consul General of the United Kingdom in Ho Chi Minh City Alexandra Smith visited and worked at Can Tho S.I.S General Hospital.

Ms. Alexandra Smith, Consul General of the United Kingdom in Ho Chi Minh City took a souvenir photo with the medical team of Can Tho S.I.S General Hospital.

At the meeting, Dr. Tran Chi Cuong, Director of Can Tho S.I.S General Hospital, shared that in recent times, the hospital has actively implemented digitalization and applied high technology to the medical examination and treatment process and operations, bringing about remarkable results. These efforts not only meet the professional and hospital management needs but also enhance the interaction between patients and medical staff.

Regarding the issue of medical waste treatment, Mr. Tran Chi Cuong said that the hospital is currently testing a high-tech medical waste treatment system according to European standards, provided by Inciner8 Company. This system is capable of handling 1,000kg of input medical waste, turning them into 50kg of output ash and slag, which can be pressed into paving bricks, ensuring compliance with environmental regulations. In the future, when this system is widely accepted and deployed, it will help medical facilities treat waste at the source safely, without causing environmental pollution and saving costs. In addition, the leaders of hospital also expressed their desire to promote cooperation so Can Tho becomes a center for training medical human resources that meet international standards, contributing to improving the quality of health care in the region.

Consul General of the United Kingdom in Ho Chi Minh City Alexandra Smith highly appreciated the outstanding achievements that the Can Tho health sector in general and Can Tho S.I.S General Hospital in particular have achieved in recent years. She also expressed her deep interest in future cooperation orientations, especially digital transformation in the health sector, training of medical human resources to meet international standards and deploying a modern medical waste treatment system right in Can Tho.