Ho Chi Minh City to host Mekong Connect 2021 amid Covid-19

HCM City will be an active member of Mekong Connect

Mekong Connect 2021 will be co-chaired by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), HCM city's People's Committee and the Ministry of Science and Technology. HCM City's Department of Industry and Trade, Business Associations of High Quality Vietnam Products and Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry - Can Tho Branch (VCCI Can Tho) will be the coordinators of the event.

Bui Ta Hoang Vu, Director of HCM City's Department of Industry and Trade said this will be the first time Mekong Connect is held in HCM city.

"HCM City hopes to link up with the Mekong Delta provinces. For the Mekong Delta, the region has considered HCM City as a big city and a gateway to bring its products to the world. HCM city is honored to host Mekong Connect 2021 for the first time and will be an active member of the Forum. This is both the honor and the responsibility of HCM City and it also demonstrates the leading role of the city as the primary economic center of Vietnam,"said Vu.

According Vu, Mekong Connect 2021 will be held directly and virtually to ensure the prevention and control of the pandemic.

The forum is expected to welcome 200 direct participants at Independence Palace including businessmen, farmers, Cooperatives' representatives and the leaders of the ministries and central agencies, state managers of Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta provinces as well as domestic and foreign experts, representatives of diplomatic agencies in Vietnam.

"The forum will discuss about what people expect, what businessmen want and share the visions and aspirations of the provinces and cities towards cooperation and development," the director of HCM City's Department of Industry and Trade said.

Connectivity in the new normal

According Vu Kim Hanh, President of Business Associations of High Quality Vietnam Products, Mekong Connect 2021 will take place on December 17. At the opening session, leaders of the Central agencies and HCM City, speakers and experts will discuss openly about two major topics: "Economic recovery" and "Development Connectivity" between HCM City and the Mekong Delta provinces in the new normal.

Right after the opening session will be an online forum on "Investment experience in agriculture" with the participation of Thais, Filipino, Malaysian and Indonesian businessmen. In the afternoon there will be a direct exchange event with the presence of outstanding winners in the contest for agricultural-based startups held by Business Associations of High Quality Vietnam Products.

Within the framework of the Forum, the exhibitions of hi-tech agricultural products and consulting events for exporters, processors and investors will be organized.

Over the past five years, the organizers have chosen various themes for the Mekong Connect Forum. The forum 2020 themed "Making the Mekong Delta's products and services a part of global value chain". And the theme chosen for this year's forum is "Economic recovery and Development Connectivity in the new normal."

According to Vu Kim Hanh, President of Business Associations of High Quality Vietnam Products, through the forum, the ministries and localities, agencies, businessmen and farmers will evaluate, analyze resources, find solutions and take action from inner strengths and through connections and innovations. Up-to-date policies, the involvement of local and modern knowledge, the sensitivity to opportunities and risk analysis have helped the Mekong Delta's new-generation farmers gain new achievements.

Through connectivity, discussions and action programs, the provinces and cities have focused on the development of indigenous resources, improving capacity of the delta enterprises, boosting the shift from agricultural production to agribusiness, from the quantity to the quality, from conventional agriculture to sustainable agriculture and especially from experience-based start-up to innovative and creative start-up.

Mekong Connect started with a network of four provinces: An Giang - Ben Tre- Can Tho - Dong Thap (ABCD Mekong) and was coordinated by Business Associations of High Quality Vietnam Products. This is an annual event with four cooperation programs: Businessmen connection - Innovation - Trade promotion - Communication.

Four topics to be discussed in the forum include: Promoting the grassroots medical network amid Covid-19 to ensure the safety for business activities; Restoring economic activities and supply chain between HCM City and the Mekong Delta provinces and cities; Human resources for agricultural industry and the Mekong Delta; Policies and connectivity between HCM City and the Mekong Delta.