Ho Chi Minh City, provinces partner to unlock interregional investment

In 2026-2030, Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring localities in the Southeast and Mekong Delta regions are deepening their cooperation. This new phase aims to establish an integrated development space and interregional value chains, following the completion of 2023-2025 agreements. More than 300 delegates gathered in Ho Chi Minh City to review progress and sign a cooperation agreement for the upcoming decade.

Recent cooperation has created infrastructure like Ring Road 3, Ring Road 4, and the Ho Chi Minh City-Moc Bai Expressway, along with connections to Long Thanh International Airport, seaports, and logistics hubs. The Mekong Delta has collaborated on projects like the Ho Chi Minh City-Can Tho railway, coastal roads, and inland waterways, which will enable agricultural and seafood products to reach processing, distribution, and export centers.

Over 113 businesses and organizations have put their products on e-commerce platforms, with 135 OCOP-certified goods. Science, technology, labor, and healthcare cooperation have expanded, with Can Tho partnering with 20 research institutes and universities in Ho Chi Minh City. However, large-scale projects are needed to create sustainable value chains, and some transport projects face material shortages.

Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Dong Thap Province Nguyen Thanh Nhan proposed shifting from coordination programs to joint projects with clear benefits for residents and businesses. The top priority is seamless connectivity among road, waterway, and logistics networks to reduce transport time, costs, and enable quicker delivery to Ho Chi Minh City and international markets.

The region should also build value chains based on complementary strengths, with the Mekong Delta focusing on raw materials, agriculture, and fisheries, the Southeast on industry, seaports, and logistics, and Ho Chi Minh City on markets, finance, science and technology, and services. Cooperation should cover the entire agricultural chain, from seeds to export, to maximize added value for businesses and residents.

Vice Chairman Bui Minh Thanh emphasized transitioning from "coordinating together" to "co-creating," focusing on integrated development-space connectivity, economic corridors, and addressing regional environmental and climate-change challenges. Every commitment must lead to action with measurable results.