Discussion for continued collaboration with Riverside City (California)

Ms. Ho Thi Thanh Bach, Vice Director of the Department of External Relations, had a meeting with Professor David Biggs, who is the Co-Chair to the Riverside Sister City Program for Can Tho during his trip to the City last week.

Can Tho and Riverside signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2015. Since then, the two sides had exchanged high-ranking delegations and had cooperation in education, health, and trade. In 2020, Can Tho City donated PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) to Riverside when the U.S. city was experiencing the COVID-19 outbreak. Later on, in 2021, Dr. Vien Doan, the Chair to the Riverside Sister City Program for Can Tho, fundraised and sent Can Tho PPE with a total value of about 50,000 USD.

This visit by Professor Biggs was the first official re-connection of the two sides after the pandemic. During the meeting, Professor Biggs expressed his joy to be back in Can Tho, and shared his suggestions on potential cooperation for the two cities in citrus development, trade connection, cultural and educational exchanges. In particular, Riverside could sponsor one or two officials/researchers from Can Tho to come to the city to study citrus development. In addition, Mayor Patricia Lock-Dawson was interested in visiting Can Tho at the earliest possible time.

Ms. Ho Thi Thanh Bach thanked Professor Biggs for visiting Can Tho and briefed him with major collaboration between the two cities in the past few years. She also introduced the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) for its direct contact and communication with Professor Biggs for further cooperation in agriculture. The Vice Director of DARD Mr. Pham Truong Yen expressed his enthusiasm with the ideas presented by Professor Biggs; he also suggested the two sides arrange a separate meeting next time Professor Biggs came to Can Tho for site visits and in-depth discussion regarding collaboration in agricultural development.

Besides, Ms. Ho Thi Thanh Bach also shared that it is planned in 2023 there would be a delegation from Can Tho to the United States for trade promotion, and it is expected that the two cities' leaders will meet on this occasion in Riverside.