The third annual CEO Forum Mekong Connect, which focuses on developing the economy of the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta and investment opportunities there, will be held in Ben Tre Province this month.

Its organisers, the Business Association of High Quality Vietnamese Goods, told a press conference in Can Tho city on October 10 that this year the event would have the theme, “Developing local resources in combination with technological strength.”

The forum will help connect the participating CEOs with local and foreign partners and international investors with delta authorities.

There will be nearly 30 international experts speaking about how to develop the delta’s resources through the use of technology, potential of renewable energy sources in the fight against climate change effects.

Vu Kim Hanh, chairwoman of the Business Association of High Quality Vietnamese Goods, said this year the forum would have around 500 Vietnamese and 100 foreign firms and 20 international business organisations.

At two-day event on October 25-26, there will be meetings and group discussions related to the main local resources -- such as coconut in Ben Tre, rice in Can Tho, fisheries in An Giang, and lotus in Dong Thap.

Each locality in the delta has various strengths but they have not been tapped properly due to shortcomings in processing and preservation capabilities and poor trade promotion, Hanh said.

Nguyen Huu Lap, deputy chairman of the Ben Tre People’s Committee, said his province has more than 70,000ha under coconut, and Tien Giang, Tra Vinh and Vinh Long too are large producers.

It is necessary to create links between delta provinces and enterprises to strengthen the coconut processing industry to make it more competitive and capable of taking on rivals from other countries in the region, he added. — VNS