MoIT Deputy Minister Le Danh Vinh said the forum provides a platform for provinces and cities to work out mechanisms for major projects and effective long-term cooperation among the provinces and businesses in the region.

Speaking at the forum, Nguyen Xuan Hoe, Chairman of the Quang Ngai provincial People’s Committee, emphasized the role of the Dung Quat economic zone and the central region in generating jobs and contributing to the provincial budget.

The region, he said, needs more investment in infrastructure and traffic systems to create more opportunities for integration and development.

Approved by the PM in 2004, the key central economic region, includes five provinces and cities: Thua Thien – Hue, Danang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh. This region has great potential for development as it has a 500-km long coastline, modern urban areas like Hue, Danang, Hoi An, Tam Ky, Quang Ngai and Quy Nhon and economic zones like Chan May- Lang Co, Chu Lai, Dung Quat and Nhon Hoi. However, it is frequently affected by natural disasters, hindering its development.