EU-funded World Cities project concludes in Vietnam
The World Cities project, funded by the European Union, has come to an end in Vietnam, leaving opportunities for Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to partner with foreign cities to foster inclusive growth and sustainable development.
World Cities is a EUR700,000 (US$785,000) project managed by the Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) of the European Commission based in Brussels, Belgium. The project originated in a Preparatory Action of the European Parliament to promote the exchange of experience and best practice between the EU and non-EU countries on the theme of territorial development with particular reference to sustainable urban development.
It facilitated the exchange of information and good practices on regional and urban development policy issues. Cooperation was based on the identification of pilot cities and the development of concrete actions, for implementation in the short-term, in areas including urban innovation (smart-city) and green technologies (energy efficiency, low carbon development).
The project was launched in Vietnam last June, in which two Vietnamese cities of Hanoi and HCM City were paired with two European cities – Milan (Italy) and Kosice (Slovakia).
The project was a helpful initiative that provided cities in the world with opportunities to share knowledge in multiple areas, particularly sustainable development in the era of the fourth industrial revolution (Industry. 4.0), said Vo Van Hoan, chief of the Office of the HCM City People’s Committee.
Leaders of HCM City and Kosice will meet and discuss the details of their future cooperation, he noted.
HCM City has been working on seven breakthrough programmes with focus on improving growth quality and economic competitiveness, ensuring a favourable and fair investment climate, encouraging innovation and startups, and speeding up administrative reform and smart city building.
The project’s ending brings in a new start as involved parties are developing cooperation plans in suitable areas, according to Ramon Lopez, DG REGIO International Relations Officer.
