The US will back Da Nang in combating transnational crime, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs at the US Department of State Shelby Smith-Wilson said at a meeting with officials of the city on August 1.

During the meeting, Tran Chi Cuong, Vice Chairman of municipal People's Committee informed the US delegation that the city aims to become a growth hub in Vietnam’s central key economic region. Over recent years, the city has experienced robust development, focusing on advancing its information technology industry as a major economic driver.

The Vice Chairman noted that the Vietnamese National Assembly has approved several specific policies related to financial management, investment, planning and urban development for Da Nang, which are expected to create a crucial driving force to help the locality realise its goal of becoming a major socio-economic centre in Vietnam and Southeast Asia by 2023, and a major ecological, smart city and innovation hub by 2045.

Cuong thanked the US representative offices in Vietnam and Da Nang for their support, and asked them to continue assist the city in strengthening collaboration with US localities and businesses. He also emphasised the importance of ongoing support from the US Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs for projects and programmes enhancing the city’s capabilities in drug prevention and law enforcement.

For her part, Shelby Smith-Wilson spoke highly about the excellent relationship between the US and Vietnam and highlighted Da Nang’s role as a key location for bilateral events. She noted that the US Government hopes to further enhance and deepen the relationship between the two countries with a focus on economic and trade cooperation, adding that the US will support Da Nang in combating transnational crime, money laundering, terrorism, drug trafficking, as well as in law enforcement.

Currently, Da Nang has official cooperative ties with three US cities, namely Oakland in California State; Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania State; and Houston in Texas Sate.

There are four projects funded by US ODA in Da Nang, with a total funding of approximately 46.59 million USD, notably the Vietnam Urban Energy Security (VUES) project and the Plastic Waste Reduction – Local Solutions Project./. VNA