Dak Lak (VNA) –A teleconference between the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak and SaintPetersburg city of Russia was held on November 19 to explore investment cooperationchances between the two sides.

Officials of Dak Lak presented local potentialand strengths, as well as demand for cooperation with Saint Petersburg in suchfields as irrigation, agriculture, forestry, services, community-basedecotourism, and trading of agricultural products.

As the province, located at the heart of theCentral Highlands, boasts rich agricultural potential with various produce likecoffee, peppercorn, rice, and fruit, it is calling for investment in hi-techagriculture, hi-tech processing and preservation of agricultural products, andlarge-scale animal husbandry projects.

Dak Lak proposed cooperation in natural resourcemanagement and sharing of experience in afforestation and wood processing. Italso asked for assistance in transferring new technologies related to themanagement and operation of irrigation facilities.

Local officials also introduced the province’stourism advantages like beautiful landscapes and the diverse traditions of 49ethnic groups.

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’sCommittee Vo Van Canh said Dak Lak and Saint Petersburg have many similaritiesin culture, history, and economic development orientations.

With its advantages, Dak Lak is confident thatit owns sufficient conditions and potential for fruitful cooperation with SaintPetersburg, he said, noting that it also wishes to reinforce ties in the areasthat the Russian city is interested in so as to boost common development.

The province will provide optimal conditions forpartnerships with Russian businesses and localities to obtain the best results,Canh pledged.

Speaking via videoconference, deputy head ofSaint Petersburg’s committee for external relations Vyacheslav G. Kalganovexpressed the city’s attention to the areas Dak Lak is inviting investment toand detailed the fields his city wants to enhance collaboration in like coffeeprocessing and export, community-based ecotourism, and processing ofagricultural and forestry products, especially wood products.

He also expressed his hope for learning moreabout the weather, famous tourist destinations, prices of some agriculturalproducts, and enterprises of Dak Lak so as to propose concrete cooperationdirections for certain sectors./.