To Lam, Vietnam's General Secretary: "U.S. Should Support Investment in Data Centers and Power Grids"

[HANOI, Vietnam—Kim Jun-seok, correspondent] To Lam, Vietnam's General Secretary and President, who is visiting the United States, met with the acting director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) and requested support for the investment preparation phase of key infrastructure projects in Vietnam, including energy, power grids, data centers and logistics.
According to local media reports on the 23rd, To Lam said during a meeting with Thomas R. Hardy, acting director of the USTDA, in New York on the 21st that he highly valued the cooperation the agency had pursued with Vietnam in various fields, including energy, power grids, aviation, smart cities and digital infrastructure. He added that these programs had enabled Vietnam to access U.S. technology, management expertise and advanced solutions.
To Lam emphasized, "Vietnam is entering a new stage of development in which demand for strategic infrastructure is surging. These are areas where the United States has strengths and the USTDA has appropriate tools to provide support." He proposed that the USTDA work with relevant Vietnamese ministries and companies to identify high-impact strategic projects and provide focused support. Priority areas included energy and power grids, digital infrastructure, data centers, aviation, ports, logistics and modern transportation systems.
To Lam also said, "I expect the USTDA to serve as a 'guide' from the project-preparation stage, helping Vietnam gain early access to U.S. technology, management standards and resources while strengthening connections between major U.S. technology, financial and infrastructure companies and their Vietnamese partners." He also called for attention to high-value-added emerging technology sectors, including artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, smart power grids, energy security and green-transition solutions.
Thomas R. Hardy, acting director of the USTDA, responded, "The USTDA recognizes Vietnam as a key partner in the Indo-Pacific region." He explained, "The USTDA is ready to work with relevant Vietnamese ministries and agencies to identify suitable projects and mobilize support tools for project preparation."
He also said the agency would provide support throughout the process, from feasibility studies, technical preparation and pilot projects to the point at which projects are ready for financing and full-scale implementation.
Acting Director Hardy added, "The combination of Vietnam's enormous infrastructure development needs with U.S. technological and management capabilities and high-quality solutions will create many new opportunities to expand cooperation between the two countries."
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