The Vietnamese Government encourages ministries, branches and localitiesto learn from other countries’ urban development models whilst doingeverything to ensure the process meets sustainable developmentrequirements.

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai madethe statement at a seminar themed “Sustainable Cities – Challenges andOpportunities”, jointly held by Siemens Vietnam Ltd., Co. and theVietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) on July 10.

AccordingMinister of Construction Trinh Dinh Dung, the process of urbanisationin Vietnam has been improved and has driven socio-economicdevelopment.

He said Vietnam has the highesturbanisation rate in Southeast Asia . The urban population isaccounting for 34 percent of the nation’s population and the figure willbe 45 percent in 2020 due to an annual growth rate of 3-4 percent.

However, development should not only meet people’s spiritual andmaterial demands, but also limit its impacts on the environment,Minister Dung said.

Meanwhile, VCCI Chairman Vu Tien Locsaid businesses, as a driving force for cities’ development, haverecognised their role in cooperating with authorities and relatedagencies to develop urban areas in a sustainable way.

LotharHerrmann, ASEAN-Pacific Siemens CEO said that Siemens’ services andsystem will offer sustainable solutions for cities, including those inVietnam, which are confronting challenges in many fields, such astransport, housing, public street lighting, health care provision,energy, water supply and security.-VNA