Officials in Mandalay have announced plans to establish a textile industry park in the city, as part of an agreement with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), according to an article in the Myanmar Times. “Some business people have proposed to establish a textile industry park that employs about 50,000 people,” said U Zaw Myint Maung, chief minister of Mandalay Region, during a EU-sponsored forum on the business climate in northern Myanmar. At the event, Zaw Myint Maung said his government welcomes investments from abroad. The areas of agriculture and garments in particular are priority sectors for foreign investment. Kristian Schmidt, the EU’s Ambassador to Myanmar, said that companies from the continent had interest in investing in Mandalay, Myanmar’s second biggest city that acts as the hub for the north of the country. “We think Mandalay’s economy is growing fast and there are good opportunities for European countries,” he said. “We want to take part in making Mandalay develop.”