Vietnam's president urges WB to promote its co-ordination role

Vietnam's Pesident Tran Dai Quang has called on the World Bank (WB) to carry forward its co-ordination role and mobilise more financial support to help Vietnam deal with challenges hindering its integration and socio-economic development, especially those in climate change response, renewable energy development, health care and education.

The State leader met with WB Vice President for the East Asia and Pacific Region in Hanoi on May 19, where he called for his guest’s support of Vietnam’s efforts to access preferential resources via the bank, particularly the International Development Association’s loans.

Congratulating Victoria Kwakwa on her new post as WB Vice President for East Asia and the Pacific, the President stated his belief that she will provide more assistance for regional countries, including Vietnam.

Vietnam always regards the WB as the country’s leading development assistant partner, both financially and technically, he said.

The Vietnamese State and Government have monitored the use of the bank’s loans effectively to serve national socio-economic development, the host noted, adding that thanks to the support, his country has achieved noted achievements, especially in poverty reduction and socio-economic development during 2011-2015.

In response, Victoria Kwakwa stressed that she always treasures cooperation between the WB and Vietnam, noting that the decade-long relationship has yielded positive outcomes, which have benefited both sides.

Through Vietnam’s success story, the bank has proven its effective support and consultation, she said, adding that the WB hopes to partner with Vietnam to build a strategy that can reflect the country’s development priorities in the next period.

The WB also wishes to assist the Southeast Asian nation in actualising recommendations set forth in the ‘Vietnam 2035 Report’ released earlier this year by the WB and the Vietnamese Government.

Noting her desire to have more chances to contribute to coping with drought and saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta region, the official confirmed that the WB will soon submit a number of projects on education reform, land management and policy reform in combination with climate change response.

She proposed President Tran Dai Quang instruct relevant ministries and agencies to build a co-operation strategy with the bank and effectively realise such projects.

Her views were shared by the Vietnamese State leader who said infrastructure development, especially in remote, far-flung and mountainous regions is one of Vietnam’s priorities at present.

He promised to guide relevant ministries and agencies to work harder in order to complete negotiations, ensuring that several projects on education, climate change and green growth, as well as on land management will be approved at the end of June.

Calling on the WB to launch projects to help Vietnam handle emerging challenges, the President affirmed that Vietnam has streamlined its administrative procedures and overhauled its economic growth model.

(NHAN DAN ONLINE)