The World Bank’s goal is to keep looking for ways to help Vietnam meet its development challenges, said Vice President for Concessional Finance and Global Partnership Axel van Trotsenburg.

Trotsenburg, who is also responsible for the WB’s International Development Association (IDA), made the statement during his three-day working visit to Vietnam , which ended on June 19.

He held discussions on ways to boost the partnership between Vietnam and the WB with Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai, Minister of Finance Vuong Dinh Hue, Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam Nguyen Van Binh, and Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Cao Viet Sinh.

He said Vietnam serves as a development success story. The IDA is continuously searching for new ways to be a development partner with Vietnam , he said.

The association plans to focus on key development issues such as climate change, gender equality, crisis related food and natural disasters, as well as conflicts and countries vulnerable to conflicts, he said.

In the past, the IDA has given financial support to Vietnam to implement economic reforms, agricultural development, infrastructure construction and programmes related to health and education.

The association will keep assisting the country during the period of July 2011 to June 2014, he said.-VNA