Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc met with a US Pacific Fleet officer and an Asian Development Bank (ADB) executive in Jakarta, Indonesia, on April 21, stressing Vietnam’s appreciation of its partnership with the two sides.

The meetings took place on the fringe of the ongoing World Economic Forum on East Asia.

Talking to Commander of the US Pacific Fleet Admiral Harry B. Harris, Deputy PM Phuc said Vietnam attaches special importance to its comprehensive cooperation with the US, adding that the two countries have established defence dialogues in line with their signed memorandum of understanding.

They have actively collaborated in war aftermath settlement and the United Nations’ peacekeeping activities. The two navies have also had practical and efficient affiliation, as evidenced by the latest visit to Vietnam by the US Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus and two naval vessels, the official noted.

Meeting with ADB Vice President Stephen Groff, Phuc expressed his delight at the developing cooperation between Vietnam and the bank and appreciated the ADB’s commitment to maintaining official development assistance provision for the Southeast Asian country.

The Vietnamese Government pledged to efficiently use the ADB’s support which has greatly contributed to local socio-economic development, especially infrastructure building, he said.

The country hopes to receive concessional loans of 350 million USD per year from the bank’s Asian Development Fund to facilitate economic restructuring and industrialisation, the Deputy PM noted, suggesting the ADB assist in environmental, climate change adaptation and social welfare issues.

He also spoke highly of the bank’s help in piloting public-private partnership (PPP) in Vietnam and hoped for further aid in this sphere, especially the bank’s experience in attracting private sector participation in PPP projects.-VNA