Rome (VNA) – Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Nguyen Phuong Anh has presented her credentials to President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Alvaro Lario, officially assuming her role as Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the organisation.
Speaking at the credential presentation ceremony held at IFAD headquarters in Rome on June 15, the President affirmed that IFAD attaches importance to its cooperation with Vietnam and appreciates the country’s proactive and responsible engagement within IFAD, including its participation in the Fund’s replenishment cycles.
Phuong Anh expressed her honour in taking up the position and affirmed Vietnam’s high regard for IFAD’s role in promoting inclusive agricultural transformation, ensuring food security, enhancing climate resilience, and supporting sustainable livelihoods for rural communities.
She described IFAD as a long-standing and trusted development partner of Vietnam, noting its significant contributions to poverty reduction, agricultural and rural development, and climate change adaptation efforts in the country.
Looking ahead, she expressed Vietnam’s desire to work closely with the Fund in developing the Country Strategic Opportunities Programme for 2026–2030 and expanding cooperation in green and smart agriculture, sustainable agricultural value chains, innovation, rural digital transformation, and inclusive development, particularly for women, youth, ethnic minority groups, and vulnerable communities.
She also appreciated IFAD’s support for ongoing and upcoming projects in Vietnam and called on the organisation to continue mobilising concessional financing, grants and co-financing mechanisms to enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of bilateral cooperation.
The IFAD President also highly valued the more than three decades of partnership with Vietnam. He noted that cooperation projects have directly benefited over 1.4 million rural households through 18 projects worth approximately 857 million USD, including around 520 million USD financed by IFAD.
He highlighted the positive outcomes of completed projects, including the Rural Business Development Programme in former Bac Kan province (now part of Thai Nguyen province) and Cao Bang province, which achieved a multidimensional poverty reduction rate of 38.62%, surpassing the original target of 25%.
He also reviewed ongoing initiatives in Vietnam, including climate-smart agricultural value chain development projects in several Mekong Delta provinces, an emissions reduction project in the Central Highlands and South Central Coast regions, and climate-resilient water infrastructure projects in Thanh Hoa and Nghe An provinces.
He expressed readiness to continue supporting Vietnam in effectively implementing resources under the IFAD13 cycle and advancing new initiatives with tangible development impacts.
Phuong Anh pledged to serve as an effective bridge between Vietnam and IFAD, helping foster substantive cooperation, accelerate project implementation, and usher in a new phase of strategic and innovative partnership aligned with Vietnam’s development priorities./.
VNA
