PM Pham Minh Chinh meets with USAID Administrator

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (right) and Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Samantha Power. (Photo: VNA)

Washington D.C (VNA) - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had a meeting with Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Samantha Power in Washington D.C on May 13 (local time), as part of his activities while on a working visit to the US.

At the meeting, PM Chinh highly appreciated USAID's contributions to the recent development of Vietnam-US relations through effective aid activities, contributing to the settlement of post-war consequences, hunger eradication and poverty alleviation, and promotion of sustainable and inclusive development in Vietnam.

The PM welcomed USAID's plan to expand operations in Vietnam, speed up approval procedures and implement projects to increase the effectiveness of development aid.

He suggested USAID continue to increase support for Vietnam in overcoming the consequences of the war, focusing on handling Agent Orange/dioxin at Bien Hoa Airport and other hotspots, supporting people with disabilities, war victims, supporting the search for remains of Vietnamese martyrs, and especially helping with DNA assessment capacity of Vietnamese scientists through the construction of a high-tech centre in this field.

While welcoming USAID's 70-million-USD financial support for Fulbright University Vietnam for the development and modernisation of educational institutions and universities in the country, the PM also asked USAID to further assist Vietnam in health, culture, environmental protection, combating climate change and protecting biodiversity in the Mekong Delta.

Power informed about USAID’s plan to expand and enhance its operational efficiency in Vietnam. USAID will focus on assisting Vietnam in dioxin decontamination, bomb and mine clearance, marine environment protection, response to climate change and energy transition, she said.

The Administrator also introduced a number of USAID-funded global initiatives in reducing ocean plastic waster and sustainable infrastructure development in which  Vietnam can take part.

At the meeting, PM Chinh and the Vietnamese delegation witnessed the exchange of two cooperation documents between USAID and the Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment to improve economic competitiveness and support local capacity development. The cooperation would last until 2028 with the total amount of official development assistance being 100 million USD.

A project on enhancing the competitiveness of Vietnam’s private sector (IPS-C) was also announced. The project, with an ODA amount of 36.3 million USD will last until 2025./.

VNA