President urges WB to promote its coordination role

Hanoi (VNA) – President Tran Dai Quang has called on the World Bank (WB) to carry forward its coordination 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 Victoria Kwakwa in Hanoi on May 19, where he called for his guest’s backing 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 the East Asia and Pacific Region, the President delivered 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 reply, Victoria Kwakwa stressed that she herself always treasures cooperation between the WB and Vietnam , saying the decade-long relationship has yielded fruits, benefiting 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 bank and the Vietnamese Government.

Noting her desire for more chances to contribute to coping with drought and saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta region, the official told her host that the bank 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 ministries and agencies conerned to build a cooperation 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, and 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.-VNA