Ambassador Nguyen Thi Bich Hue (R), Vietnamese Permanent Representative to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) presents her credentials to IFAD President Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo (Photo: VNA) Rome (VNA) – Ambassador Nguyen Thi Bich Hue, VietnamesePermanent Representative to the InternationalFund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), has lauded the fund’s support toVietnam over the years and affirmed the Vietnamese Government wants to strengthencooperation with and contribute more to the fund’s activities.
At a meeting with IFADPresident Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo at the fund’s headquarters in Rome, Italy onMarch 12, Ambassador Hue said that although Vietnam became ineligible for IFAD’sofficial development assistance (ODA) in 2018, it has faced many challenges.
Climate change has seriouslyaffected the production of many farmers, while their access to credit islimited, she noted.
She proposed the IFAD helpVietnam by creating favourable conditions for the country to continue borrowingsoft loans in the future, and expanding cooperation projects across Vietnam.
For his part, the IFAD Presidentlauded Vietnam’s collaboration over the years, holding that the affiliation hashelped ensure the efficiency of IFAD-funded projects in the country and theregion, including those to upgrade the representative office of the fund inHanoi into the IFAD Mekong Hub.
Houngbo said that the IFADhas been seeking measures to assist countries graduating from ODA before 2019,helping them to access soft IFAD loans in a certain time.
He praised Vietnam’s proposalto join the South-South Cooperation, expressing his hope that Ambassador Huewill successfully promote the sound partnership between Vietnam and the IFAD.
The IFAD, an agency of theUnited Nations, was one of the major outcomes of the 1974 World FoodConference.
Three years after the Romeconference, the fund was set up as an international financial institution in1977.
The IFAD has 176 member statescomprised of developing, middle and high-income countries from across theworld. Vietnam joined the fund in 1997.-VNA
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