Vietnam wants to receive an increased assistance from the World Bank (WB) for its scientific studies on climate change in order to design specific response programmes, a Government leader said in Hanoi on Feb. 2.

Meeting with the WB Vice President for East Asia-Pacific, James Adam, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai emphasized that Vietnam places importance to responding to climate change in its sustainable development strategy.

He said he expected Vietnam and WB would coordinate in the field with both immediate and long - term goals.

The Vietnamese leader thanked the WB for its effective cooperation and assistance to Vietnam ’s programmes on poverty reduction and sustainable development, reforms of public investment, and its stimulus packages to deal with global economic crisis impacts.

According to the WB official, the policies that the Vietnamese government has deployed countering the global economic crisis impacts were timely and effective.

He also praised Vietnam ’s orientations for future sustainable development, affirming that the Vietnamese Government’s socio-economic development policies and orientations have gained the WB’s confidence.

This confidence serves as a basis for both sides to enhance future cooperation and multi-faceted assistance and the WB will prioritise its assistance to Vietnam ’s climate change response projects and programmes, Adam said.

Regarding issues on sustainable development, the WB Vice President said his institution will ensure the delivery of already committed funds and at the same time consider increasing funding and help Vietnam gain access to resources from other organisations and donors./.