WB official gets credit for devotion to Vietnam’s agriculture

Hanoi (VNA) – World Bank (WB) Regional Vice President for East Asia and the Pacific Victoria Kwakwa was presented with an insignia on July 7 for her dedication to agriculture and rural development in Vietnam.

Presenting the insignia in Hanoi, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat appreciated Kwakwa’s contributions to and close cooperation with his ministry during her time serving as the WB Country Director for Vietnam from 2009 to early 2016.

During that time, the ministry received about 1.95 billion USD in assistance from the WB for agriculture, forestry, irrigation, rural clean water and natural disaster prevention. That support was a great source of funding for the sector’s development, Phat said.

The WB has also pledged financial aid in the fiscal year 2017 for the projects on modernising the forestry industry and enhancing the resilience of coastal areas in the Red River Delta and the north central coast, assisting the national target programme on building new-style rural areas, and strengthening science-technology capacity and training manpower for agriculture restructuring, he noted.

The minister congratulated Kwakwa on being appointed as the WB Regional Vice President, adding that he hopes she will continue support to Vietnam in general and its agriculture and rural development in particular.

For her part, Victoria Kwakwa acknowledged the ministry’s coordination with the WB in promoting bilateral cooperation and addressing relevant issues such as climate change, drought, saltwater intrusion and dam safety.

She also thanked the ministry’s staff members for accompanying WB officials during tours of different localities to learn about problems facing farmers and the agriculture sector.-VNA