Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam treasures ties with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), considering the lender one of the top donors in the supply of capital, technical assistance and policy consultation, Prime Minister Nguyen Xu𝐆an Phuc told ADB President Takehiko Nakao during a reception in ♛Hanoi on June 16.

The PM thanked ADB for funding more than 160 programmes and projects worth over 15 billion USD in Vietnam. As this year marks the lender’s 50 th anniversary and its Vietnam representative office’s 20 th anniversary, he said the government will support and actively join its celebrations. The leader expressed his wish to receive more of ADB’s preferential capital to continue with economic reform and poverty reduction, adding that the government has reshuffled the National Steering Committee for Official Development Assistance and preferential loans, fine-tuned legal regulations and accelerated ODA disbursement. Vietnam is committed to utilising ODA in general and ADB’s funding in particular for its economic growth, he stated. According to the PM, Vietnam backs ADB’s strategy until 2030 to deal with poverty and unequal development and in developing the private sector, and its continued reform on operations and workforce to improve efficiency in the future. The PM said Vietnam values the design and realisation of the Country Partnership Strategy with ADB, and hoped that the lender will work closely with relevant Vietnamese agencies throughout the process. He asked for the bank’s continued supply of financial support for Vietnam’s climate change response, particularly drought in the Central Highlands and saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta, and other priority fields. Nakao, for his part, informed the host of his visit’s important outcomes and hailed Vietnam’s economic achievements during its renewal process, saying that the country’s experience provides a lesson for other countries. He also pledged ADB’s continued assistance to Vietnam to cope with climate change. Receiving Nakao the same day, Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and head of the Party Central Committee’s Economic Commission Nguyen Van Binh said Vietnam pursues its goal of stabilising the economy, controlling inflation, promoting sustainable economic growth in tandem with ensuring social welfare and environmental protection. Vietnam is determined to successfully conduct the economic reform set in its socio-economic development strategy for 2011-2020, he stated, expressing his wish that ADB will offer preferential capital, technical assistance and policy consultation to Vietnam to deal with challenges and integrate into the world. The guest expressed his support for Vietnam’s development orientations and key tasks and believed that Vietnam will continue with comprehensive reform, maintain stable development and achieve the goals in its long-term development strategy.-VNA