Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung has called for more support from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to Vietnam’s projects, including those in transport infrastructure, energy, climate change response and sea level rise. 

Flood in Bac Lieu city, the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu, due to high tide

Dung made the appeal while receiving EIB Vice President Jonathan Taylor in Hanoi on January 9.

As a developing country, Vietnam has huge demands for infrastructure development, climate change adaptation, energy security and environmental protection, he said.

Therefore, he noted, the country needs assistance from development partners, including EIB, suggesting Taylor work with Vietnamese ministries and agencies to soon concretise cooperation opportunities.  

The Deputy PM took the occasion to thank the bank for its assistance to Vietnam over the past time, particularly its financial support to urban railway projects in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. 

He stressed that that the Vietnam-EU relationship is developing fruitfully, especially in economy, trade and investment, contributing to the development of Vietnam and EU member countries. 

Once the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) is approved by member countries, it will facilitate two-way trade, he said. 

Agreeing with Dung’s proposals, Taylor said they are also priorities in the bank’s development policy.

He held that the two sides boast a lot of potential for cooperation, particularly in climate change response, natural disaster mitigation, clean energy development and environmentally friendly transport. 

During his stay in Vietnam, Taylor is scheduled to have working sessions with the Ministries of Industry and Trade, Natural Resources and Environment, and Transport to identify specific cooperation programmes and projects.-VNA