Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc hosted a reception in Hanoi on May 11 for Victoria Kwakwa, Regional Vice President for East Asia and Pacific of the World Bank (WB).

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) welcomes Victoria Kwakwa, WB Regional Vice President for East Asia and Pacific.

Congratulating the guest on her appointment to the new post, the PM expressed his hope that with her deep understanding of the Vietnamese country and people, the WB official will continue to help Vietnam with infrastructure and renewable energy development as well as the project on land database and educational cooperation.

As one of the countries hardest hit by climate change, Vietnam wishes to receive WB assistance to implement measures responding to this phenomenon in both short and long terms, he said.

The Government leader also suggested the bank maintain its ODA provision to help Vietnam address difficulties during the economic development process.

Kwakwa, who was WB Country Director in Vietnam before being appointed as WB Regional Vice President for East Asia and Pacific, hailed PM Phuc’s drastic moves to develop the private sector as a good start to help enterprises overcome difficulties and grow stably.

She compared notes with the host on measures to counter drought in the central and Central Highlands region and saline intrusion in the Mekong Delta.

The WB is willing to help Vietnam access preferential loans to develop renewable energy in order to reduce negative impacts of climate change, which is part of the country’s commitments at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the WB official stated.

Vietnam is one of the five nations to receive the priority to carry out the programme, she added.

She also affirmed that the WB will continue helping Vietnam in restructuring debts, and addressing pressures and burdens on the State budget.

VNA