VietNamNet Bridge – The World Bank's goal is to keep looking for ways to help Viet Nam meet its development challenges, said Vice President for Concessional Finance and Global Partnerships Axel van Trotsenburg.

Trotsenburg, who is also responsible for WB's International Development Association (IDA), made the statement during his three-day working visit to Viet Nam, which ended yesterday, June 19.

He held discussions on ways to boost the partnership between Viet Nam and the WB with Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai, Minister of Finance Vuong Dinh Hue, Governor of the State Bank of Viet Nam Nguyen Van Binh, and Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Cao Viet Sinh.

He said Viet Nam served as a development success story. The IDA was continuously searching for new ways to be a development partner with Viet Nam, he said.

The association planned to focus on key development issues such as climate change, gender equality, crisis related food and natural disasters, as well as conflicts and countries vulnerable to conflicts, he said.

In the past, the IDA has given financial support to Viet Nam to implement economic reforms, agricultural development, infrastructure construction and programmes related to health and education.

The association would keep assisting the country during the period of July 2011 to June 2014, he added.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News