The meeting between HCM City and WB officials on March 23. (Photo: VNA)

The host official appreciated the WB’s effective assistance to Viet Nam, including HCM City, in terms of financial provision, governance experience sharing, and development plan making.

He spoke highly of the major projects the WB has been implementing and asked the lender to continue working with the city to accelerate its progress.

As HCM City has basically put the COVID-19 pandemic under control and begun economic recovery, it wishes to receive more sharing and support from the WB in efforts to promote the pandemic control and socio-economic development, he noted, adding that the city hopes to step up bilateral cooperation.

The two sides have been setting up a joint working group to devise cooperation strategies, identify priority areas, and propose potential cooperation projects and programmes for the long term. HCM City pledges to create conditions for the joint working group to operate fruitfully, thus helping to develop bilateral ties in a practical manner, according to Mai.

Highly valuing HCM City’s role in the Vietnamese economy, Ferro affirmed that the WB is proud to help with designing a new growth driver for HCM City to become a modern and worth-living city.

It hopes to continue accompanying the city during the process of socio-economic development through sustainable development programmes and projects, she said, pledging support for HCM City in not only finance and funding, but also other fields like health care, pandemic containment, tourism, and human resource development.

As many other cities around the world are facing challenges similar to those of HCM City, the WB is ready to connect the largest southern economic hub of Viet Nam with typical foreign cities to exchange experience in dealing with those challenges, she suggested.

The WB Regional Vice President recommended HCM City pay more attention to promoting investment, create an investment climate attractive to foreign businesses which are planning to shift to Viet Nam, and step up attracting private resources to priority areas.

The WB will continue working closely with HCM City and boost the joint working group’s coordination to identify priority areas, effective measures, and feasible action plans, Ferro added.

At the meeting, HCM City and the WB debuted their joint working group, led by Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Vo Van Hoan.