Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc reassured the Government’s resolve to strive for the highest possible GDP growth rate this year despite holistic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc hosts reception for Outgoing Country Director of
the Asian Development Bank at the Government Office on June 22, 2020. Photo: VGP

He made the affirmation at reception for Eric Sidgwick, outgoing Country Director of the Asian Development Bank on Monday.

The Government chief praised Eric Sidgwick’s great and practical contributions to enhancing the fine cooperation between Viet Nam and the ADB during his past five-year working term in the Southeast Asian country.

Eric Sidgwick said Viet Nam has effectively utilized the ADB-funded resources, extended congratulations to the country on its successful containment of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Vietnamese economy may expand 4-4.1% this year, which is an encouraging signal in the current context, said Eric Sidgwick, adding that the ABD always stands ready to support the Vietnamese Government.

Next year, a new Country Partnership Strategy will be drafted, under which the ADB would provide financial assistance to major infrastructure development projects and mobilize funding for innovations and knowledge-based activities.

The Government is in favour of ADB Strategy 2030, in the hope of realizing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and continuing to help country members tackle problems of hunger and poverty, development gap and climate change, among others.

He also thanked the ADB for its counseling for the Government to respond to COVID-19 in recent times, adding the Vietnamese Government has exerted efforts to complete legal frameworks on public investment and public debt management for the sake of efficient and transparent use of foreign loans./.