Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung held separate meetings in Hanoi on July 18 with Country Director of the World Bank (WB) Victoria Kwakwa and outgoing Ambassador of the Belgian Embassy in Vietnam Hubert Cooreman

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung held separate meetings in Hanoi on July 18 with Country Director of the World Bank (WB) Victoria Kwakwa and outgoing Ambassador of the Belgian Embassy in Vietnam Hubert Cooreman.

PM Dung thanked the WB for its support and assistance to Vietnam ’s authorities to surmount difficulties caused by the global economic impacts, especially in the first six months of this year.

The Vietnamese Government always highly values WB consultancy, as well as its assistance, especially poverty reduction programmes and projects that brought practical efficiency, the PM said.

He affirmed that Vietnam was determined to implement its goals of curbing inflation, maintaining macro-economic stability and social security by more effectively implementing detailed solutions in Government Resolution 11/CP.

The PM expressed his wish that the WB would continue to provide stronger assistance in creating investment sources for Vietnam ’s essential infrastructure projects.

WB Country Director Victoria Kwakwa spoke highly of Vietnam ’s achievements in maintaining macro-economic stability and social security, increasing foreign exchange reserves and stabilising the prices of essential goods.

Resolution 11/CP had helped to maintain economic growth and consolidated the confidence of domestic and foreign investors, maintaining the attractions of the Vietnamese market in foreign businesses’ eyes, she said, adding that this was a significant success for Vietnam.

Also the same day at a meeting with Belgian Ambassador Hubert Cooreman, PM Dung thanked the Belgian government for doubling its ODA to Vietnam and closely working with the Southeast Asian nation at international forums. The government of Belgium had generously created conditions for the Vietnamese community to live, work and study in Belgium.

Two-way trade between Vietnam and Belgium was now about 1 billion USD. Belgian-invested projects were operating effectively in Vietnam , the PM said, adding that the projects were expected to bring benefits to both sides.

The ambassador made practical contributions to fostering cooperation between the two countries during his term of office, he affirmed.

The PM said he wished the ambassador ­ – in any future position – would continue to contribute to strengthening and developing friendship between the two countries and the two peoples.

Ambassador Hubert Cooreman said he believed that Vietnam and its people would continue to harvest new successes as well as engage further in close, effective work with Belgium.