PM calls for foreign support in Mekong Delta development

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc met with foreign diplomats in Vietnam attending the Conference on Sustainable and Climate-Resilient Development of the Mekong Delta, in Can Tho city, on September 27, calling for more support from foreign countries for projects in the delta.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) and Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Craig Chittick (Photo: VGP)

At a reception for German Ambassador Christian Berger, the leader said that the diplomat’s attendance at the event demonstrates the German Government’s attention to the sustainable development of the Mekong Delta.

The Vietnamese Government thanked the German Government for its effective cooperation and support, he said, adding that such German-assisted programmes have significantly contributed to Vietnam’s socio-economic development, particularly in terms of vocational training, energy, environmental protection and climate change response.

The PM noted his hope that the German Government would continue its support to the Mekong Delta in development planning.

Vietnam always regards Germany as the country’s leading, trust-worthy and important European partner, he said, urging the two sides to maintain regular meetings in order to enhance their mutual trust and deepen the bilateral ties across all fields.

In reply, Ambassador Christian Berger pledged to hold working sessions with the relevant Vietnamese agencies to accelerate their bilateral cooperation in sustainable and climate-resilient development of the Mekong Delta.

The diplomat expressed his wish that the Vietnamese and German Governments would continue scaling up their cooperation, looking towards a better future for the two countries’ people.

Christian Berger also said that he hopes that the pragmatic cooperation initiatives between Vietnam and other countries and development partners, including Germany, will be raised at the conference, helping to transform the challenges posed by climate change into opportunities.
At a meeting with Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Craig Chittick, PM Phuc expressed his belief that the diplomat’s attendance at the conference would help to advance the collaboration between the two countries in a more practical and effective manner.

Craig Chittick said that Australia has rolled out many support and cooperation programmes in the Mekong Delta, noting that the Australian Government will continue its official development assistance (ODA) to Vietnam, while mobilising resources for the country to develop the delta.

The Australian Government will also assist Vietnam in the spirit of innovative partnership, helping the country to improve quality and productivity in agricultural production, he said.

Welcoming Swedish Ambassador Pereric Hogberg, PM Phuc called on the diplomat to do more for the cooperation between Vietnam and Sweden.

Pereric Hogberg said that Sweden always heeds the development of the Mekong Delta and the Swedish Government has ratified a package worth more than 5 million USD to support the Mekong Delta Commission.

Meeting with Jun Yanagi, an envoy of the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam, the Vietnamese leader praised Japan’s assistance to the development of the Mekong Delta.

Vietnam attaches significant importance to developing its relationship with Japan in the spirit of their extensive strategic partnership, for peace and prosperity in Asia, he said.

The host urged the two sides to closely coordinate with each other in preparing for the visit to Vietnam by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in order to attend the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week, scheduled for November.

Jun Yanagi lauded PM Phuc’s initiatives to organise the conference in order to mobilise all resources for the development of the climate change-hit delta, emphasising that climate change response is one of the main pillars of the Japan-Vietnam cooperation.

(Source: NDO)