Deputy Prime Minister Lê Minh Khái (right) and Tony Blair, former UK Prime Minister and Executive Chairman of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) had talks in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo An Đăng

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister Lê Minh Khái received Tony Blair, former UK Prime Minister and Executive Chairman of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI), in Hà Nội on Tuesday.

Welcoming the guest back to Việt Nam, Khái appreciated the fact that Blair and his colleagues have given high priority to promoting cooperation between the TBI and Vietnamese ministries and agencies recently.

He said with focused cooperation and regular exchanges, the cooperation between the two sides will be expanded effectively in line with the interests of Việt Nam and the TBI.

The Deputy PM said Việt Nam wants to build an independent and self-reliant economy and expand international cooperation for sustainable development. Therefore, the country wants to learn from the world's experiences and good practices, including in the development of financial centres, to mobilise resources to overcome the middle-income trap and become a developed country by 2045.

He hoped the TBI will continue to share experiences and research, and offer advice to Việt Nam over the issues.

Khái also asked the TBI and Blair himself to continue to support Việt Nam in implementing its commitments at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), including attracting financial resources to achieve this goal as well as promoting digital transformation and the development of artificial intelligence (AI) and chip technology.

For his part, Blair expressed his delight to return to Việt Nam, adding that he is impressed by Việt Nam's growth and strong innovations.

He shared some more information and suggested some ideas to help Việt Nam attract investment and financial resources and develop the semiconductor industry and AI applications.

He affirmed his readiness to accompany Việt Nam in the three fields of finance, energy, and technology. — VNS