Vietnamese Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng (left) and President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) Zou Jiayi met in New Delhi on September 12. — VNA/VNS Photo

 NEW DELHI — Vietnamese Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng received President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) Zou Jiayi on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India, on Saturday.

PM Hung congratulated Zou on her election as AIIB President for the 2026–31 term, and spoke highly of the AIIB's role and contributions to mobilising resources for infrastructure development, enhancing connectivity and promoting sustainable development in the region, as well as the positive outcomes of cooperation between Việt Nam and the AIIB in recent years.

The PM asked the AIIB to continue supporting Việt Nam in implementing large-scale, highly impactful infrastructure projects, particularly in green and energy transition, urban development and regional connectivity; increase technical assistance in project preparation and the design of innovative financing structures; and promote co-financing with development partners and the private sector to maximise resources for Việt Nam's infrastructure investment needs.

He noted that Việt Nam is transforming its development model toward greater reliance on science and technology, innovation and digital transformation, affirming that Việt Nam wishes to strengthen its long-term partnership with the AIIB, particularly in strategic infrastructure development, green transition and climate change adaptation.

PM Hưng proposed the AIIB work closely with Vietnamese ministries, sectors and localities to develop a medium- and long-term portfolio of cooperation projects in line with Việt Nam's socio-economic development orientations and the AIIB's priorities.

He also called on the AIIB to cooperate with Vietnamese financial institutions under models similar to those of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to jointly mobilise capital, issue bonds in the domestic financial market, and build a portfolio of feasible and effective projects in Việt Nam.

For her part, Zou spoke highly of Việt Nam's development orientations, affirming that Việt Nam is an important partner of the AIIB and expressing her desire to further expand cooperation between the two sides.

She agreed with the cooperation orientations and priority areas proposed by PM Hưng, saying that this would be an appropriate approach to shift from project-by-project cooperation toward programme-based cooperation, thereby building a portfolio of high-quality, implementation-ready projects capable of mobilising financing on favourable terms.

The AIIB welcomed Vietnamese ministries, sectors and localities introducing potential projects, particularly those involving transport infrastructure and railway connectivity, green transition, clean energy, urban development and cross-border connectivity, for inclusion in the cooperation portfolio, Zou said, adding that the bank is also ready to coordinate in identifying, preparing and implementing priority projects.

The two sides agreed to continue close coordination to soon translate the outcomes of the meeting into concrete actions, further deepening Việt Nam–AIIB cooperation in a substantive, effective and practical manner, contributing to meeting Vietnam's demand for modern, green and sustainable infrastructure development. — VNA/VNS