GENEVA — Deputy Prime Minister Vương Đình Huệ met leaders of international organisations based in Geneva, Switzerland on Thursday. 

Meeting Secretary General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Mukhisa Kituyi, Hue said  Việt Nam backed UNCTAD’s agenda that promotes global trade based on transparency, inclusiveness, and non-discrimination in service of development. 
The UNCTAD Secretary General hailed Vietnam’s socio-economic development and contributions to UNCTAD’s agenda. 
Both sides agreed to bolster joint work in public debt management, management capacity, building and analysing trade, investment and development policies. 
Speaking to representatives of 155 delegations at the 64th session of UNCTAD’s Trade and Development Committee, Huệ said Việt Nam would continue efforts to perfect its law-governed State, build a transparent, facilitating, and action-oriented government, renew growth model to improve economic efficiency and competitiveness towards raising gross domestic product by 6.5-7 per cent from 2017-2020. 
He said the country would keep improving the business climate to achieve the average level of ASEAN-4 nations by 2020 and meet OECD competitiveness criteria. 
According to Huệ, as  Việt Nam hosts the APEC Summit 2017, the country has actively built an agenda towards strengthening linkage, promoting trade, sustainable and inclusive development. He requested UNCTAD as well as other UN mechanisms to improve working efficiency and provide support for developing countries. 
Participants welcomed Việt Nam’s achievements and development experience. 
On the occasion, Deputy PM Huệ and UNCTAD Secretary General witnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement on public debt management between the Finance Ministry and UNCTAD, and two others on technical support between the Finance Ministry and the World Health Organisation, and between the International Road Transport Union and the General Department of Việt Nam Customs. 
During a joint working session with leaders of more than 10 international organisations based in Geneva, Huệ said multilateral diplomacy is one of the pillars in Việt Nam’s foreign affairs policy and spoke highly of the role of the UN and international organisations based in Geneva. 
Amid the current global challenges, he called for attention to stepping up multilateralism and global partnership for peace, security and development. 
He expressed wish that international organisations will continue partnering with Việt Nam in national construction and defence. 
In the afternoon the same day, Hue held a working session with Executive Director of the World Economic Forum Philipp Rosler and attended a ceremony marking the 40th anniversary of Việt Nam’s entry to the United Nations. — VNS