Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng (R) receives EIB Vice President Jonathan Taylor in Hà Nội yesterday. — Photo VGP

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng has called for more support from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to Việt Nam’s projects, including those in transport infrastructure, energy, climate change and sea level rise response. 
Dũng made the appeal while receiving EIB Vice President Jonathan Taylor in Hà Nội yesterday. 
As a developing country, Viet Nam had huge demands for infrastructure development, climate change adaptation, energy security and environmental protection, he said. 
Therefore, he noted, the country would need assistance from development partners, including EIB, suggesting Taylor work with Vietnamese ministries and agencies to soon put forward cooperation opportunities. 
The Deputy PM took the occasion to thank the bank for its assistance to Việt Nam, particularly its financial support to urban railway projects in Hà Nội and HCM City. 
He stressed that the Việt Nam-EU relationship was developing fruitfully, especially in economy, trade and investment, contributing to the development of Việt Nam and EU member countries. 
"Once the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) is approved by member countries, it will facilitate two-way trade," he said. 
Agreeing with Dũng’s proposals, Taylor said they were also priorities in the bank’s development policy. 
He held that the two sides boasted a lot of potential for cooperation, particularly in climate change response, natural disaster mitigation, clean energy development and environmentally friendly transport. 
During his stay in Việt Nam, Taylor is scheduled to have working sessions with the Ministries of Industry and Trade, Natural Resources and Environment, and Transport to identify specific cooperation programmes and projects. — VNS