Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc meets with ADB Country Director for Việt Nam Eric Sidgwick in Hà Nội on Monday. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

HÀ NỘI — As Việt Nam is in need of resources for its production recovery, the country hopes for more support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to develop major fields such as infrastructure and smart agriculture, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc said on Monday.

He made the request while hosting a reception for ADB Country Director for Việt Nam Eric Sidgwick in Hà Nội.

PM Phúc said that Sidgwick’s tenure in Việt Nam over the past five years has been a success, as evaluations and policy consultations of the ADB and the official are of great importance to the country’s economic development.

The Vietnamese Government views ADB as one of its leading benefactors in regard to financial and technical assistance and counselling, he said, voicing his gratitude for the ADB’s technical support in the building of the e-Cabinet system.

The Government is in favour of the ADB Strategy 2030, in the hope of realising the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and continuing to help country members tackle problems of hunger and poverty, development gaps and climate change, among others.

He also thanked the ADB for its counselling for the Government to respond to COVID-19 in recent times, adding the Vietnamese Government has exerted efforts to complete legal frameworks on public investment and public debt management for the sake of efficient and transparent use of foreign loans.

Sidgwick said that during his tenure, he was able to witness the sound cooperation between the ADB and Việt Nam as well as the country’s development, noting Việt Nam has effectively used resources distributed by the bank.

That Việt Nam has successfully brought the COVID-19 pandemic under control is considered a remarkable achievement of the Vietnamese Government and people, he said, adding the ADB hopes to share Việt Nam’s success in battling the pandemic and economic recovery among its members.

ADB forecasts that Việt Nam could obtain GDP growth of between 4-4.1 per cent, and even higher in this year.

The bank will devise a new country partnership strategy early next year and consider specific strategies and assistance to Việt Nam, Sidgwick said. — VNS