Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Phạm Gia Túc has a meeting with AIIB President Zou Jiayi during a reception in Hà Nội on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam attaches great importance to ties with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and will continue acting as its trusted and responsible member and partner, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Phạm Gia Túc told AIIB President Zou Jiayi during a reception in Hà Nội on Wednesday.

Túc congratulated Zou on her election as AIIB President for a five-year term starting in 2026, adding that her decision to choose Việt Nam as one of her first overseas stops reflected the bank’s high regard for the country’s growing role and stature.

He acknowledged the results of the AIIB partnership with Việt Nam and noted that infrastructure breakthrough has been identified as a strategic pillar in recent Party congresses, including the 14th National Party Congress in early 2026.

Việt Nam is focusing on high-speed rail, urban railways, seaports, aviation infrastructure and expressways, all of which need AIIB’s investment cooperation, he said.

In addition to six ongoing projects with the bank, he said Việt Nam is working with several countries, including China, on rail links such as the Lào Cai–Hà Nội–Hải Phòng and Hà Nội–Đồng Đăng (Lạng Sơn) routes, which will connect with international freight corridors through China to Central Asia and Russia.

Outlining Việt Nam’s orientations in railways, energy, and technology, Túc said the country is focusing on renewable energy, including wind, solar, offshore wind, and nuclear power, as well as plans to build national data centres in Hà Nội and smart cities.

He said AIIB’s priority areas match Việt Nam’s development agenda and pledged that ministries, agencies, and localities would support the bank’s operations and facilitate future cooperation.

Zou, for her part, said Việt Nam plays an important role in AIIB and, on her third visit to the country, she expressed hope for continued government guidance and support to deepen bilateral ties.

With the Vietnamese National Assembly recently approving the country’s five-year socio-economic development plan for 2026-30, which highlights major infrastructure needs, AIIB hopes to support that agenda, she said.

AIIB now has 111 members and has financed more than 370 projects globally across green infrastructure and energy; cross-border connectivity spanning railways, aviation, ports, and logistics hubs; technology infrastructure; and private-sector capital mobilisation, all highly consistent with Việt Nam’s current development goals, she noted.

The bank is financing six projects in Việt Nam and working on two more, including a metro system. Zou said AIIB aims to pursue a medium- and long-term, system-wide approach rather than focusing solely on individual projects, and wants to work closely with Vietnamese authorities to build a cooperation portfolio tailored to the country’s development needs. — VNA/VNS