During a reception in Hanoi on June 25, NA Chairwoman Ngan lauded Dione for contributing to ties between the WB and Vietnam during his four-year tenure, saying that a number of NA-approved bills and socio-economic projects received technical and professional support from Dione and the WB.

She said Dione directed the building of the World Bank Group Country Partnership Framework for Vietnam 2018 – 2022 with four priorities - inclusive growth and the private sector’s participation, investment in human and knowledge, environment sustainability and good governance. The lender also assisted Vietnam in realising vision and implementing policy recommendations in the strategic report “Vietnam 2035”.

NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (right) and World Bank's Country Director in Vietnam Ousmane Dione. (Photo: VNA)

Dione, for his part, highly valued the Vietnamese legislature for approving the Public-Private Partnership Law and the European Union – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, especially amid rising protectionism at present.

He suggested Vietnam develop logistics and infrastructure, improve the efficiency of State agencies, modernise institutions, enhance innovation and digital transformation, ensure social integration in the spirit of “Leaving no one behind”.

Vietnam plays an important role in gathering countries in Mekong River basin to discuss solutions to relevant problems, he said.

About this, NA Chairwoman Ngan said as a responsible country in the Lower Mekong River, Vietnam wants to ensure an ecological environment for habitants in the area so that the impacts of its changes to the river should be appraised.

She informed his guest that the Vietnamese legislature adopted a Resolution approving the master plan on socio-economic development for ethnic minority and mountainous regions for the 2021-2030 period.

As Vietnam is in the period of economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic, the WB’s policy recommendations are helpful to the country, she said, adding that Vietnam is also willing to welcome a new wave of investment, prioritise hi-tech projects to contribute to promoting digital economy.