Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung yesterday separately received the Japanese, Indian and French finance ministers as well as representatives of the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) at the 44th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Welcoming Noda Yoshihiko's visit to Viet Nam and participation in the ADB annual meeting, Dung expressed his deep sympathies for the loss and suffering the earthquake and tsunami had caused to Japan.
He stressed Viet Nam would do its best to help both the Japanese Government and people to overcome difficulties and see the country quickly regain its stability. Dung also thanked the Japanese Government and people for ensuring the safety of Vietnamese people working and studying in that country when the natural disasters occurred.
Expressing his delight at the development of the Viet Nam-Japan strategic partnership in all fields, the Prime Minister thanked Japan for its assistance to Viet Nam.
He said he hoped the two sides would soon sign agreements on the building of the nuclear power plant No 2 and exploiting rare earth in Viet Nam. He also said he hoped that Japan would soon recognise Viet Nam's market economy status.
Dung highlighted Viet Nam attached a great deal of importance to its co-operation with Japan and he wanted the two nations to actively and efficiently implement agreements reached by high-ranking leaders, especially when it came to infrastructure and energy.
Such agreements would bring practical benefits to both parties, Dung said.
For his part, Yoshihiko said Japan was focusing on the consequences of earthquake and tsunami, and thanked the Vietnamese Government and people's support to Japan.
The Japanese finance minister affirmed that Japan considered Viet Nam an important partner. He added the country would fully answer requests from Viet Nam, especially in terms of realising its commitments to official development assistance for the Viet Nam's major projects.
Indian guest greeted
At a separate meeting with Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukerjee, Dung said the two countries should make greater efforts to raise bilateral co-operative ties.
He added these were still growing but much potential remained untapped.
Dung affirmed Viet Nam's intention to create favourable conditions for Indian businesses investing in the country, especially the Tata Group and the Bank of India, which plans to open a branch in Viet Nam.
Speaking highly of India's role in the region and the world, he affirmed that Viet Nam supported India's further co-operation with ASEAN and its Asian policies in general.
Mukerjee said that the traditional relationship fostered by the two countries' leaders and peoples should be strengthened, adding that the two sides should strongly promote trade ties, and the successful project of Tata Group would be a model for Indian businesses investing in Viet Nam. The Indian finance minister said he hoped the Vietnamese Prime Minister could visit India and attend the ASEAN-India Conference to be held in the country this year.
French minister
While welcoming French Minister of Economy, Finance and Industry Christine Lagarde, Dung said Viet Nam hoped the two countries would strengthen the bilateral relationship to the level of strategic partnership, a move which would benefit both nations.
He also said Viet Nam wished to receive more ODA capital from France, adding that though France was one of Viet Nam's leading European partner in trade and investment, but the potential for co-operation between the two countries had not been fully exploited.
The two sides should boost co-operation in education, including construction of a French university in Viet Nam and maintenance of Long Bien Bridge which was built between 1899 and 1902 with a design concept by French architect Gustave Eiffel.
Christine Lagarde said she hoped France's ADF power company would join hands with Vietnamese companies in energy projects, and in building a metro in Ha Noi and the O Mon thermal power plant. Her suggestion that the two sides set up a working group to boost France's investment projects in Viet Nam was supported by Prime Minister Dung.
OFID representative
At a reception for OFID Director General Suleiman Jasir Al-Herbish, Dung thanked the organisation for pouring US$161 million into 17 projects in sectors as diverse as irrigation, transport and healthcare in Viet Nam.
Dung said this investment had contributed to hunger elimination and poverty reduction in this country.
He proposed OFID continue its assistance for ongoing projects and provide non-refundable aid for health and education projects in poor localities.
He also affirmed his support for the OFID programme which would give loans to the private sector, and said he believed relations between Viet Nam and OFID would develop further.
For his part, the OFID Director General said Viet Nam remained one of its priorities.
OFID-funded projects in Viet Nam, especially in the areas of irrigation, health care and poverty reduction, had proved effective, Al-Herbish said. He added that OFID had also focused its support on other areas such as food security, energy and commercial and private loans.
