Australia and the World Bank partner to support Vietnam’s development

The Australian Ambassador, Craig Chittick, and the World Bank Country Director, Ousmane Dione, signed a new four-year partnership to continue joint support to Vietnam’s sustainable and inclusive economic reform agenda.

The Australian Ambassador, Craig Chittick, and the World Bank (WB) Country Director, Ousmane Dione, signed on Tuesday a new four-year partnership to continue joint support to Vietnam’s sustainable and inclusive economic reform agenda.

Australian Ambassador, H.E. Mr. Craig Chittick (left), and the World Bank Country Director, Mr. Ousmane Dione (right), signed a new four year partnership to continue joint support to Vietnam’s sustainable and inclusive economic reform agenda on April 11.

Key achievements of the first phase of this partnership have included: improved national connectivity and access to markets for businesses, farmers and the poor by constructing over 200km of rural roads, upgrading national highways and building 87 bridges; increased sustainable access to clean water and sanitation through the introduction of innovative mobile phone technologies to monitor water use; and improved poverty reduction strategies for rural communities in the northern mountainous region through providing policy advice to a new Law on Ethnic Minorities.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Australian ambassador said, "One of the great achievements under the first phase of the partnership was to support the government of Vietnam to develop the Vietnam 2035 report – a bold and ambitious vision for Vietnam’s economy in the next 20 years. Through the second phase of this partnership Australia looks forward to working with the WB to support Vietnam to implement this vision so that all citizens benefit.”

The WB Country Director for Vietnam noted, “The first partnership created a strong synergy to support the Vietnam’s development agenda. We have seen joint work in critical policy and reform areas enabling greater impact and influence than by working individually. This stepped up engagement will be mutually beneficial and help deliver stronger development results for Vietnam”.

Australia will provide 25 million Australian Dollars to the WB to implement this partnership over the next five years. Focusing on trade and competitiveness; transport; ethnic minorities; the Mekong Delta and gender with two crosscutting issues of gender and innovation.

The partnership, which was established in 2012, will support Vietnam to implement reform priorities identified in the Socio-Economic Development Plan 2016-2020.