Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam always treasures its relations with the AsianDevelopment Bank (ADB), one of the leading providers of loans, technicalassistance and consultancy for the country, said a senior government official.

Whilereceiving ADB Vice President Stephen Groff in Hanoi on November 8, Deputy PrimeMinister cum Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh said the ADB has to date financed165 programmes and projects worth more than 16 billion USD in Vietnam.

TheADB’s capital has been used effectively, focusing on Vietnam’s prioritized fieldssuch as infrastructure development, adaptation to clime change and renewableenergy, he said, expressing his wish that the bank will continue helping thecountry get access to preferential loans in the coming time.

Minhtold his guest that Vietnam is making every effort to improve its legalframework in a bid to attract more and utilize effectively soft loans andofficial development assistance (ODA) capital.

TheDeputy PM spoke highly of the ADB’s approval of its development strategy until2030, affirming that the Vietnamese Government supported the strategy towardsthe realization of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Groffcommended the Vietnamese Government’s recent efforts in maintaining higheconomic growth and accelerating reforms, including the improvement of thelegal framework to enhance the efficiency of foreign loans.

TheADB has attached great importance to and highly evaluated the effective, long-termcooperation with Vietnam, he said, promising to assist the country in lookingfor more preferential loans for its sustainable development.

Groffalso applauded the Vietnamese Government’s endeavours in speeding upnegotiations for the signing of the last projects using soft loans from the ADBin 2018.-VNA