HCM City (VNA) – Chairmanof the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Phan Van Mai had a meeting with visitingWorld Bank (WB) Regional Vice President for East Asia and Pacific Manuela V.Ferro on March 23 to discuss ways for enhancing cooperation.

The host official appreciatedthe WB’s effective assistance to Vietnam, including HCM City, in terms of financialprovision, governance experience sharing, and development plan making.

He spoke highly of the majorprojects the WB has been implementing and asked the lender to continue working with thecity to accelerate their progress.

As HCM City has basically put the COVID-19 pandemic under control and begun economic recovery, it wishes to receive moresharing and support from the WB in efforts to promote the pandemic control andsocio-economic development, he noted, adding that the city hopes to step up bilateralcooperation.

The two sides have beensetting up a joint working group to devise cooperation strategies, identifypriority areas, and propose potential cooperation projects and programmes forthe long term. HCM City pledges to create conditions for the joint workinggroup to operate fruitfully, thus helping to develop bilateral ties in a practical manner, according to Mai.

Highly valuing HCM City’s role inthe Vietnamese economy, Ferro affirmed that the WB is proud to help withdesigning a new growth driver for HCM City to become a modern and worth-livingcity.

It hopes to continue accompanyingthe city during the process of socio-economic development through sustainable developmentprogrammes and projects, she said, pledging support for HCM City in not only financeand funding but also other fields like health care, pandemic containment,tourism, and human resources development.

As many other cities aroundthe world are facing challenges similar to those of HCM City, the WB is readyto connect the southern largest economic hub of Vietnam with typical foreign cities to exchange experience in dealing with those challenges, she suggested.

The WB Regional VicePresident recommended HCM City pay more attention to promoting investment,create an investment climate attractive to foreign businesses which areplanning to shift to Vietnam, and step up attracting private resources topriority areas.

The WB will continue workingclosely with HCM City and boost the joint working group’s coordination toidentify priority areas, effective measures, and feasible action plans, Ferroadded.

At the meeting, HCM City andthe WB debuted their joint working group, led by Vice Chairman of the municipalPeople’s Committee Vo Van Hoan./.