Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem praised the AFD’s role in Vietnam’s development while receiving AFD General Director Dov Zerah in Hanoi on May 6.

He cited the AFD’s contributions to poverty reduction, rural development, infrastructure, institutional building and finance in Vietnam, highlighting major projects important to the country’s socio-economic development, such as the Hanoi urban railway and the Huoi Quang hydroelectric power plant.

He asked the AFD to continue assisting Vietnam in the future, expanding to training human resources and teaching French.

Mr Khiem also appreciated the friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and France, and France’s role as the leading European economic, investment and trade partner in Vietnam.

Zerah affirmed that Vietnam was one of the AFD’s five largest partners in the world in addition to Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey and South Africa, and praised Vietnam for standing in the group of favoured emerging markets (CIVETS) along with Colombia, Indonesia, Egypt, Turkey and South Africa.

“AFD considers cooperation with Vietnam a priority,” he said.

He added that in addition to its large commitments of financial assistance, the AFD’s disbursement rate is higher than average and he expressed his pleasure at the diversification of cooperation between the AFD and Vietnam.

Earlier on May 5, the AFD signed three financing agreements worth a total of 22.5 million euro with Vietnamese partners.