Under the agreement, the two sides will foster cooperation activities, look for technical assistance opportunities, strengthen capacity and share experiences in a number of areas, such as fine-tuning legal documents and regulations.
The World Bank will help Vietnam to formulate a national urban development programme and regional development planning initiatives, as well as building effective tools in preparation for urban development projects to address the challenges of urbanisation.
Cooperation between the two sides also covers reforms in the water sector, including water prices, the participation of the private sector and learning from water supply models and service standards.
As part of the partnership, the World Bank will also help Vietnam to incorporate urban resilience into flood risk and urban water supply management.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister Pham Hong Ha said the ministry is advising the government on major directions for urban development and infrastructure and expects the World Bank to help with the implementation of a number of projects.
The World Bank’s Country Director for Vietnam Ousmane Dione stated that the signing of the memorandum is a necessary and important process in bilateral cooperation, adding that he was particularly interested in the water sector reforms, especially the private sector’s participation as a way to ease the public debt burden.
Source: nhandan.org.vn