Attending to keep company with the delegation, it presented the Department of Planning and Investment leaders, Department of Foreign Affairs.

The scene of the courtesy meeting

At the meeting, Mr. Dang Xuan Phong, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee - Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee welcomed Mr. Andrew Jeffries and the delegation for a visit and a working session in Lao Cai. Also, give a quick overview of the socio-economic development of Lao Cai province and the cooperation situation between Lao Cai province and ADB Bank. Accordingly, in recent years, with the attention of the Government, central ministries, and especially ADB, Lao Cai province has received 06 programs and projects with a total ODA capital of 66 million USD, equivalent to 1,518 billion. The disbursement in the 2016-2020 period reached 33.44 million USD, equivalent to 769 billion VND. ADB's programs and projects are implemented very effectively in Lao Cai province, contributing significantly to the province's socio-economic development, especially in connecting transport infrastructure, tourism infrastructure, and education development.

One of Lao Cai's priority development priorities is to develop an economic, tourism, and agricultural corridor associated with the process of new rural development, poverty reduction. To achieve these goals, Lao Cai province hopes that in the coming time, it will continue to receive ADB's support in receiving non-refundable ODA programs and projects, concessional loans to to supplement resources for developing Lao Cai border-gate economic zone, especially ODA projects; promoting the partners in the GMS cooperation program to accelerate the research and implementation of the 1,435 mm high-speed railway project Hanoi - Lao Cai - Hai Phong; continue to support loans to implement phase 2 of expanding this project with the size of Yen Bai - Lao Cai 4-lane phase; Considering for the Lao Cai Provincial Development Investment Fund, the Policy Bank of Lao Cai Province, the Lao Cai Provincial Business Association ... to borrow at a preferential interest rate; appointing experts, subsidizing the province's costs in improving the business environment, reforming administrative procedures and helping the provincial authorities to simplify the procedures related to business establishment Enterprise, tax administration and land allocation for enterprises ...

Lao Cai Provincial Party Committee Secretary gave a souvenir to the Country Director Andrew Jeffries

On behalf of the delegation, Mr. Andrew Jeffries thanked the Provincial People's Committee leaders for the warm welcome to the delegation. He thanked the leaders of Lao Cai province for local issues sharing. In response to the proposals, recommendations, and development expectations of Lao Cai province, in the coming time, ADB will continue to work with Lao Cai province and the central ministry to come up with plans to implement the next projects for the province./.