(VOVworld) – Reducing poverty, especially among ethnic minorities; encouraging the involvement of the private sectors in the provision of clean water and sanitation services; improving the efficiency of environmental management systems; and enhancing competitiveness by developing vocational training skills are the 4 major topics at the 2013 Vietnam Development Partnership Forum, which opened in Hanoi Thursday. 

PM Nguyen Tan Dung addressed the opening of 2013 VDPF. Photo: internet

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung briefed the participants on developments in Vietnam over the past 3 years. He also spoke about the targets and main development goals for the next 2 years with regards to economic growth, stabilizing the macro economy and containing inflation, speeding up economic restructuring, ensuring social welfare, enhancing the management of environmental resources and protection while actively responding to climate change. The Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said: "Vietnam is in the middle of negotiations on a number of agreements such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Free Trade Agreement with EU, and a Customs Union with Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. This shows Vietnam’s determination to improve its market economy and further integrate into the world economy. This is also an important basis for Vietnam to create breakthroughs in the establishment of its market economy institutions for a more effective and competitive development environment with the active participation of businesses and citizens." 
The Prime Minister and other ministers held direct dialogues with a number of Vietnam’s development partners on issues of interest. Prime Minister Dung reiterated that Vietnam would take into consideration other partners’ opinions in devising policies and mechanisms, and management solutions for the Vietnamese government in all areas. Next year, the Vietnamese government will focus its resources on ensuring the macro economy, and controlling inflation, with the goal being an increase of 5.8% in GDP in 2014, and 6% in 2015. It also aims to ensure the value of the Vietnamese dong, speed up economic restructuring, and change the growth model. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung addressed the closing ceremony: "Vietnam will do its best to achieve the set targets by mobilizing all possible resources, from the government, the economic sectors, and from the wider society. We hope that our development partners and donors will continue to support us both in terms of policy consultation, technical assistance, and resource provision to help Vietnam further develop in a sustainable manner."

The replacement of the Vietnam Development Partnership Forum for the Consultative Group Meeting marks Vietnam’s milestone shift from a country that mainly received donations over the past 20 years to a development partner. This is a new high-level policy dialogue forum that focuses on discussions between Vietnam and its donors, international civil society groups, and domestic research institutions, on policies for comprehensive socio-economic development in Vietnam. Themed “establishing a new strategic partnership: towards competitiveness, comprehensive and sustainable growth”, the event attracted the participation of more than 300 delegates from Vietnam’s ministries and agencies, foreign ambassadors, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations in Vietnam.