Việt Nam Strengthens Partnerships with ADB, WHO and Major Businesses During Philippines Visit

Manila, The Gulf Observer: General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and President of Việt Nam, Tô Lâm, held a series of meetings with international organizations and leading businesses in the Philippines on May 31, reaffirming Việt Nam’s commitment to expanding cooperation in development, healthcare, investment, digital transformation, and sustainable growth.

During a meeting with Masato Kanda, President of the Asian Development Bank, Tô Lâm emphasized that Việt Nam highly values its longstanding partnership with the bank and seeks to deepen cooperation in the country’s new phase of development.

The Vietnamese leader highlighted the ADB’s contributions through financial support, policy assistance, and expertise sharing, expressing hope that the institution would continue supporting Việt Nam in promoting sustainable economic growth, enhancing competitiveness, strengthening resilience to global challenges, and achieving its long-term development goals. He also praised the bank’s initiatives in energy connectivity, capital market development, digital economy integration, green transition, and sustainable finance.

For his part, Kanda described Việt Nam as a key development partner and commended its socio-economic achievements over the past three decades. He reaffirmed the ADB’s commitment to supporting the country’s efforts to transform its growth model, strengthen private-sector development, advance green transition, and deepen regional integration.

Tô Lâm also met with Saia Ma’u Piukala, Regional Director for the Western Pacific at the World Health Organization. The Vietnamese leader praised WHO’s role in supporting global public health and thanked the organization for recognizing Việt Nam’s achievements in tobacco control.

He called for continued technical assistance and policy support to improve healthcare services and strengthen the country’s capacity to respond to future health emergencies. Tô Lâm also proposed greater international promotion of Vietnamese traditional medicine alongside modern medical practices.

Piukala acknowledged Việt Nam’s achievements in healthcare and welcomed the country’s recent initiatives to improve public health. He pledged WHO’s continued support in disease prevention, epidemic surveillance, emergency response, digital health transformation, and the development of sustainable healthcare systems aligned with universal health coverage goals.

In talks with Tristan Aboitiz, President and CEO of Aboitiz Foods, Tô Lâm commended the company’s activities in sectors crucial to Việt Nam’s development, including energy, agriculture, infrastructure, finance, industrial real estate, and artificial intelligence.

He encouraged the company to explore investment opportunities in sustainable and low-emission energy projects, as well as green agriculture, smart farming, food safety, and resilient food supply chains. Aboitiz expressed confidence in Việt Nam’s economic prospects and reaffirmed his company’s interest in expanding investments aligned with the country’s development priorities.

The Vietnamese leader also met with Chin Yin Ong, a senior executive of Grab. He praised the company’s contributions to e-commerce and digital transformation in Việt Nam and outlined the government’s focus on developing the digital economy, smart cities, cashless payments, and sustainable transport systems.

Tô Lâm encouraged Grab to increase its involvement in smart city initiatives, green transportation projects, and the promotion of Vietnamese tourism and cuisine through its platform. Chin Yin Ong described Việt Nam as one of Grab’s most important markets and pledged continued investment in digital services, green mobility infrastructure, multimodal transport connectivity, and digital skills development.

The meetings formed part of Tô Lâm’s state visit to the Philippines and underscored Việt Nam’s efforts to strengthen international partnerships, attract high-quality investment, and accelerate sustainable economic and social development.