20 years of Vietnam - Luxembourg development ties

July 01, 2013 | 11:00

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Vietnam and Luxembourg have been important partners in development cooperation for the past 20 years. Some EUR150 million have been disbursed by Luxembourg to provide assistance through LuxDev, UN agencies and NGOs in various sectors.

Luxembourg’s footprint is on range of rewarding development programmes

Healthcare

Cooperation in the healthcare sector started with assisting the Expanded Programme for Immunisation (EPI) in cold chain logistics and operations, namely in the provision of refrigeration equipment, maintenance training, management of blood products and technical assistance to four regional blood transfusion centres. One ongoing project deals with policy development in health care provisions for the poor in Cao Bang and Bac Kan provinces.

Education and training

Over the last 15 years, Luxembourg has significantly contributed to the sustainable development of the tourism sector through human resources development at the institutional and educational levels, national curricula development in the five key areas, elaboration of accreditation and certification systems and upgrading of infrastructure and equipment at the hospitality schools.

Over a hundred Vietnamese students and teachers have been benefitted from one-year tailor-made exchange programmes at the Luxembourg Alexis Heck Tourism and Hospitality School.

Luxembourg has financed a technical and vocational school that meets the needs of local labour in Bac Kan province.

Rural and local development

More than one third of the 30-35 projects implemented over the last 20 years in Vietnam by the government of Luxembourg are linked to rural and local development. Rural development initiatives started in the mid nineties in Nghe An province in the field of rural electrification. Since then, Luxembourg has extended its assistance beyond Nghe An province to the provinces of Nam Dinh, Cao Bang, Thua Thien-Hue, Ha Giang and more recently to Tuyen Quang.

Finance and banking

Luxembourg supports the development of capital markets in Vietnam and provides technical assistance to the State Securities Commission (SSC) and other stakeholders in the fields of banking, insurance and securities.

Festivities to mark 40 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations and 20 years of development cooperation

A week-long cultural and development cooperation-related programme took place from June 17 to 21, 2013.

On June 18, the focus was on the banking and finance sector, an important field of cooperation, with a forum co-organised by the Luxembourg Embassy and Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance. The two sides reflected on past and present achievements as well as future cooperation challenges and perspectives.

On June 19, an electronic music performance by “Sun Glitters” from Luxembourg and Vietnamese percussionist Tran Xuan Hoa attracted a young crowd to the Vietnam Youth Theatre.

A modern dance performance by Luxembourg dancer Sylvia Camarda, Vietnamese dancer Mai Lan and a dance ensemble of the Youth Theatre took place on June 20.

The celebrations culminated on June 21 with a concert at the Hanoi Opera House to mark this double anniversary and celebrate Luxembourg’s National Day. The concert showcased the Hanoi Symphony Orchestra, renowned Luxembourg pianist Francesco Tristano and acclaimed Vietnamese conductor Le Phi Phi.

By By Marc Franck Chargé d’Affaires, Embassy of Luxembourg to Vietnam

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