The delegation was co-led by Ms. Phonevanh Outhavong, Vice Minister of Finance of the Lao PDR, and Mr. Robert de Waha, Resident Representative of Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency (LuxDev) for Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
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| Vice Chairman Hoang Hai Minh presenting a commemorative gift to Ms. Phnevanh Outhavong |
At the meeting, Ms. Phonevanh Outhavong expressed her sincere appreciation for the warm and courteous reception extended by the leadership of Hue City. She affirmed that Lao Ministry of Finance wishes to further strengthen cooperation and exchange experience with Hue in areas of shared strengths, particularly in sustainable development, enhanced governance capacity, and smart urban development.
Ms. Phonevanh Outhavong noted that Lao Ministry of Finance highly appreciates the achievements Hue City has made in pursuing sustainable and smart urban development. She expressed the hope that, through cooperation and exchanges, both sides will strengthen mutual learning and gradually enhance the effectiveness of governance, public financial management, and modern urban development.
Speaking at the working session, Mr. Robert de Waha said that building on the successes of previous initiatives, Hue City is currently receiving Luxembourg’s support to implement two projects with a total funding value of approximately 12 million USD. Of these, Project VIE/039 focuses on promoting climate-resilient smart agriculture, enhancing access to finance for farming households and small businesses, particularly women and vulnerable groups. Furthermore, Project VIE/301 aims to scale up and replicate effective models developed under Project VIE/039.
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| Vice Chairman Hoang Hai Minh presenting a commemorative gift to Mr. Robert de Waha |
At the same time, the projects introduce innovative solutions in natural resource management, coastal area development, and ecological environmental protection, thereby contributing to enhanced climate change adaptation capacity in vulnerable areas. These projects will be implemented in parallel, with mutual support, and will require close coordination among local authorities, donors, and relevant partners.
Mr. Robert de Waha highly appreciated the strong support provided by local authorities, which has contributed to the effective implementation of the projects in the area. Regarding projects scheduled for implementation in 2026 to promote smart agriculture, climate change adaptation, and enhanced urban resilience in Hue City, he expressed his hope to continue receiving close attention and support from relevant departments, agencies, and city leaders to ensure progress and the achievement of the set objectives.
Addressing the working session, Vice Chairman Hoang Hai Minh shared the socio-economic development achievements attained by the City’s Party Committee, authorities, and people. Besides that, he also expressed sincere appreciation for the valuable support provided by the Government and people of Luxembourg over the years. He affirmed that support projects in agricultural production and agricultural infrastructure investment have delivered tangible results, contributing to improved livelihoods for residents and playing an important role in the city’s overall socio-economic development achievements.
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| Delegators of both sides posing for a commemorative photo |
According to the Vice Chairman, Hue continues to face significant challenges arising from climate change and extreme weather events, and in particular, the city suffered severe impacts from flooding over the past year. Therefore, Hue City hopes that the city will continue to receive technical and financial support from the Government of Luxembourg to implement solutions aimed at enriching ecosystems, enhancing biodiversity, and promoting sustainable livelihoods for local communities.
He also shared that through a recent working visit to Luxembourg, the delegation gained many valuable lessons in biodiversity conservation and socio-economic development. The city was particularly impressed by Luxembourg’s climate finance ecosystem, along with the wide range of financial tools and services currently being implemented. These experiences have opened up new directions for Hue in climate change adaptation planning aligned with socio-economic development.
“We believe that this is not only an opportunity for both sides to listen to and learn from each other’s valuable experiences, but also a chance to exchange views and discuss challenges encountered during project implementation. Strengthening experience-sharing and fostering closer connections among Vietnam, Laos, and Luxembourg will help advance international cooperation, lay a solid foundation, and jointly work toward future success,” the Vice Chairman emphasized.