Vietnam’s top leader seeks stronger ties with ADB, WHO, Aboitiz Foods, Grab during Philippines visit

The meetings were held on Sunday during his state visit to the Philippines from May 31 to June 1 at the invitation of Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr.

During talks with ADB president Masato Kanda, the Vietnamese leader asserted that Vietnam highly values its partnership with the regional lender and hopes to expand cooperation as the country enters a new stage of development.

He called on ADB to continue supporting the country's efforts to sustain economic growth, enhance competitiveness, strengthen resilience to global challenges, and advance its long-term development goals.

He added that Vietnam would maintain close coordination and regular dialogue with ADB to ensure the effective implementation of future programs and projects.

President Kanda described Vietnam as one of ADB’s key development partners and said the bank is particularly interested in supporting the country’s private sector.

He affirmed that ADB would continue supporting Vietnam’s long-term development agenda, including transforming its growth model, boosting competitiveness, promoting private-sector development, advancing the green transition, and deepening regional integration.

At a separate meeting with WHO Western Pacific regional director Saia Ma'u Piukala, the Vietnamese leader praised the organization's contributions to global healthcare and thanked it for recognizing Vietnam's achievements in tobacco harm prevention and control.

He said Vietnam hopes to continue receiving technical assistance and policy advice from the organization to improve healthcare policymaking and strengthen the national health system in response to emerging challenges.

He also proposed that WHO help promote Vietnam's traditional medicine alongside modern medical practices, helping expand treatment options and healthcare resources in the region and beyond.

The WHO official commended Vietnam's proactive efforts, including its recent adoption of a resolution introducing breakthrough measures to strengthen healthcare protection, care, and public health outcomes.

He said WHO would continue supporting Vietnam in disease prevention and control, epidemic preparedness and response, health security, forecasting and surveillance systems, and emergency response capacity.

The organization will also work with Vietnam to promote healthy lifestyles, build an efficient and sustainable healthcare system aligned with universal health coverage goals, accelerate digital transformation in the health sector, improve digital connectivity, and upgrade facilities and equipment at grassroots health institutions.

The Vietnamese leader also met with Aboitiz Foods president and CEO Tristan Aboitiz, encouraging the company to explore opportunities in sustainable, low-emission, and climate-resilient energy projects aligned with Vietnam's development needs.

He also called for initiatives to promote green and smart agriculture, strengthen food traceability and food safety, develop sustainable food value chains, and contribute to regional food security within ASEAN.

The Aboitiz Foods chief said the company is interested in expanding its investments in sectors aligned with Vietnam's development priorities, particularly energy, agriculture and food, infrastructure, and digital transformation.

During a meeting with Chin Yin Ong, chief organization capability officer at Grab, a ride-hailing and delivery platform, the Vietnamese leader applauded the company's contributions in Vietnam in e-commerce and digital transformation.

He noted that Vietnam is accelerating the development of its digital economy and smart cities while improving public services, digital infrastructure, cashless payments, and urban traffic management.

The Grab executive described Vietnam as a key market, saying the company operates nationwide through services including GrabBike, GrabFood, and GrabTaxi.

She said the platform provides safe digital services while creating income opportunities for users.

She pledged cooperation on multimodal transport, urban mobility, green infrastructure, digital transformation, and skills development, saying the company would continue promoting Vietnam and exploring new technologies such as autonomous vehicles and delivery robots.

Welcoming Grab's expansion plans, the Vietnamese leader encouraged the company to invest in smart-city projects and public transport systems in Vietnam to build greener and smarter urban mobility networks.

He also urged Grab to further promote Vietnamese tourism and cuisine on its platform and support efforts to improve digital skills among the population.

Reaffirming Grab's long-term commitment to Vietnam, the Grab official said the company remains open to new cooperation opportunities and hoped to continue receiving support from authorities at all levels.