Hanoi (VNA) – There is still an abundance of opportunities for foreignnon-governmental organisations (NGOs) to partner with Vietnam during thecountry’s development path, even after Vietnam has become a low middle-incomecountry with less outside assistance.

Thestatement was made by Don Tuan Phong, Vice President and General Secretary ofthe Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO), in an interview with the VietnamNews Agency on reviewing the VUFO’s Committee on Foreign Non-GovernmentalOrganisation Affairs’ operations over the past 21 years from 1996 to 2017.

Phong,who is also deputy head of the committee, said that since the committee’s introduction,the number of foreign NGOs operating in Vietnam has significantly increased,while many large-scale humanitarian programmes and projects have been launched.

Aidfrom foreign NGOs has significantly contributed to the reduction in poverty andsustainable development of Vietnam, he said.

Phongnoted that as the connection point and mobilisation agency for assistanceactivities, the VUFO has expanded its cooperation with foreign NGOs to call forfinancial resources to support the country’s socio-economic development.

Theunion has proposed the Government approve the national foreign NGO mobilisationprogramme for the upcoming period, which will give priority to foreign NGOs’assistance activities.

Between1996 and 2017, aid from foreign NGOs reached a total value of over 4.1 billionUSD, he said, holding that this is an important resource for Vietnam to dealwith socio-economic difficulties, especially in poverty production and sustainablegrowth.

Phongsaid that as Vietnam has become a low middle-income country, NGOs tend toreduce the country’s priority as they are partly funded by official developmentassistance (ODA).

However,Vietnam still faces many severe difficulties such as  war aftermaths and a large number ofvulnerable groups including Agent Orange/dioxin victims, people withdisabilities, and ethnic minority communities.

Inaddition there are development gaps in regions, with many localities featuringpoor living conditions, as well as other non-traditional problems such asclimate change consequences.

Withall these challenges lying ahead, there remains much room for foreign NGOs to continuecooperating with Vietnam, stated Phong.

Heasserted that foreign NGOs are still paying attention to Vietnam’s issues.

However,he underscored that the mobilisation of resources from the NGOs must change to bemore suitable to the feasibility demands of specific localities, communities,and sectors. -VNA