Viet Nam Và Nhóm Ngân Hàng The GiOi : Mot Phần Tu Thế Kỷ Chung Dích Dong Hành (Vietnamese)

Marking the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the World Bank Group office in Vietnam, this booklet recounts a transformational quarter century that saw Vietnam emerge from decades of war, isolation and poverty to become a thriving lower middle-income economy. During this period, Vietnam lifted 40 million people out of poverty, while expanding access to key public services and infrastructure. These remarkable development results are the product of the determined leadership and dedication of the Vietnamese government and its people. Along the way, Vietnam reached beyond its borders, not only for financial support, but for fresh perspectives and new ideas from foreign governments and multilateral organizations, such as the World Bank Group. In the following pages, the authors aim to tell the story of how the World Bank Group's partnership with Vietnam evolved and how it contributed to the country's development success over the last 25 years. The motivation for telling this story is not solely historical. Drawing lessons from what made this partnership successful may generate valuable insights for other developing countries. More importantly, looking back may inform how we plan the future. The 25th anniversary coincides with Vietnam's recent graduation from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank's concessional lending window for low-income countries. As such, this is a good time to reflect on how the World Bank Group and other international partners can best support Vietnam as it enters the next phase of development. The reflections herein are based on more than 25 in-depth interviews with protagonists involved in the partnership, representing the Government of Vietnam, think tanks, the private sector, and the World Bank Group. What emerges is a story of a partnership representing a total investment of 25 billion US dollars in all areas of socio-economic development but a partnership that was not just about financing. Knowledge, innovation, and mutual learning have been central to the Vietnam-World Bank Group relationship from the very beginning.