The US Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Assistant Administrator for Asia, Jonathan Stivers, is traveling to Vietnam from March 19th - 21st.

During the visit, Mr. Stivers will observe a signing of a statement of cooperation with the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology to expand the bilateral partnership in the filed of science and technology.

In Hanoi, after attending a USAID-supported workshop organized with the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry on participation of the business community in regulatory reform, he will meet with Ministry of Justice leaders to discuss development cooperation on strengthening the rule of law and advancing inclusive growth in Vietnam.

He will meet with Mr. Vuong Dinh Hue, head of the Central Economic Committee to discuss the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and USAID assistance. He will talk with civil society representatives to better understand local capacity development needs. Mr. Stivers will also visit the Nguyen Dinh Chieu Primary and Lower Secondary School to review inclusive education opportunities for children with disabilities supported by USAID.

While in the southern economic hub of Ho Chi Minh City, Mr. Stivers plans to join representatives of several leading Vietnamese and international organizations at a roundtable meeting to discuss environment, climate change, food security and wildlife trafficking issues. He will meet with leaders of Ho Chi Minh city University of Technology where he will deliver a keynote speech to faculty and students highlighting USAID’s key priorities in development assistance in Asia in general and in Vietnam in the areas of higher education and science and technology.

With AmCham Board of Governors, he will discuss USAID’s support for the Vietnam Trade Facilitation Alliance to help advance Vietnam’s competitiveness through policy and technical assistance to Vietnam’s customs authorities and relevant trade facilitation agencies. The Alliance is a private sector-led alliance recently established with support from USAID and its partners. Mr. Stivers will spend a day in Long An province, where he will meet with farmers, agricultural extension agents, and representative of the private company Ecofarm, a partner of USAID’s forests and deltas program.

His visit takes place as the two sides are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the normalization of relations. Under USAID’s Country Development Cooperation Strategy for Vietnam (2014 - 2018), the agency is working to strengthen the new US-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership and address fundamental development challenges in order to support Vietnam’s continued transformation into a responsible, more inclusive partner with a market-based economy.

CPV