ODA commitments to Vietnam went beyond US$32 billion from 1993 to 2005, excluding an annual aid estimated at US$100 million from some 600 foreign non-Governmental organisations operating in the country, reported the MPI.

MPI External Economic Affair Section Head Ho Quang Minh said the investment will prioritise agriculture and rural development in combination with poverty alleviation, modernisation of socio-economic infrastructure in harmony with the environment, reinforcement of the legal mechanism and human resources development.

The Vietnamese Government has always tried to make strategies that would help attract and tap this important financial source, said Mr Minh.

Some 50 international donors have committed themselves to Vietnam's projects. Though different in policies and relations with Vietnam, the donors have tried to meet the country's major targets for socio-economic development, especially poverty reduction.

Duong Duc Ung, a senior policy expert from the MPI, said donors have gradually reduced their subjective policies towards aid recipients as illustrated in the Hanoi commitment, in which donors pledged to respect the country's development strategies as well as aid reception steps and management rules of Vietnam in their ODA policies.

In order to translate the multilaterally and bilaterally-agreed targets in the Hanoi commitment into reality, the MPI, which is entrusted to manage the funding, emphasised on the need to help Government leaders and law-makers raise their knowledge on the commitment contents and aid effects to the daily life.

VNA/VOVNews