While receiving President of the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) Ivano Barberini in Hanoi on Wednesday, Ms Hoa said that the Vietnamese State has paid special attention to the sector, as Vietnam targets reduction of its poverty rate to 10 percent by 2010.

She thanked the ICA for its assistance in developing effective models for reducing poverty and training Vietnamese officials, and expressed her hope that the ICA would further its cooperation with Vietnam to help the country develop its economy.

For his part, Mr Barberini affirmed the ICA's support for Vietnam in the work. He said his organisation has been coordinating with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and others to design and carry out global programmes on poverty alleviation, food security, the HIV/AIDS fight, and gender equality.