Queen Máxima visits Viet Nam to discuss access to financial services

After arriving in Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday morning, Queen Máxima traveled on to the city of Da Lat in the Central Highlands of Viet Nam. Agriculture and horticulture dominate the local landscape, with a great many small farms. One of the themes of the visit is value chain finance in agriculture, i.e. financing activities in the chain of products and services that make up a production or marketing process, and the increase in value during these processes. Queen Máxima visited an agricultural business where she talked to the owner and other farmers about the Horti Dalat project. The project, which is supported by the Rabobank Foundation and implemented by the Viet Nam-based food consultancy Fresh Studio, provides financing and technical support. Farmers receive loans for the construction of greenhouses, advice on how to improve yields and help in setting up a business plan. The project also links farmers with retailers, giving participants a more secure market for their products and a fixed income. The farmers agree among themselves which crops to grow, to prevent overproduction. Queen Máxima also visited a grocery shop which provides banking services to customers. In the afternoon she returned to Ho Chi Minh City, where she talked with representatives of agricultural businesses and civil society organisations about the financing of agricultural activities.

On Wednesday 31 May, the Queen traveled to the capital, Ha Noi, where she had talks in the morning with international partners like the World Bank Group, the United Nations Capital Development Fund, the Asian Development Bank and the local UN office on the state of inclusive financing in Viet Nam. There was also a roundtable discussion with private partners like financial institutions and fintech companies on their role in improving access to financial services. In the afternoon Queen Máxima talked with Governor Le Minh Hung of the State Bank of Viet Nam. This central bank coordinates the development of the national strategy for inclusive financing. She also met the President Tran Dai Quang and the Chair of the National Assembly of Viet Nam, Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

On Thursday 1 June, Queen Máxima will talk with Dinh Tien Dung, Minister of Finance, Ha Cong Tuan, Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Dao Ngoc Dung, Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs. In the afternoon the State Bank of Viet Nam will host a roundtable discussion with representatives of ministries and other organisations involved in preparing and coordinating the national strategy for inclusive finance. Queen Máxima will also meet Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and the Queen discussed developments in inclusive finance in Viet Nam at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this year.

In 2011 the then Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima paid an official visit to Viet Nam from 28 through 31 March 2011. On 29 March the Princess spoke at a seminar on financial inclusion in Ha Noi in her capacity as Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance.

Related information:

More information about UNSGSA HM Queen Máxima of the Netherlands

UNSGSA backgrounder for Vietnamese press

For more information, please contact:

• G.A.M.T (Marianne) Wiltjer, Royal House Division, Tel: +31 (0)70 356 41 83, Email: m.wiltjer@minaz.nl
• Trinh Anh Tuan, UN Communications, Tel: +84 3 850 0193, Email: trinh.anh.tuan@one.un.org