Given the fact that Vietnam is among the most vulnerable countries to climate change, the country identifies green growth as a key part in its sustainable development strategy.
| Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (r) and UK Business Secretary Alok Sharma (l). Photo: Nhat Bac |
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh made the statement in a meeting with UK Business Secretary Alok Sharma, who also serves as the full-time President of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) that is scheduled to take place in Glasgow on November 1-12, 2021.
“Vietnam is gradually transitioning towards green growth, with workers’ life and job security a focus of the government during this process,” Chinh continued.
Chinh said Vietnam has been an active and responsible partner in realizing international commitments, while lauding UK’s efforts in hosting the COP26 in virtual format.
“Vietnam is willing to cooperate with the UK and other partners to ensure the success of the event, so that more drastic measures would be taken to support developing countries in turning commitments under the Paris Agreement on climate change into reality, especially in accessing financial resources and technology transfer,” Chinh continued.
Regarding the Vietnam-UK relations, Chinh requested Sharma's support for the implementation of the bilateral trade agreement and the promotion of investment capital from the UK to Vietnam.
“Vietnam seeks UK support in terms of finance, technologies and expertise to transform the economy into a low-carbon one with greater resilience against climate change,” Chinh noted.
The PM also requested the UK government to continue supplying Covid-19 vaccines and consider transferring vaccine production technology to Vietnam.
On his part, Sharma considered Vietnam as a major partner of the UK in the preparation for COP26 and welcomed the country’s active participation in multilateral framework on climate change and its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emission.
The UK will continue supporting Vietnam to reduce the impacts of climate change while accelerating the energy application, he added.
Late May, the Vietnam PM has approved the action plan for the implementation of the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA), which has become effective on May 1, 2021. With the deal in place, Vietnam could expect more investment capital, technology transfer and tourists from the UK once the Covid-19 pandemic is fully contained. In return, UK enterprises and products would have better access to a market with 100 million people, and eventually to the ASEAN market with around 640 million consumers. |
