Vietnam could be an example for other countries in terms of using renewable energy, Kerry said, underlining that he supports the country in calling for financial support from international organisations for the sector.
In turn, PM Phuc spoke highly of the Fulbright University Vietnam project’s important role of training high-quality human resources for the country, stating that the Vietnamese Government is interested in the project and supports it.
He noted that cooperation contracts signed between the two countries during his official visit to the American country last month are encouraging achievements in the bilateral collaboration ties. The PM expressed his hope that the U.S. will further supports for Vietnam to respond to climate change as the phenomenon has severely impacted the country, especially the southern region.
Welcoming Kerry’s opinion on the matter, PM Phuc expected that with his prestige, Kerry will do more for the bilateral ties to reap more practical outcomes.
The United States is willing to support Vietnam more in responding to climate change, especially in developing clean energy, sustainable infrastructure and smart water resources management, said former US Secretary of State John Kerry at his talks with a Vietnamese official in Hanoi on June 20.
According to Kerry, with its rapid growth, Vietnam needs to build power plants run by clean energy as coal is the biggest polluter in the world. The cost for renewable energy drops from 9-12 percent each year and is predicted to be cheaper, he said, noting that the cost the US paid for solar power decreased from 4,500 USD per kW in 2009 to 1,420 USD per kW in 2016. In addition, it takes from four to six years building a coal-fueled power plant, but only one year building a solar or wind power plant, he added.
Vietnam will continue striving for a low-carbon economy with the focus on developing renewable energies such as wind and solar and changing the production and consumption models sustainably.
