EU asked to help Vietnam develop marine economy

VOV.VN - Vietnam expects the European Union will help the country develop its marine economy, including aquaculture and fishing, as well as marine transport logistics.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh made the request on November 28 while receiving Virginijus Sinkevicius, European Commissioner for Environment, who is in Vietnam for the 2022 Green Economy Forum and Exhibition (GEFE) organized by the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham Vietnam).

Chinh said Vietnam attaches importance to implementing international commitments on forests, seas and oceans, agricultural development, and climate change response, noting this is a global issue, so a global approach is needed.

According to the PM, Vietnam is one of the countries heavily affected by climate change, especially in the Mekong Delta, and therefore it has developed green development programmes and strategies to minimize the impact of natural disasters on its economy and human life.

As a developing country with a low starting point, Vietnam holds it is necessary to ensure fairness and justice in the transition process. It expects it will receive international support and assistance, including from the EU, in terms of finance, science and technology, human resource training, management experience and legislation, in order to carry out its transition process, said Chinh.

The Prime Minister expressed hope that Sinkevicius would contribute to promoting cooperation between Vietnam and the EU, while proposing that the commissioner lobby EU member states to ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), so that the agreement would be enforced soon to bring benefits to both sides.

Sinkevicius, for his part, highly appreciated Vietnam’s efforts in implementing green policies to combat climate change, including a roadmap towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050. Besides, the country has effectively cooperated with the EU in combating illegal fishing, saying this is a long-term issue and Vietnam needs to make a greater effort in order to achieve the desired results.

The commissioner also suggested that Vietnam pay more attention to and coordinate closely with the EU in forest protection and development, and in protecting biodiversity of forests, seas and oceans, including stepping up the fight against plastic waste.

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