Vietnam and Russia boost cooperation toward sustainable development goals

Ha affirmed the strong traditional friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Russia, noting both the former Soviet Union and the current Russian Federation have always been close friends of the Vietnamese people.

Appreciating Russia’s cooperation in scientific research, technology application and transfer, the Deputy PM expressed a desire for the two countries to discuss and promote global cooperation initiatives to better address environmental protection, carbon emissions reduction, and climate change.

He recalled that the Jan. 14-15 official visit to Vietnam, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin proposed solutions such as carbon burial, combining nuclear energy with renewable energy, circular economy models, and green fuel production.

With a firm commitment to sustainable development goals, Vietnam aims to contribute more to global efforts in addressing environmental and climate challenges.

Titov for his part affirmed that Russia prioritizes policies addressing climate change and environmental protection to ensure sustainable development.

He noted that Russia has initiated the establishment of specialized councils on sustainable development and climate under the frameworks of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS, seeking effective solutions for achieving sustainable development goals, economic growth, and climate change policies. Russia is also ready to share relevant scientific and technological research.

The Russian Presidential Envoy expressed a desire for Vietnam to send experts and scientists to participate in research groups focused on technological solutions for carbon processing, green transformation, and establishing global standards for carbon emissions measurement and quota setting. He also suggested sharing experiences in establishing carbon markets.

In response, Ha emphasized Vietnam’s strong commitment to sustainable development, particularly environmental indicators such as waste management, water and air quality, and ocean plastic waste reduction. He highlighted Vietnam’s experiences in implementing international agreements on climate change, including achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the Asia Zero Emissions Community (AZEC) initiative, and the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP).

Vietnam is also progressing toward forming a domestic carbon market, he told his guest.

Alongside existing initiatives, the Deputy Prime Minister suggested that Russia promote the establishment of research funds under BRICS and SCO to focus on developing specific technologies to achieve net-zero goals. He also advocated for the creation of unified global tools for measuring and determining national carbon emission quotas.