Foreign development partners pledge to address climate change in Vietnam
VOV.VN - Foreign donors reiterated their strong commitment to cooperate with and support Vietnam in dealing with climate change challenges, especially in the Mekong River Delta, during a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on March 13.
A representative of the French Development Agency (AFD) said European nations such as France, Germany, and the Netherlands have a lot of experience in climate change response and they can provide financial assistance to help Vietnam overcome climate change challenges.
“We have sent a letter to the Ministry of Planning and Investment proposing financial assistance to help Vietnam overcome the challenge of climate change,” said Simone Wunsch, representative of the German Reconstruction Bank (KfW).
A representative of the Australian Embassy in Hanoi affirmed that protecting the Mekong Delta is of paramount importance to not only Vietnam, Southeast Asia but also the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large.
Meanwhile, a representative of the Italian Embassy expressed his impression on the efforts the Government of Vietnam has made in management and sustainable development of the Mekong River Delta. As the host country of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), he said Italy appreciates Vietnam’s contributions and commitments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
World Bank Country Director for Vietnam Carolyn Turk suggested the Government of Vietnam should take advantage of commitments and support from foreign partners and friends to approve a master plan for the development of the Mekong River Delta.
A strong financial mechanism should be developed to transform financial flows into investment projects, said Turk, adding that good coordination is needed to implement funded projects effectively as opposed to spontaneous investment in each locality.
PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc welcomed the guests’ ideas and stressed cooperation of international partners, organizations and donors is very important to Vietnam.
“We have studied climate change response models of many European countries and other places in the world, and found they are very useful for Vietnam,” said Phuc.
He highly appreciated financial assistance international donors have provided Vietnam and pledged the country will continue to utilize sources effectively.
The Government leader also expressed his belief that cooperation between Vietnam and its development partners and international organisations will be promoted in the future.
The meeting was held on the sidelines of a conference on climate resilient and sustainable development of the Mekong River Delta taking place in Can Tho city on March 13.