Vietnam, Netherlands seek stronger cooperation in climate change adaption

Deputy PM Ha showed his elation at the positive development made in bilateral relations, including the strategic partnership on climate change adaptation and water management.

Since the seventh meeting held back in March, 2019, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, both sides have actively carried out 19 bilateral co-operation contents, of which 10 have been completed. This includes the Mekong River Delta Planning for the 2021 to 2030 period, with a vision towards 2050; the Mekong River Basin general planning for the 2021 to 2030 period, with a vision towards 2050, together with the establishment of a Regional Coordinating Council on the basis of the recommendations of the Mekong Delta Plan (MDP).

The Vietnamese Deputy PM therefore thanked the Netherlands for its active and effective contributions to Vietnamese sustainable socio-economic development, hoping to receive the country’s support in the fields of green transition, renewable energy, water resource management, and climate change response.

The two sides conducted a strategic policy dialogue relating to climate change response and water management and updated each other on both related policies and priority activities.

The Vietnamese side made specific co-operation proposals in priority areas such as climate change response, water management, green agriculture, the circular economy, flood management, seaports, digital transformation, and human resources training. The Dutch side acknowledged the proposals, affirming that it will continue working alongside relevant Vietnamese agencies.

They therefore agreed upon new potential co-operation contents for the future, including the signing of a Joint Cooperation Plan in the field of sustainable offshore sand mining as part of this occasion.

The two sides then signed the Minutes of the eighth meeting and agreed that the next one will be held in Vietnam with a specific date to be decided through diplomatic channels.

The same day saw Deputy PM Ha hold a meeting with Prince Jaime de Bourbon de Parme, Climate Envoy of the Netherlands, during which he affirmed Vietnamese recognition of the importance of enhancing its comprehensive partnership with the Netherlands. He also outlined his wish to work with the nation to deepen the strategic partnership framework on climate change adaptation and sustainable agriculture.

Speaking glowingly of the Prince’s experience and role as the Climate Envoy, Deputy PM Ha showed his hope that the Prince will encourage Dutch businesses to transfer technology and invest in the fields of climate change adaptation, greenhouse gas emission reduction, energy transition, digital transformation, and smart infrastructure construction in Vietnam. This is along with supporting the development of regulations and providing financial assistance to facilitate the country’s climate change adaptation.

The Netherlands’s Climate Envoy applauded strong Vietnamese commitments to climate change response, as well as its active and responsible engagement in the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact which was recently held in France. He stressed maintaining support for the Vietnamese side in terms of carrying out the Mekong Delta Planning, as well as completing a legal framework on water management and energy transition.

As part of this occasion, the two sides compared notes on regional and international issues of mutual concern. The Prince hailed Vietnamese foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification, and multilateralisation of relations and its settlement of disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international law.

Also within the framework of his working visit to the Netherlands, Deputy PM Ha visited the Invest International Fund, the Green Hydrogen Centre and the Global Center on Adaptation in the Port of Rotterdam.

On the afternoon of June 27, the Deputy PM left the Netherlands for Hanoi, ending his working visit to the Netherlands.