An overview of the 9th deputy ministerial-level Political Consultation between Vietnam and Norway. (Photo: VNA)The diplomat said that the relationship between Vietnam andNorway is developing positively with increased cooperation activities in both quantity and quality. The two sides have strengthened meetings and delegationexchanges at all levels and in various fields.
The two countries as well as the International PartnersGroup (IPG) adopted a political declaration on the establishment of the JustEnergy Transition Partnership (JETP). All the plans postponed in twoyears due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been resumed, including the deputyministerial-level Political Consultation in March 2023, he noted.
The two sides have worked on the negotiation of a number ofagreements, the ambassador said, adding that the visa exemption policy forNorwegian citizens entering Vietnam has been expanded, with the temporary stayperiod increased from 15 days to 45 days.
For many years, Norway has been an important partner of Vietnam, said AmbassadorHung, noting that the European country has provided Vietnam with active supportin implementing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the past and theSustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at present.
Norway has offered about 320 million USD to Vietnam, while manyNorwegian firms have effectively operated in Vietnam, he said, adding that tourismactivities between the two sides have bustled.
Ambassador Hung underlined that businesses of both sides have shown increasinginterest in cooperating with each other, while more opportunities are beingseen in bilateral partnership in the fields of green economy, circular economy,sustainable development, renewable energy, and marine economy, which are expectedto contribute to the growth of both countries, matching the major trends of theworld in the next 1-2 decades.
The diplomat pointed to three foundations that enable Vietnam and Norway to beoptimistic about their relations in the future. Firstly, despite fluctuationsin the world, Vietnam has remained stabled growth and made active and positive contributionsto the joint efforts in the region and the world for peace and development.Secondly, Norway is a leading country in green industries with its strengthsin technology solutions, finance and experience, providing effective support todeveloping countries in SDG realisation and climate change response. And thirdly, the world is facing many great challenges, evolving at a faster pace thanpreviously forecast, requiring countries regardless of their sizes to increasecooperation.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Norway Dinh Nho Hung (Photo: VNA)This will be the first visit to Norway by the VietnameseVice President, which is expected to create a new momentum for the growth ofthe relations between the two countries, contributing to increasing thecooperation efficiency and optimising collaboration potential, whileimplementing Vietnam’s external policy of independence, self-reliance, cooperation,development, multilateralisation and diversification, active and positiveinternational integration, being friend, trustworthy partner, positive andresponsible member of the international community, he said.
Vice President Xuan’s visit is also expected to contributeto implementing important development strategies, planning and programmes ofthe countries, while promoting the realisation of national targets in SDGs implementationand commitments given at the UN Climate Change Conference.
Activities that the Vice President will conduct in Norwayare hoped to help expand bilateral cooperation opportunities in trade,investment, education, science-technology and culture, mobilising resources fornational development, said the ambassador.
He said that during the visit, Vice President Xuan isscheduled to mention many important cooperation areas, including sustainableand green development, as well as solutions to support the development ofcircular economy, marine economy, green agriculture, sustainable aquaticfarming, and plastic waste treatment.
Particularly, the two sides will discuss cooperation andsupport to Vietnam in realising the JETP and the implementation of Vietnam’senergy development plans, as well as solutions to promote efficient energy use,contributing to the achievement of Vietnam’s net-zero emission commitment by 2050 andensuring the national energy security and equality in energy transition.
The two sides will also discuss the speeding up of the negotiations on a free trade agreement between Vietnam and European Free TradeAssociation (EFTA) states which comprises Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, andLiechtenstein and has a total GDP of 1.2 trillion USD, said Ambassador Hung./.
VNA
