In early November, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen held an online meeting and adopted a Joint Statement establishing a Green Strategic Partnership between the two countries. This event took place within the framework of the 52nd anniversary of the establishment of relations between Vietnam and Denmark.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held an online meeting with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Photo: Duong Giang-VNA

New chapter in Vietnam-Denmark relations

According to the Joint Statement, in recognition of the strong and close cooperation between the two countries over the past 50 years, the two sides agreed to establish a Green Strategic Partnership. The two sides expressed their belief that the decision to establish a Green Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and Denmark “will open a new chapter in the friendship and cooperation between the two sides”.

In addition, according to the Joint Statement, the Green Strategic Partnership will contribute to realizing the efforts of the two Governments in promoting the green transition, raising global climate, environment and nature ambitions, as well as a socially just green transition to create green jobs and avoid increasing inequality.

Speaking at the talks before announcing the Joint Statement, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that the Green Strategic Partnership will contribute to making the bilateral cooperation a model in North-South cooperation between developed and developing countries in implementing commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions towards the target of net zero emissions by 2050; be the basis for creating breakthroughs in economic cooperation, increasing investment towards green growth, circular economy, energy transition, demonstrating the responsibility of the two countries to join hands with the international community to address global challenges related to the environment and climate.

For her part, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen affirmed that the Green Strategic Partnership will pave the way for green cooperation and bring prosperity to the people of the two countries, as well as the common goal of global sustainable development./.

Strengthening green dialogue

In the Joint Statement, the two sides emphasized the importance of the green agenda and agreed to promote interaction, participation and collaboration of various stakeholders, including ministries, sectors, provincial and municipal authorities and other stakeholders in joint efforts to implement green agendas in Vietnam and Denmark.

The two sides agreed to enhance high-level policy dialogue on short-, medium- and long-term climate goals. They also agreed to enhance knowledge and best practice exchanges, experience sharing, enhance capacity building, technology transfer and promote concrete activities and initiatives on sustainable development, climate, green transition, environmental protection, promotion of science and technology development and protection of intellectual property rights, food and agriculture, health and life sciences, statistics, urban development, circular economy and green growth at relevant forums.

In addition, the two sides pledged to “promote cooperation in the field of greenhouse gas emission reduction to support Vietnam in developing a low-carbon economy, adapting to climate change and achieving the goal of net zero emissions by 2050, while promoting the development of a circular economy”.

On the other hand, the two sides agreed to continue to enhance the sharing of expertise in designing and implementing policies and technical tools needed to realize the green energy transition. To this end, technical expert consultations, policy dialogues and exchanges of visits by delegations at all levels will be organized.

Strengthening economic, trade and investment cooperation

In the Joint Statement, the two sides acknowledged that conditions for attracting foreign direct investment in Vietnam have improved, with Vietnam being among the top 20 economies attracting the most foreign direct investment in 2020. The Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) marks an important milestone in trade relations between Vietnam and EU member states, creating a solid foundation to promote trade in goods and services in green sectors between the two sides.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held an online meeting with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Photo: Duong Giang-VNA

Both sides committed to work to strengthen the capacity and participation of Vietnamese companies in contributing to sustainable value chains. The Danish government will support Danish companies in their efforts to source and promote more sustainable production in Vietnam, with special attention to labor rights and conditions.

On the other hand, the two sides wish to strengthen economic, trade and investment cooperation, especially in the fields of onshore and offshore wind energy, energy efficiency solutions, food, agriculture, water and wastewater management, maritime solutions, technology and other areas of mutual interest, to support Vietnam’s green transition in many fields. Trade promotion activities and study tours are important tools in promoting cooperation.

In addition, the two sides wish to further strengthen the Government-level dialogue on maritime issues, such as green shipping and green maritime solutions, and maintain long-term dialogue and cooperation on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the maritime sector. The cooperation methods can be meetings, contacts, online seminars between Vietnamese and Danish companies and other organizations and units in the maritime sector to attract the participation of the business sector in this field.

On urban development, the two sides wish to strengthen cooperation and partnership between experts and organizations of the two countries in the field of urban development, building sustainable and livable cities. Forms of cooperation may include organizing seminars, sharing good practices and projects, and, if possible, organizing study tours to promote the exchange of knowledge and experience and enhance capacity building.

Developing safe and environmentally friendly agricultural production

In the Joint Statement, the two sides expressed their desire to strengthen cooperation in the field of food, agriculture and aquaculture with a main focus on sustainable and resource-efficient food and feed production as well as sustainable aquaculture production, including technologies and solutions for onshore and marine aquaculture production. The two sides agreed to share experience and expertise on environmental aspects of agricultural production, including sustainable resource management and reduction of production inputs.

In addition, the two sides agreed to expand cooperation in the agricultural sector in the future, aiming to develop agricultural and aquatic production to create higher profits, efficiency, safety and environmental friendliness. The two sides will explore the possibility of cooperation in research and technical support for agricultural production activities in the future.

In addition, the two sides also endorsed the idea of ​​public-private partnerships in preventing and combating food waste and loss to support more sustainable food production and resource-efficient supply chains.

Green Transformation Partner

In the Joint Statement, Vietnam and Denmark pledged to “work together to promote the green transition and decarbonization in sectors and supply chains, including logistics and transport. The two sides will also cooperate to promote initiatives to develop a circular economy.”

Furthermore, the two sides will work to develop partnerships between relevant organizations and businesses from both countries, with a particular focus on green and climate-friendly technologies. They recognise the importance of improving the legal framework conditions that support public and private investment in green energy and infrastructure, including access to international finance.

The two sides recognized that concessional loans and cash grants from the Danida Sustainable Infrastructure Financing (DSIF) Programme are valuable and important financial instruments contributing to the improvement of sustainable infrastructure in Vietnam..., and agreed to encourage PPP programmes and projects to use Danish financial instruments including the DSIF Programme and the Danish Export and Investment Fund (EIFO), in accordance with the legal regulations and capital provision and use orientations of each side.

Strengthening multilateral cooperation

The two sides stressed the importance of multilateral cooperation in addressing climate challenges and achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement and agreed to strengthen cooperation and coordination at multilateral fora. They welcomed initiatives to promote climate action such as the Partnership for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G) High-level Forum.

In addition, as core members of P4G, the two sides pledged to coordinate with the international community to support these initiatives and make efforts to best exploit opportunities in the field of multilateral finance, including through the system of development banks and international and regional financial institutions./.

Linh Anh