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Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s freshly-concluded trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Türkiye affirms Vietnam's active and proactive efforts in joining the world in responding to climate change, while marking the start of a new stage in cooperation between Vietnam and countries in the Middle East, especially in trade and investment.
The PM, his spouse and a Vietnamese delegation arrived back in Hanoi on late December 3, concluding their five-day working trip to attend the World Climate Action Summit within the framework of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), and hold bilateral activities in the UAE and pay an official visit to Türkiye.
During the trip, the leader attended around 60 activities, both bilateral and multilateral. Besides participating in and speaking at conferences and events within COP28, he held bilateral meetings and working sessions with nearly 40 leaders of countries, international organistions and world leading enterprises. He also met with leaders of the UAE and Türkiye and attended bilateral conferences and forums with the two countries.
PM Chinh’s activities during the working trip have affirmed Vietnam’s commitment to joining hands with the international community to address the global issue of climate change with specific and result-oriented steps and actions.
Climate change: putting words into action, delivering on commitments
At COP28 events, Chinh expressed concern over climate change happening every day, every hour and approaching the red limit.
Climate change impacts globally, on all people and all aspects of social life. Meanwhile, the gap between climate commitments and actions remains big. Therefore, each country must be responsible for effectively implementing the task of climate change combat, especially ensuring fairness and justice in this regard.
With the motto of "putting words into action, delivering on commitments", since COP26 which took place in the UK in 2021, Vietnam has fulfilled its commitments with specific, practical actions, the leader stressed, adding that the country has set out and put in place a climate change response strategy, a green growth strategy, National Power Development Plan VIII, the implementation plan and the Resource Mobilisation Plan for the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), and a plan to develop 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice-growing areas.
Leaders of foreign countries and international organisations lauded Vietnam’s climate commitments and efforts, and affirmed that they will accompany the Southeast Asian country in energy transition, green economy, circular economy, and climate change response.
The PM spoke of the 12 specific measures that Vietnam has rolled out since COP26. During meetings and conferences, high-ranking leaders of countries and international organisations called Vietnam a model in implementing commitments. Vietnam is truly considered by many countries as a model in climate change response.
Marking the start of a new stage in cooperation with Middle East countries
On this occasion, PM Chinh met with nearly 20 heads of state, leaders of countries, and international organisations such as the Cuban President, the French President, the Indian Prime Minister, the President of the European Commission (EC), the Director General of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
At these meetings, apart from reviewing cooperative relations, Chinh and the leaders also exchanged views on measures to boost the relations in the time ahead. For the European Union (EU) and European countries, he proposed the Vietnam - EU Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) soon be ratified and called on the EC to lift its IUU "yellow card" warning on Vietnam's seafood at an early date.
Notably, the PM held many bilateral activities with both the UAE and Türkiye. Thus, within nearly two months, the PM had two trips to the Middle East, with the first to attend the Summit between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), demonstrating the interest and priority of the Vietnamese Party, State, and Government towards the very potential market.
During the trip to the UAE and Türkiye, the sides reached various agreements, opening up a new period of comprehensive, extensive, substantive, and more effective cooperation, in which these two countries wanted to enhance relations with ASEAN more intensively through Vietnam, and the Southeast Asian nation hoped to promote its relations with the Middle East more intensively and extensively through the UAE and Türkiye.
For Türkiye, this was the first visit by a Vietnamese PM to the country. The two sides agreed to soon upgrade their relations, targeting 4 billion USD in bilateral trade revenue.
For the UAE, the two sides have made breakthrough steps, and completed most of the set contents. The Vietnam-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) is expected to be signed in 2024.
Harmonious interests, shared risks
Within the trip, PM Chinh hosted receptions for representatives from many big, multi-national economic groups, including those operating in finance, energy, technology and infrastructure.
Notably, he attended and delivered speeches at the Vietnam business forum on mobilising resources for green transition, and an event on financial mobilisation to implement Vietnam’s climate commitments.
Vietnam will focus efforts on building socio-economic development plans in accordance with its distinct potential, outstanding opportunities, and competitive advantages, while providing legal support for businesses, removing obstacles they are facing, and protecting their legal and legitimate rights and interests, he pledged.
Chinh used the occasion to call on partners to continue their support for Vietnam’s green development in the spirit of "harmonious benefits, shared risks".
During the trip, 21 cooperation documents between Vietnam and partners were signed, covering such spheres as finance, trade, energy, aviation, technology, agriculture, and tourism./.
