HCMC – Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has said that the Netherlands and Vietnam are facing environmental challenges, so all stakeholders, first of all businesses, need to work together to deal with them.
Speaking at the plenary session of the 2023 Green Economy Forum (GEF) themed “European-Vietnamese Collaboration Fuels Green Initiatives” in Hanoi today, November 2, he said producers and suppliers must comply with the new sustainability regulations set by the European Union (EU).
Dutch firms should assist their Vietnamese partners in this matter, said Rutte, who came to Vietnam on November 1 for a two-day visit at a time when the two countries are celebrating the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties.
Also at the forum, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said Vietnam attaches importance to fast yet sustainable, inclusive development rather than economic growth at the expense of progress, social equity and environment protection.
He said that Vietnam strongly supports the EU’s strategies, initiatives, and policies for green development, and will seriously follow regulations related to green production.
The EU should continue assisting Vietnam in building mechanisms and policies, technology transfer, financial resource arrangement, high-quality workforce training, and enhancing managerial capabilities to promote green development, Chinh said.
The two PMs also attended the Vietnam-Netherlands High-tech Business Forum on the same day.
Rutte, who was accompanied by a delegation of nearly 30 leading hi-tech Dutch companies, said the Netherlands wants to explore opportunities for high-tech investment in Vietnam and at the same time, share experiences in developing a high-tech ecosystem here in Vietnam.
The two countries have great potential to expand their cooperation, particularly in science-technology and innovation, Chinh said, adding Dutch firms can team up with Vietnamese businesses in hi-tech agriculture, new and renewable energy, semiconductor, climate change adaptation, shipbuilding services, and other sectors via hi-tech projects.
Chinh requested Dutch companies and research institutes to cooperate with Vietnam through the National Innovation Centre and hi-tech zones in Vietnam.
At the event, the two PMs witnessed the exchange of cooperation agreement documents between Vietnamese and Dutch agencies and enterprises in the fields of innovation, creativity and finance.
The Netherlands is now the largest European investor in Vietnam with total pledged capital of US$13.7 billion, and also the biggest European importer of goods from Vietnam, with total two-way trade amounting to US$11 billion.
