Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamese PrimeMinister Pham Minh Chinh’s working trip to Europe from October 31 to November5, which included his attendance at the 26th United Nations Climate ChangeConference of the Parties (COP26) and visits to the UK and France, was ofimportant significance and achieved many practical results, said DeputyMinister of Foreign Affairs To Anh Dung.

By participating in the conference, Vietnam has reaffirmed its strong messageto all international friends about a responsible and proactive Vietnam inhandling one of the common challenges, also the most concerning issue – climatechange, Dung told the press on the outcome of the PM’s six-day Europe tour.

It reflected the country's external policy of independence, self-reliance,diversification and multilateralisation, and that Vietnam is an active andresponsible member of the international community, Dung said.

PM Chinh’s commitment related to net zero emissions by 2050, joining the GlobalMethane Pledge and the Glasgow Declaration on forests and land use showed thecountry’s determination and political commitment in responding to climatechange.

The proposals that PM Chinh put forth at COP26 were welcomed and supported byother countries, he said, adding that this opened up many opportunities forVietnam to strengthen cooperation with other nations and partners in finance,technology transfer and capacity building to support Vietnam's efforts torespond to climate change.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has affected external activities andinternational exchanges over the past two years, the fact that the PM and theVietnamese delegation had more than 20 meetings and with senior leaders ofcountries around the world, including strategic partners and leaders ofinternational financial institutions and environmental organisations, havehelped promote cooperation between Vietnam and other countries, the deputyminister said.

“It contributed to consolidating solid external relations, creating favourableconditions for the maintenance of peace, stability and development of thecountry,” Dung stressed.

He went on to say that: “This is also an opportunity for us to deploy vaccineand health diplomacy, mobilise resources, including finance and technology,actively contribute to COVID-19 prevention and control and socio-economicrecovery towards sustainable, green and inclusive growth.”

As both the UK and France are big countries in the world, permanent members ofthe United Nations Security Council, members of the G7 Group, and strategicpartner of Vietnam, the PM’s visits to the two countries achieved manyimportant targets, practical results and strategic significance, the deputyminister said.

During their meetings and talks, leaders of the two countries said theytreasured Vietnam's role and position. They agreed on major orientations, andassigned ministries and sectors to implement specific cooperation measures to deepencooperation with Vietnam in all fields in a more substantive and effectivemanner. 

The Vietnamese PM and leaders of the UK and France pledged to soon promote high-level visits, soon resume cooperation mechanisms between ministries and localities as well as trade and travel between the two countries.

At the same time, they agreed to make efforts to strengthen cooperation ineconomic recovery and development, create favourable conditions for goods toaccess each other's markets, and take advantage of free trade agreementsbetween Vietnam and the European Union and the UK, focusing on promoting cleanenergy projects, organic agriculture, digital economy and innovation.

Leaders of the UK and France shared and supported Vietnam on internationalissues such as response to climate change; security, safety and freedom ofnavigation and aviation based on compliance with international law, includingthe 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Dung said.

The deputy FM said PM Chinh’s visits also obtained impressive results in tradeand investment promotion activities with the signing of nearly 60 Memoranda ofUnderstanding on cooperation with a total pledged investment of over  30billion USD.

The cooperation focuses on the sectors of renewable energy, digital economy,digital transformation, environment, infrastructure development, planning,aerospace industry, prevention and control of diseases, agriculture andtourism.

Business forums held in the UK and France attracted the participation of nearly450 big European companies. Leaders of these companies expressed their joy withthe PM’s message that Vietnam has moved into a phase of safe and flexibleadaptation, effective control of COVID-19, accompanying and creating favorableconditions so that companies can feel confident about investing and doinglong-term business in the country

According to Dung, health cooperation and vaccine diplomacy, the mobilisationof partners to support Vietnam in pandemic control are at the centre of the PM’svisits. 

France announced an additional aid of nearly 1.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine through the bilateral channel and the COVAX Facility, bringingits total donation to over 2 million doses, while the UK said it will helpVietnam to improve its medical capacity, technology transfer for the productionof COVID-19 vaccine.

In general, the six-day Europe tour of PM Chinh and the high-ranking delegationwas very successful, achieving comprehensive and specific results, realizingthe foreign policy of the 13th National Party Congress of independence andself-reliance for peace, friendship, cooperation and development, helping torealise the aspiration for the development of a prosperous and happy country,he said./.