Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on February 14 received Alok Kumar Sharma, British Cabinet Minister and President for the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), who is on a working visit to Vietnam to promote the implementation of the conference’s outcomes.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (second, right), British Cabinet Minister and COP26 President Alok Kumar Sharma (second, left), and other officials pose for a photo at the meeting in Hanoi on February 14 (Photo: VNA) – Prime Minister
Pham Minh Chinh on February 14 received Alok Kumar Sharma, British Cabinet
Minister and President for the 26th United Nations Climate Change
Conference (COP26), who is on a working visit to Vietnam to promote the implementation
of the conference’s outcomes.
The PM expressed his delight at
the fast, strong, and comprehensive development of the Vietnam - UK strategic
partnership in the recent past, as well as the two sides’ fruitful cooperation
in economy, politics, diplomacy, and capitalisation of the Vietnam - UK Free
Trade Agreement.
He thanked the UK, especially the
AstraZeneca company, for the timely provision of vaccine and medical supplies
for Vietnam in COVID-19 response.
PM Chinh said the Vietnamese Party and
State view climate change response as one of the difficult but urgent tasks,
noting that the country has been actively and proactively joining hands with
the international community to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to
climate change, and considers this as a chance to switch to a green, circular,
and low-carbon development model.
Since COP26, Vietnam has been
seriously and swiftly taking actions to realise its commitments as seen in the
establishment of a national steering committee for implementing its pledges
made at the conference, and the PM is head of this committee.
The country is working hard to perfect
the relevant legal framework; build detailed plans, measures, and roadmaps;
overhaul related strategies and plans; and mobilise investment resources for climate-resilient
infrastructure in order to carry out the commitments, he noted.
The Government leader asked Sharma, as
COP26 President, to continue helping promote Vietnam’s cooperation with the UK
and development partners to assist the country to implement those commitments
and the global initiatives on emissions reduction and climate change adaptation.
He called for support for Vietnam
to connect with the financial institutions and credit organisations able to
provide financial aid and credit for the country similar to the Just Energy
Transition Partnership that the UK, France, Germany, the US, and the European
Union signed with South Africa.
Vietnam also needs assistance to set
up a domestic carbon market linked with the international one; establish a
renewable energy centre to boost human resources training, technology transfer,
and sharing of legal and country governance experience; and align legal
regulations with the promises at COP26, according to Chinh.
For his part, Sharma spoke highly of
Vietnam’s strong commitments and leadership in the region while welcoming the
country’s swift and comprehensive actions, along with efforts by the
Government, the Prime Minister, ministries, and sectors to ensure the pledges are
implemented in reality.
He affirmed the readiness to cooperate
and share experience with Vietnam to help carry out the commitments, stressing
that the energy transition process is key to its climate commitments since 70
percent of the country’s gas emissions is from the energy sector.
The UK will assist Vietnam to access
and mobilise necessary financial sources during this process, the COP26
President added./.