As published in Viet Nam News Agency on 7 February 2023

During a reception for UNDP Resident Representative in Việt Nam Ramla Khalidi in Hà Nội, Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà spoke highly of the effective and practical cooperation between Việt Nam and UNDP across the fields of economy, society, climate change adaptation and ensuring the environment.

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam wishes UNDP will continue to give advice to and support Việt Nam in terms of health care, bidding and procurement of medicines and medical equipment, and marine spatial planning, Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà told UNDP Resident Representative in Việt Nam Ramla Khalidi.

During a reception for the UNDP official in Hà Nội on Tuesday, the Deputy PM spoke highly of the effective and practical cooperation between Việt Nam and UNDP across the fields of economy, society, climate change adaptation and ensuring the environment.

He highlighted a number of priority areas of Việt Nam, including health, natural ecosystem restoration, circular economy, and the environment, while expressing his hope that UNDP would share experience and effective models that had been carried out in other countries.

He suggested UNDP continue its support for Việt Nam in governance, technology, and how to receive energy transformation projects in harmony with the socio-economic transition process.

For her part, Khalidi affirmed UNDP's commitment to supporting Việt Nam in energy transition, towards realising the country’s net zero greenhouse gas emission target by 2050 and effectively responding to climate change.

She said she would work and coordinate closely with Vietnamese ministries, sectors and localities, including the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, to enquire about Việt Nam's priorities in the field of energy transition.

UNDP would also continue to deploy projects to ensure social security, prevent and control storms and floods in central coastal and Mekong Delta provinces; strengthen infrastructure links between localities; and maintain biodiversity and develop eco-tourism in Việt Nam, she affirmed.

The same afternoon, Deputy PM Hà had a meeting with Aler Grubbs, Director of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Việt Nam, during which he highly appreciated the US’s support for Việt Nam in terms of technology, human resources and finance to handle consequences of Agent Orange/dioxin and decontamination.

He said that energy was one of the top priorities in the two countries' cooperation against climate change, noting that Việt Nam needed support to achieve development goals in wind power, renewable energy, and smart grid.

The Deputy PM emphasised the important significance of promoting cooperation between Việt Nam and the US in the fields of agriculture, education, enhancing linkage between schools and businesses as well as between enterprises and financial institutions, and promoting training, cultural and art exchange.

Grubbs highly valued close cooperation between USAID and Vietnamese ministries and sectors in recent years, while expressing her pleasure with the cooperative achievements and results between the two countries.

She said the two countries would mark the 10th founding anniversary of the Comprehensive Partnership this year, and this would be an opportunity for the US and Việt Nam to continue promoting the relationship with many important activities, including those via USAID.