Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of Vietnam, Dang Quoc Khanh, and Minister of Environment of South Korea, Han Wha-jin, co-chaired the 16th Vietnam-Korea Environment Ministers' meeting

Representatives from Vietnam included Director General of the Department of International Cooperation (ICD) Le Ngoc Tuan; Director General of the Department of Legal Affairs (DLA) Phan Tuan Hung; Director General of the Pollution Control Department (PCD) Hoang Van Thuc; Director General of the Department of Climate Change (DCC) Tang The Cuong; Director General of the Department of Water Resources Management (DWRM) Chau Tran Vinh; Chief of the Office Pham Tan Tuyen;  Deputy Chief of the Party Personnel Committee Office Nguyen Tien Duy; Director of the Viet Nam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate Change Pham Thi Thanh Nga; Director of the Viet Nam Institute of Geosciences and Mineral Resources (VIGMR) Trinh Hai Son and Ms. Nguyen Thi Cam Uyen from the International Cooperation Department.

From the Korean Ministry of Environment, attendees included Mr. Lee Youngseok, Director General of the Climate Change Policy Bureau; Mr. Lee Seung Hwan, Director General of the Water Resources Policy Bureau; Mr. Lee Hyungsup, Head of the International Cooperation Division; Mr. Choung Hwan Chin, Head of the Green Global Project Division; Ms. Lee Seohyeon, Head of the International Cooperation Division; Mr. Suh Minhwan, Director General of the National Institute of Biological Resources (NIBR); Mr. Jung Jae Woong, Executive Director of Resource Circulation, Korea Environment Corporation (KECO); Mr. Lee Myunghwan, President of the Korea Resource Circulation Service (KORA); and Mr. Kim Hongseok, Director of KORA. Strategic partners from both sides also attended the meeting.

The 16th Vietnam-Korea Environment Ministers' meeting

In his opening statement, Minister Dang Quoc Khanh conveyed his satisfaction in meeting again with Minister Han Wha-jin and their Korean colleagues in Seoul to assess past cooperation outcomes and discuss future priorities between their ministries. He emphasized the recent implementation of the Water Resources Law, supported by South Korea's policy guidance. Minister Dang Quoc Khanh expressed optimism for closer collaboration with the Korean Ministry of Environment in the management of water resources, including groundwater, saltwater intrusion, drought resilience, and water security.

Emphasizing the strategic importance of the Korean Ministry of Environment to Vietnam, Minister Dang Quoc Khanh appreciated the comprehensive cooperation efforts between the two ministries. He was confident that future cooperation would become more effective and practical, adapting to new environmental and climate conditions based on a longstanding cooperative tradition in environmental management, biodiversity, climate change, ocean plastic waste, and developing a circular economy for a sustainable future.

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Dang Quoc Khanh delivered a speech

At the conference, summaries of projects jointly coordinated and implemented were presented, including emission reduction projects, climate change adaptation projects in the Mekong Delta, conservation projects for Van Long and U Minh Thuong national parks, smart water management projects, emission trading projects, carbon credit exchange experiences, and the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system. These projects have been successfully implemented and met the expectations of both sides.

Minister Dang Quoc Khanh and Minister Han Wha-jin were pleased to note the positive and effective implementation of cooperation activities, especially in climate change, biodiversity, water resource management, environmental pollution control, and human resource development.

Minister Han Wha-jin believed that cooperation would be more effective and practical in the future as both governments elevated their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership. She noted that the Vietnam-Korea Environment Ministers' Meeting would concretize the agreed and implemented cooperation.

On this occasion, Minister Dang Quoc Khanh expressed his gratitude to Minister Han Wha-jin and the Korean Ministry of Environment for their support in the mentioned areas.

The 16th Vietnam-Korea Environment Ministers' Meeting will see discussions on future cooperation priorities by the ministers and their specialized agencies.

The Vietnam-Korea Environment Ministers' Meeting is an annual event, alternately hosted by Vietnam and Korea since 2000. In recent years, both countries have significantly strengthened bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest, especially in natural resources and environment.

Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, 2020, and 2021, the 15th meeting was not held. However, the environment ministers utilized online and high-level direct events to agree on cooperation areas, particularly in climate change.

This determination led to the signing of the Joint Cooperation Plan on Climate Change towards carbon neutrality by 2050, to implement commitments made by the Prime Minister at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in the UK.

Ngoc Huyen (NRE Newspaper)