Vietnam–Norway Joint Statement
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam and Norway issued a joint statement on the
official visit to Norway by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc as well as agreements
reached by the countries’ leaders during the visit.
The following is the full text of the Joint Statement.
“At the invitation of HE Erna
Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway, HE Mr Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister of Vietnam,
paid an official visit to the Kingdom of Norway on May 24-25, 2019.
1. During the visit, Prime
Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc held talks with Prime Minister Erna Solberg, had an
audience with His Majesty King Harald V, and
paid a courtesy call to Tone W. Trøen, Speaker of the Norwegian Storting.
2. The two prime
ministers acknowledged the strengthening and broadening of bilateral relations
between Vietnam and Norway. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc commended Norway for
its economic performance in recent years, and for its progress in the area of green
growth. Prime Minister Erna Solberg commended Vietnam for its socio-economic
achievements and the responsible role it has played in multilateral organisations,
for example its successful hosting of the APEC Summit in 2017, the World Economic
Forum on ASEAN in 2018 and the US-DPRK Second Summit in early 2019.
3. Prime Minister Erna
Solberg and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc expressed their appreciation of
more than four decades of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Norway and of
the two countries’ longstanding friendship and multifaceted cooperation.
4. The two prime
ministers welcomed the growing economic ties between Vietnam and Norway, as
seen in the ever closer bilateral
cooperation in fields such as forestry, environmental protection, fisheries,
aquaculture, renewable energy, LNG, maritime transport and shipbuilding. Both
prime ministers reaffirmed their determination to further strengthen economic,
trade and investment relations in a sustainable and inclusive way, and expressed their
countries’ commitment to seeking an early conclusion of the negotiations on a
comprehensive and ambitious Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and EFTA.
5. The prime
ministers encouraged the business communities of both countries to continue to
promote and expand their trade and investment cooperation, especially in important
areas such as the ocean economy, green
and renewable energy, information technology and consumer goods. They
welcomed the Vietnam–Norway Business Forum held in Oslo in connection with the
visit.
6. The two prime
ministers also encouraged ministries and agencies in both countries to expand their bilateral dialogue and cooperation in
areas such as education, tourism, sport, culture, people-to-people exchange, and
in areas relating to the women, peace and security agenda, including UN Security
Council resolution 1325.
7. Norway and Vietnam
are both under review by the UPR Working Group this year, and both leaders
highlighted the importance of the UPR process as a universal, transparent,
state-led peer review mechanism based on dialogue and cooperation. Both prime ministers acknowledged the constructive human rights dialogue between Vietnam and
Norway, and highlighted the importance of the rule of law, human rights, and
the implementation of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Declaration on
Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and commitments made under regional
and international free trade agreements.
8. Both sides agreed
to continue to exchange visits and delegations at all levels, especially at high
level, building on the official visit to Vietnam in 2015 by Prime Minister Erna
Solberg and the working visit to Norway in October 2018 by Deputy Prime
Minister Trinh Dinh Dung, which gave new impetus to the multifaceted
cooperation between the two countries. They also agreed to continue to carry
out the annual political consultations at deputy foreign minister level, and other
bilateral dialogues on issues of mutual concern.
9. The two prime
ministers stressed the importance of global efforts to reduce emissions from
deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries, and welcomed the
successful completion of the six-year UN-REDD programme in Vietnam. They also emphasised
their shared commitment to inclusive and sustainable development, as reflected
in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development
Goals. They applauded the important action taken by many countries to tackle the
issues of climate change, rising sea levels and marine plastic litter. Prime Minister Erna Solberg referred to ongoing and new regional projects on
marine litter involving ASEAN member states. She welcomed the fact
that Vietnam will be represented at the Our Ocean Conference in Oslo in October
this year.
10. The two prime ministers also compared notes on regional
and international issues of mutual concern. They agreed to enhance the two countries’ cooperation
in regional and multilateral forums, especially in the UN, the ASEAN–Norway Sectoral
Dialogue Partnership, and ASEM.
11. Vietnam and Norway share a commitment to a fair, just
and rules-based international order and a multilateral system with the UN at
its core. Both countries attach importance to the role of the UN in addressing international
disputes through dialogue and consultations, in accordance with the UN Charter
and international law. Both
countries see the protection of civilians from explosive remnants of war as a
priority, including through risk education and the clearance of anti-personnel
mines and cluster munitions. Norway holds the Presidency of the Mine Ban Treaty
for 2019, and has invited Vietnam to participate at the Fourth Review
Conference in Oslo in November 2019.
12. The two prime
ministers agreed that, if both countries
are elected non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for the periods
2020-2021 and 2021-2022, respectively, this will provide a good opportunity for
Vietnam and Norway to work together to promote regional and global peace and
security cooperation.
13. Both prime
ministers expressed their support for efforts to promote peace, stability,
cooperation and friendship in South East Asia. They reaffirmed the importance
of safeguarding the freedoms, rights and duties set out in the 1982 United
Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which provides the legal
framework for all activities in the oceans and seas, and called on all parties
to settle any disputes through peaceful means and in accordance with
international law.”-VNA