Politics

Norway’s Prime Minister arrives in Hanoi for official visit

Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg arrived in Hanoi on April 16, beginning her three-day official visit to Vietnam as guest of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.
Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg arrived in Hanoi on April 16,beginning her three-day official visit to Vietnam as guest of PrimeMinister Nguyen Tan Dung.

Erna Solberg’s visit is intended toseek concrete orientations and measures to step up bilateral cooperationacross economy, investment, climate change, water management, renewableenergy, agriculture, maritime economy, oil and gas, and theship-building industry.

It also looks to push up the negotiationson a free trade agreement between Vietnam and the European Free TradeArea (EFTA) for its conclusion in 2015, as well as acceleratingaffiliation in realising the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) andworking out Sustainable Development Goalds in post-2015.

Vietnamand Norway established their diplomatic ties in November 1971 and haveseen their relations actively developing across politics, economics,culture and society.

Bilateral trade was postedat 307.8 million USD in 2014, rising by 28 percent from the previousyear. Vietnam mainly exports textile-garments, footwear, timber and woodproducts and cashew nuts to Norway while importing aquatic, chemicaland steel products; machinery; spare parts; and fertilisers.

Bythe end of February 2015, Norway had 30 valid projects with totalregistered capital of 121 million USD in Vietnam, ranking 37 th amongcountries and territories investing in the Southeast Asian nation.

Vietnam does not currently have any direct investments in the European nation.

Norway is currently one of the largest sponsors of Vietnam in the UNProgramme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and ForestDegradation (UN-REDD). It pledged to provide more than 30 million USDfor the UN-REDD implementation in Vietnam from 2013 and 2015.

Norwegian-funded projects in education, healthcare, natural resourcemanagement and renewable energy are also being carried out efficiently,helping the Southeast Asian nation fulfil the UN Millennium DevelopmentGoals (MDGs) ahead of schedule.

Norway’s total assistance to Vietnam now exceeds 320 million USD.-VNA
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