Making the statement in an interview with the Vietnam NewsAgency on the threshold of the event, which will take place on June 22 and 23,Ambassador Thang said the conference is an initiativeactively promoted by France and is expected to serve as a bridge between theBridgetown Initiative and other important international events this year, suchas the G20 Summit in India, UN SDG Summit in New York, and UN Climate ChangeConference (UNFCCC COP 28) in Dubai, UAE.
The Paris Summit will be attended by nearly 100 leaders ofcountries and international organisations, as well as a large number ofrepresentatives from the private sector and businesses. The Vietnamesedelegation to the event is led by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha.
Regarding Vietnam's participation in this event, Thang said as a countrygreatly affected by natural disasters and climate change, the Southeast Asiannation has identified green growth as an important strategy towards sustainabledevelopment.
According to the diplomat, in recent years, the Vietnamese Partyand the State have consistently shown special attention and allocated financialresources to green growth, with the resolve torespond to climate change and build a green, circular, and environmentallyfriendly economy. This is evident through its strong commitment to achievenet-zero emissions by 2050 made at the COP26 conference and decision to join theJust Energy Transition Partnership (JETP). These commitments are expected to servethe country’s socio-economic development and contribute to the internationalcommunity's climate change response efforts.
The attendance at the Paris Summit is a step for Vietnam to mobilise financial resources and technologies to carry out its policy on developing green and circular economy, and realise its commitment to net zero emisssions by 2050 with international support, Thang said.
The Ambassador affirmed that, like other developing countries, Vietnam believes that theenergy transition process should be fair. Each country needs to fully considerthe rights of all its people and ensure that no one is left behind. Big emitters of greenhouse gases in the past have the responsibility tofulfill their historical obligations and support developing countries in termsof finance, technology and capacity enhancement in energy transition. At thesame time, developing countries need to have appropriate transition roadmaps that take into account their specific conditions and circumstances.
According to him, France highly appreciates Vietnam'scommitments and policies in the climate and environmental fields, the country'srole as a partner in climate diplomacy, and its support for climate andenvironmental development. The French Development Agency (AFD) is also at theforefront of implementing France’s climate policies in Vietnam, providingsignificant funding for related projects./.