National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and Hermen Borst, Dutch Director of the Staff of the Delta Programme Commissioner (Photo: VNA) The Hague (VNA) – Vietnam wishes to learn from the Netherlands’ experience in planningstrategies and mobilising finance to sustainably develop its Mekong Delta, saidNational Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.
Ngan made theremark while meeting Hermen Borst, Director of the Staff of the Delta ProgrammeCommissioner, in The Hague on March 26, as part of her official trip to theEuropean country.
Underscoring her visit’saim of strengthening ties with the Netherlands and its parliament, the toplegislator said Vietnam – Netherlands relations have undergone 45 years of fruitfuldevelopment across fields, with increasing political trust.
The two countriessigned strategic partnership arrangements on Climate Change Adaptation andWater Management in 2010 and on Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security in2014, she noted, saying these are effective cooperation models capitalising onthe Netherlands’ strengths and contributing to sustainable growth in Vietnam.
For his part,Hermen Borst said he took part in a conference on sustainable development ofMekong Delta in response to climate change held in Vietnam’s Can Tho city lastyear.
He said he wasimpressed with the speech made by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at theconference and with the local Government’s issuance of Resolution 120/NQ-CP onthe matter in 2017.
Both Vietnam andthe Netherlands are affected by climate change, the official noted, informingthe Vietnamese NA Chairwoman of his country’s experience in the field,particularly its promulgation of the Delta Act and Delta Programme.
The Delta Actconstitutes the legal basis for the Delta Fund, which can be used to financethe projects of the Delta Programme. The Delta Commissioner is leading theDelta Programme, which includes research to identify the climate challenges andpotential solutions, and submission of recommendations to the parliament forsuitable financing.
With suchexperience, the Netherlands wants to stand side by side with Vietnam inadapting to climate change and protecting water resources, he affirmed.
Expressing herdelight at the Dutch official’s sharing, Ngan said it would be valuableknowledge for Vietnam along its path to sustainably develop the MekongDelta.-VNA
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