Author: web Desk

Offshore renewable energy was the centre of discussion at the 10th Ocean Dialogue in the central province of Khanh Hoa on March 23.

The event, entitled “Offshore Renewable Energy: Opportunities and Challenges to Green Transition”, drew the virtual and in-person participation of more than 200 domestic and foreign experts. It was jointly organised by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV) and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Foundation (KAS).

In his remarks, Assistant to the Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Vu expressed optimism about the development of renewable energy in general and wind power in particular.

In the long term, offshore wind power will be cheaper than current fossil fuel-based energy sources, he said, adding that other types of offshore renewable energy are also becoming indispensable elements of the modern, blue economy.

Vietnam is committed to joining the common effort of mankind to promote clean energy, as demonstrated through its commitments at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) and the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), the official said.

Vietnam is an attractive market for investment in this field and hopes to attract the participation and support of foreign partners through investment, technology, finance and capacity building to realise the goal of building a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy, he went on.

The dialogue, which consisted of four sessions, focused offshore renewable energy and geopolitics; the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and offshore renewable energy; regional and international practice on offshore renewable energy; and policy recommendations on offshore renewable energy development in the East Sea (internationally known as South China Sea).

Participants said that while offshore renewable energy plays an increasingly important role in the world and regional economy, it still faces a lot of challenges such as pandemics, conflicts and trade disputes which adversely affect the development of offshore renewable energy in particular and the transition to greener and cleaner energy in general.

They also discussed the legal framework governing the exploitation of offshore renewable energy, particularly wind power.

Giulia Cretti, a research fellow at the EU and Global Affairs Unit of Clingendael – the Netherlands Institute of International Relations, said that the East Sea has abundant offshore wind energy potential.

The region can serve the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in its ambition to increase the proportion of renewable energy to 23% by 2030, she said.

Some speakers said that transnational cooperation is the “key” to the development of offshore renewable energy in the East Sea.

They suggested that countries should have policies to encourage the use of new technologies, support infrastructure development, train high-quality human resources and launch appropriate financial support packages for the development of offshore renewable energy in general and offshore wind power in particular, contributing to the region’s efforts to reduce emissions to zero.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnam and Cambodia agreed to continue maintaining high-level exchanges, consultations, and bilateral mechanisms in the coming time at the 20th meeting of the Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Committee on economic, cultural, scientific and technological cooperation in Hanoi on March 21.

The meeting was co-chaired by Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn in the framework of the latter’s ongoing official visit to Vietnam.

In his remarks at the meeting, FM Son expressed his delight at the fruitful development of the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia, saying that stakeholders in the two countries have coordinated to successfully organise important events and commemorative activities in the Vietnam – Cambodia Friendship Year 2022. The events have contributed to further tightening the bilateral relations, and raising awareness of people of the traditional friendship between the two countries, he said.

For his part, Prak Sokhonn said bilateral cooperation mechanisms and cooperation between ministries, sectors and localities of th two countries have been strengthened and proven effective.

He added that the meeting offered an opportunity for the two sides to discuss how to further improve the effectiveness of bilateral cooperation at regional and international forums.

The two sides discussed cooperation outcomes among ministries and sectors in recent times across all fields of politics-diplomacy, defence, security, border control, economy, trade, investment, transport, education-training, culture, sports, tourism, health care, and justice.

They shared pleasure at the two sides’ close coordination in successfully organising a high-level meeting between the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Cambodian People’s Party on February 18, 2023; the official visits of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue to Cambodia in 2022; as well as other activities to mark the 55th founding anniversary of the diplomatic ties.

Defence-security cooperation has become an increasingly important pillar, while economic cooperation has been also a highlight in bilateral relations in recent years. Last year, two-way trade hit 10.57 billion USD, up nearly 11% year-on-year. Vietnam is Cambodia’s third largest trade partner in ASEAN. Vietnam has so far 205 valid investment projects worth 2.94 billion USD in Cambodia, ranking first in ASEAN and among the five biggest foreign investors in Cambodia.

The two sides agreed to continue effectively implementing signed agreements; strengthening security and defence cooperation; working together to boost economic connectivity and deal with difficulties facing businesses of both countries; and maintaining the stable growth of bilateral trade and investment.

They also concurred to step up partnerships in transport, tourism, agro-forestry-fisheries, telecommunications and information technology, labour, natural resources and environment, whilst promoting cooperation among localities and within the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam (CLV) Development Triangle. They agreed to work closely in searching for, collecting and repatriating the remains of Vietnamese soldiers who fell down in Cambodia during wartime.

On behalf of the two governments, FM Son and Sokhonn signed the meeting’s minutes. The 21st meeting of the committee is scheduled to be held in Cambodia in 2024./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency