The Minister of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of the United Kingdom visited Vietnam on April 12-13 to enhance bilateral cooperation in agriculture and environment.

During her visit to Vietnam, Minister Thérèse Coffey discussed with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Trần Hồng Hà on enhancing cooperation to combat the impacts of climate change. 

The UK government has been supporting Vietnam in its fight against climate change and biodiversity conservation with over £17.8 million in funding through seven official development assistance projects. 

These projects include forestry and carbon market development, promoting sustainable aquaculture and livelihood models, plastic waste reduction, biodiversity conservation, and the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), aimed at assisting Vietnam in achieving its climate commitments and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. 

Additionally, Coffey also met with Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Lê Minh Hoan to discuss bilateral trade activities in agriculture, food and drinks, and signed a Memorandum of Understanding to implement programs under the UK’s Biodiversity Fund in Vietnam.

These projects include forestry and carbon market development, promoting sustainable aquaculture and livelihood models, plastic waste reduction, biodiversity conservation, and the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), aimed at assisting Vietnam in achieving its climate commitments and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

During her visit, Coffey also met with Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Lê Minh Hoan, to discuss bilateral trade activities in agriculture, food and drinks, and signed a Memorandum of Understanding to implement programs under the UK’s Biodiversity Fund in Vietnam. The programs will focus on promoting sustainable livelihood and agriculture models, green infrastructure, ecotourism, and combating illegal wildlife trade.

“I am delighted to visit Vietnam and sign the memorandum of understanding to implement the Biodiversity Fund. The fund will support six biodiversity and climate change hotspots globally, and in Vietnam we will work to promote sustainable livelihood models and nature conservation in the Mekong Delta region. As the UK and Vietnam mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations, this commitment to biodiversity conservation will strengthen bilateral relations and help to achieve our objectives under the Global Biodiversity Framework,” said Coffey.

During her visit, Coffey also visited Cuc Phuong National Park, home to the Vietnam Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Centre (SVW), a non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing and conserving endangered wildlife. The SVW was recently awarded £1 million in funding by the UK government for a project aimed at eradicating the illegal pangolin trade in Vietnam.

Source: Dan tri