Climate change mitigation and adaptation, marine waste management, environmentally sustainable cities, and air and water pollution are among cooperation areas targeted by Vietnam and Japan in the time ahead.

On this occasion, the ministries signed a document extending their bilateral
memorandum of understanding on environmental cooperation.
(Photo: baotainguyenmoitruong.vn) 

Vietnamese Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha and Japanese Minister of the Environment Koizumi Shinjiro discussed cooperation between their ministries at an online meeting on August 28. The ministerial-level meeting between the two ministries formed part of the sixth Vietnam-Japan Environmental Policy Dialogue.

The two sides also plan to work together in environmental protection for chemical activities, environmental technology, measurement, reporting and verification (MRV), low-carbon technology, bio-diversity preservation, and other issues regarding environmental protection and improvement.

In his remarks, Ha lauded the support in different forms of the Japanese ministry and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to Vietnam in the processing of amending the Law on Environmental Protection.

He suggested the two countries adjust cooperation contents in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic posing challenges for both nations and the world at large.

The minister urged both sides to step up cooperation in climate change response, natural disaster combat, environmental protection and ocean plastic waste management.

Minister Koizumi expressed his hope that Vietnam will work with Japan towards the goal of reducing the use of fossil fuels, and in managing, collecting and treating marine plastic waste.

 On this occasion, the ministries signed document extending their bilateral memorandum of understanding on environmental cooperation, which reiterated the significance of actions aiming to rapidly and successfully implement the Paris agreement and sustainable development goals.

Within the framework of the dialogue, the ministries also held a meeting on August 24 to review their cooperation and map out orientations for their partnership in the time ahead.