Vietnam Makes Strong Commitments to Climate Change Resilience at G7 Summit

Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said at Expanded G7 Summit held in Japan on May 27 that the country will join hands in realizing the Paris Agreement which was reached at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP-21). Vietnam will participate in regional and international forums to reduce gas emissions, protect water resource, and improve capacity to adapt to climate change, prevent drought, and saltwater intrusion. The Vietnamese leader made the statement while addressing the first working session of the summit held in Ise-Shima, Japan’s Mie prefecture. Vietnam appreciates the “Partnership for Quality Infrastructure in Asia” and the “Japan-Mekong Connectivity” initiatives launched by Japan, also welcomes the support provided by other G7 member countries, including the U.S. and the Friends of the Lower Mekong (FLM) for sustainable development in the Mekong River basin through a new initiative on the Sustainable Infrastructure Program (SIP), he said. The leader highlighted increasingly complex challenges to regional peace and security, firstly maritime and aviation security, safety and freedom in the East Sea. Unilateral activities that go against international law and regional agreements such as the large-scale reclamation of man-made islands, changing the status quo, and scaling up militarization are seriously threatening regional peace and stability, he said. Vietnam welcomes the G7 nations to raise their voices in maritime security and peaceful settlement of disputes on the basis of international law and regional agreements. The expanded G7 summit saw the participation of leaders from G7 members – Japan, the US, the UK, France, Germany, Canada and Italy – along with representatives from the EU, and invited guests, including leaders from Vietnam, Indonesia, Laos, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Papua New Guinea and international organizations such as the United Nations, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Asian Development Bank. (Vietnamplus.vn May 27)