Due to their similar geographical features and advantages, the Viet Nam and the Netherlands have increased their sustainable development partnership in agriculture, water management, and climate change adaptation, said Ambassador of the Netherlands to Viet Nam Kees van Baar.

Agriculture plays a pivotal role in the economies of Viet Nam and the Netherlands and is deeply imprinted in the culture and people of the two countries, the diplomat told Dau tu (Vietnam Investment Review).

Close co-operation between the two sides has resulted in new visions and the blooming of business cooperation, with a growing number of the Netherlands' companies doing business and investing in Viet Nam.

The Netherlands is the largest European investor in Viet Nam. With their investments and innovative and sustainable operations, the country's businesses actively contribute to Viet Nam’s progress, he said.

He added that but even more significant, Vietnamese companies setting up businesses in the Netherlands as well.

Regarding the two countries' co-operation in green trade, Kees van Baar said that Viet Nam and the Netherlands are delta countries and are vulnerable to rising sea levels resulting from climate change.

The countries also aim to become climate neutral in 2050 by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Currently, the EU is developing and implementing new rules and regulations to support its climate ambitions, like the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive.

He said that these new mechanisms will become effective in the coming years and will modernise and strengthen the rules for imports to the EU markets regarding environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria.

For companies exporting from Viet Nam to the EU or being in the supply chain of an EU company, he added that there would be strong incentives to invest in ESG reporting to enjoy low tariffs and easy access to EU markets.

Therefore, the Netherlands invests in ESG capacity building for Vietnamese companies. In the framework of the GEFE 2022 event in HCM City, the embassy offered workshops. It will continue to do so in the context of the ‘Ready to Export’ programme, which is being implemented by the Dutch Business Association in Viet Nam and Vietrade.

Regarding the two countries’ hi-tech co-operation, the ambassador said that the Netherlands is a small country in terms of area, but it is the 15th largest economy in the world.

The Netherlands has a rich history of entrepreneurial innovation with world-famous inventions, ranging from microscopes and telescopes to CDs and DVDs, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

During his visit to the Netherlands last December, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited the world-leading production and knowledge economy of the province of North Brabant and the Brainport region in and around the city of Eindhoven.

In response to PM Chinh’s wish to strengthen bilateral co-operation in innovation and creativity, the Netherlands is ready to share with Viet Nam the knowledge and experience of our transition from a traditional agricultural and manufacturing industry into a world-leading high-tech hotspot, the ambassador said.

He added that they plan to organise in 2023 a mission of the Netherlands' businesses, knowledge institutes, and other stakeholders from the innovation ecosystem to Viet Nam to exchange ideas and discuss co-operation possibilities. — VNS