Danish PM Helle Thorning Schmidt concluded on Thursday 8 November 2012 her first official state visit to Vietnam, taking home stronger ties and common ground for further cooperation between the two countries. The PM started off her visit at the Xa Dan School in Hanoi Wednesday morning, talking to kids and feeling inspired by the schools approach to education. The school visit was a high priority for the PM as she has recently been appointed Champion for Education by UN Secretery-Generel Ban Ki-Moon.
The PM proceeded to promote Danish-Vietnamese business ties, meeting with Prime minister Nguyen Tan Dung Thursday morning for the signing of cooperation agreements between Danish companies Novo Nordisk and Semco Maritime and their respective Vietnamese partners.
She also visited the National Monument of Heroes and Martyrs in Hanoi, laying wraths to commemorate the fallen and attended an official procession at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, before launching her growth strategy for Vietnam at the Carlsberg-Habeco breweries in the city.
She finalized her visit with a courtesy call on the Vietnamese president H.E. Mr. Truong Tan Sang and a lengthy sit down with Communist Party Secretary General, Nguyen Phu Trong.
The PM left behind her Minister for Climate, Energy and Building, Mr. Martin Lidegaard, as he continued the Danish push for green growth and climate awareness by visiting climate projects in Ben Tre in the country’s south on Friday.
