Danish Minister for Development Cooperation Ulla Tørnæs visited Hanoi 4-5 May to further strengthen the Denmark-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership. The Main focus of the visit, hosted MPI-Minister Mr. Dung, was sustainable growth and new strategic sector-cooperation projects within food safety, environment, health and vocational education between Danish and Vietnamese authorities.
On 4 May the Danish minister went for a walk through the alleys of Ngoc Ha food market to see where most Vietnamese do their daily shopping and understand the complexities of the local food supply chains. Later she visited Dabaco – a large-scale pig farm in Bac Ninh province to explore the potentials of Vietnamese private sector in pig production.
“Denmark is a world-leader in both food safety and pork production, and I hope that we will able to assist in strengthening the sector, and that this will be yet another good example of the longstanding Danish-Vietnamese collaboration within the food and agricultural sectors”, Minister Ulla Tørnæs said while touring around the pig farm.
Ulla Tørnæs also visited Hanoi University of Public Health (HUPH) along with 70 students from the university and Vietnamese Alumni students of Public Health. At the event, the Danish Minister gave a speech to raise awareness to the contribution to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals and to emphasize the importance of addressing the rising non-communicable diseases in Vietnam.
During the Ministers visit to the university, students from HUPH also got the chance to be tested for diabetes. Doctors took blood samples from the group of students, tested the blood sugar levels, analysed the blood and informed the students about the overall results of the blood tests. Afterwards each tested student received small gifts from the Danish Minister as a token of appreciation for their participation.
“Sustainable growth is not just about the ‘green sectors’. Sustainable growth requires a conducive business framework, strong institutions for efficient implementation of policies, further international integration, a lively civil society; and free flow of ideas that can support the transition to a more knowledge-based economy and society. Denmark stands ready to continue working with Vietnam on the challenges and solutions ahead. Denmark will remain a committed and active partner in Vietnam’s future development,“ the Danish minister said at a press conference.
Vietnamese media VNA reported that Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc had, as he welcomed Ulla Tørnæs, wished Danish investors success in Vietnam, stressing that the Vietnamese Government is working hard to create the best possible investment and business environment for foreign firms.
PM Phuc noted that Denmark is among the first West European countries to invest in Vietnam and is now an important trade-investment partner of the country.
He called on more Danish companies to invest and do business in Vietnam.
Minister Ulla Tørnæs said she was impressed by Vietnam’s economic growth, adding that bilateral trade between Denmark and Vietnam has been on the rise and more and more Danish enterprises have noticed Vietnam.
The minister stressed that she hopes for the early signing and approval of the EU-Vietnam FTA, which will facilitate trade between Vietnam and Denmark.
Sources: Embassy of Denmark in Hanoi, VNA
