Vietnamese Ambassador to Denmark Lương Thanh Nghị. — VNA/VNS Photo Mạnh Hùng

BERLIN — One decade after their comprehensive partnership was set up (September 19, 2013-2023), Việt Nam and Denmark have enjoyed extensive, substantive and effective cooperation, Vietnamese Ambassador to Denmark Lương Thanh Nghị has told the Vietnam News Agency.

The two sides regularly maintain delegation exchanges at all levels, especially high-level visits and meetings, which not only shows respect for each other’s roles, but also helps orient specific cooperation contents. Most recently, in the official visit to Việt Nam by Danish Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary Elizabeth last November, the two sides signed 14 memoranda of understanding on cooperation in the field of energy, particularly renewables.

They also support each other at regional and international multilateral forums such as the United Nations and its bodies, the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the European Union (EU).

Two-way trade nearly doubled in the past decade from US$480 million in 2013 to nearly $900 million last year. More and more Danish investors are paying attention to seeking cooperation opportunities and expanding business and production in Việt Nam. As of December 2022, Denmark had run 155 investment projects worth $1.78 billion, ranking 22nd out of the 141 nations and territories pouring capital into the Southeast Asian country.

However, there remains ample room to further develop the bilateral ties, Nghị said, adding that the two sides are working on upgrading their relationship to a new height to create a premise to promote cooperation in many new areas such as green transition, digital transformation, and renewable energy development, which all hold strategic significance for Việt Nam’s development as well as for the benefit of each country.

Currently, most Danish businesses operating in Việt Nam or in their country are accelerating their green transformation and fulfilling their social responsibilities, especially in environmental protection, following the criteria set by the Danish government.

A prominent example is the construction of the world’s first carbon-neutral factory with a total investment of over $1 billion, which Lego is currently implementing in Việt Nam’s southern province of Bình Dương. Therefore, creating conditions for large businesses like Lego and others to operate effectively in Việt Nam not only provides immediate benefits such as job creation and contributions to the Vietnamese economy but also offers long-term value by encouraging and attracting more Danish businesses as well as businesses from other countries to confidently invest in Việt Nam, the ambassador said.

To soon upgrade the bilateral relations to a green strategic partnership level, Ambassador Nghị proposed the two countries continue deepening and consolidating the bilateral political and diplomatic relations, maintaining delegation exchanges, boosting collaboration in economics, trade and investment, with focus on renewable energy, hi-tech agriculture, health, transportation, logistics, digital transformation and innovation.

Priority will be given to collaboration in fields related to green growth and sustainable development such as renewable energy development, specifically offshore wind power and the development of human resources and supporting industries in this field.

The embassy will exert every effort to serve as a bridge connecting the two countries’ people and businesses, thus contributing to each country’s development and the bilateral comprehensive and strategic relations, added Nghị. — VNS