PM discusses environment cooperation with RoK

Vietnam hopes to co-operate with the Republic of Korea (RoK) in human resource training and to receive support from the country in coping with climate change and sea level rise, said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

Dung made the comments when receiving RoK Minister of Environment Yoo Young Sook in Hanoi on May 7, adding that Vietnam has always prioritised environmental protection.

"The Vietnamese Government supports collaboration between the two environment ministries and promises that cooperative activities would be implemented effectively," he said.

The RoK minister, who is in Hanoi for the ninth meeting between the two ministries, confirmed that the nation is willing to cooperate and share its experiences with Vietnam in the environmental field.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung receives RoK Minister of Environment Yoo Young Sook in Hanoi on May 7.

Earlier the same day, the environment ministries of both countries held a business conference on green technology in Hanoi for relevant stakeholders to explore the opportunities for cooperation in environmental protection.

Addressing the conference, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Nguyen Minh Quang said the environment is among the major concerns of Vietnam.

Vietnam has been slow to adopt modern environmental technologies due to limited resources, and is therefore interested in closely cooperating with external partners to utilise their high-level expertise and investment capital.

South Korean Environment Minister Yoo Young Sook said her country wanted to share its strong expertise in water supply, waste treatment and land cleansing practices.

Ministry of Industry and Trade, the environmental protection activities in 16 economic sectors in Vietnam may necessitate a total investment of 7.6 billion USD.

Dang Van Loi, deputy director of the Vietnam Environment Administration's Pollution Control Department said that the current policies gave preferential treatment to enterprises using green technologies.

As of now, RoK ODA-funded green growth projects in Vietnam enjoy an interest rate 0.05 percent lower than the normal level.

At the conference, representatives from RoK presented a number of modern technologies used to treat waste in their country.