180 Vietnamese and international delegates gathered in Hanoi on October 3 to attend the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) forum on green growth.
The forum,
themed “Jointly acting towards green economies”, is being held by the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry Natural Resources and Environment under the
sponsorship of the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the
Netherlands. 
Addressing the opening ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh said green growth not only provides a fresh impetus for the global economic recovery but is a sustainable development model with three closely interrelated and interactive factors such as developing the economy, ensuring social security and social welfare, and protecting the environment.
Building a “green economy” will bring about socio-economic benefits, thus contributing to achieving the Millennium Development Goals, Deputy PM Ninh said.
He said many ASEM members have taken the lead in making their economies greener and considered “green growth” to be a direction for their national development in the next few decades.
In line with fast and sustainable development, the Vietnamese government has emphasized the importance of promoting economic growth, ensuring social welfare, and protecting the environment as mentioned in its 2011-2020 socio-economic strategy, Mr. Ninh said, adding that Vietnam is now building a “green growth” strategy until 2020.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Doan Xuan Hung said at the eighth ASEM Summit in 2010, ASEM leaders pledged to strengthen cooperation among ASEM countries in raising awareness of the need to exchange information and train experts in the field of using the natural resources effectively and applying new technologies.
ASEM is a leading regional forum on promoting green growth, Hung said.
This year’s forum, with the participation of major economies, will make preparations for the ASEM Environment Ministers’ Meeting in Mongolia in 2012.
Participants agreed that as climate change is becoming a permanent threat, green growth is of great concern to many states.
ASEM should take the lead in developing new technologies and sharing experience to help promoting green growth in the whole region.
The two-day event will focus on discussing the importance of the green growth model and working out measures to help ASEM nations to build policies for green growth.
(VOV)
