Vietnam is one of the strongest partners of Norway in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Norwegian Minister of International Development Åsmund Aukrust told the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of his working visit to Vietnam.
Minister Aukrust said that he sees many possibilities for even stronger relationship between Norway and Vietnam, underpinned by shared values such as trust in and respect for international law and the United Nations Charter. He said the two countries are working closely together to address climate challenges and cooperating in areas of mutual interest, including energy, fisheries and ocean governance. These commonalities, he stressed, provided ample room for the bilateral partnership to develop further.
Regarding Vietnam’s role in Norway’s economic and investment activities in Southeast Asia, the minister said Norway is proud to have been a partner of ASEAN for many years, with Vietnam standing out as one of its strongest partners in the region. He observed that Norwegian businesses showed growing interest in investing in Vietnam, noting that many have already operated successfully in the country. During his visit, he had met several Norwegian enterprises active in Vietnam, all of which expressed satisfaction with their operations and highlighted their meaningful investments and positive contributions to the Vietnamese economy. He added that these experiences reinforced Norway’s view of Vietnam as a particularly attractive destination within Southeast Asia.
On climate change and environmental protection, areas in which Norway is widely regarded as a pioneer, Minister Aukrust underscored the important role of the Norwegian Investment Fund for Developing Countries (Norfund) as the Government’s main investment instrument. He said Norway and Vietnam are already cooperating in various fields and can expand collaboration further in forest protection, ocean conservation and climate-related investments. Norfund, he noted, is currently investing in Vietnam, opening up significant opportunities to deepen cooperation on climate action and energy transition.
For the next decade, the minister said the two countries have agreed to implement a bilateral green strategic partnership programme. He described the framework as broad and forward-looking, focusing on shared priorities such as climate investment and energy transition. He also pointed to Vietnam’s strong interest in the circular economy, identifying it as a key area for expanded cooperation in the coming years.
Commenting on Vietnam’s successful organisation of the 14th National Party Congress, Aukrust said he welcomes updates on its outcomes and expressed particular appreciation for the emphasis placed on international law and the UN Charter in Vietnam’s foreign policy, which he said closely aligned with Norway’s own approach. He also highlighted the importance attached to the circular economy in discussions at the Congress and in Vietnam’s five-year development plan, viewing this as a promising avenue for enhanced bilateral collaboration.
Regarding green transition, the official said Vietnam is sending a strong and positive signal of its ambition to take a leading role in this field, which he believes will make the country increasingly attractive to international investors, including those from Norway. He expressed satisfaction with Vietnam’s proactive and constructive role in advancing this matter.
Sharing Norway’s experience in pursuing energy transition and net-zero emissions goals, Minister Aukrust stressed the importance of embedding these objectives within strong institutional systems and a clear policy framework. He affirmed Norway’s readiness to share experience and facilitate connections with relevant experts to support Vietnam in achieving its long-term targets.
From a policy perspective, he emphasised that transparency and predictability are essential to creating a favourable environment for long-term investment in energy transition.
“The most important thing that we have learned from the Norwegian model is that we have trust to each other between the government, the industry, the workers, civil society and investors,” he shared, underscoring the need for close cooperation, clear regulations and stable, consistent policies to ensure sustainable progress./.
