S.Korean Updates: The 9th Korea-Vietnam Environment Ministers’ Meeting

The 9th Korea-Vietnam Environment Ministers’ Meeting

The Minister Environment Yoo Young-sook is having the 9th Environment Ministers’ Meeting with the Minister Nguyen Minh Quang (Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment) on 7 May in Vietnam and will be discussing plans for enhancing environmental cooperation between the two countries. Ever since the first meeting in August 2000 in Hanoi, the two countries have been taking turns in holding the meetings.

The discussions will be mainly about cooperation plans between the two countries in cultivating environmental industries for green growth, relating to measures against the climate change. Assessment on the performance of the businesses agreed at the 8th meeting in last year will be also reviewed for future cooperation plans.

In particular, both countries are planning to focus on cooperation enhancement plans for soil and underground water purification project which is of Vietnam’s concern. For active performance of the project, conclusion of Implementation Agreement (IA) for ‘Soil Pollution Purification and Legislation Improvement’ and construction of mutual cooperation relationship for enhancing the competence for Vietnam’s Soil and Underground Water policy are planned. It is expected that legal grounds for implementing the Vietnam’s soil purification project will be established through the efforts and cooperation between the countries will be reinforced by setting master plan for demonstration project for the soil pollution purification and by co-hosting relevant seminars.  

Also, Minister Yoo is considering requesting for Korea Environment Corporation (KECO) to take part in the construction project for ‘Water Quality Auto-monitoring System for Nhue-Day and Dong Nai River’, the project which is underway by Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. KECO is currently operating water quality remote monitoring system on the Korea’s major four rivers.       

During the visit, Minister Yoo is also planning to open ‘The 2nd Korea-Vietnam Green Business Conference’ with 200 environmental businessmen and support development of Vietnam environmental markets and discovery of potential cooperative businesses.

To introduce the excellent technologies of environmental monitoring fields in Korea, 13 companies will attend the conference and demonstrate the technologies. 

The Ministry of Environment is hoping the meeting to become an opportunity to widen the grounds for Korea and Vietnam to be strategic partners, based on the past relationship.

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