Hanoi (VNA) - The Asia PacificFoundation of Canada (APF Canada) has published on its website an interviewwith Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the conclusion of the 44th G7summit held on June 8–9, 2018, in Quebec. The following is the full text of theinterview.

Correspondent: Ocean is an agenda item for this year’s G7 Leaders’ Outreach Session.We know that Vietnam is a coastal country highly vulnerable to the impacts ofclimate change. Mr. Prime Minister, could you please share with us the policiesthat Vietnam is pursuing to develop its marine economy and protect the marineenvironment?

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc: The 21st century is the century of oceans, as the seasand oceans are the habitat and development space for the coastal countries ingeneral and the planet as a whole. Therefore, the development of maritimeeconomy and the protection of the marine environment play a very important rolein the sustainable development of coastal countries, including Vietnam.

Our country has immense potential for marine economy development:a 3,260 km long coastline, or one kilometer of coastline for every 100 squarekilometers of land, six times greater than the world average. Vietnam has 1million square kilometers of territorial waters, endowed with rich andlucrative resources, such as seafood (3 to 3.5 million tonnes), oil and gas,and other mineral resources. Vietnam has more than 2,770 islands and islets,and many beautiful bays recognized as world heritages, such as Ha Long Bay, and125 beautiful scenic beaches, 20 among them are of international standards.These make for enormous potential for the development of maritime tourism.

In addition, Vietnam isalso located in a very important geo-strategic position on the internationaltrade lane connecting the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Five out of ten largestsea lanes in the world pass through the East Sea (a.k.a. South China Sea),accounting for more than 50 percent of total global shipments. With more than90 ports, including deep-water international transit ports, Vietnam boastsexcellent potential in the development of sea transport, transit and logistics.

Given such rich potential, marine economy and seaward developmenthave been Vietnam's strategic development orientation for many years. Ourvision is to build Vietnam into a marine-capable country. We have set thetarget that by 2020, the marine and coastal economic sectors shall account for55 percent of our GDP and 60 percent of gross export.

To realize the above vision and goal, Vietnam has beenimplementing many policies, plans and measures to develop the marine economyand protect the marine environment.

First, we have been improving theinstitutions, policies, legal framework and planning for the sea and islands.The Sea Law, Marine Resources and Environment Law and relevant regulations arebeing effectively implemented. Vietnam has acceded to multiple internationalmaritime protocols and agreements in order to create the legal framework forthe development of the marine economy.

Second, we are consistentlyimplementing policies pertaining to the research and development andapplication of marine science and technologies. We are modernizing the marineinfrastructure to support the marine economy such as coastal roads and the portnetwork. Vietnam has established a number of competitive marine industries,such as tourism, aquaculture, fishing and seafood processing, oil and gasexploitation and production as well as fifteen coastal economic zones. Theexport value of seafood in 2017 exceeded 8.3 billion USD, a record year-onincrease of 19 percent. The figure for the first five months of 2018 amountedto 3.15 billion USD, up 11 percent year-on year.

Third, we consider theprotection of the marine environment and ecology an extremely important,regular and long-term mission. Developing the marine economy concurrently withthe protection of the marine environment is Vietnam's consistent position inher marine strategy, the principle being that “use and extraction” need to gohand-in-hand with “protection and renewal”, without trading off the environmentfor economic growth. All development projects must ensure full and effectiveobservance of environment protection regulations. The Vietnamese governmentencourages businesses within and outside of Vietnam to invest into thesustainable development of the marine economy, such as marine ecosystemprotection, sustainable aquaculture and renewable energy development, treatmentof waste discharged into the sea, and enhancing capacity for responding toclimate change and rising sea level.

Fourth, we will step upinternational cooperation and integration, thus making active and responsiblecontribution to the reinforcement of peace and stability in the seas. Vietnamsupports the effort of the international community that contributessubstantially to the maintenance of peace, stability, security, safety andfreedom of navigation and overflight, and to the protection of the marineenvironment. Vietnam’s consistent policy is to resolve differences and disputesthrough peaceful means in compliance with international law, in particular the1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea; respect the diplomaticand legal processes; promote mutual trust; refrain from the use or threat offorce; fully and effectively implement the Declaration of Conduct of Parties inthe South China Sea (DOC); and work towards the early conclusion of asubstantive and effective Code of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea(COC).

Vietnamstands ready to promote cooperation with all countries and partners in the developmentof marine economy, on the basis of equality, mutual benefit and observance ofinternational law towards the common goal of clean, peaceful and stable oceansfor the common prosperity.

Correspondent: Mr Prime Minister, Vietnam has been invited by host countries tothe 2016 G7 Leaders’ Outreach Session in Japan, the 2017 G20 Summit in Germanyand again to the 2018 G7 Leaders’ Outreach in Canada. This seems to indicatethe growing role and status of the country in the international arena. Could youplease give us some ideas about the messages and initiatives of Vietnam at the2018 G7 Leaders’ Outreach Session?

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc: In implementing our foreign policy ofindependence, self-reliance, diversification and multi-directionalisation ofour external relations, Vietnam is carrying out active and extensiveinternational integration in a variety of areas. As a trustworthy friend andpartner, Vietnam has been making active and responsible contribution to mattersof common interest to the international community at many importantmultilateral forums, such as the United Nations, ASEAN, APEC and ASEM to name afew. The fact that Vietnam was invited to join the recent G20 and G7 Leaders’Outreach Summits indicates that the internationalcommunity acknowledges Vietnam's active role, efforts and contributions to themaintenance of a peaceful and stable environment for cooperation anddevelopment in the region, the promotion of the shared interests, as well asthe settlement of the common challenges of the world and the region.

The agenda of this year's G7Leaders’ Outreach Session prioritizes discussion on the ocean. This is a matterof existential importance to the survival and development of coastal countriesand the planet at large. At the Summit, the leaders of G7 countries and invitedcountries and international organizations shared their views and ideas on thepromotion of international cooperation to enhance capacity in climate changeand rising sea level adaptation and response, sustainable extraction of marineresources, and protection of the marine environment and ecology.

The fact that Vietnam wasinvited to the G7 Leaders’ Outreach Session by Canada is both another stepforward in the Vietnam – Canada Comprehensive Partnership established inNovember 2017, and a testimony to the role, status and efforts of Vietnam inclimate change response, marine economy development and marine environmentprotection that are acknowledged by the international community.

At this Summit, Vietnam hasprovided concrete and responsible inputs to the discussions of many importantagenda items, in particular the promotion of serious implementation of theParis Agreement on Climate Change, the protection of the marine environment andecosystem, and the prevention of plastics pollution the oceans where as much as8 million tonnes of plastic are being added every year. We welcome Canada andG7 countries’ initiatives to promote cooperation to prevent marine litter,advance gender equality and facilitate women's access to basic resources andservices for climate change response.

On our part, Vietnam suggested that the international communityshould discuss the possibility of a Global Agreement on the Prevention ofPlastic Litter in the Ocean, akin to the Paris Agreement on climate change. Inaddition, Vietnam also calls upon the G7 countries to consider establishing anExpanded Cooperation Forum between G7 countries and coastal countries onclimate change and rising sea level response and marine environment andecosystem protection. Such initiatives stem from the urgent need of theinternational community for the promotion of concrete and effective cooperationin climate change response and marine environment protection, and thus were welcomedand highly regarded by many countries at the Summit.

Vietnam stands ready to promote cooperation with all countries andpartners in implementing the above-mentioned initiatives through concrete andpractical programs and projects, for the common sustainable development andprosperity of our planet as a whole.-VNA