Deputy PM Nguyen Thien Nhan said yesterday that Viet Nam wanted to work together with European experts to upgrade the nation’s capacity for urban planning.
Nhan was speaking by videolink to the opening of a “green” conference and exhibition in HCM City.
The Deputy PM also discussed the development of coastal cities, renewable energy and energy saving.
Seven specialised conference sessions will be held throughout the event, including ideas and concepts for sustainable cities, green manufacturing, climate change and energy supply.
The event has been organised by the European Chamber of Commerce in Viet Nam (EuroCham), in partnership with the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the Investment and Trade Promotion Centre in HCM City (ITPC).
The two-day event, the second GreenBiz Conference and Exhibition on European Green Business Solutions (GreenBiz 2011), will discuss climate change, sustainable cities, environmentally friendly technologies, green investments and sustainable strategies for transport and manufacturing.
Sean Doyle, head of a European Union Delegation to Viet Nam, said the high presence of Vietnamese Government and businesses showed the high priority of topics discussed at GreenBiz 2011, and the commitment of the business sector to support the Vietnamese in tackling environmental issues
The conference has attracted more than 50 high calibre speakers, including Professor Peter Droege, a well-known expert on the role of renewable energy within the fields of urban design, development and urban infrastructure.
The Vietnamese Government is represented by Tran Tuan Anh, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade; Do Hoang Anh Tuan, Deputy Minister of Finance; Bui Pham Khanh, Deputy Minister of Construction; and Bui Cach Tuyen, Deputy Minister of Natural Resource and Environment.
The exhibition has more than 80 booths from multinational companies, including Siemens, Jardine Matheson, Philips, Shell, Schneider Electric, Ariston, Alstom, Dragon Capital, Akzo Nobel, Gyproc Viet Nam and Holcim, as well as non-government organisations such as SNV and the Swedish Centec Viet Nam.
Thirteen French companies, including Airbus, and other companies from Poland, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden are participating.
Vu Tien Loc, chairman of VCCI, said Vietnamese companies could reap the benefits of quick access to European green technologies and partners.
