On the afternoon of March 19, 2023 in Hanoi, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan held bilateral talks with a Dutch delegation led by Minister of Nature and Nitrogen Policy Christianne van der Wal. This meeting is part of the working visit of the Dutch delegation consisting of 140 businessmen from 70 companies and organizations to Vietnam from 18 to 21 March 2023.
During the meeting, Minister Le Minh Hoan expressed that Vietnam and the Netherlands have a good cooperation relationship in many fields, including agriculture. The Netherlands has implemented many effective and meaningful projects, such as the clean water project in the Mekong Delta region. Dutch experts have also provided advice on building a strategic vision for the Mekong Delta, one of Vietnam’s key rice bowls facing many challenges of climate change.
The leaders of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development are hoping that the cooperation between Vietnam and the Netherlands in the field of agriculture will become deeper and reach new heights in the future. In particular, both sides will continue to strengthen cooperation to mobilize additional resources from investors, sponsors, and development partners to jointly implement the Sustainable Agricultural Transformation Plan for the Mekong Delta region and other regions of Vietnam, such as the Central Highlands and the North.
The minister also proposed that the Netherlands support Vietnam in the cold storage system and logistics in the Mekong Delta to complete the agricultural supply chain, especially in Can Tho to establish a centralized hub connecting the entire Mekong Delta region. The goal is to make the Mekong Delta a sustainable agricultural food supply center for the Netherlands and the EU.
In addition, the Netherlands is requested to support Vietnam in establishing a Food Innovation Center for the Southeast Asia region and 100 million low-emission farming farmers. The minister also proposed that the Netherlands cooperate and support the organization of the 2023 International Food Systems Conference in Vietnam to contribute to ensuring food security in the context of global economic downturn and conflicts disrupting supply chains in many places.
Minister Le Minh Hoan also mentioned technical assistance, investment attraction, ODA, and sustainable agriculture models to enhance competitiveness and improve the efficiency of agricultural production in line with Vietnam’s commitments at COP26.
On the Dutch side, Christianne van der Wal, Minister of Nature and Nitrogen Policy, expressed the Netherlands’ desire for the opportunity to meet and work with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to enhance mutual learning and understanding.
Through 10 years of strategic cooperation in sustainable agriculture and food security between the two countries, Minister Christianne van der Wal assessed that despite different geographical positions, Vietnam and the Netherlands share many common characteristics, such as being located in river basins, and facing climate change and exporting many agricultural products to the world.
Christianne van der Wal expressed joy in seeing positive results in food production in Vietnam, especially in the Mekong Delta region. The awareness of the people regarding sustainable production is increasing day by day.
“The two countries can cooperate to help Vietnamese agricultural products meet higher standards and meet the requirements of demanding markets such as the EU. The Netherlands is also ready to support Vietnam in achieving strategic goals and becoming an important agricultural exporter in the region and the world,” emphasized Christianne van der Wal.
The Minister of Nature and Nitrogen Policy hopes that cooperation between the two sides will be more active in many fields, including helping the Mekong Delta maintain its position as a high-quality rice granary, building a logistics connection system, and the agricultural industry in order to make the Mekong Delta a center in the region while still ensuring ecological, biodiversity, and environmental issues.
According to Christianne van der Wal, this Dutch delegation consists of representatives from 70 Dutch companies and organizations, with 140 businessmen visiting Vietnam from 18 to 21 March 2023. In addition to Christianne van der Wal, the delegation is led by Mark Harbers – Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management; and Ingrid Thijssen – Chairman of the Confederation of Industry and Employers.
The key areas of the business delegation are water and water management technology, sustainable agricultural food cultivation, green and smart logistics. Business meetings will take place in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City during the working visit.
On this occasion, other meetings and seminars will also be organized by both parties to promote trade cooperation. Apart from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, the Dutch business delegation will also visit Hai Phong and Lam Dong to strengthen cooperation.
In the afternoon of March 19, 2023, at the Intercontinental Hotel in Hanoi, the Embassy of the Netherlands in Vietnam, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, organized a seminar on “Towards Sustainable Food Systems”.
On March 21, the Vietnam-Netherlands Business Forum is scheduled to be held in Ho Chi Minh City, where about 20 business cooperation contracts between companies from both countries will be signed.
