Myriam Ferran, Deputy Director General at the European Commission Directorate General for International Partnerships. — VNS Photo Khánh Dương

HÀ NỘI — The European Union sees Việt Nam as one of its key partners within ASEAN and is working with the Vietnamese Government on a green strategy called Global Gateway, said Myriam Ferran, Deputy Director General at the European Commission Directorate General for International Partnerships.

Speaking to Vietnamese media on Tuesday during her trip to the country for the first time, she said the EU-Việt Nam relationship aims to uphold mutual support in fields of common interest and implementation of sustainable development plans under Global Gateway – an EU strategy to support clean investment and help its partner countries meet sustainable development goals and the objectives of the Paris Agreement.

At the EU-ASEAN commemorative summit in December 2022, the EU committed 10 billion euros as part of Global Gateway for the region, she said.

Global Gateway facilitates investments in coping with global challenges such as the green transition, the fight against climate change, the digital transition, sustainable transformation and human capital development, in particular education and health, to ensure the transition to a sustainable future is just and beneficial for the entire global population, she said.

As part of the EU’s support for Việt Nam's green transportation under Global Gateway, the union will provide technical assistance and a feasibility study for the second phase of Hà Nội's metro line 3, she said.

“Climate change is a global challenge that threatens us all. When the European Green Deal came into power five years ago, we see it as the number one priority in adopting EU legislation to fight climate change.

“But it can only be successful if it’s done globally. That’s why we are working multilaterally including financing for development, implementing policies externally with our main partners,” she told the press.

Việt Nam is central figure in this partnership with ASEAN, she said.

The Southeast Asian country is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, with emissions increasing dramatically, she noted, adding that the EU has a vested interest in supporting Việt Nam’s growth as a sustainable partner for the benefit of the population and to secure growth. — VNS