Ambassador of Việt Nam to France Trịnh Đức Hải and IEA Executive Director Dr Fatih Birol at the agency's 2026 Ministerial Meeting in Paris, France. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam has been confirmed as an association country of the International Energy Agency (IEA) following the agency’s 2026 Ministerial Meeting in Paris, France, on February 18-19. 

Addressing the meeting, Vietnamese ambassador to France Trịnh Đức Hải said that this decision recognises Việt Nam’s persistent efforts and strong commitment in its energy transition journey and global climate action. 

Joining the IEA is particularly significant for Việt Nam as the country enters a new stage of development, remaining steadfast in its goals of carbon neutrality and green energy transition, the official said. 

Reiterating Việt Nam’s strong support for the shared vision for a global energy organisation that reflects emerging energy trends and balances the interests of member and association countries, the Vietnamese ambassador said that Việt Nam stands ready to contribute to global energy dialogues.

Earlier, in his opening remarks at the meeting, IEA Executive Director Dr Fatih Birol said that the agency’s members highly value the increasing cooperation with Việt Nam, aimed at building a global energy system that is secure, sustainable, and affordable. 

He stressed that Việt Nam – a nation of more than 100 million people with strong potential in solar power, hydropower, and gas as well as nuclear energy development prospects – will be an important association country of the IEA.

According to the IEA executive director, this event affirms Việt Nam’s strong commitment to contributing actively to global energy dialogues and to building a secure, sustainable, and prosperous energy future.

The IEA is the world’s leading energy forum and a key platform for ensuring energy security and promoting a sustainable clean energy transition. 

Becoming an association country enables Việt Nam to gain closer access to resources, policy analysis, and international experience in the context of global energy integration.

Held in Paris on February 18-19, the 2026 IEA Ministerial Meeting brought together nearly 60 ministers and senior leaders from member and association countries, along with dozens of chief executives from leading global energy and technology corporations.

The meeting aimed to agree on strategic directions to strengthen energy security while ensuring that the energy transition is safe, sustainable, and cost-effective for all countries.

At this meeting, the IEA officially introduced Colombia as its 33rd member, launched the accession process for Brazil to become a full member, and announced recent developments in discussions with India on its membership accession process. — VNS