Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc delivered a strong plea for international co-operation  in fighting climate change yesterday.— VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

HAMBURG, Germany — Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc delivered a strong plea for international co-operation  in fighting climate change yesterday.

Leading a Vietnamese delegation to participate in the G20 summit held in Hamburg City, he reaffirmed Việt Nam’s commitment to early achievement of the 17 sustainable development goals (SDG-2030) proposed by the United Nations.

On the first day of the summit, discussions mainly revolved around support for Africa’s sustainable development, climate change, migration, and female empowerment.

As the main speaker during a panel discussion on sustainable development, climate change, and energy, Prime Minister emphasised the importance of international co-operation in the fight against climate change.

He reiterated Việt Nam’s particular position as one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change and rising sea levels, in addition to haphazard and unsustainable exploitation of water resources of the Mekong River.

Reaffirming the nation’s commitment to SDG-2030, he said the priority would be poverty reduction, addressing inequality, improving education, promoting renewable energy and coping with climate change.

"Việt Nam has been and continues to integrate climate change preparedness into its development planning, and is fully committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 8 per cent by 2030, and even upwards of 25 per cent if the country receives necessary support from international community," he said.

As the host of the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2017, Việt Nam has pushed the agenda for effective climate change response and sustainable development, and is co-operating with APEC member countries to promote inclusive growth and development, he said.

The PM applauded G20 for its unanimous commitment to responsible and efficient management and use of water resources. He also asked G20 members and international community at large for more financial and technological support as developing countries strove to achieve sustainable development goals.

Việt Nam is participating in the G20 summit this year as the host of APEC 2017. It had done this twice earlier in Canada and South Korea as the chair of ASEAN in 2010.

At the current G20 summit, Việt Nam has actively participated in important discussions and contributed to the formulation of the G20 joint statement and other summit documents.

The ongoing summit has drawn 4,800 journalists from 65 countries over the world, with the meetings between powerful leaders taking place during a time of many troublesome developments in international affairs. — VNS