Viet Nam - Japan: Strengthening cooperation in areas of managing marine resources and protecting the environment

At the meeting, Minister Do Duc Duy and Deputy Minister Hatoyama Jiro reviewed the cooperation programs between the two agencies of the two countries in the past time. In particular, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Viet Nam has cooperated very closely and effectively with Japanese partners in the field of natural resources and environment, especially implementing the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of marine and ocean policy between the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Viet Nam and the Cabinet Office of Japan signed on October 8, 2018 during the visit and working session of the Prime Minister of Viet Nam in Japan. In addition, since 2019, a number of Japan – Viet Nam marine policy dialogue meetings have been successfully held online and in person.

The establishment of the Center for monitoring, operating exploitation, use of resources and protection of marine environment

Discussing ocean policies, Minister Do Duc Duy and Deputy Minister Hatoyama Jiro agreed that Viet Nam and Japan have similarities and many common points in the framework of marine and ocean policies.

Deputy Minister Hatoyama Jiro said that Japan issued the Legal Framework for Ocean Policy in 2007 at the same time as Viet Nam issued the Resolution No. 09-NQ/TW on Vietnam's Marine Strategy to 2020. Japan has developed a Basic Plan on Ocean Policy and revised it every five years. The Fourth Basic Plan was revised in 2023 with many major policies and orientations. 

During this time, Minister Do Duc Duy said that Viet Nam has issued the 2012 Law of the Sea and the 2015 Law on Marine and Island Resources and Environment. In addition, in recent years, the Party Central Committee as well as the Government have issued many Resolutions on the strategy for sustainable development of Vietnam's marine economy until 2030, with a vision to 2045, as well as the Strategy for sustainable exploitation and use of resources and protection of the marine and island environment until 2030, with a vision to 2050.

In further discussion with Deputy Minister Hatoyama Jiro, Minister Do Duc Duy said that this year 2024, Viet Nam has issued the National Marine Spatial Planning for the period 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2050 and the Master Plan for sustainable exploitation and use of coastal resources for the period 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2050. 

Highly appreciating the experiences of Japan in marine management, Minister Do Duc Duy affirmed that this information is very useful for the management of marine resources and environment and islands in Viet Nam.

In particular, the Minister was impressed with the Maritime Information Storage and Sharing Model (MDA and MSIL) of Japan that has been and is being deployed, as well as advanced technologies (mainly automated by Robots) that are widely used for marine management purposes. Therefore, Minister Do Duc Duy hopes that Japan will study and support the proposal to establish a Center for monitoring, operating, exploiting, using resources and protecting the marine environment for Viet Nam based on Japan's experience.

Sharing experiences in building policies on climate change

Also at the meeting, Deputy Minister Hatoyama Jiro said that with the commitment to carbon neutrality in Japan by 2050, Japan has made efforts in the field of energy and green transition.

Japan issued the 6^th Basic Energy Plan in October 2021, aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050 and the policies that need to be implemented. In Japan, current wind power projects are mainly located onshore as a test before investing in offshore wind power development.

Minister Do Duc Duy said that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is very interested in the experience of building and implementing policies to develop offshore wind power projects in Japan's current exclusive economic zone (EEZ) to achieve the goal of forming wind power projects with a total capacity of 10 million kW by 2030 and 30 - 45 million kW by 2040 and hopes that Japan will share its experience in building this important policy.

Strengthening cooperation programs towards common goals

With the contents discussed at today's dialogue and the action and cooperation programs at higher levels, especially during the visit of National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, Minister Do Duc Duy believes that the strategic partnership between the two countries in general; between the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Japanese Cabinet Office in particular will be increasingly strengthened, especially in the context that we are facing the requirement for sustainable development of the marine economy.

Minister Do Duc Duy hopes to continue to closely coordinate with the Japanese Cabinet Office, the National Ocean Policy Secretariat, and the Embassy of Japan in Hanoi in the coming time to jointly implement cooperation activities within the framework of the signed Memorandum of Understanding. 

In the immediate future, Minister Do Duc Duy hopes that Japan will cooperate and share experience in sea and ocean management; support Viet Nam in reviewing and amending the Law on Marine and Island Resources and Environment; support Viet Nam in implementing marine and coastal spatial planning, towards developing a blue marine economy; strengthen cooperation in protecting the marine environment and enhance Vietnam's capacity in investigating, monitoring and exploiting marine and island resources and environment.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Vitalievich Shumskiy, Director of the All-Russian Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources of the World Ocean, said that Russia is trying to ensure the requirements and procedures for the offshore mineral exploration and investigation cooperation project with Viet Nam to be approved and put into operation.