On the afternoon of November 15, Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Duc Thang received and held talks with Mr. Thomas Gass, Ambassador of Switzerland to Viet Nam.
The meeting took place when Viet Nam and Switzerland having recently upgraded their relationship to a Comprehensive Partnership in January 2025, reflecting political trust and long-term cooperative vision between two countries.
Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Duc Thang received and held talks with Mr. Thomas Gass, Ambassador of Switzerland to Vietnam. Photo: Khuong Trung.At the working session, Minister Tran Duc Thang highly appreciated the effective results of Viet Nam - Switzerland cooperation in agriculture and the environment in recent years, notably the Project on Enhancing Compliance Capacity and Quality of the Tropical Fruit Value Chain in Viet Nam, and the Mekong Delta Climate Resilience Program, which have contributed to strengthening natural resource management and climate change adaptation in coastal areas.
The Minister also acknowledged and expressed gratitude for Switzerland’s timely support following Typhoon Yagi in September 2024, when the country promptly proposed assistance and sent a team of experts from the Swiss Humanitarian Aid organization to Viet Nam, focusing on clean water, sanitation, emergency shelters, and disaster risk reduction.
In the context of Viet Nam implementing its commitments under COP26, aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050, Minister Tran Duc Thang emphasized the pivotal role of the agriculture and environment sectors. These sectors are both highly affected by climate change and hold significant potential for emissions reduction and sustainable adaptation.
In this spirit, the Minister expressed his hope that the Ambassador would continue to promote the development of direct cooperation programs between the Swiss Government and Viet Nam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, ensuring alignment with sectoral priorities and clearly demonstrating Switzerland’s commitment to Viet Nam’s sustainable development.
Switzerland highly values carbon credit cooperation potential with Viet Nam and hopes to begin negotiations under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, contributing to climate change mitigation. Photo: Khuong Trung.Speaking at the working session, Ambassador Thomas Gass thanked the Minister for taking the time to receive the delegation and congratulated him on his leadership of an important ministry in Viet Nam. The Ambassador expressed his deep sympathy for the losses caused by storms, floods, and landslides in Viet Nam, while also commending the country’s disaster response and adaptation measures, viewing them as valuable experiences for Switzerland to learn from.
The Ambassador Thomas Gass acknowledged the active role of the specialized units of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment in promoting bilateral cooperation, particularly in the areas of climate change, agricultural insurance, hydrometeorology, and disaster prevention and risk reduction.
Regarding cooperation under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, Ambassador Gass highlighted the potential for collaboration with Viet Nam in carbon credit exchange. Currently, Switzerland is working with the World Bank and an international financial organization to implement two Swiss-funded projects in Viet Nam to support the development of the carbon finance market.
As one of the leading countries in international carbon credit exchange, Switzerland has partnered with 12 countries and hopes to soon expand cooperation with Viet Nam.
The Ambassador Thomas Gass noted that Switzerland expects to soon receive an official message from the Vietnamese Government regarding its negotiation stance, which will serve as the basis for budget allocation and the implementation of investment activities following the signing of an agreement.
Minister Tran Duc Thang and Mr. Thomas Gass, Ambassador of Switzerland to Viet Nam, pose for a commemorative photo. Photo: Khuong Trung.Regarding this matter, Minister Tran Duc Thang affirmed that Vietnam is always ready to cooperate with international partners, including Switzerland, in the field of carbon credit exchange and climate change response.
The Minister stated that the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has taken lead in drafting a Decree on international exchange of greenhouse gas emission reduction results and carbon credits, while emphasizing that all cooperation must comply with Vietnamese laws and be reported to the competent authorities.
The Minister proposed that the relevant agencies of both sides continue to exchange views and finalize the draft Agreement, serving as a basis for reporting to the Prime Minister for consideration of the negotiation policy and the implementation of subsequent steps in accordance with regulations.