Director of AFD Hervé Conan presented a medal to Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee Nguyen Ngoc He at the working session

On the morning of April 2, 2024, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc He, Vice Chairman of Can Tho City People's Committee welcomed and worked with the French Development Agency (AFD) delegation coming to get information about projects calling for foreign investment.

At the meeting, Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee Nguyen Ngoc He happily informed the results of cooperation between Can Tho City and AFD during the past time as well as expressed the appreciation of AFD's support and concern for Can Tho city. Mr. He committed to direct the city's authorities to continue maintaining, effectively exploiting and preserving the works built under the support and cooperation of AFD. Following up the outcome of the business trip of the Chairman of the City People's Committee to France last year, the City introduced in details 04 projects calling for investment from foreign investors, including AFD. They were Center to link production, processing, and consumption of agricultural products in the Mekong Delta project, the concentrated information technology park project, Tan Loc Isle ecotourism area project, and the project of constructing Can Tho Cardiovascular Hospital. On the occasion of the newly appointed French Ambassador to Vietnam, Mr. He sent an invitation to the Ambassador to pay a working visit to Can Tho City to be able to consult and promote collaboration activities between Can Tho City and French partners as well as introduce cooperation projects between the City and France in recent years.

Through the recommendation of the city government, AFD representative expressed interest in 02 projects, which were the concentrated information technology park project, and the project of constructing Can Tho Cardiovascular Hospital because they conformed with the operation and cooperation fields of AFD. After the business trip, AFD would move ahead to promote cooperation activities with Can Tho City in the upcoming time.

In order to mark the 30th anniversary of the cooperation between Vietnam and AFD as well as the cooperation between Can Tho and AFD, Mr. Hervé Conan- Director of AFD presented a medal to Mr. Nguyen Ngoc He and expressed his desire to continue to receive the cooperation from the city leaders in the coming time./.

The Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) will mobilise an initial US$15.5 billion of public and private finance over the next three to five years to support Việt Nam's green transition.

The Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) will mobilise an initial US$15.5 billion of public and private finance over the next three to five years to support Việt Nam's green transition.

The decision was made after leaders from Việt Nam and the International Partners Group, including the European Union, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the United States, Italy, Canada, Japan, Norway and Denmark agreed on Wednesday a bold Just Energy Transition Partnership.

Under the agreement, the Partnership will support Việt Nam to deliver on its ambitious Net Zero 2050 goal, accelerate the peaking of its greenhouse gas emissions and transition away from fossil fuels to clean energy.

It will support Việt Nam in working towards a number of ambitious new targets, consisting of bringing forward the projected peaking date for all greenhouse gas emissions in Việt Nam from 2035 to 2030; reducing peak annual power sector emissions by up to 30 per cent, from 240 megatonnes to 170 megatonnes, and bringing forward the peaking date by five years to 2030; limiting Việt Nam's peak coal capacity to 30.2 gigawatts down from a current planning figure of 37 gigawatts; accelerating the adoption of renewables so that renewable energy accounts for at least 47 per cent of electricity generation by 2030, up from the current planned generation share of 36 per cent.

The successful delivery of these ambitious targets will result in around 500 megatonnes (0.5 billion tonnes) of emissions saved by 2035.

Initial contributions to the Việt Nam JETP include $7.75 billion in pledges from the IPG together with the Asian Development Bank and the International Finance Corporation.

This is supported by a commitment to work to mobilise and facilitate a matching $7.75 billion in private investment from an initial set of private financial institutions coordinated by the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), including Bank of America, Citi, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, Macquarie Group, Mizuho Financial Group, MUFG, Prudential PLC, Shinhan Financial Group, SMBC Group and Standard Chartered.

Over the next 12 months, Việt Nam will work with the support of partner countries to develop and adopt the Việt Nam JETP Resource Mobilisation Plan, which will enable the implementation of the JETP funding and strategy.

Việt Nam is the third country to launch a JETP, following the successful launch of the South Africa JETP at COP26 and the Indonesia JETP at this year's G20 Leaders' summit. As a rapidly growing economy, Việt Nam's JETP will demonstrate that economic growth can be decoupled from fossil fuel energy consumption.

The Việt Nam JETP builds on the UK-launched G7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII), which aims to narrow the infrastructure investment gap in developing countries. G7 leaders agreed in June 2022 to move forward in negotiations with several countries on JETPs, which are a core delivery mechanism of the PGII.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the JETP model is a game changer in the fight against climate change – using international aid to unlock billions of dollars of private finance.

Việt Nam is a dynamic, emerging economy at the heart of Southeast Asia, he said.

"The investment we are making today means the country can cut its emissions while simultaneously creating new jobs and growth. Together we will deliver a cleaner, greener future for Việt Nam and our planet," he said.

President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen said: "I am delighted that we have sealed a new Just Energy Transition Partnership with Việt Nam during this important week for EU-ASEAN relations."

"With investments from international partners, Việt Nam can boost renewable energies and enhance its energy security and autonomy.

"We will help Việt Nam to start reducing its greenhouse gas emissions five years earlier than planned, and dramatically reduce its coal power use.

"This Partnership will help Việt Nam to build a 21st century power sector, energising its economic growth and bringing environmental and health benefits to its citizens," she said.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said: "With today's agreement, Việt Nam is pioneering a new framework of collaboration to deliver a fair, inclusive energy transition towards renewables."

These Partnerships are a crucial tool to unlock the emissions cuts our world needs in the 2020s, he said.

"We need all hands on deck to realise an energy transition that is global, sustainable, just, inclusive and equitable. The United Nations stands ready to continue supporting these Partnerships and all other cooperative efforts," he said.

President of the United States, Joe Biden said: "Today, Việt Nam has demonstrated leadership in charting an ambitious clean energy transition that will deliver long-term energy security."

The United States is proud to be a partner in this effort, he said.

Việt Nam's historic commitment will catalyse investment and economic growth and create tremendous opportunity for the Vietnamese people, while advancing the fight against the global climate crisis, he said.

On 23 November 2022, the Department of External Relations of Can Tho City coordinated with Mr. Truong Minh Duc, the national coordinator of the International Association of French-Speaking Mayors (AIMF) in Vietnam to hand over 60 laptops for the three schools in Can Tho City. In this project, each school is sponsored 20 laptops for the teaching and learning of French. The three schools receiving laptops this time include: Ngo Quyen Primary School (Ninh Kieu District), Binh Thuy Secondary School (Binh Thuy District) and Luu Huu Phuoc High School (O Mon District).

The project of Promoting French Learning and Teaching in Schools in Can Tho City, sponsored by AIMF was approved by the City People's Committee via Decision No. 3388/QĐ-UBND dated 13 September 2022. The total value of the project is 37,698 USD, equivalent to 878.4 million VND. This project was the very first one implemented by the City with the sponsor of AIMF, since Can Tho became AIMF's member in 2018.

Speaking at the meeting at the hand-over ceremony at Ngo Quyen Primary School, Mr. Tran Thanh Binh, Director of the Department of Education and Training, thanked AIMF for their support. He said that this was an activity of great significance, contributing to the emulation of good study and good teaching of schools in the city, especially improving the quality of facilities and promoting French language teaching and studying. The education leader also hoped that AIMF would continue to support the city's educational activities in the coming time, expanding to capacity building for teachers and enhancing outdoors activities for students. It was also suggested that the two sides could consider exchange activities for French and Vietnamese students at local schools.

The hand-over ceremony at Ngo Quyen Primary School

The hand-over ceremony Binh Thuy Secondary School

The hand-over ceremony at Luu Huu Phuoc High School