Co-operation with Norway on clean energy

Ambassador Stale Torstein Risa talked to the Viet Nam News on the occasion of Norway's National Day today.

You have been in Viet Nam for more than half a year. What are your impressions? Are they any different to what you imagined before coming here?

Ambassador Stale Torstein Risa

Since arriving in Viet Nam in September last year, I have made several visits to different parts of the country in order to learn more about the regions and people of Viet Nam and to study various development issues. I have seen the rugged beauty of the provinces in the far north, visited HCM City several times and also other cities and districts in the south, spent time in the Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands), and shall at the end of May visit Da Nang and Hue for the first time. I have a wide range of impressions, and I understand better now after these first months Viet Nam's extraordinary diversity, both in terms of the land and its people, and the richness of the country's multi-ethnic culture. I have also come to appreciate the important role Viet Nam plays in the development of the greater Mekong region.

Do you have any specific plans to boost bilateral ties between the two countries, including trade and culture, during your term in Viet Nam?

As Norway's ambassador to Viet Nam, my highest priority will be to work towards further strengthening bilateral ties between our two countries, and I see great potential in both trade and cultural exchange. In December last year, Norway's Vice Minister of Trade and Industry visited Viet Nam, and met with Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai and several other high ranking government officials in key ministries, as well as leaders of Vietnamese business associations and enterprises. In June, the Deputy Prime Minister will visit Norway, upon the invitation of Norway's Minister of Trade and Industry, and he will be accompanied by a large business delegation. There is much interest in Norway for investment in and trade with Viet Nam, which was clear to see during the very successful visit to Norway of President Nguyen Minh Triet in 2008. With respect to cultural exchange, there is broad co-operation and activity; in music, modern dance, theatre, design, painting, sculpture, and literature. I should mention that the play "Brand" by Norway's famous playwright Henrik Ibsen is now being performed in Ha Noi; this is a Norwegian funded staging of the masterpiece that I hope many will take the opportunity to see.

 

How can Norway share its experience in industries such as energy, shipbuilding and fisheries with Viet Nam?

Norway at a glance Area: 324,220sq.km Population: 4.6 million Capital: Oslo Language: Norwegian Currency: Norwegian Kroner (NOK) National flag: Red with a white-bordered blue cross

Norway and Viet Nam will be celebrating 40 years of diplomatic relations next year, and in these four decades we have seen our co-operation develop significantly, both with respect to development assistance, commercial ties, and people-to-people contact. Today, as Viet Nam is entering the early phase as a middle-income developing country, we see many areas in which Norway can be a partner. In sectors such as shipping and the maritime industry and fisheries and aquaculture, there is a long history of co-operation, which will without doubt be further strengthened in the years to come. In April, I was in Vung Tau to take part in the opening of a Norwegian shipyard building vessels for the oil and gas industry. Since my arrival last year, several Norwegian enterprises have opened production facilities and offices in Viet Nam, invested in Vietnamese enterprises, and two Norwegian ship-owners are now building vessels in Hai Phong.

The energy sector, and in particular hydropower development and production, could well be the next area in which we see Norwegian and Vietnamese businesses forging alliances. With Norway's hydropower expertise and Viet Nam's vast resources and need for clean energy, this would surely be a solid partnership.

Norway have been supporting Viet Nam in terms of education, including providing scholarships and assistance to poor children. Can you tell readers about these activities and any that are planned for the near future?

Norwegian development assistance to Viet Nam has always been directed towards alleviating poverty, with a focus on those in Vietnamese society that are particularly disadvantaged, vulnerable or even at risk of exploitation. Gender equality, primary education and child welfare, and the situation for ethnic minorities in the more remote parts of the country; these are all areas that Norway has given priority. The Vietnamese Government's achievements in these areas in the last couple of decades have been remarkable, not least in the education sector, and Norwegian development assistance in the years ahead will thus be adapting to this new reality.

 

Recently, an annual Mothers' Index released by the Save the Children organisation revealed that mothers in Norway and Australia are the best in the world for bringing up their children. Can you share with readers the Norway's policies in education, economic opportunities, and health care that have your country at top the list?

School children greet the Royal Family in front of the Royal Palace. — Photo Courtesy of the Embassy

I often feel that ratings and indexes, such as the UN Development Index and the Mothers' Index you refer to, can be somewhat overemphasised by the media. Still, as a Norwegian, I must admit to being proud of seeing Norway score at the very top of these indexes. Since World War II, all Norwegian governments have pursued policies which have as a foundation the equitable distribution of wealth in society; and with a clear priority with respect to offering to all citizens quality health care, a good education, equal employment opportunities, and a safe and sound environment in which to live. To achieve this, citizens must of course be willing to contribute in many ways; and tax rates in Norway are quite high. Still, most Norwegians will tell you that to build and maintain a just and inclusive society, there must be a strong public sector that we have, and it is one that is both well respected and responsive to people's needs. — VNS