Viet Nam-Norway Joint Statement

“At the invitation of HE Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway, HE Mr Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister of Viet Nam, paid an official visit to the Kingdom of Norway on May 24-25, 2019.

1. During the visit, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc held talks with Prime Minister Erna Solberg, had an audience with His Majesty King Harald V, and paid a courtesy call to Tone W. Trøen, Speaker of the Norwegian Storting. 

2. The two prime ministers acknowledged the strengthening and broadening of bilateral relations between Viet Nam and Norway. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc commended Norway for its economic performance in recent years, and for its progress in the area of green growth. Prime Minister Erna Solberg commended Viet Nam for its socio-economic achievements and the responsible role it has played in multilateral organisations, for example its successful hosting of the APEC Summit in 2017, the World Economic Forum on ASEAN in 2018 and the US-DPRK Second Summit in early 2019. 

3. Prime Minister Erna Solberg and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc expressed their appreciation of more than four decades of diplomatic relations between Viet Nam and Norway and of the two countries’ longstanding friendship and multifaceted cooperation. 

4. The two prime ministers welcomed the growing economic ties between Viet Nam and Norway, as seen in the ever closer bilateral cooperation in fields such as forestry, environmental protection, fisheries, aquaculture, renewable energy, LNG, maritime transport and shipbuilding. Both prime ministers reaffirmed their determination to further strengthen economic, trade and investment relations in a sustainable and inclusive way, and expressed their countries’ commitment to seeking an early conclusion of the negotiations on a comprehensive and ambitious Free Trade Agreement between Viet Nam and EFTA. 

5. The prime ministers encouraged the business communities of both countries to continue to promote and expand their trade and investment cooperation, especially in important areas such as the ocean economy, green and renewable energy, information technology and consumer goods. They welcomed the Viet Nam–Norway Business Forum held in Oslo in connection with the visit.

6. The two prime ministers also encouraged ministries and agencies in both countries to expand their bilateral dialogue and cooperation in areas such as education, tourism, sport, culture, people-to-people exchange, and in areas relating to the women, peace and security agenda, including UN Security Council resolution 1325. 

7. Norway and Viet Nam are both under review by the UPR Working Group this year, and both leaders highlighted the importance of the UPR process as a universal, transparent, state-led peer review mechanism based on dialogue and cooperation.  Both prime ministers acknowledged the constructive human rights dialogue between Viet Nam and Norway, and highlighted the importance of the rule of law, human rights, and the implementation of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and commitments made under regional and international free trade agreements.

8. Both sides agreed to continue to exchange visits and delegations at all levels, especially at high level, building on the official visit to Viet Nam in 2015 by Prime Minister Erna Solberg and the working visit to Norway in October 2018 by Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung, which gave new impetus to the multifaceted cooperation between the two countries. They also agreed to continue to carry out the annual political consultations at deputy foreign minister level, and other bilateral dialogues on issues of mutual concern.  

9. The two prime ministers stressed the importance of global efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries, and welcomed the successful completion of the six-year UN-REDD program in Viet Nam. They also emphasised their shared commitment to inclusive and sustainable development, as reflected in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals. They applauded the important action taken by many countries to tackle the issues of climate change, rising sea levels and marine plastic litter. Prime Minister Erna Solberg referred to ongoing and new regional projects on marine litter involving ASEAN member states. She welcomed the fact that Viet Nam will be represented at the Our Ocean Conference in Oslo in October this year. 

10. The two prime ministers also compared notes on regional and international issues of mutual concern. They agreed to enhance the two countries’ cooperation in regional and multilateral forums, especially in the UN, the ASEAN–Norway Sectoral Dialogue Partnership, and ASEM. 

11. Viet Nam and Norway share a commitment to a fair, just and rules-based international order and a multilateral system with the UN at its core. Both countries attach importance to the role of the UN in addressing international disputes through dialogue and consultations, in accordance with the UN Charter and international law. Both countries see the protection of civilians from explosive remnants of war as a priority, including through risk education and the clearance of anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions. Norway holds the Presidency of the Mine Ban Treaty for 2019, and has invited Viet Nam to participate at the Fourth Review Conference in Oslo in November 2019.

12. The two prime ministers agreed  that, if both countries are elected non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for the periods 2020-2021 and 2021-2022, respectively, this will provide a good opportunity for Viet Nam and Norway to work together to promote regional and global peace and security cooperation. 

13. Both prime ministers expressed their support for efforts to promote peace, stability, cooperation and friendship in South East Asia. They reaffirmed the importance of safeguarding the freedoms, rights and duties set out in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which provides the legal framework for all activities in the oceans and seas, and called on all parties to settle any disputes through peaceful means and in accordance with international law.”/.