Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh receives US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry (Photo: VOV)

This is also a key, urgent task of the Vietnamese government to shift towards a green, circular, low-carbon development model, Minh told US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, who is on a visit to Vietnam.

The Deputy PM called on Kerry to further support the US to increase its financial and technical assistance to Vietnam, helping the country fulfil the commitment of net-zero emissions by 2050 made at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26).

He also thanked the US government for its donations of more than 29 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Vietnam, and appreciated the US side’s commitments to increasing the funding to deal with war consequences in the Southeast Asian nation.

Minh suggested the US continue its assistance to Vietnam in such areas as education-training, health care, humanitarian affairs and digital economy.

In reply, Kerry reiterated the US’s commitments to respecting Vietnam’s political institutions, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and stressed that the US attaches importance to the comprehensive partnership with Vietnam and wishes to advance it to a new high in the time ahead.

The two sides also shared their views on international and regional matters, including the East Sea issue. They agreed to forge collaboration within the United Nations (UN) and at other multilateral forums, contributing to maintaining peace, stability, security and development in the region and the world at large.