Leaders attended the G7 Outreach Summit in the Charlevoix region, Canada’s Quebec state.

 Prime Minister Phuc raised the initiative while addressing the G7 Outreach Summit in the Charlevoix region, Canada’s Quebec state, on Saturday at the invitation of his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau. The G7 Outreach Summit looked into pollution and unsustainable exploitation of marine resources which remain global challenges threatening sustainable development of the entire planet, firstly coastal nations. The delegates called for stronger global and regional cooperation in protecting the marine economy.

In his speech, the Prime Minister conveyed the message of the significance of the enhanced international cooperation in climate change combat. Vietnam supports host Canada to concentrate the G7 Outreach Summit’s agenda on seas and oceans, and applauds resolve and cooperation spirit displayed by the G7 countries to seek solutions to promote the protection of the marine ecology. The leader stressed that Vietnam is one of the countries hardest hit by climate change and sea level rise as well as adverse impacts of unsustainable exploitation and use of Mekong River water resources. He affirmed Vietnam’s commitments to seriously cutting emissions in conformity with the Paris COP21 Agreement on climate change, and called on the G7 countries and the international community to continue their assistance and cooperation with Vietnam to help the country improve its capacity for climate change monitoring and adaptation, fight sea level rise and saltwater intrusion, and manage and use water resources of the lower Mekong River basin sustainably.
At the event, Prime Minister Phuc affirmed that strongly developing the sea-based economy in tandem with protecting the environment and the marine ecosystem is a development direction and strategy of Vietnam. The country’s viewpoint is not exchanging the environment for economic growth, encouraging clean and renewable energy, green growth and sustainable development, and determinedly preventing waste release that pollutes the marine environment.
He welcomed Canada’s initiative to prevent disposing of plastic waste into oceans, stressing that Vietnam is ready to cooperate with Canada and countries around the world to carry out this initiative. The Vietnamese leader also proposed the G7 countries promote the formation of a global cooperation mechanism for reducing plastic garbage towards oceans free of plastic waste. In his speech, the Prime Minister emphasized that the goal of green oceans can only be achieved when peace, stability and cooperation are maintained across oceans. He applauded the G7 nations’ support for ASEAN’s common stance on the East Sea issue. Accordingly, it is a need to enhance cooperation to ensure security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation, peacefully resolve disputes on the basis of international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and respect diplomatic and legal processes to consolidate regional and global peace, stability and cooperation. The Prime Minister’s speech was welcomed by host Canada and many participating countries, which also voiced their support for the initiatives suggested by Vietnam and for ASEAN’s stance on the East Sea issue.