Mr. President, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

In 2022, Queen Mary and I made an official visit to Viet Nam, accompanied by a Danish business delegation. Many members of that delegation are here today. The theme of our visit was “Creating a greener future together”.

On a beach near Hai Phong, I met a group of young Vietnamese students presenting and testing small wind turbines they had built themselves. While demonstrating their turbines, they held a small piece of their future in their hands.

The green transition will depend on people who understand the technology and can develop it further. The ability to put knowledge to use will be equally important across other sectors. For some, an experience like the one on the beach may become the beginning of an education or a career.

Viet Nam’s ambition to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 gives our cooperation a clear direction. Denmark is ready to contribute expertise, technology and investment, working closely with Vietnamese partners.

Many of you here today are already turning these ambitions into practical solutions. Reliable power and greater energy efficiency are essential to industrial growth.

Denmark is among the largest European investors in Viet Nam, and we see considerable potential for further cooperation in renewable energy and energy efficiency, infrastructure, manufacturing and logistics. Not to mention foodstuffs, biosolutions and healthcare. Through these partnerships, businesses can create jobs and opportunities for people to develop new skills.

The new Comprehensive Strategic Partnership provides a broader framework for our bilateral economic cooperation and reflects our commitment to taking it forward together.

I hope today’s forum will lead to new partnerships and concrete projects. Over time, these can help create opportunities for the young people I met near Hai Phong to put their knowledge to work – and inspire future generations to do the same.

I wish you every success in creating a better future together.

Thank you.

(Det talte ord gælder)