Ha Noi, Viet Nam. Another milestone in the partnership between FAO and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) of Viet Nam has been marked with the signing of the Letter of Intent for collaboration between the two agencies, headed by FAO Viet Nam Representative, Albert T. Lieberg and His Excellency Tran Hong Ha, Minister of MONRE.

Since its early days of presence in Viet Nam, besides supporting agriculture, rural development and food security sectors, FAO has also been assisting Viet Nam in the implementation of international treaties and commitments on environmental protection and natural resources management.

Following the newly established working arrangements, FAO and MONRE will work together in a more strategic and coordinated way to leverage respective capabilities, expertise and resources.

FAO Viet Nam Representative, Albert T. Lieberg emphasized FAO’s efforts in supporting MONRE in “addressing on-going and new challenges, such as: the improvement of agricultural and rural ecological settings; the sustainable use of natural resources such as soil and water; the protection and conservation of terrestrial and marine ecosystems; finding ways to reduce soil and water pollution (particularly plastics, as well as chemicals from agriculture); the prevention of potential negative impacts of mass tourism activities (on the environment, biodiversity and natural landscapes); and building resilience for farming and fishing communities against natural and man-made threats and disasters.”

His Excellency Tran Hong Ha highly appreciates FAO’s commitment and believes FAO is fully capable of bringing about positive impacts as well as long-lasting results in eradicating poverty, ensuring clean environment, and pushing for sustainable development for Vietnamese people.

Both FAO and MONRE look forward to a fruitful partnership with innovative, transformative and scalable initiatives in the near future.