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The Hanoitimes – Activities including trade expos are expected to tighten economic ties between the two countries which will celebrate the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties next year.

Two-way trade between Vietnam and Russia is of great potential and Vietnamese authorities will create more favorable conditions for the investment and operations of Russian firms, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung has said.

Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung. Photo: Linh Pham

Vietnam and Russia trade will greatly depend on vision and determination from the both sides, especially the business communities, Dung said at the Expo-Russia Vietnam 2019 taking place in Hanoi on November 14-16.

Being a member of 13 free trade agreements (FTAs), 12 of which are already effective, Vietnam has been committed to international regulations requiring high standards for goods and trade activities, Dung said, adding that FTAs will encourage foreign companies to enter Vietnam, ASEAN, and Asia as well.

Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Konstantin Vnukov. Photo: VTC News

The enforcement of the Vietnam-Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement (VN-EAEU FTA) is a strong boost for the Vietnam-Russia trade, he noted.

Accordingly, Vietnam expects its leather and footwear, agro-forestry-fisheries, electronics and consumer goods to further penetrate into Russia and other markets in the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

Vu Tien Loc, president of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Photo: Linh Pham

Meanwhile, Vietnam welcomes Russian goods like farm produce, pharmaceuticals, health, industrial equipment, automobile spare parts, devices, mine extraction, materials, high-tech products, energy, and oil.

Sergey Anatolievich Tsyb, first deputy minister of Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, said at the expo that Vietnam ranks among Russia’s top 10 Asian biggest trade partners and the biggest trade partner in ASEAN.

Health and pharmaceuticals are among sectors posting the strongest growth in the bilateral economic ties and Russian companies are finding opportunities to cooperate in these sectors as Vietnam has a strong health industry.

Russian companies are ready to supply the best materials which are highlighted in this expo for Vietnamese partners, he emphasized.

Senior Russian offcials attend the expo. Photo: Linh Pham

Expo-Russia Vietnam 2019 is one of the main activities celebrating Vietnam Year in Russia and Russia Year in Vietnam 2019.

The expo will open up opportunities to exchange goods and find out new collaborative ways that will support companies and facilitate short-term trade between the two countries, Russia’s Ambassador to Hanoi Konstantin Vnukov said at the event.

Sergey Anatolievich Tsyb (1st from left), first deputy minister of Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade. Photo: Ha An

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in a letter sent to the expo that the event is necessary for information exchange and partnership for enhanced economic ties, of which Vietnam has contributed tremendously to the substantive cooperation.

The expo showcases booths of nearly 200 Russian companies and localities in Vietnam. More than 300 exchange meetings have been held during the three-day event.

Vision

Vietnam-Russia trade value in 2014-2020. Source: General Department of Vietnam Customs. Chart: Linh Pham

The bilateral economic ties have significantly increased since the enforcement of the free trade agreement between Vietnam and the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

As a result of the launch of this mechanism, Vietnam will obtain a privileged access to the large and lucrative common market of five countries namely Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan with the total volume of gross domestic product of around US$2.2 trillion and with almost 183 million consumers.

In exchange, the five Eurasian countries will be able to promote their products in Vietnam with a population of over 95 million people.

Two-way trade rose from US$2.6 billion in 2014, US$3.9 billion in 2015, US$5.2 billion in 2017, US$6.1 billion in 2018 and is estimated to reach US$10 billion by 2020, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

What are the principles to build forest environment and CO2 indexes?

Prof. Pham Van Dien, deputy director general of the Vietnam Administration of Forestry (VNFOREST)

The forest environment index would be a measure of the capacity to decrease CO2 emissions while simultaneously increasing absorption. A key part of this is forest carbon stock, the amount of carbon that has been sequestered from the atmosphere and is stored within the forest ecosystem.

Comparing the forest environment index with actual emissions will help set payments for reducing emissions and establish a market for international emissions trading for sellers, buyers, and intermediaries alike.

Regarding the CO2 index, I believe there are two theoretical avenues that can be taken. The index can either concern the carbon emissions of each facility separately, with the upper limit being the emissions quota allotted for them, or look at the net emissions of the entire market and carbon credit created by the decreases in emissions and increased absorption capacity achieved by managing the ecosystem.

At the same time, the two indicators need to be built with a mind to ensure economic growth while promoting forest protection, benefiting buyers, sellers, and farmers alike.

How will these indices promote carbon trading?

They will be the basic building bricks to developing the domestic carbon market, making it possible to exchange carbon credit within the bounds of domestic regulations and international commitments. Reduction targets are forecast to drive carbon credit supply below demand, making the market more animated.

The forest environment and CO2 indexes will motivate provinces to better manage their forests, while manufactures with net emissions will be encouraged to upgrade technology and switch to renewable energy to stay within their allotted quotas and avoid charges.

What can Vietnam learn from the experience of other countries in managing carbon emission?

Vietnam has been a proactive proponent of emissions reduction, joining the United Nations Environment Programme, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol, the UN-REDD+ programme, and the Paris Agreement. Throughout these almost 20 years, we collected a great deal of international experience and adjust to suit the country’s realities.

VNFOREST has been working to internalise these international experiences and submitted regulations on the domestic and international transferring of carbon credit and the accompanying financial management mechanisms to the prime minister. The most urgent tasks at present are implementing policies to meet the demand.

What difficulties does Vietnam face in creating the indexes as well as developing the carbon market?

There is a tough road ahead of Vietnam. The first issue to tackle will be the creation of convincing regulations relating to the exchange of carbon credit and associated compensation issues. These regulations must be clear, realistic, and be rooted in a scientific basis.

Another problem is the allocation of emissions quotas would require realistic figures about the actual emissions of each facility, which at the moment are not shared or are only available in abridged forms that have been heavily interfered with.

At the same time, completeness, timeliness, openness, and transparency in implementation are of the essence. For this, a contingent of qualified, well-trained human resources, facilities, and equipment are required.

What proposals has VNFOREST submitted to advise the creation of these indexes?

After receiving the assignment of the prime minister, we began to compile a set of considerations we believed would be crucial. However, we have to pool our proposals with those of the ministries and other agencies to arrive at a workable document.

In my opinion, before officially rolling out regulations, the government should authorise the selling of carbon credits on a case-by-case basis as it will not only benefit forests but also help Vietnam accumulate experiences even before the legal framework is completed.

What potential do you see in carbon trading as a business, and what is VNFOREST doing to promote this potential?

One example for the potential is the Emission Reductions Payment Agreement signed between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF). Under the agreement, Vietnam will reduce 10.3 million tonnes of CO2 emissions from six north-central provinces.

If Vietnam implements this programme successfully, it could reduce emissions by a total of 24.6 million tonnes by 2025. After reducing the 10.3 million tonnes committed under the FCPF, the country can earn an additional $71.3 million by selling the carbon credit gained from the remaining 14.3 million tonnes for $5 per tonne (the average global selling price).

However, this is only part of the potential benefits because the project is implemented only in six north-central provinces – there would be far more to gain if it was extended to the entire country.

In addition, Vietnam has failed to reach the revenue target from forest environment services outlined in its national forestry development strategy for the period of 2006-2020. VNFOREST is still working to realise the full potential of this service segment.

VNFOREST is promptly completing the national forestry development master plan for 2021-2030 with a vision to 2045 to submit it to the government for approval, along with the public investment programme on sustainable forestry development for 2021-2025.

Besides that, the country will develop forest environment services, diversifying income sources, with the expectation to acquire VND3.5 trillion ($152.17 million) a year from the field by 2030.