Foreign Minister Jan Petersen

Speech at opening of Shipping Course

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam,
4 November 2004

Check against delivery

Your Majesty, Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

The maritime sector has been – and still is – crucial for economic development and prosperity in both Norway and Vietnam. Just take a look at the world map. Both countries have a long and challenging coastline, and both are strategically placed next to some of the world’s most used maritime transport routes. We also both rely to a considerable extent on natural resources from the sea. The state of the marine environment strongly affects the environment of our countries.

Norway and Vietnam are engaged in further developing their maritime industries. - And it is encouraging to see the growing interest in both countries in closer commercial co-operation. I am confident that the work done and the contacts established during the state visit will produce results.

Increased business co-operation is a logical, and positive, extension of the good relations between our two countries. Prior to this visit, the Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry made a study of the possibilities for increased bilateral commercial co-operation between Vietnam and Norway. The study revealed that there is great potential in the hydropower, oil and gas, maritime, fishery and aquaculture sectors, and in trade.

This one-month training course in shipping management will contribute to realising this potential. The course is the result of longstanding maritime co-operation between Norway and Vietnam. Since 1978, 30 Vietnamese students have followed programmes at the Norwegian Shipping Academy in Oslo.

On their return to Vietnam many of these students have taken up key positions in trade and transport. Mr Luong Van Tu, Vice-Minister for Trade, who is currently responsible for Vietnam’s WTO negotiations, was in fact the first Vietnamese student to attend the training programme in Norway.

Vietnamese shipping students used to come to Norway on scholarships financed by the Norwegian Agency for Development Co-operation(Norad).

This time the venue has changed to Ho Chi Minh City. The course is therefore tailored more closely to Vietnamese conditions and is laying the groundwork for closer involvement by Vietnamese stakeholders. I am confident that this will result in co-operation on maritime training on a more commercial basis.

I would like to thank the Foreign Trade University and the Norwegian School of Management for their extremely useful assistance in arranging this course. I am certain that the course will be of benefit to each of you individually, to your company, and to Vietnamese society as a whole.

Thank you.