Dinner speech to Vietnam's Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet

Hanoi, Vietnam 9 October 1996

Mr. Prime Minister,
Mrs. Vo Van Kiet, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

First of all, Mr. Prime Minister, I would like to express my sincere appreciation of the generous words you have just extended to my country and to me personally. It is a great honour to be your official guest and to be able to pay my respects to the government and people of Vietnam.

For a whole generation of Norwegians, Vietnam came to play an essential role in the shaping of their own political thinking. To the young people of the 1960s and -70s, "the War" was the war in Vietnam - what you call the American war - and not the Second World War of their parents.

We remain mindful of your country's past: colonization, occupation, liberation, partition, war, reunification. Few countries have had a more troubled 20th century than Vietnam. At century's end, however, the prospects are brighter. To use an old Vietnamese proverb: "heaven has changed". The seas of world politics are calmer and Vietnam's economic renovation has led to tangible improvements in people's lives. Vietnam is taking bold steps to create a better future.

Norwegians now focus on Vietnam - not the war, but the country and its people and culture. Endowed with waterfalls, offshore oil and gas, rich mineral resources, and plentyful fish stocks, Vietnam has the potential to become one of the most affluent countries in Southeast Asia. The striking similarities between the resource base of our two countries serve as a point of departure for closer cooperation. Norway would like to be one of Vietnam's partners in progress and prosperity. We believe that you stand to gain not only from our capital and technology, but also from knowing more about how we have met some of the challenges you are now facing.

Today, Foreign Minister Cam and I have officiated the opening of the Norwegian Embassy in Hanoi, while Prime Minister Kiet and I have presided over the signing of several important documents concerning economic and development cooperation. Norway will assist Vietnam in providing educational and recreational facilities for underprivileged children, in attaining the highest possible environmental and safety standards in the petroleum sector, in fisheries and the seafood processing industry, in developing small and medium-sized businesses, in seabed mapping, and in the training of diplomats.

Business contacts between our two countries are also expanding. The success of Vietnam's "doi moi"-policies has brought impressive economic growth rates and attracted the attention of Norwegian companies, some 30 of which are travelling with me to Vietnam. All the companies have made or are close to making strategic decisions about long-term involvement in Vietnam. They will be ready to invest in both physical and human capital. They represent state-of-the-art technologies and management principles which are there for you to share.

Let me mention one of these companies in particular, the Norwegian state oil company Statoil, operating here in Vietnam in alliance with BP. Statoil has led the way in developing Norway's own oil and gas resources. The company has accumulated experience and competence of great value to Vietnam. I believe you were able to see this for yourself last year, Mr. Prime Minister, when you visited the Sleipner A plattform in the North Sea.

Statoil is involved in the development of the Nam Con Son offshore natural gas project. Statoil works closely with Petro Vietnam, training its employees in order to make Petro Vietnam an operator of high international standards. Statoil is currently also competing for the contract to develop the Bach Ho LPG project. I can assure you that Statoil's long- term commitment to Vietnam has the full support of my government.

The fact that industrial locomotives such as Statoil, Norsk Hydro, Dyno and Kværner establish a presence, also has a broader impact. Where they engage, other Norwegian companies tend to follow - as you can tell from the size of the business delegation accompanying me.

Geography is fate, and fate has been unkind to Vietnam for geographical reasons. Norway has been more fortunate. For us, the 20th century has been marked less by armed struggle then by the processes of democratization and industrialization. The two have gone hand in hand. We have built democracy and the rule of law by extending political, economic and social rights to all. We have created prosperity through a workable compromise between capital and labor. We have managed to humanize the market, extracting from it economic growth and job creation, while at the same time ensuring equal access to health care, social security and education.

In a world of interdependence, prosperity must entail sustainable development. Economic growth at the expense of environmental health is self-defeating in the long run. Many of the Asian countries that now enjoy double-digit growth rates are facing severe environmental problems, especially in their largest cities. Vietnam still has time to avoid running up an environmental bill which might eventually undermine the gains of rapid growth. It is possible to reverse a course of environmental wanton by timely investments to reduce pollution, improve public transport, and save water and energy.

In the coming years, our two countries will have ample opportunity to exchange views on how to strike the right balance between growth and sustainability or economic, legal and political reform. We will keep advancing the dialogue and expanding the cooperation. As my visit demonstrates, the relationship between Norway and Vietnam is not only about trade and investments. Our relations also rest on political and cultural pillars which we are determined to strengthen. The presence of a Norwegian Embassy in this lovely city should make that task a lot easier.

Mr. Prime Minister,

I would like to propose a toast to you and to the future relations between our two countries.