On June 25, at the headquarters of Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), Deputy Minister Phan Thi Thang held talks with Yasushi Masaki, Deputy Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), to discuss directions for future cooperation in industry, trade and energy.

Welcoming Deputy Secretary-General Masaki and the OECD delegation, Deputy Minister Phan Thi Thang highly appreciated the OECD's role in fostering policy dialogue, sharing international best practices, supporting institutional reform, digital transformation, green growth and sustainable development.

The Deputy Minister acknowledged the positive outcomes achieved under the Vietnam - OECD Memorandum of Understanding for the 2022 - 2026 period and proposed that both sides continue developing focused cooperation programmes aligned with the practical priorities and needs of Vietnam's industry and trade sector.

In the field of trade, the Deputy Minister suggested that the OECD support Vietnam in assessing the effectiveness of implementing free trade agreements (FTAs), identifying market access bottlenecks, and recommending solutions to promote sustainable exports while expanding and diversifying export markets. The two sides could also cooperate in helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) strengthen their capacity to meet technical standards and requirements related to environmental protection, labour, product traceability and sustainable development.

Regarding industry and energy, the Ministry of Industry and Trade expressed its hope that the OECD would share international experience and provide policy assessment support for the development of supporting industries and materials industries, as well as for transforming Vietnam's industrial ecosystem towards a greener and more sustainable model. The Ministry also looks forward to continued cooperation in mobilising finance and investment for clean energy, while promoting energy efficiency and conservation.

Deputy Minister Phan Thi Thang further proposed that the OECD support Vietnam in advancing digital transformation in exports, trade promotion, supply chain management and market intelligence, while continuing to cooperate in improving the institutional and regulatory framework and strengthening governance and law enforcement capacity in the chemicals sector.

During the meeting, Deputy Secretary-General Yasushi Masaki reaffirmed that Vietnam is an important partner of the OECD in Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific region. He expressed the OECD's commitment to expanding cooperation with Vietnam, with a view to developing a new Memorandum of Understanding and Action Plan that reflect Vietnam's evolving development priorities.

The OECD also stands ready to support Vietnam as the host economy of APEC 2027, particularly in areas including services trade, digital trade, trade facilitation and enhancing supply chain resilience.

Concluding the meeting, Deputy Minister Phan Thi Thang reaffirmed that the MoIT would continue to serve as a proactive and trusted partner of the OECD, contributing to the green, sustainable and internationally integrated development of Vietnam's industry and trade sectors.