The delegation led by Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä includes Finnish companies operating in energy, water and waste management technology, bio-economy and digital technology. 

Finnish Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä (second from left) attends a meeting in Hanoi

Minister Lintilä said this was his second visit to Vietnam. He hoped that Finland, which boasts waste-to-energy technologies, can help Vietnam, especially in the context of the country’s increasing energy demand.

Vietnam has a total population of 93 million people. Every person discharges around 1.2 kilos of solid wastes per day with 16% of this being plastic, which is mostly poured into rivers and sea.

Minna Vilkuna from BMH Technology Oy said that rapid urbanisation had brought about the rise in urban solid waste in Vietnam. 

On October 16, the mission met with Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam to discuss innovation policies and the bilateral economic relations between the countries.

Meanwhile, Juha Suomi from Fortum Power and Heat Oy said that some countries which have tightened control over scrap imports, including China, had contributed to turning Vietnam into the destination for scrap.

The Vietnam Maritime Administration reported that by May 2018, nearly 28,000 containers of old electric wiring and household utensils and cars had been abandoned at Vietnamese ports. Instead of being left, these should be recycled into energy.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc recently instructed the finance, and industry and trade ministries to review and make required changes to the temporary ban on the import, re-export, transit and transhipment of scrap.

On October 16, the Finnish guests met with Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam. They will also have meetings with representatives from some ministries and agencies.

The programme also includes a round-table discussion with local software developers, a meeting with representatives of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and a visit to the water treatment plant of Hanoi. The delegation will also meet Hoang Binh Quan, Communist Party of Vietnam External Relations Chairman, and discuss co-operation possibilities in smart city projects with the authorities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.