On November 26th, 2025, in Hanoi, Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Van Sinh received and worked with the EU-ASEAN Business Council (EU-ABC) delegation led by Mr. Jens Ruebbert - Chairman of the EU-ASEAN Business Council, Managing Director of Asia - Pacific of LBBW Bank, and Mr. Michel Cassagnes - Chairman of EuroCham Construction Subcommittee, Managing Director of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam markets of Archetype, co-heads of the delegation.
At the meeting, Mr. Jens Ruebbert expressed his deep sympathy to the State and People of Vietnam for the impact and damage caused by the recent storms and floods in the South Central region.
Mr. Jens Ruebbert said that the EU-ASEAN Business Council currently has about 120 representatives from 40 member organizations and enterprises. Over the years, the cooperation between EU-ABC and Vietnam has achieved many positive results, demonstrated through large working delegations to Vietnam as well as the increasing interest of European enterprises in the Vietnamese market.
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Meeting scene.
Mr. Jens Ruebbert stated that during the delegation’s visit and working session with the Ministry of Construction, the EU–ASEAN Business Council wishes to gain a deeper understanding of Vietnam’s major policies and strategic orientations in infrastructure development, green transport, energy transition, and sustainable construction; as well as the implementation results of the Government’s Action Program on green energy transition; plans to promote green vehicles; the strategy for developing key transport infrastructure projects; orientations for air logistics; efforts to streamline administrative procedures in the inspection and certification of technical safety and environmental protection for imported automobiles and auto parts; business conditions for automobile warranty and maintenance services; training of human resources for airport infrastructure; and opportunities for cooperation in the deployment of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Minister Nguyễn Văn Sinh affirmed that Vietnam always places great importance on promoting cooperative relations with European partners, especially in the areas of green construction, green transport, and sustainable infrastructure development. In recent years, Vietnam has consistently advanced green growth, proactively implemented its commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, and called for international resources including those from the EU to participate in the development of national key projects.
Under the authorization of Deputy Minister Nguyễn Văn Sinh, leaders of the Ministry of Construction’s units exchanged information and provided detailed updates on the areas of interest to the EU-ABC. After the Government issued Decision No. 876/QĐ-TTg on green energy transition and carbon emission reduction, the Ministry of Construction issued a plan to implement the sector’s Action Program, added a series of regulations encouraging the development of electric and green-energy vehicles into laws and sub-law documents; completed the system of codes and standards for charging stations, bus stations, and rest stops; and developed a roadmap for advancing green public transport, as well as green and smart urban areas.
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Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Sinh, Mr. Jens Ruebbert, Mr. Michel Cassagnes took a photo with delegates at the working session.
As of July 2025, Vietnam had more than 183,000 electric cars and nearly 1,000 electric buses in operation, reflecting a strong transition trend. In the coming period, the Ministry of Construction will continue proposing mechanisms to encourage the shift of public transport vehicles to electric power; develop a nationwide charging-station network; establish a roadmap for modern public transport infrastructure; and promote the application of green and smart urban development criteria.
Regarding green construction and digital transformation, the Ministry of Construction is currently updating the green building standards system in line with international benchmarks; studying policies to encourage the use of low-carbon materials; developing an industry database; promoting the adoption of BIM; and expanding the “digital city” and “smart infrastructure” models to support urban planning and management.
Regarding administrative procedure reform, the Ministry of Construction is actively studying and developing proposals to amend Decree No. 60/2023/NĐ-CP toward simplifying the processes for quality inspection, technical safety certification, and environmental protection for imported automobiles and auto parts, with the aim of creating more favorable conditions for European businesses.
Concluding the meeting, Deputy Minister Nguyễn Văn Sinh appreciated the contributions EU-ABC and affirmed that the Ministry of Construction is ready to accompany with EU enterprises in green transition, infrastructure development, logistics, and sustainable urban development. Both sides agreed to maintain regular exchanges and promote practical cooperation initiatives, thereby actively contributing to the increasingly effective and profound Vietnam - EU relations.