Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has urged France’s CMA-CGM Group, a global player in sea, land, air, and 𒁃logistics solutions, to prioritise new solutions for Vietnam’s port development strategy, focusing on smart ports, infrastructure for renewable energy, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and automation.

During a reception in Hanoi on November 19 for Mathieu Friedberg, Senior Vice President – Commercial & Agencies Network, CMA CGM Group, Ha stressed that the successful implementation of the group's projects would support cooperation between Vietnamese and French firms. This is particularly so following the elevation of Vietnam-France relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the France visit by Party General Secretary To Lam in October. Friedberg highlighted CMA-CGM's significant footprint in Vietnam, with four shipping lines serving six international ports and offering 15 international routes to Europe, the US, and others. Notably, it is is working on a project to deploy electric barges, initially on inland waterways in Vietnam. The initiative aims to integrate and maximise the efficiency of multimodal transport, combining maritime, inland waterway, road, and rail networks. In response, Ha affirmed that Vietnam welcomes and encourages the use of renewable energy-powered means of transport to contribute to green energy transition and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector. The Vietnamese Government already introduced mechanisms for direct electricity trading, allowing renewable energy plants to sell electricity directly to large corporate customers, as well as supporting solar rooftop installations for self-generation and consumption. These policies make it easier for CMA-CGM to launch its electric barge project, including investing in infrastructure and charging station systems, he said. According to him, the Government’s commitment to the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) offers CMA-CGM access to financial resources from both the Government and international financial organisations to fund future projects on green energy transition and green transportation in Vietnam. The Ministry of Transport was asked to work closely with CMA-CGM to assess the potential and needs of Vietnam’s inland waterways, pilot the electric barge operation to refine safety standards and develop infrastructure regulations for renewable energy-powered systems./.