Mr Dat, who is also head of the Vietnamese delegation at the 15^th Global Conference on Sustainable Development (CDS-15) made the statement at UN Headquarters in New York on May 9.

The determination is proven through the Vietnam Agenda 21 and the establishment of a national council on sustainable development headed by a deputy prime minister, he said.

The Vietnamese Government has approved a key national strategy on energy saving and effective use of energy in the 2006-2015 period, Mr Dat said, adding that implementation of the programme will bring about socio-economic benefits, exploit energy resources and protect the environment.

Vietnam has also attached importance to developing traditional energy resources such as thermo- and hydro-electricity as well as promoting clean energies, including biogas, wind and solar power.

The country has given priority to developing a green, clean and environmentally-friendly industry by replacing out-dated production lines with advanced and modern technologies.

Legal, economic and technical policies have been made to prevent air pollution, minimize the discharge of greenhouse effect causing fumes and raise public awareness of this issue.

Mr Dat also affirmed that Vietnam has been actively cooperating with other countries worldwide to implement the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The country has concentrated on carrying out national programmes on removing substances that destroy the ozone layer.