European Union (EU) diplomats participated in a waste collection drive on a beach in Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam on Sunday.

The 'Vietnam - EU Joining Hands for a Clean Environment’ drive was jointly organized onBai Chay Beach in the province's Ha Long City by the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the EU Delegation to Vietnam, the Quang Ninh administration, and Vietnamese conglomerate Sun Group. 

Joining the event were the ministry’s leaders, ambassadors of EU countries to Vietnam and their relatives, officials of the EU Delegation to Vietnam, and representatives of Quang Ninh authorities.

After the event launching ceremony, nearly 200 delegates, along with local residents and tourists, started collecting garbage of various types along Bai Chay Beach, about one kilometer long, on the shore of Ha Long Bay, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

They later moved to the Ha Long International Cruise Port area nearby for the same garbage collection drive.

All the waste was transported to designated places for appropriate treatment.

Every year, the EU Delegation to Vietnam and EU countries’ embassies in Vietnam conduct a series of activities to celebrate Europe Day (May 9), which marks the establishment of the European Union, the most successful model of international integration. 

This year, the waste collection campaign in Ha Long has spread the message of joint efforts to preserve and protect the blue, clean, and beautiful marine environment for everyone and for future generations, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang said at the event. 

Such an event not only helps strengthen the friendship, mutual understanding, and bilateral cooperation between the EU and Vietnam in general and Quang Ninh in particular, but also contributes to raising the public’s awareness of environmental protection, Hang stated.

She further expressed Vietnam's desire to maintain fruitful cooperation and assistance from the EU and its member states in safeguarding the environment and restoring soil, forest, and marine ecosystems throughout the country.

Ambassador and head of the EU Delegation to Vietnam Julien Guerrier underscored the drive’s significance, saying it reflected Vietnam’s constant efforts toward green and sustainable development. 

By joining the waste collection program, the EU Delegation members wish to contribute to protecting the charming beauty of Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO-recognized world natural heritage site in Ha Long City, Guerrier added.   

He also affirmed that the EU always supports Vietnam to fulfill its commitments to building a green and circular economy and achieving the target of net-zero emissions by 2050.

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