Southeast Asia Information Port News (www.dnyxxg.com) – The Vietnamese Ministry of Finance, in conjunction with Global Affairs Canada, the Vietnam Agency for the Development of Private and Collective Enterprises (APED), and the Canadian Embassy in Vietnam, recently launched the "Promoting Innovation, Growth, and Leadership Enhancement in Vietnamese Enterprises" (AGILE) project. This project focuses on the development of enterprises in Vietnam's climate sector and will empower the Vietnamese private sector through capacity building, financial support, and gender equality initiatives, helping it transform towards a green, circular, and sustainable future.
At the ceremony, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Finance Do Thanh Trung pointed out that Vietnam is one of the countries most severely affected by climate change, which has posed profound challenges to the country's core economic industries, people's well-being, and sustainable development goals. He emphasized that Resolution No. 68-NQ/TW of the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam in May 2025 clearly defines the core position of the private sector – as the most important economic driver, the private sector plays a pioneering role in driving growth, creating jobs, improving productivity and competitiveness, and promoting green transformation. Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Jim Nickel stated that Canada firmly supports Vietnam's green transformation process and will provide assistance through innovative financial solutions. Under the AGILE project framework, Global Affairs Canada, in conjunction with the Vietnamese Ministry of Finance, the World University Services Centre (WUSC), and Salona Fund Management, will leverage official development assistance funds to mitigate investment risks and attract private capital to Vietnam's climate-related industries. This collaboration aligns with Canada's new direction in international development assistance, aiming to strengthen bilateral investment cooperation, build green supply chains, and expand trade opportunities for businesses in both countries.
Sam Landon, Senior Program Director at WUSC and representative of the project's implementing agency, explained that the long-term vision of the AGILE project is to build a replicable network of knowledge and solutions to enhance the resilience and core competitiveness of Vietnam's business ecosystem in the face of global challenges. The AGILE project (2025–2029), funded by Global Affairs Canada, with the Ministry of Finance of Vietnam as the lead agency, the APED Agency as the project owner, and jointly implemented by WUSC and Salona, has been officially approved by Decision No. 4297/QĐ-BTC on December 25, 2025. The project focuses on three main areas: strengthening the business support ecosystem in the climate sector; facilitating investment matching and access to funding; and enhancing investors' gender equality and mainstreaming capabilities to optimize investment returns. The project prioritizes climate-related businesses, particularly providing targeted services to female-led enterprises to help them enhance their financing capabilities, expand their business scale, and promote sustainable and inclusive growth of Vietnam's private sector. (End)
