Vietnam, Italy look to beef up sci-tech cooperation
The 8th session of the Vietnam-Italy Joint Committee on Science and Technology Cooperation took place in Rome on May 8 to summarise the collaboration so far and set out new tasks for the two sides.
At the 8th session of the Vietnam-Italy Joint Committee on Science and Technology Cooperation in Rome on May 8 (Photo: VNA)
Rome (VNA) - The 8th session of the Vietnam-Italy Joint Committee on Science and Technology Cooperation took place in Rome on May 8 to summarise the collaboration so far and set out new tasks for the two sides.
The event was co-chaired by Vu Thi Tu Quyen, Deputy Director of the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology’s Department of International Cooperation, and Giuseppe Pastorelli, Deputy Director of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation’s economic promotion and innovation department.
Both sides expressed satisfaction at the outcomes of the seven bilateral sci-tech cooperation programmes implemented since 1998. These programmes have fostered strong collaborative relationships between Vietnamese and Italian research institutes and universities, enabling joint research projects in Italy's areas of expertise to effectively address Vietnam's socio-economic development needs.
Over 70 educational establishments and more than 250 experts of the two nations have participated in field surveys, study tours, exchange visits, and the training of over 50 Master’ and PHD students. Additionally, they have jointly published over 150 scientific papers on journals from Vietnam, Italy, and around the world.
The 8th session saw the sides concurring on their cooperation scheme for 2024-2026, focusing on the five priority areas of agricultural science and food technology, information technology and communication, climate change and sustainable development, space science and earth observation, and tec📖hnology for conservation and restoration of cultural and natural heritage. They also finalised a list of joint research projects to be implemented in the near future./.
Representatives of Vietnam presented the country’s relations with Italy and the Asia-Pacific region’s growing importance, while attending a hearing of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Italian Chamber of Deputies on April 10.
Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien held a working session in Hanoi on March 28 with Marco Della Seta, Italian Ambassador to Vietnam and Regina Corradini D’Airenzo, CEO of SIMEST which is responsible for promoting Italian companies' outward investment and providing technical and financial support for investment projects.
The Vietnamese and Italian economies are complementary, with great potential for cooperation, with agriculture being a key area, said head of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Le Hoai Trung.
The trip will be made at the invitations of Chinese Premier Li Qiang and WEF President and CEO Børge Brende, according to an announcement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Long spoke highly of the dynamic, positive, and comprehensive development of Vietnam – Russia relations in recent years. He affirmed that the Vietnamese Party and State place great importance on further strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia in a substantive and effective manner, in line with the development needs of both nations.
At the conference, participants reported that the Government has so far issued 28 decrees on the delegation of responsibilities and powers between the central Government and two-tier local administrations. Several localities have already piloted the new governance model.
Reality is the ultimate benchmark for success, he said, urging drafting agencies to work out policies that foster development, reduce bureaucratic hurdles, and respect practical conditions.
Under the official dispatch signed on June 20, ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, and chairpersons of provincial and municipal People’s Committees are requested to concentrate efforts on implementing core measures to ensure the smooth operations of the new administrative framework.
The Party chief underscored the need for the press to innovate relentlessly, evolve to keep pace with the country's development, transform into a truly professional, humanistic, and modern sector that serves the cause of the Party, the State, and the people on the path to national construction and development.
The UN Secretary-General praised Vietnam’s remarkable achievements in socio-economic development and international integration in recent years, noting that the country has emerged as a model in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), promoting international peace and security, and engaging in key UN processes.
Nghia affirmed that this is a milestone of special significance, affirming and honouring the the Vietnamese revolutionary press’s glorious tradition of 100 years of serving the revolutionary cause of the Party, serving the Fatherland, and serving the people.
The Party and State of Vietnam always attach great importance to and give top priority to the development of Vietnam–China relations. Vietnam is ready to work with the Chinese Party and State to further deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership and promote the building of the Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.
Under the leadership of President Ho Chi Minh and the CPV, President Cuong said, the press has been a steadfast force on the ideological and cultural front, rallying the masses to pursue national aspirations.
NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man stressed the need to accelerate the application of artificial intelligence and smart teaching equipment, innovate teaching and assessment methods, and further improve the quality of formal education.
He also pledged that the NA will promote its ongoing supervision, making sure that every promise must lead to results, and every commitment must bring about real changes.
Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien welcomed the proposals put forward by the US side and reiterated Vietnam’s request for consideration of key areas of interest, including reciprocal tariff policies and access for Vietnamese key export products to the US market.
Deputy PM Le Thanh Long proposed countries promote shared values, including building trust, sincerity, and solidarity among nations and peoples; fostering cooperation spirit and responsible behaviour as well as upholding international law and the UN Charter; and placing people at the centre and as the goal, the key player, and the driving force of all policies.
The show, together with a grand parade to be held silmutaneously at Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi, will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution, the National Day, and the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA).
In particular, in April 2023, the two sides successfully carried out a joint operation that dismantled a major organised, transnational drug trafficking ring involving both Vietnamese and Cambodian suspects.
The Vietnamese Embassy in Israel is closely coordinating with relevant local agencies to stay informed and provide the utmost support possible for Vietnamese nationals.
The launch of Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper in 1925, even before the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam, is considered a testament to President Ho Chi Minh’s strategic foresight and strong belief in the guiding power of the revolutionary media.
