Strengthening Vietnam-US scientific and technological cooperation

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh works with CSIRO. Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

Accompanying them were Minister, Head of the Government Office Tran Van Son; Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son; Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat; Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan; Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan and on the Australian side, Minister for External Affairs Support Tim Watts.

CSIRO is Australia's science agency, established in 1916; one of the world's largest multidisciplinary science and technology organisations, with 5,500 staff and 57 facilities across Australia and representative offices in the US, Chile, France, Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam.

CSIRO has had a close cooperative relationship with the Ministry of Science and Technology for many years, through research cooperation activities in Vietnam. The two sides have signed an agreement to support research cooperation between Vietnamese and Australian research organizations, in areas where CSIRO has strengths, including: Agriculture and Food, Health and Biosecurity, Energy, Land and Water Resources, Manufacturing Technology, Mineral Exploration, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, Information Technology and Data. Among them are typical science and technology cooperation programs such as the sustainable development program for shrimp production in the Mekong Delta; ending plastic waste; satellite observation technology; medical research program for cancer treatment, etc.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh experiences the application of technology researched and developed by CSIRO. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA

At the Prime Minister's working session with CSIRO leaders, Minister for External Affairs Tim Watts said that Vietnam and Australia have upgraded their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, identifying science, technology and innovation cooperation programs as pillars in the bilateral relationship. The Australian Government is committed to strengthening scientific and technological cooperation between the two countries through specific projects, promoting innovation in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat expressed his delight at the Australian Innovation Program, in which CSIRO directly manages the program, strengthens cooperation with Vietnam, helps Vietnam develop the fields of aquaculture, cultivation, and modernized production industries on the basis of commercializing research results, bringing opportunities to the Vietnamese people.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan said that Vietnam's agricultural development models are all associated with green transformation. Cooperation between CSIRO and Vietnam helps to address the challenges in the agricultural sector that Vietnam is facing. In the coming time, Vietnam will focus on cooperation in standardization in the agricultural sector, especially pangasius and shrimp, in which Vietnam is leading the world, linking this industry with the world's trend of low emissions and green transformation; hoping that CSIRO will support Vietnam in achieving this goal.

Speaking at the meeting, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed his impression of the cooperation results between CSIRO and Vietnam; congratulated CSIRO for its valuable research, contributing to Australia in particular and the world in general. In particular, CSIRO is on the right track of development in areas such as digital transformation, green transformation, climate change response, science, technology, innovation, agriculture, etc. in line with Vietnam's development policies.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh works with CSIRO. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA

The Prime Minister said that the current trend of the times is development; overall peace, but there is still war in some areas; overall reconciliation, but there is still tension in some areas; overall stability, but there is still conflict in some areas. “With today's integrated world, places with war, conflict, and tension are not only affected but also peaceful places like Australia or Vietnam,” the Prime Minister emphasized.

Discussing issues such as climate change, epidemics, population aging, etc., the Prime Minister said that these are all global and national issues, so all countries and all people must join hands to solve them, including Australia and Vietnam; research cooperation is not only for Australia and Vietnam but also contributes to solving global and national issues.

According to the Prime Minister, after more than 50 years of diplomatic relations, 15 years of Comprehensive Partnership, 6 years of Strategic Partnership, and now Comprehensive Strategic Partnership - the highest level of diplomatic relations in the world; the Vietnam - Australia relationship is developing very well. "In the "6 more things" when Vietnam - Australia established the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, there is the content of promoting stronger cooperation in science, technology, digital transformation, and green transformation", the Prime Minister stated.

The head of the Vietnamese Government requested that Vietnamese ministries, agencies and localities promote cooperation with CSIRO to have "specific products"; emphasizing that cooperation in science, technology, innovation, climate change response, digital transformation and green transformation between Vietnam and Australia is limitless, therefore, the two sides need to build projects to take advantage of the 2 billion USD funding package (for ASEAN countries) and the 220 million USD package on the existing foundation to implement practical and specific projects and programs. "We must direct funding sources to key, key and targeted programs and projects," the Prime Minister emphasized.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh witnessed Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat and CSIRO Director General signing a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the two agencies - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said that in the process of cooperation, there are both advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, both sides should strive to have more successes than failures, more advantages than difficulties and obstacles. The Vietnamese Government will have mechanisms, policies, priorities, directions and management to ensure the implementation of cooperation programs is smooth and effective.

On this occasion, witnessed by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat and CSIRO Director General Doug Hilton signed a cooperation agreement on science, technology and innovation.

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