Partners in Sharing

"The common ground in the areas of cooperation between Israel and Vietnam is technology, and we are very happy and ready to share our technology with Vietnam."

Israeli Ambassador to Vietnam Meirav Eilon Shahar. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

Israeli Ambassador to Vietnam Meirav Eilon Shahar shared this with TG&VN during the State visit to Vietnam by Israeli President Reuven Ruvi Rivlin and his wife from March 19-25.

Ambassador, could you please explain the purpose and significance of your visit?

We are very excited and actively preparing for the President's visit. The relationship between our two countries is growing stronger and expanding in many areas. The Israel-Vietnam relationship has now lasted 24 years and has made rapid progress, particularly in the fields of politics , trade, defense, agriculture, education, science, and technology. This is a very opportune time for the Israeli President to visit Vietnam, witness these developments, and further deepen cooperation between the two countries.

This visit was not only at the state-to-state level but also aimed to promote exchanges between businesses and people of the two countries. Besides meetings between the President and high-ranking Vietnamese leaders, the President also attended two business forums held in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to promote exchanges and trade between businesses of both sides. The President also visited several cooperation projects between the two governments in Ho Chi Minh City and Vinh Phuc.

Finally, it's impossible not to mention the significance of the President's attendance at the concert at the Grand Theatre. The concert not only helped to strengthen cultural exchange but also provided an opportunity to increase understanding and close ties between the people of the two countries.

Israel is renowned for its technological strengths. Perhaps technology is also a key area of ​​bilateral cooperation, Ambassador?

Vietnam is a very important partner for Israel because we pay great attention to ASEAN and consider Vietnam a leading partner in this region. Our two countries are geographically distant and have many differences. Your population is approximately 94 million, quite large compared to ours of about 8 million, but we also share many similarities in terms of history and character. Vietnamese people are very dynamic and have a strong entrepreneurial spirit. This is also a characteristic of the Israeli spirit.

You may also like

25 Years of Vietnam-Israel Relations: Achievements and OpportunitiesAlthough diplomatic relations were only established in 1993, the bond between the Vietnamese and Israeli peoples had been formed since the early 1940s when President Ho Chi Minh, in a meeting with the founding leader and first Prime Minister of Israel, Ben Gurion, expressed his willingness to allow Jewish people to establish a government-in-exile in Vietnam.

AI drives human resource innovation in the digital economy.The development of AI is driving higher education to innovate its training methods, preparing human resources to meet the demands of the digital economy.

Bringing scientific and technological inventions into practice.Science, technology, and innovation are identified as the driving force and foundation for socio-economic development in each locality, serving as a springboard for transforming the economic growth model from extensive to intensive. Based on this reality, many member universities of Thai Nguyen University have implemented research and projects in science and technology. Many of these projects and research topics have been put into practice, gradually meeting the requirements of the national science and technology development, innovation, and digital transformation program.

We have potential for cooperation not just in one but in many different areas. That potential lies in agriculture , education, energy, defense, clean water, and more. Israel is transferring technology and expertise in agriculture to Vietnam.

A weakness in Vietnam's agriculture is technology. Vietnam is a producer and exporter of agricultural products, with a large portion of its income based on this sector. However, while Vietnam produces many products, it also uses a lot of natural resources and human resources. To achieve significant progress, you need to industrialize by using better technology to produce high-quality products, using fewer resources while still being economically efficient. I see that Vietnam has been moving in that direction. The government is very interested in high-tech agricultural production. This direction is correct but not easy. I hope you will soon achieve significant progress in this field.

Due to its harsh natural environment, Israel has found a way to manage its water resources very well with cutting-edge technology. This has ensured that Israel, a country known for its arid conditions, has sufficient water for use. The common thread in our areas of cooperation is technology, and we are happy and willing to share our technology with Vietnam. Currently, many Vietnamese students are studying and researching technology in Israel.

What are the ambassador's thoughts on the future signing of the FTA and the opening of direct flights between the two countries?

Trade between the two countries has made significant progress over the past five years. Bilateral trade in 2015 reached US$2.3 billion, with Israel having a trade surplus with Vietnam. The two countries are also negotiating and moving towards signing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Israel and Vietnam, creating favorable conditions for businesses and investors. I am confident that this FTA can be signed in early 2018.

Several Vietnamese products have already been exported to Israel, such as fish, shrimp, rice, coffee, some textiles, and electronic components. In fact, Vietnam can do even better. Even Vietnamese spices could be exported to Israel. I hope Vietnamese businesses can consider Israel a potential market.

Regarding the opening of direct flights, this promises to be a significant boost for tourism as well as trade between the two countries. The two national airlines are working to realize this plan. Several countries in the Asian region have already opened direct flights to Israel, such as China, Thailand, and South Korea. Singapore is also considering opening a direct flight to Israel.

In 2014, only 14,000 Israeli tourists visited Vietnam, but in 2016, this number increased to 22,000. However, this is still quite small. I hope that with our current efforts, we can change the perception of Vietnamese people about Israel, showing them that our country is a very safe destination with attractive landmarks. In the South, tourists may see deserts, but in the North, they can admire lush green fields. In Israel, visitors will see a diversity of religions coexisting.

The ambassador once said that she felt the impacts of climate change in Vietnam very strongly. Could she share more specific details about Israel's experience in this matter?

You may also like

Dong Nai: Launching a self-service biometric identification system for medical examination registration.The introduction of the kiosk system by Dong Nai General Hospital further affirms the healthcare sector's determination to build a smart healthcare system that puts patients at the center of service.

President Tran Dai Quang receives Ambassadors presenting their credentials.On the morning of September 26th, at the Presidential Palace, Ambassadors Nadav Eshcar of Israel, Samina Naz of Bangladesh, Kari Kahiluoto of Finland, Thomas Schuller Gotzburg of Austria, and Lianys Torres Rivera of Cuba presented their credentials to President Tran Dai Quang upon their appointment as Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Vietnam. Following the credential presentation ceremony, President Tran Dai Quang received the Ambassadors in turn.

AI is entering the trend of iterative workflows.VTV.vn - Artificial intelligence systems are being developed to continuously assign tasks, check, and improve each other's results without requiring step-by-step human guidance.

That's right, in the field of climate change, I think Israel can share its experience with Vietnam regarding water resource management. Some areas in Vietnam are currently experiencing drought and saltwater intrusion. This is a significant consequence of climate change.

In addition, Israel also has excellent technology for producing clean energy such as solar energy, as an alternative to traditional energy sources. We would like to share this with Vietnam, and although the actual conditions may differ, we can cooperate to adapt it to suit the situation in each country.

Thank you, Ambassador!

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/doi-tac-cua-su-se-chia-46363.html