Vietnamese Embassy in Russia implements science and technology diplomacy

Ambassador Dang Minh Khoi affirmed that the Vietnam - Russia relationship has a high level of trust, which is an important foundation to promote technology transfer cooperation, especially in the context of many complex international changes.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi emphasized that science and technology are currently identified as the key driving force to create a fundamental breakthrough in national development. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in Russia)

Implementing Resolution 57-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in science and technology development, innovation and national digital transformation, on November 14, the Embassy of Vietnam in the Russian Federation held a working session to deploy the Action Plan on science and technology diplomacy to 2030 of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

At the meeting, Counselor Doan Khac Hoang presented the key contents of the plan, emphasizing three principles throughout, including: Flexibility, proactiveness, and creativity in implementing tasks; Selectively absorbing advanced scientific and technological achievements; and encouraging the synchronous participation of the State, businesses and the scientific community, ensuring that people are the center of benefits.

In Vietnam’s orientation for international cooperation in science and technology, the Russian Federation, along with other developed countries, is among the top priority partners. Therefore, scientific diplomacy in Russia has strategic significance and needs to be comprehensively evaluated to improve the effectiveness of advisory work for the Government and ministries and branches.

Head of the Embassy’s Science and Technology Department Nguyen Ngoc Anh presented an overview of Russia’s science and technology development strategy and the bilateral cooperation process in this field. Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Anh emphasized that the Russian Federation is a traditional and reliable partner of Vietnam in many key sectors such as energy, nuclear technology, aviation and space, basic research, new materials, biomedicine and information technology.

This long-term cooperation, according to Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Anh, contributes significantly to consolidating technological sovereignty, protecting national interests and Vietnam's equal position in bilateral cooperation projects.

In Russia, in addition to the network of prestigious research institutes, many leading universities also play a driving role in research and development (R&D) activities, especially those selected to participate in the key national program “Priority”. Every year, Vietnam sends a significant number of students, graduate students and researchers to Russia under various types of scholarships. This is the country’s next generation of scientific human resources, with the opportunity to access modern laboratories early and participate in national, regional and international research projects.

According to the report of the Head of the Education Section of the Embassy Mai Nguyen Tuyet Hoa, Vietnamese students studying STEM majors currently account for about 30% of the total number of Vietnamese students studying in Russia. This is an encouraging number that needs to be maintained and encouraged in the context of the very favorable development of bilateral relations between the two countries, in order to contribute to building a team of high-quality scientific and technological staff for Vietnam in the future.

In his speech, Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi emphasized that science and technology are currently identified as the key driving force to create fundamental breakthroughs for national development. Russia, as one of the world's leading countries in basic research and science and technology, has many strengths that Vietnam needs to fully identify to effectively utilize. According to the Ambassador, understanding the role, potential and advantages of science and technology cooperation with Russia will help Vietnam expand its access to advanced knowledge and effectively exploit the potential for cooperation.

The Ambassador also affirmed that the Vietnam-Russia relationship has always maintained a high level of trust, creating a favorable foundation to promote technology transfer cooperation, especially in the context of complex international changes. He said that Vietnam can completely turn challenges into opportunities, thereby accessing more deeply the technological fields in which Russia has strengths.

Regarding the areas that need to be prioritized for research and consultation with the Government, Ambassador Dang Minh Khoi pointed out the key areas including: civil nuclear energy and technology, space and satellite technology, basic science, defense industry, biotechnology - medicine, information technology, etc. At the same time, scientific and technological cooperation needs to be associated with training high-quality human resources, considering this a central and regular task.

The Ambassador also highly appreciated the achievements of Russian science, including the Covid-19 vaccine and some cancer treatment drugs recently licensed by the Vietnamese Ministry of Health. The system of universities and the Russian Academy of Sciences have been among the world's leading research institutions for many years and are important partners for Vietnam.

The meeting not only kick-started the implementation of the Action Plan on Science and Technology Diplomacy, but also opened up new approaches to promote specific cooperation initiatives with Russia. Thereby, science diplomacy activities in the area will be organized more systematically, contributing to making science and technology a real pillar in the Vietnam - Russia relationship.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/dsq-viet-nam-tai-nga-trien-khai-cong-tac-ngoai-giao-khoa-hoc-cong-nghe-334441.html