During his visit to Vietnam, on the afternoon of August 4, 2025, the Lao Minister of Technology and Communications, Boviengkham Vongdara, held an important discussion with the Vietnamese Minister of Science and Technology , Nguyen Manh Hung.
Overview of the seminar.
Affirming a long-term vision and promoting concrete action for a sustainable digital future.
In his opening remarks, Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung extended a warm welcome to the Minister and delegation from the Lao Ministry of Technology and Communications; and emphasized that this is an important milestone in the development of bilateral relations between Vietnam and Laos, especially in the context of Vietnam's science and technology sector undergoing strategic adjustments to assume a key role in socio-economic development.
The Minister expressed his deep confidence that, building on the strong and effective cooperation of the past, the seminar would usher in a new, more substantive and effective phase of cooperation, contributing to the realization of commitments made by the high-level leaders of the two countries. "This is also a favorable time for both sides to review the achievements made, share information on policies and development directions, and discuss and agree on specific areas of cooperation in the future."
Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung speaks at the seminar.
Speaking at the seminar, Lao Minister of Technology and Communications Boviengkham Vongdara affirmed that the visit held profound significance within the framework of activities commemorating the 48th anniversary of the signing of the Laos-Vietnam Friendship and Cooperation Treaty (July 18, 1977 - July 18, 2025) and the 63rd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries (September 5, 1962 - September 5, 2025). According to him, 2025 is a crucial milestone in bilateral relations, opening up new opportunities to further deepen comprehensive cooperation, especially in the fields of science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation.
Minister Boviengkham Vongdara expressed his desire for both sides to strengthen comprehensive connections in the fields of science and technology, innovation and digital transformation; promote specific, practical cooperation projects with long-term impact; cooperate in exchanging experiences on digital transformation, developing digital government, promoting the digital economy, digital industry, startups, and providing capital support for startups; and cooperate in exchanging experiences on building and encouraging investment in high-tech zones and special economic zones for digital technology…
On this occasion, he respectfully invited Minister Nguyen Manh Hung to pay an official visit to the Lao People's Democratic Republic, and affirmed that he would continue to strive to effectively implement the discussed cooperation contents, in order to realize the shared vision of a digital future of partnership and sustainable development.
Lao Minister of Technology and Communications Boviengkham Vongdara speaks at the seminar.
Within the framework of the seminar, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Bui The Duy introduced the structure and strategic direction of the Ministry of Science and Technology after the merger. The Deputy Minister stated that the new Ministry not only inherits all the functions of its two predecessors, but has also been entrusted by the Central Committee and the Government with a groundbreaking additional responsibility: implementing Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW of the Politburo – three strategic breakthroughs for rapid and sustainable growth and realizing the goal of making Vietnam a high-income developed country by the middle of the 21st century.
Deputy Minister Bui The Duy affirmed, "The Ministry of Science and Technology is built with the vision of becoming a core force, a pioneer in creating a national development model based on knowledge and innovation, with the core idea being thoroughly understood and concretized in the STID model - "Science, Technology, Innovation, Digital Transformation". At the same time, it affirms the role of quality measurement standards and intellectual property as two key tools for developing a knowledge-based economy."
With the responsibility of comprehensively managing the value chain from research to application, commercialization, and digital transformation, the Ministry of Science and Technology aims to place businesses at the center of innovation, universities at the center of basic research, and intermediary organizations as catalysts to promote the entire national ecosystem of science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation. The overarching principle is that the development of science and technology must be linked to application, commercialization, and improved labor productivity, thereby making a practical contribution to national development in the era of knowledge and comprehensive digitalization.
Deputy Minister Bui The Duy introduced the Ministry of Science and Technology after the merger.
During the meeting, the Deputy Minister of Technology and Communications of Laos, Saysana Sitthiphone, reported on the Vietnam-Laos cooperation in science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation.
Over the past period, the two Ministries have closely coordinated, making significant contributions to the modernization of digital infrastructure, human resource development, and enhancement of innovation capacity in Laos. In particular, technology transfer programs, expert training, and sharing of experiences in implementing digital models have yielded practical results.
To enhance the effectiveness of cooperation in the coming period, the Deputy Minister proposed: Continuing to strengthen the multi-tiered, multi-level coordination mechanism, enhancing connections between functional units, centers, and research institutes to promptly meet practical requirements; encouraging the transfer of advanced technologies, coordinating the implementation of joint research projects, especially in new fields such as AI, big data, technology standards, and technical development serving production… In addition, the two Ministries need to focus on building innovation technology zones, creating a foundation for attracting bilateral investment; as well as promoting international cooperation and mutual support at regional and global forums in the fields of science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation. Another important point emphasized is the continued support for Laos in developing high-quality human resources and improving the quality of teaching and training to better meet the development requirements of the digital age and the fourth industrial revolution.
Deputy Minister Saysana Sitthiphone reported on the Vietnam-Laos cooperation in science and technology, innovation and digital transformation.
Four strategic cooperation directions were agreed upon.
Providing an update on major policy changes in Vietnam in the fields of science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation, Ms. Nguyen Nhu Quynh, Director of the Legal Department, stated that in building and perfecting institutions and laws, the Ministry of Science and Technology has resolutely eliminated the "if you can't manage it, ban it" mentality; proactively shifted from "managing methods" to "managing objectives"; from pre-auditing to post-auditing; from strict management to avoid risks to accepting controlled risks; and gradually turned institutions into a competitive advantage in the development of science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation.
In particular, at its 9th session, the 15th National Assembly passed five laws related to science and technology with many important innovations: the Law on Science, Technology and Innovation; the Law on Digital Technology Industry; the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Standards and Technical Regulations; the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Product and Goods Quality; and the Law on Atomic Energy (amended).
Ms. Nguyen Nhu Quynh further stated that the Ministry of Science and Technology is currently focusing on developing and submitting to the Government 16 Decrees detailing the five aforementioned Laws. Simultaneously, the Ministry is also developing and submitting to the National Assembly for approval four laws in October 2025, including: the Law on Digital Transformation; the Law amending and supplementing certain articles of the Law on Intellectual Property; the Law amending and supplementing certain articles of the Law on Technology Transfer; and the Law amending the Law on High Technology. The Ministry of Science and Technology is also reviewing all relevant legal documents to ensure the synchronization and consistency of the legal system on science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation; including consistency with the new Laws passed by the National Assembly.
Ms. Nguyen Nhu Quynh, Director of the Legal Department, presented a report at the seminar.
In a friendly, open, and sincere atmosphere, the delegates focused on exchanging and discussing strategic cooperation directions for the future. Specifically, they agreed to continue maintaining exchanges of delegations at all levels, training courses, joint research projects, and in-depth cooperation on digital transformation; cooperation in training and human resource development; cooperation in supporting innovation, technology transfer, technology assessment and evaluation; cooperation in exchanging experiences on developing digital government, promoting the digital economy, digital industry, and startups, and providing capital support for startups; cooperation in exchanging experiences on building and encouraging investment in high-tech zones and special economic zones for digital technology; and the Lao side considered preferential import tax policies for high-tech telecommunications and information technology equipment to encourage telecommunications businesses to boldly invest in infrastructure serving national digital transformation. Sharing information about digital transformation projects with government agencies and businesses in Laos so that Vietnamese businesses like Viettel and VNPT can collaborate and participate in these projects, helping the Lao government and businesses shorten implementation time…
In his concluding remarks, Minister Nguyen Manh Hung affirmed that cooperation between Vietnam and Laos in the fields of science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation needs to be elevated to a new level – deeper, more substantive, and more effective.
The Minister highlighted four major directions to open a new chapter of cooperation between the two Ministries:
Firstly, cooperation on institutions and policies. Vietnam is ready to share its experience in developing new laws and implementing regulations. Accordingly, it is proposed that the two sides cooperate in amending Laos' Law on Electronic Transactions, developing a legal framework for high technology, digital technology zones, technology transfer, technology assessment, and electronic authentication – aiming for mutual recognition of digital signatures, thereby forming a common digital trust market between the two countries.
Secondly, cooperation in training and human resource development. The Ministry of Science and Technology will continue to provide long-term training for Lao officials pursuing Master's degrees in Computer Science in Vietnam; and expand short-term courses on Internet technology, frequency, telecommunications, reliable services, and technology management.
Thirdly, developing new areas of cooperation: Digital Transformation - Innovation - AI. Vietnam proposes working with Laos to develop AI application models in education, healthcare, agriculture, and public administration; developing shared digital platforms, cross-border digital services, high-tech zones, and special digital technology zones. The two sides will cooperate in developing a Lao high-tech development program for the period 2025-2030; implementing an annual Vietnam-Laos Technology Forum; organizing a rotating annual Vietnam-Laos Digital Week; and inviting Lao delegations to Vietnam to observe firsthand the application of AI, digital technology, digital signatures, and open data platforms.
Fourth, both sides will promote Vietnam-Laos business cooperation, making it the central area of cooperation between the two Ministries.
The Minister stated that the two sides have laid a solid foundation after more than 15 years of cooperation in science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation, with hundreds of officials trained, dozens of research projects implemented, and many useful technologies transferred into practice, especially the achievements of cooperation during the digital transformation period such as electronic authentication, data centers, telecommunications networks, and e-government. "Now is the time for us to open a new chapter of cooperation together – with a long-term vision, with innovative initiatives, and with a spirit of substantive action."
The Minister emphasized that the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology is committed to accompanying the Lao Ministry of Technology and Communications every step of the way, at every stage, to jointly build an innovation, connectivity, and development space for the prosperity of the people of both countries.
The delegates posed for a commemorative photo.
Center for Science and Technology Communication
Source: https://mst.gov.vn/viet-nam-lao-mo-ra-chuong-hop-tac-moi-ve-khcndmstcds-197250805083745359.htm
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