Vietnam calls for US cooperation in building smart cities

Overview of the meeting (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Minister of Information andCommunications Truong Minh Tuan has called for US businesses’ engagement inproviding technology and cooperating in building criteria for smart cities aswell as local planning.

At a meeting in Hanoi on March 21 with US Ambassador toVietnam Ted Osius, the Minister noted that Vietnam is to develop five smartcities in the future.

He proposed that the two sides increase policy dialogues tostrengthen mutual understanding in vision, orientations and the implementationof specific cooperation activities in information and communication technology.

Vietnam and the US should coordinate in holding conferencesand seminars to shar experience in managing and developing new service formsand business models in the digital economy, while building effectivecooperation mechanisms in ensuring cyber security, he suggested.

Minister Tuan noted that Vietnam and the US have becomecomprehensive partnership since 2013. Last year, two-way trade reached over 40billion USD, with Vietnam’s exports of over 33 billion USD and import value ofabout 8 billion USD.

In the field of information and communication technology, mostof major giants of the US have invested in Vietnam, including Intel, Microsoft,IBM, Oracle, Cisco, Motorola and Qualcomm, while social networks such asFacebook and Google have also succeeded in the market.

At the meeting, the two sides gave frank discussion on suchissues as the management of Internet, control of websites with harmful contentsand the settlement of violations of intelligence property rights.

Minister Tuan said that in order to realise and guide the implementationof the Law on Intellectual Property Rights, the ministry has enhanced itsresponsibility in management of intellectual property right as well as relevantrights under the ministry’s authority.

The ministry has also collaborated with ministries, sectorsand localities as well as organisations to roll out synchronised measures to implementthe law in the field of publishing, especially in inspection and handling ofviolations.

Ambassador Ted Osius said that the US side has been studyinginfrastructure systems in a number of cities and provinces of Vietnam foraffiliation in building smart cities.

In the coming time, the US will work with Hai Phong, QuangNinh and Ho Chi Minh City on the work, while coordinating with the Vietnam Postand Telecommunication to organise a conference to develop specific projects inthe field.-VNA 

VNA