Vietnam, India Sign MoU On IT, Electronics Cooperation
The Vietnamese Minister of Information and Communications (MIC), Nguyen Manh Hung, and the Indian Minister of State Electronics and Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on bilateral cooperation in information technology and electronics.
The signing ceremony took place during their working session on 17 December, as part of the ongoing India visit by the National Assembly Chairman, Vuong Dinh Hue, from 15-19 December. They said Vietnam and India are stepping up digital transformation, considering it a driving force for the development of the digital economy, society, and government.
According to a news report, both sides agreed to create more channels to help firms establish ties and promote trade and investment. To further develop the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership, the ministers agreed to jointly study and build a new cooperation framework for the period between now and 2030 towards the establishment of a digital partnership between the two countries. In 2022, when Vietnam and India celebrate the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations, the two sides will organise many joint activities such as a digital partnership forum, as well as seminars and conferences on digital transformation, smart marketing, and information security.
In August, the Indian government provided US$5 million in non-refundable aid to help the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence build an information technology (IT) system. The system was set up at the military software park under the centre of IT and foreign languages at the Telecommunications University. As OpenGov Asia had reported, on behalf of leaders of the Ministry of National Defence, Deputy Minister Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien received the aid. Chien stated that the assistance is of significance as it contributes to raising the centre’s capacity and facilitating high-quality human resources development in Vietnam at large, notably in IT and foreign languages.
The deputy minister said that the successful implementation of the project will help to enhance bilateral defence and political ties between the two countries in the time ahead. The Indian Ambassador to Vietnam, Pranay Verma, explained that despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the two countries have worked to strengthen and expand their defence cooperation, and implemented aid and credit packages the Indian government has granted to the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence.
Vietnam and India have maintained cooperation mechanisms and exchanges in training, the defence industry, and UN peacekeeping operations. The two sides have also provided mutual support in the pandemic combat, the ambassador added. He described the IT project as a symbol of cooperation between the two countries in high-tech development, and a foundation to expand their collaboration in IT and digitalisation in the future.
Vietnam is expected to be the fastest-growing e-commerce market in Southeast Asia by 2026, with e-commerce gross merchandise value (GMV) reaching US$56 billion by 2026, 4.5 times the estimated value of 2021, according to a recent survey. Vietnam is at the forefront of driving change and seizing opportunities to thrive based on digital transformation in a post-pandemic future. A study surveyed about 16,700 digital consumers and more than 20 C-level employees in six Southeast Asian countries, including 3,579 survey participants from Vietnam. The report described Southeast Asia as a leader of digital transformation in the Asia-Pacific region and Vietnam as one of the best performers. In Vietnam, seven out of ten consumers have digital access, and the country will have 53 million digital consumers by the end of 2021.
By Samaya Dharmaraj – Opengovasia.com – December 18, 2021