Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Ha Noi, April 25 (VNA) -- (ISTWG) Meeting opened in Ha Noi, today, Apr. 25.

It was attended by about 120 international guests who are department officials and scientists from member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, APEC, forum, and representatives of the APEC Secretariat and regional organizations.

In his welcoming speech, Minister of Science, Technology and Environment Chu Tuan Nha of Viet Nam highly valued technology cooperation within the framework of APEC. He said: "The Government of Viet Nam has always identified scientific and technological development in parallel with education and training as a national top priority policy and a driving force for the country's development".

He told the meeting that in the first decades of the 21st century, Viet Nam will closely combine the contents of research and development in three areas of social sciences and humanities, natural sciences, and science and technology to better serve its national socio-economic development. The country will concentrate efforts on compiling legal documents, concretizing provisions in the Law on Science and Technology. It will also attend to establishing a market for technological advances and reforming the management mechanism to encourage the development and application of scientific and technological advances to production, business, management and service activities.

Nha added that State budget allocations to science and technology will be increased while efforts will be made to renovate the system of scientific and technological research. In addition, Viet Nam advocates enhancing international cooperation in the domain of science and technology.

The Lead Shepherd of APEC ISTWG Jeanne Inch presented a number of important issues, particularly working programmes in the years to come, for discussion.

APEC Secretariat is scheduled to inform the participants of the recent situation of APEC and issues relating to science and technology operations.

The five-day meeting will discuss and evaluate the outcome of scientific and technological projects carried out by APEC members over the past six months and make decisions on projects to be carried out in the future.

Plenary sessions will be held on Apr. 25 and 26 to define 2-3 major themes for the Osaka Action Agenda, Part II, in the next five years, focusing on the joint activity/dialogues, study of policies on science, industry, technology and protection of intellectual property rights.

Reports at the plenary sessions will deal with the outcome of a preparatory meeting on boosting cooperation in technology and development, transferring the results of scientific research for sustainable development in APEC, creating favourable conditions for basic studies, increasing cooperative ties between enterprises, research institutes and governments as well as strengthening the private sector's capacity of scientific and technological research.

The Apr. 25 and 26 meeting will also pass a plan of action for 2001, hear reports on gender issues and science-technology, new infectious diseases, cleaner production, advanced technology for sustainable agricultural development, project management tools, list of priority APEC-funded projects, and appoint representatives to the APEC food system.

Earlier on Apr. 23 and 24, Ha Noi hosted preparatory meetings covering the above-said issues. A symposium on technological warning and hi-tech agriculture will be also organized on this occasion.

Through activities by the APEC industrial science and technology working group, Viet Nam will select and apply new scientific and technological models of advanced countries, take part in APEC projects and sum up the Working Group's opinions to effectively devise its own projects. Viet Nam has made a list of projects to be submitted to the ISTWG meeting for approval.

APEC is conducting 60 projects, mostly concerning Viet Nam's issues. In 2001, the Working Group manages more than 20 projects on training/skills development.

Viet Nam has joined in 10 projects.--VNA