Hanoi (VNA) - Chairman of the People’s Committee of Hue city Nguyen Khac Toan had a series of meetings and working sessions in Austria on June 10 and 11 to strengthen ties and explore cooperation opportunities with Austrian partners in heritage conservation, education, tourism, sustainable urban development and human resource training.
The trip was part of Hue city’s efforts to translate existing cooperation frameworks with Austrian partners into concrete initiatives, while expanding friendly relations and international partnerships in exchanging and learning experiences in managing and exploiting world heritage sites. It also aimed to lay the groundwork for broader cooperation between Hue and Lower Austria.
At a meeting with Karl Wilfing, President of the State Parliament of Lower Austria, Toan introduced Hue’s development potential and strategic orientations following its elevation to the sixth centrally-run city of Vietnam.
He proposed Lower Austria consider establishing an official cooperation mechanism with Hue to facilitate investment collaboration in tourism, education and training, healthcare, information technology, green and smart urban development, heritage conservation, hi-tech agriculture and sustainable development.
The two sides also discussed the possibility of organising tourism promotion activities and cultural and artistic exchanges between Hue and Krems during festivals in Hue and Lower Austria, contributing to stronger people-to-people connections and mutual understanding.
The delegation later had a working session with authorities of Krems city of Lower Austria, during which the two sides exchanged views on potential cooperation in heritage preservation and promotion, sustainable tourism development, cultural exchanges, tourism workforce training, and urban management linked to heritage conservation.
Toan noted that both the imperial capital of Hue and the historic city of Krems possess rich cultural and historical legacies and valuable heritage assets. These common strengths provide a solid foundation for closer cooperation and experience-sharing in pursuing sustainable development, he said.
A key part of the visit was a working session with the IMC Krems University of Applied Sciences, one of Austria’s leading higher education institutions.
The two sides discussed measures to implement a Letter of Intent signed on April 3, 2026, by Hue’s Department of Foreign Affairs, Krems city and the university, which is expected to pave the way for a formal cooperation programme between Hue and Lower Austria.
Toan spoke highly of the university’s strengths in education, scientific research and international cooperation, and proposed expanding student and lecturer exchanges, capacity-building programmes for local officials and lecturers, and joint training and research activities.
The two sides also agreed to continue discussions on an initiative to organise short-term training courses in Hue aimed at enhancing tourism management and destination development skills for local officials.
The visit reflected Hue’s proactive approach to local-level diplomacy and is expected to contribute to promoting friendship, and practical cooperation between Vietnam and Austria across sectors./.
