The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 14 officially put an online visa granting management system and a data integration centre into use, helping enhance IT application in the ministry’s management.

These are part of an IT and communication development project that is using credit loans provided by the World Bank (WB).

Addressing the launch ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh underlined the significance of the project, saying that it will contribute to building an advantageous environment for developing electronic governance in the country.

Through the project the Ministry has established a modern IT infrastructure in order to serve its administrative management, thus facilitating the country’s crucial reform in this area, Minh added.

Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Bac Son asked relevant units of the two ministries to strictly ensure information safety and security in the process of using the systems.

Speaking at the event, WB Country Director in Vietnam Victoria Kwakwa pledged the bank would always support Vietnam in the field.

She also suggested that the country should attempt to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of the project as well as ensure its budget to maintain the operation of the systems.

This is the first time Vietnam has had an official multilingual website to allow foreigners and Vietnamese citizens living abroad to easily access information related to visa applications.

The Foreign Ministry’s Consular Department, Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of External Affairs and 95 of Vietnam’s representative agencies abroad have been provided with this useful tool for visa granting, further supporting the Foreign Ministry’s state management of entrance and exit activities.-VNA