New York (VNA) - Acting Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung participated in a policy dialogue session organised by the Weatherhead East Asian Institute at Columbia University, as part of the Vietnamese delegation’s activities at the High-Level General Debate of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 80) in New York on September 23 (local time).
In his speech at the event, Acting FM Trung shared assessments of Columbia University’s professors on the global context, noting that all countries, including Vietnam, face challenges in maintaining a peaceful and stable environment for development.
Trung stated that to achieve its goal of becoming a developing country with a modern industrial base and high middle-income status by 2030, and a developed and high-income country by 2045, Vietnam is committed to building an independent and self-reliant economy, actively implementing comprehensive strategic policies in science and technology, private economic development, education, and healthcare, while simultaneously reforming and streamlining its administrative apparatus, and promoting deep and comprehensive international integration.
The Vietnamese official highly appreciated the recent cooperation between Columbia University, the Weatherhead East Asian Institute, and relevant agencies of Vietnam, and encouraged the parties to continue exchanges to foster cooperation, research, and knowledge-sharing, thus fully harnessing the opportunities of the science and technology revolution to contribute to Vietnam’s development.
Science, technology, and innovation will be key drivers of Vietnam’s development in the coming time, he stated, noting that sustainable success requires close collaboration among the “three pillars” — the State, businesses, and scientists — to create an innovation ecosystem where each element complements the others, fostering comprehensive development.
During the session, Trung met with Yoo Young Wook, Vice President of the SK Group of the Republic of Korea (RoK), during which the Vietnamese official highly valued the group’s achievements in investing and operating in Vietnam, especially in information technology, energy, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and logistics. He affirmed that the Vietnamese Government remains committed to supporting and creating favourable conditions for foreign businesses, including Korean investors, to do sustainable and long-term investment in Vietnam.
Yoo expressed gratitude to the Vietnamese Government for consistently supporting and addressing the demands of Korean businesses in Vietnam, promptly issuing policies to improve the investment and business environment, removing bottlenecks, and assisting corporate activities.
He affirmed the group’s desire to further promote cooperation with Vietnam in projects involving advanced technology, modern management, wide impact, and integration into global production and supply chains in the near future.
Scholars noted that the world is entering a period of significant volatility, marked by profound shifts in the global economic structure and risks of supply chain disruptions.
In this context, Vietnam’s strengths in energy, electronics, and political stability make it one of attractive destination for international investment. Experts recommended creating a transparent legal framework to boost private sectors’ stronger participation, regulating digital data and AI use, and enhancing regular dialogue between authorities and businesses. These measures are expected to remove bottlenecks, ensure a stable and sustainable investment environment, thus positioning Vietnam as a reliable player in global investment flows./.
