A workshop on international cooperation in the survey and research on marine resources and environment opened in Hanoi on September 15.

The two-day workshop, which is jointly hosted by the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) and the Vietnam Administration of Seas and Island (VASI), gather leading scientists in the field from Vietnam, the US, Russia, New Zealand, Japan and the Republic of Korea (RoK).

Speaking at the workshop, Vice Chairman of VAST Duong Ngoc Hai said the survey and research work of marine environment and resources is one of the major and long-term activities of the Academy, as Vietnam boasts an expansive waters area of 1 million square kilometres, three times its land area and close to 2,700 islands.

In recent years, VAST has expanded its research works and completed many programmes and projects in the field. It also established cooperation with many countries, including Russia , Denmark , Germany , the US , Japan , Australia , New Zealand and India .

According to Scott Harper, a representative from the US’s Office of Naval Research, the US and Vietnam cooperated effectively in the field in recent years, adding the country signed a number of cooperative agreements on naval research with the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology in May.

He affirmed that the US will continue to work together with Vietnam in many other programmes, focusing on the issues of oceanography, sea geology, the Mekong River basin and climate change.

The workshop heard reports on the reality and orientation for international cooperation in marine research in Vietnam .

Participants are expected to put forward measures to increase cooperation effectiveness as well as new contents for cooperation in this field./.