Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and the high-ranking Vietnamese Government delegation left Vienna on the afternoon of October 16 (local time), concluding the official trip to Austria.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (second, left) is welcomed at IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems of Austria on October 16. (Photo: VNA)

The PM set off for Brussels to attend the 12^th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit and pay official visits to Belgium and Denmark.

Before leaving, PM Phuc visited the IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems (IMC Krems) of Austria on the morning the same day.

Talking to the university’s lecturers and students, he said the Vietnamese people always keep in mind the support of the Austrian youth during the country’s fight against foreign invaders in the 1960s. In the 1970s, Austria was one of the first western nations to set up diplomatic ties with Vietnam.

Over the last four decades, friendship and cooperation between the two nations have developed in multiple areas, especially economy. Vietnam has maintained its position as Austria’s largest Southeast Asian trade partner, while Austria has remained Vietnam’s top 10 export markets within the European Union.

Austria’s development assistance in healthcare, the railway sector, and vocational training has been effective in helping Vietnam improve people’s living standards, he noted.

PM Phuc added after over the last 30 years of reform, Vietnam has been developing dynamically, with its young population holding strong aspirations to study and become established in the global community. It considers education a top priority and a breakthrough to maximising learners’ chances. Education is also a priority field of cooperation between the two countries for the time ahead.

Emphasising the opportunities and challenges facing Vietnamese and Austrian youth, the PM said the Fourth Industrial Revolution is creating opportunities for the two countries to become closer, improve mutual understanding, and increase the sharing of global community responsibilities.

Although peace and development are still a dominant theme, the use or threat to use force and the emergence of unilateralism continue to jeopardise international peace and security. War and conflicts, religious and racial conflicts, separatism, and terrorism still exist in many places around the world, noted the PM.

Additionally, there are other global challenges like unsustainable development, climate change, wealth inequality, gender inequality, environmental degradation, unemployment, and social crimes. They have been threatening efforts towards sustainable development with younger generations among the most vulnerable groups, he said.

The leader expressed his belief that the young people of Vietnam and Austria will be one of the bridges enhancing bilateral friendship and contributing to peace, stability, cooperation, development, and prosperity in their respective regions.

On this occasion, PM Phuc witnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement between IMC Krems and the Vietnam University of Commerce.

Also on October 16, he visited Austria’s BIOMIN Research Centre./.

VNF/VNA