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	Vietnam-Austria Relations: Unlocking the Potential for Cooperation in Key Areas

Vu Le Thai Hoang, Vietnamese Ambassador to the Republic of Austria (2nd from right), paid a courtesy call to the Premier of Lower Austria, Johanna Mikl-Leitner. (Source: VNA)

On September 5, Vietnamese Ambassador to Austria Vu Le Thai Hoang paid a courtesy visit and held working discussions with Johanna Mikl-Leitner, the Premier of Lower Austria. The meeting aimed to foster comprehensive cooperation and explore the potential for establishing a sister-state relationship between localities of the two countries.

Lower Austria, which borders the capital Vienna, is Austria’s largest state by area and the second most populous, home to approximately 1.7 million residents. The region boasts strong development potential across various sectors, including tourism, renewable energy, high technology, education and training, healthcare, urban management, smart agriculture, and its renowned wine industry.

The meeting was also attended by Dr. Heinz Boyer, Chairman of the Council of IMC Krems University of Applied Sciences, a flagship model of educational cooperation between Vietnam and Austria. IMC Krems maintains close partnerships with Hue University, Hanoi University, and the University of Commerce, offering joint training programs in nursing, tourism, and hotel management.

Notably, IMC Krems has awarded 150 full scholarships to Vietnamese students, valued at €6 million (approximately USD 6.6 million), with a commitment to providing 100% long-term employment opportunities with competitive income.

During the meeting, Ambassador Vu Le Thai Hoang highlighted Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements and reaffirmed the country’s development aspirations rooted in science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, and green growth. He commended the cooperation between Lower Austria and IMC Krems, and proposed enhancing people-to-people exchanges, local partnerships, and exploring twinning relationships with Vietnamese provinces and cities.

Premier Johanna Mikl-Leitner extended congratulations on Vietnam’s 80th Independence Day, expressing admiration for the country’s sweeping reform efforts. She praised the adaptability, discipline, and strong academic performance of Vietnamese students at IMC Krems, viewing them as a reflection of Vietnam’s high-quality human resources and a promising foundation for long-term collaboration in skilled labor, particularly in nursing, amid Austria’s aging population.

The Premier voiced support for the Vietnamese Embassy’s initiative, in coordination with the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber and the state of Lower Austria, to organize a forum on cooperation in skilled labor and vocational training between the two nations.

Emphasizing Lower Austria’s commitment to meaningful sisterhood relationships, she proposed studying the possibility of twinning with a Vietnamese locality that shares strengths in sustainable tourism, heritage conservation, smart urban management, hospitality training, and nursing, paving the way for practical and enduring cooperation.

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