Earlier, on June 5, Minister Nguyen Manh Hung had a bilateral meeting with Estonia's Minister of Education and Research, Kristina Kallas, in the capital city of Tallinn. The discussion focused on exploring cooperation opportunities in education, research, and the development of information and communications technology (ICT).

During the meeting, Minister Kristina Kallas presented Estonia’s advanced education and research system. She highlighted Vietnam's potential as a large and dynamic market and emphasized that Estonian tech firms and research institutions should prioritize partnerships with Vietnam to capitalize on the rapidly growing Southeast Asian digital economy.

Minister Nguyen Manh Hung expressed admiration for Estonia's progressive educational philosophy, especially its early skills training approach and its autonomous education model. He also praised Estonia’s achievements in developing a transparent and efficient digital government, a model widely recognized around the world.

The two ministers agreed to boost cooperation between research institutions and universities in both countries. Their respective ministries will serve as coordinators to facilitate connections between research organizations, enabling the exchange of needs and joint implementation of research projects in strategic technology sectors. These initiatives aim to leverage the strengths of both Vietnam and Estonia to develop cutting-edge technological solutions that meet the demands of the digital era.

In addition, the ministries will enhance cooperation in research, training, and student exchange, especially among top ICT universities in the two countries. The goal is to improve the quality of high-tech human resources and meet the digital economy development needs of both nations.

Both sides also agreed to exchange research and development priorities, providing the foundation for collaborative initiatives in areas of shared technological interest. These initiatives are expected to build a long-term partnership that fosters innovation and digital transformation in both Vietnam and Estonia.

On this occasion, Minister Nguyen Manh Hung invited Minister Kristina Kallas to visit Vietnam to continue discussions and share Estonia’s philosophies and experiences in education and research, while promoting concrete bilateral cooperation initiatives.

Estonia is one of the world’s leaders in digital government and digital transformation, with an efficient, transparent e-Government system and nearly 99% of its public services digitalized.

Meanwhile, Vietnam is determined to build a digital economy, considering science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation as core drivers for sustainable growth.

The signing of the MoU on digital transformation and the digital economy between the two countries not only provides Vietnam with an opportunity to learn from Estonia's successful model but also opens prospects for bilateral cooperation in areas such as digital infrastructure development, technology application, and high-quality workforce training.

Thai Khang