FROM BBC MONITORING
[BBC MONITORING INTERNATIONAL REPORTS]
Vietnam wants Microsoft to boost cooperation with Vietnam and help the country build an international standard information technology university, said Prime Minister Phan Van Khai at a meeting with Microsoft chairman Bill Gates in Hanoi on 22 April.
PM Khai stressed that in its development strategy Vietnam always attaches great importance to the role of human resources and education development, especially in the IT sector. Mr Khai said he hopes that with Microsoft experience and ability and potential of Vietnamese youth, cooperation between the two sides will achieve high results. PM Khai also pledged that Vietnam will strictly implement intellectual property rights and deal with software copyright violations.
Microsoft chairman Bill Gates said Vietnam has great potential to develop the IT industry and highly valued Vietnam's young human resources in software development. Microsoft is preparing to implement a memorandum of understanding on training cooperation which was signed during PM Khai's visit to the US last year.
Bill Gates appreciated Vietnam's law on intellectual property rights and the country's participation in the International Convention on Intellectual Property Rights, and urged Vietnam to take strong action against software copyright violations.
State President Tran Duc Luong also received Bill Gates at the Presidential Palace on the same day. Mr Luong declared that Vietnam will strictly implement intellectual property rights and expressed his hope that Bill Gates Fund will further support Vietnam to implement a community healthcare programme.
Bill Gates affirmed that Microsoft will actively participate in Vietnam's IT development programmes. He highly valued Vietnam's effective use of money from Bill Gates Fund in its community healthcare programme and expressed his hope that the two sides will develop new initiatives to carry out other humanitarian projects such as hepatitis and HIV/AIDS prevention.
After holding talks with Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, Mr Gates met with students from Hanoi the University of Technology. [passage omitted]
Responding to Vietnamese students' questions about Microsoft's plan to invest in Vietnam, Mr Gates said the most important thing for Microsoft is to constantly develop partnership, especially with universities to help students gain access to latest advanced technology and use latest Window applications.
Earlier, on 21 April, the Microsoft president met with Deputy Minister of Post and Telematics Vu Duc Dam and expressed his delight at visiting Vietnam. He said he takes interest in IT development in two major Vietnamese cities including Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. [passage omitted]
Source: Voice of Vietnam text website, Hanoi, in English 22 Apr 06
