Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc spoke highly of Lower Austria’s role in Vietnam-Austria relations during a meeting with the state’s Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner on October 16.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (L) and Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner. (Source: VNA)

He expressed his delight at visiting what is now one of the most important economic and cultural hubs of Austria, a driving force of economic growth in the east of the European country.

The leader stressed that the Vietnamese Government has created favourable conditions for foreign enterprises, including those from Austria and the state of Lower Austria, to do long-term business in the country.

He hailed Lower Austrian firms which have been successful in Vietnam as a foundation to extend bilateral ties and asked authorities of the Austrian locality to support linkages between its universities and enterprises, and Vietnamese partners.

The guest suggested that Lower Austria continue supporting Danube University Krems to both expand ties with Vietnamese universities, as well as exchange academics and students to meet Vietnam’s current workforce demand.

Mikl-Leitner, for her part, said that the joint work in science, education, and import-export has laid an important foundation for bilateral cooperation in the future.

She said several Austrian universities have partnered with Vietnamese peers to offer bachelor and master courses on hospitality and business administration. As many as 280 Vietnamese students have earned bachelor and master degrees in Lower Austria.

With strengths in education and science-technology, businesses from Lower Austria are interested in the Vietnamese market with its huge purchasing power and young, dynamic population, she said.

As one of the nine states of Austria, Lower Austria boasts the largest surface area and second largest population in the country. Located in the east of Upper Austria, Lower Austria shares a 414km borderline with the Czech Republic and Slovakia./.

VNF/VNA