Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamese Ambassador to Greece Pham Thi Thu Huong held a working meeting with Greece’s Deputy Minister for Research and Innovation under the Ministry of Development Stavros Kalafatis on June 16, during which she expressed her hope for the Greek official’s continued support in advancing bilateral cooperation in research, technology development, and innovation.

These areas of collaboration were notably highlighted during the meeting between the Prime Ministers of both countries on the sidelines of the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) held in Nice, France, on June 9.

The diplomat emphasised that Vietnam places the highest priority on the development of science, technology, and innovation, viewing them as critical drivers for the country’s advancement in the new development era. She briefed Kalafatis of 11 strategic technology groups recently approved by the Vietnamese Prime Minister, saying that they can serve as reference points for exploring potential areas of cooperation between Vietnam and Greece.

For his part, Kalafatis, who is also former Chairman of the Greece–Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group in the Hellenic Parliament, reaffirmed that research, technology development, and innovation are central to the Greek Government’s economic development strategy. He noted that science and innovation are increasingly becoming key priorities not only in Greece but also across the European Union and globally.

He highlighted the recent establishment of the Greek Council for Applied Research and Innovation, which brings together leading scientists with the primary goal of translating scientific and technological advances, especially in artificial intelligence (AI), into tangible benefits for the wider public.

The Greek official said that his country is actively promoting collaboration between researchers, scientists, and industry leaders, while fostering start-ups that can bring technological solutions and the advantages of AI to society. Kalafatis pledged to share the information provided by Ambassador Huong with the Director of the Greek Council for Applied Research and Innovation to assess opportunities for bilateral collaboration.

At the meeting, the Vietnamese ambassador expressed her wish 💫for continued support from Kalafatis in his capacity as a member of the Hellenic Parliament and representative of Thessaloniki, particularly in enhancing parliamentary cooperation and strengthening ties between Vietnam and the city of Thessaloniki. She also invited his engagement in upcoming activities to be organised by the Vietnames🤡e Embassy in Greece to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries./.