Da Nang, Slovakia to boost IT, tourism co-operation
Da Nang, Slovakia to boost IT, tourism co-operation
Slovakia will boost co-operation with Da Nang in tourism, information technology (IT) and software, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico said in a meeting during his visit to the city yesterday.
The Slovakian PM said the central city and Viet Nam were seen as peaceful and safe tourist destinations by Slovakian tourists, as favourite destinations in Turkey and Egypt were facing instability and security issues.
"Da Nang has a long coastline and is an ideal destination for Slovakian tourists. I have witnessed the development of Viet Nam since I visited the country in 2008," Fico said.
"However, direct air routes from Slovakia to Da Nang and other cities of Viet Nam are yet to be established to facilitate for tourism development and co-operation. We are also eyeing streamlining of procedures for tourist visa applications to enter Slovakia, as Viet Nam plans to exempt visa fees for Slovakia tourists visiting the country," he said.
The PM also said Slovakia was home to the Vietnamese community and he would urge Slovakian people to visit Da Nang, which has ideal and pristine beach destinations.
He said FPT, an IT group of Viet Nam, has been working in IT development in Slovakia for years.
The Slovakia leader also visited the FPT Complex, the largest IT service centre in the central region built to contribute $1 billion to FPT's software exports revenue by 2020, and which contributed 37 per cent of the city's software export revenue in 2015 ($50 million).
Chairman of the central city's people's committee Huynh Duc Tho said the city hoped to boost co-operation with Slovakia in tourism, port services, software and high-tech, besides manufacturing and human resource training, based on the long-term friendship between Viet Nam and Slovakia.
He said Da Nang had signed a memorandum of understanding on co-operation and friendship with Kosice City, Slovakia, to boost investment, trade, education and tourism between the two cities in 2015, on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Viet Nam and Slovakia.
Bilateral trade between Da Nang and Slovakia reached a modest US$200,000 in garments in 2015. Slovakia is currently the largest Central European investor in Viet Nam.
In 2014, FPT Software acquired RWE IT Slovakia – a subsidiary of the RWE Group in Eastern Europe – to strengthen its global delivery capabilities in Europe, as well as to turn RWE IT Slovakia into a future FPT Slovakia, a member of the FPT family.
