The Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) on March 22 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on cooperation in building a national strategy on intellectual property for Vietnam.

With the MOU, an official cooperation mechanism between the Ministry of Science and Technology and WIPO is created in building the strategy to solve the country’s specific demands and priorities in the long, middle and short terms.

The signing ceremony was held on the occasion of WIPO Director General Francis Gurry’s visit to Vietnam from March 21-23. At the signing ceremony, Deputy Minister Tran Viet Thanh emphasized that, with the support of the world's leading experts on intellectual property, the Vietnamese relevant agencies will set up a national strategy on intellectual property, contributing significantly to the socio-economic development.

Under the MOU, WIPO's experts will work with Vietnamese experts to discuss the real situation of intellectual property and develop a strategic orientations as well as complete a draft to submit the Government.

In the same day, Minister of Science and Technology Chu Ngoc Anh hosted the reception for visiting WIPO Director General Francis Gurry during which he expressed his wish to continue cooperation with WIPO in personnel training. Minister Anh highlighted that the visit will open up more collaboration opportunities for both sides.

WIPO Director General Francis Gurry (left) and Minister of Science and Technology Chu Ngoc Anh (right)

The minister said recently that the Vietnamese government has focused on intellectual property in particular and science and technology in general and agreed on building a national strategy on intellectual property.

WIPO Director General Francis Gurry highly appreciated the Vietnam’s progress in enhancing innovation index and vowed to support Vietnam in pursuing innovation-based development. Vietnam needs to fully tap its mechanisms and policies on intellectual property and encourage businesses to pay more attention to this field, the WIPO Director General noted.