Vietnam calls on RoK to share expertise in high-speed railway development

Participants at the talks between Minister of Construction Tran Hong Minh and Korean Minister of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport Park Sangwoo in Hanoi on March 31. (Photo: VNA)

Minh applauded the RoK’s proposal to organise a railway cooperation forum, seeing it as an opportunity for state management agencies, experts, research institutions, universities, and businesses of Vietnam to gain insights from the RoK’s experience in planning, construction, maintenance, and developing high-speed rail industry.

He expressed his hope that the RoK side will have interest in investing in the Thu Thiem – Long Thanh urban railway project, and proactively work with Ho Chi Minh City’s authorities on technical support to evaluate the project's pre-feasibility study report.

Minh emphasised the significance of the working session with the RoK's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport (MOLIT) as the two nations constantly strengthening their cooperative relationship, especially after the visit by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to the RoK in July 2024. He highlighted this as a key milestone demonstrating the strong development of the bilateral relations in order to effectively and substantially implement the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established since 2022.

The meeting will further consolidate and create momentum for new development steps in the transport and construction cooperation between the two countries, he noted.

Park highlighted the strong Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and the RoK, and the significant progress in economic, trade, and cultural cooperation. He noted the growing collaboration in the fields of transport and construction, with recent standout projects including smart city development under the K-City Network in several provinces and cities of Vietnam, as well as urban growth initiatives led by the RoK’s Land and Housing (LH) Corporation in partnership with localities of Vietnam.

The RoK is eager to share its expertise with and transfer technology to Vietnam, and help the Southeast Asian nation train human resources, localise and master high-speed rail technology, he said, adding that his country is ready to cooperate on a mutually beneficial basis for the shared development of the two nations.

He showed his hope that partnership in transport and construction between the two countries will contribute to further strengthening and deepening the bilateral relations.

The RoK is now the second-largest bilateral donor for Vietnam’s transport sector. Since 1996, the RoK government has provided funding to support transport infrastructure development in the Southeast Asian nation. The two sides have coordinated to complete nine projects with a total loan value exceeding 1 billion USD, and they are currently implementing six projects with nearly 600 million USD in loans.

In urban and housing development, the MOLIT has actively collaborated with Vietnam’s Ministry of Construction, providing training support and sharing expertise during the drafting of the revised Housing Law and Real Estate Business Law in 2023.

Korean firms have achieved significant success in investing in and developing modern and smart urban areas in Vietnam. The two countries have successfully collaborated on three ODA-funded technical assistance projects related to smart cities and social housing.

Notably, LH inked memorandums of understanding with several Vietnamese localities under the Urban Growth Partnership Programme (UDPP), and it is currently implementing an investment project in the northern province of Hung Yen. Through these programmes and projects, Vietnamese partners have gained access to advanced technologies, valuable expertise, and best practices in smart urban planning, construction, and management.

The Vietnamese Ministry of Construction supports and encourages Korean companies to invest in urban development projects in Vietnam, and businesses should proactively engage with local authorities on specific projects, Minh said.

Regarding cooperation between the two nations in airport development and operation in Vietnam, the Vietnamese minister suggested Korean companies consider the possibility to join the design, construction, and development of aviation infrastructure projects in Vietnam.

Regarding the Long Thanh International Airport project in the southern province of Dong Nai, Minh urged the consortium of the Incheon International Airport Corporation of the RoK and PMI Consulting Service Corporation of Vietnam to work closely with the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) to ensure that the consulting deliverables are completed on schedule and with the highest quality.

He also called on the RoK side to provide ODA funding for Vietnam's railway infrastructure projects, and share experience with Vietnam in railway technology development, smart transport, energy transition, and green-oriented infrastructure development.

Vietnam hopes that the RoK will continue to support Vietnam in training human resources, particularly in the railway field, to meet the growing demand of the railway industry in the coming years, Minh said.

The two sides agreed to actively exchange and work together, towards promoting and realising their cooperation in the coming time, contributing to further strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and the RoK./.