Viet Transport seminar: Connecting Vietnam to Asia

ME - The 2009 Viet Transport seminar with the theme “Connecting Vietnam to Asia” took place on Dec. 9 in Hanoi.

On addressing the seminar, Deputy Minister of Transport Pham Quy Tieu spoke of the event’s significance as it creates an opportunity for Vietnamese policy makers and management agencies to meet international experts and investors to exchange views and experiences and make new contacts to help the country develop its transport infrastructure.

Anthony Pearce, Honorary Director General of the International Road Federation, applauded Vietnam for its economic growth as well as the improvement in its transport infrastructure. He pledged to assist Vietnam to upgrade its transport infrastructure to meet the country’s increasing demand for socio-economic development.

Following on from the success of the 2008 Viet Traffic seminar, this year’s event focused on the country’s road and railway infrastructure, with two exhibitions, Viet Road and Viet Rail, held on the sidelines of the seminar.

Topics for discussion included opportunities for investing in the roads and railways sectors and models of joint public-private partnership.

Statistics released at the event showed that Vietnam plans to build 20 more expressways with a total length of 5,800km from now till 2020.

The Viet Transport seminar, which coincided with the 15th ASEAN Transport Ministers’ Meeting and the 28th ASEAN Senior Transport Officials’ Meeting from Dec. 7-11 in Hanoi, was one of the highlights of Vietnam Transport Week.