Vietnam and EU strengthen cooperation in ensuring cybersecurity

Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security expected the European Union to continue sharing experiences in ensuring the security of critical information infrastructures, cross-border data management, and data protection mechanisms in some important areas.

General To Lam, Minister of Public Security, and Gunnar Wiegand, Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific of the European External Action Service at the meeting. Photo: TTXVN

General To Lam, Minister of Public Security, made the request during a meeting with Gunnar Wiegand, Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific of the European External Action Service (EEAS) on the occasion of his official visit to Vietnam. 

Lam expected greater involvement from the EU in building and perfecting Vietnam’s legal framework on cybersecurity, enhancing national sovereignty in cyberspace, sharing experience on cyber warfare; introducing and transferring technologies, equipment, and tools for the work of ensuring cybersecurity, preventing and combating cybercrime and high-tech crimes.

He emphasized that over the past time, the cooperation between Vietnam and the European Union has grown more widely in various fields, especially since the two sides implemented the EU- Vietnam Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation in 2016 and the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) from August 2021.

Thanks to the agreements, Vietnam has become a leading trading partner of the European Union in ASEAN and one of the Asian countries, which has cooperated with the EU in all fields, including security and law enforcement.

Lam stated that in the field of cybersecurity, his ministry and the European Union have jointly organized related seminars, training courses, online meetings, consultations, and exchanges on a regular basis.

He added, that in the process of building the Cybersecurity Law and decrees, the EU has shared practical experience and legal knowledge on personal data protection with the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security. This is an effective and practical way of cooperation that the two sides should continue in the future.

Lam also emphasized that not only Vietnam, but other countries have exercised strict control over activities in cyberspace, which is aimed at ensuring national security and interests.

Regarding the project on Strengthening Security Cooperation in and with Asia (ESIWA) initiated by the European Union to promote security and defense cooperation with six Southeast Asian countries, Minister To Lam said his ministry highly appreciated the results of sustainable development projects within the framework of the 2014-2020 Multi-Annual Work Program funded by the EU.

The project has actively contributed to the construction and development of Vietnam’s economy, making the comprehensive cooperative partnership between Vietnam and the EU more practical.

For the ESIWA project, the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security acknowledged the European Union's request to strengthen cooperation in the fields of cybersecurity, maritime security, terrorism prevention and control, and crisis management. Minister To Lam suggested the two sides discuss in detail and propose practical activities.

Gunnar Wiegand emphasized that the cooperation  between the EU-Vietnam is developing not only in economy, trade and investment but also in political cooperation with diplomacy and security as strategic factors.

Gunnar Wiegand pledged to continue  consolidating, in his capacity, the friendship and cooperation between the EU and Vietnam.