Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received visiting CEO of Apple Tim Cook in Hanoi on April 16, who he once met in the US in September 2022.

The Government leader said the growing Vietnam-US relations, which have been upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership, lay the foundation for bilateral cooperation across all fields, particularly science-technology, innovation, high-quality human resource training, semiconductors, and digital transformation.

He suggested that the Silicon Valley giant voice support calling for the US’s early recognition of Vietnam's market economy and removal of the Southeast Asian nation from its high-tech export restriction list.

The PM affirmed that Vietnam creates all favorable conditions, accompanies, and supports enterprises, including foreign-invested ones, to operate effectively and sustainably in the country.

Appreciating Apple's significant contribution to Vietnam's development, Chinh expressed his wish for the conglomerate to expand investment cooperation with Vietnam, helping the country participate more deeply in its domestic and global production, supply, and value chains based on the spirit of harmonious interests and shared risks.

The Vietnamese Government is ready to cooperate with Apple to establish a task force facilitating such expansion, the leader said, with his guest expressing the company’s willingness to participate.  

Chinh went on suggesting Apple enhance support and advice to Vietnam in sci-tech development and innovation, promote cooperation and linkage with innovation centres and software parks in Vietnam, and offer scholarships for Vietnamese students in IT, programming, electronics, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence (AI). He called upon the tech giant to assist Vietnam in training high-quality engineers, including 50,000 ones for the semiconductor industry.

Impressed by Vietnam's development process and the presence of Apple products in the country, Cook told his host that there is still significant room for cooperation between the sides, and better results can be achieved in the future.

With two legal entities in Vietnam, over 70 manufacturing partners producing original equipment, 40 distribution partners, and over 5,000 authorised stores, Apple has provided jobs for about 200,000 workers.

Apple hopes to further strengthen investment activities in the country, particularly in developing high-tech products and applications, said the CEO.

He noted Apple is ready to cooperate with Vietnam in energy transition toward net-zero emissions by 2050, and to participate in exporting Vietnamese cultural values to the world through its products and applications on the App Store./.