Tallinn (VNA)ꦬ - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with leaders of several major Estonian corporations in Tallinn on June 6 to boost investment and business cooperation in Vietnam.

At the meetings, PM Chinh introduced the current situation in Vietnam, saying that the country is implementing breakthrough strategies to shift its development model and usher in a new era. He noted that along with reforms to streamline administrative and local administration structures, Vietnam is carrying four key resolutions, collectively referred to as the “four pillars” for national advancement in the new era. The PM emphasised that Vietnam is striving for GDP growth of 8% or more in 2025 and double-digit growth in the following years, pursuing rapid and sustainable development based on science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation. Vietnam is focusing on developing the private sector, improving the business and investment climate, and facilitating stable, long-term investment by foreign enterprises, he said. Vietnam guarantees political stability, firmly safeguards its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security, and continues to improve institutions, infrastructure, and human resources, ensuring a “transparent legal framework, seamless infrastructure, and intelligent workforce” to support businesses, he noted. The Vietnamese Government, PM Chinh said, will provide all necessary support in accordance with the law to ensure effective and sustainable operations by foreign investors, including those from Estonia. He called for a results-oriented approach from businesses, stating that "commitments must lead to concrete outcomes,” thereby deepening the Vietnam–Estonia relationship in a practical and effective manner. At the meeting with leaders of Bolt Group, including its President Jevgeni Kabanov, and Vice President Eirini Zaferiatou, they shared that Bolt is currently operating in 55 countries, with 4.5 million drivers serving over 200 million customers. Bolt has started operations in Vietnam, offering car-hailing, scooter, and motorbike services, as well as food and grocery delivery. The group requested support from the PM to expedite the licensing process for Bolt's activities in the country. PM Chinh commended Bolt’s business performance and welcomed its role in promoting digital transformation in transport and logistics. He praised the company's planned investments to enhance service quality, create jobs, and contribute to Vietnam's growing sharing economy. Given the potential of Bolt’s services in a country of 100 million people with rising demand, the government leader noted that he had instructed relevant authorities to streamline administrative procedures and accelerate investment licensing processes as proposed by Bolt. He expressed his confidence in the company’s success in Vietnam and its ability to deliver practical benefits to the Vietnamese people. The PM encouraged Bolt to adopt a gradual investment approach, starting in major cities and later expanding to other provinces, while enhancing service quality to ensure healthy competition. He also urged the company to explore new business areas, develop digital transformation models, integrate advanced technologies like AI, and share operational experience with Vietnamese agencies and businesses to foster sustainable cooperation and development.

Welcoming the Vietnamese PM to the 5.0 Robotics, the firm's CEO and co-founder Carlo Lustrissimi and Sales and Partnerships Development Specialist Ilaria Perla introduced the firm as a young Estonian tech company specialising in compact, affordable, and user-friendly industrial robots, suitable for businesses of all sizes. The company, which has already deployed its solutions in the UK, Ireland, Australia and other markets, expressed interest in investing in Vietnam, mainly in smart manufacturing, industrial automation, and digital skills development. Notably, 5.0 Robotics aims to launch a project titled "100 robots for 100 talents”, which will see 100 advanced CNC machines provided for 100 Vietnamese SMEs, accompanied by training for 100 local robot technicians. PM Chinh welcomed the company’s approach, highlighting the alignment between its products and the growing demand among SMEs, particularly in developing countries like Vietnam, for cost-effective, easy-to-integrate industrial automation. He noted that Vietnam is prioritising science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, and robotics development. The PM endorsed the company’s investment plan and called on 5.0 Robotics to transfer technology to Vietnam and contribute to building a vibrant innovation ecosystem, particularly in fields such as AI and smart factories. He encouraged the company to support Vietnamese startups in accessing new technologies and training high-quality human resources. The government leader also urged 5.0 Robotics to partner with Vietnamese tech corporations to jointly develop markets, especially in Europe and ASEAN. Leveraging its strengths and potential, he said the company can "catch up and lead" in key areas and affirm its regional and global presence.

Earlier, PM Chinh visited Cybernetica - one of the symbols of Estonia's digital economy and a global pioneer in e-government solutions, cybersecurity and digital infrastructure - a major partner of the E-Estonia Centre that the Vietnamese leader visited in the morning of the same day. Established in 1997 and a successor to the applied research unit of the Institute of Cybernetics under the Estonian Academy of Sciences, Cybernetica is recognised as one of the main architects of e-Estonia, developing the core parts of the e-Estonia ecosystem. Currently, Estonia is the only country in the world that widely uses Internet voting for legally valid national elections, with a software system developed by Cybernetica. X-Road is a secure and efficient data exchange platform that enables public agencies and the private sector to exchange information seamlessly and securely - the backbone of Estonian e-government, significantly reducing administrative time and costs. Today, Cybernetica stands as one of the symbols of Estonia’s digital economy and a global pioneer in e-government solutions, cybersecurity, and digital infrastructure. The company has implemented e-government solutions in 35 countries, including Japan, Malaysia, Kenya, Benin, and Ukraine. Notably, in Benin, more than 50 government agencies use Cybernetica’s solutions to provide nearly 270 digital public services to people. At the working session, PM Chinh and the Vietnamese delegation held discussions with Cybernetica on the viability and potential for success in applying such solutions in a country of over 100 million people like Vietnam. The discussions covered topics such as institutional reforms, regulatory frameworks, and legal corridors required for successful implementation; the balance between digitalisation and citizen data protection; public-private partnerships; and investment in digital infrastructure such as cloud services, high-speed internet, and cybersecurity. The Vietnamese leader noted that he had reached an agreement with the Estonian PM on the establishment of a joint task force between the two countries to continue discussions and support Vietnam in digital transformation, building a digital government, and developing a digital society and digital citizens. He also proposed Cybernetica share its experience and cooperate with Vietnam, contributing to the implementation of agreements between the two governments./.