Deputy Prime Minister Hồ Đức Phớc and Chairman of automaker Thaco Trần Bá Dương and CEO and President of the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s Hyundai Rotem Lee Yong-bae at their meeting on September 9 in Hà Nội. — Photo from the Việt Nam Government Portal

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister Hồ Đức Phớc on Tuesday hosted a reception for Chairman of automaker Thaco Trần Bá Dương and CEO and President of the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s Hyundai Rotem Lee Yong-bae in Hà Nội, during which Lee voiced the company’s interest in partnering with Việt Nam on high-speed railway projects.

At the event, Phớc laid stress on Việt Nam's priorities as the country is stepping into a new era, including an economic transformation based on science – technology, innovation, digital transformation, green transition, and enhanced labour productivity aiming for sustained double-digit growth.

Modern infrastructure, he stated, is central to this target, with urban and high-speed railways a key priority alongside airports, seaports, and expressways.

THACO Chairman Dương briefed the Deputy PM on the group’s plans to invest in urban railway sector and outlined prospects for cooperation with Hyundai Rotem.

Lee, for his part, highlighted Hyundai Rotem’s nearly 50 years of experience in manufacturing high-speed trains, locomotives, carriages, and signaling systems, and providing maintenance services. He also expressed desire to participate in Việt Nam's high-speed rail system development through comprehensive technology transfer for efficient operations, including complete solutions for human resources training, manufacturing localisation, and operational maintenance services.

Speaking highly of the Korean firm’s cooperative initiative, Phớc underscored that an effective high-speed rail system must be developed harmoniously, from design and track production to signaling, rolling stock, operations, and maintenance. He urged the business to present its design concepts to the Ministry of Construction for consideration.

He highlighted the robust cooperation between Việt Nam and the RoK over the recent past, stating the Vietnamese Government always supports Korean enterprises to strengthen their presence in the country, helping bolster the bilateral collaboration in the coming time.

Established in 1977 as part of the Hyundai Group, Hyundai Rotem stands as one of Korea's major mechanical engineering enterprises. The company operates in railway sectors, specialising in high-speed rail, locomotives, carriages, and signaling systems. It is also a pioneer in hydrogen-powered train technology. — VNA/VNS