The meeting between the delegation of the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security and officials of Austria's Ministry of the Interior in Vienna. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – Deputy Minister of Public Security Sen. Lieut. Gen Lê Quốc Hùng led a Vietnamese delegation to Austria from October 16 to 19, aiming to foster bilateral cooperation in security, policing, crime prevention, digital technology, and residency management.

In Vienna, Hùng held a working session with officials from the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior, including Director General for Migration and International Affairs Peter Webinger, to review past cooperation and chart future priorities.

They agreed that cooperation between the two ministries has become deeper and more pragmatic since their countries established diplomatic ties in 1972. This working trip, the first at the ministry level, marked a milestone and opened the door to broader collaboration in strategic areas.

The host ministry shared its experience in migration management, particularly in harnessing digital technology for resident management and public service supply. Since 1997, Austria has implemented e-government with three pillars: a centralised resident registration system, a national digital ID and e-signature system, and an integrated data-sharing platform connecting state agencies. Austria now operates a highly secure nationwide digital ID system, which improves administrative efficiency and citizen services.

Impressed by Austria’s digital prowess, Hùng pushed for faster negotiations on a bilateral crime prevention agreement, alongside drafting of extradition and prisoner transfer treaties. He also suggested expanding cooperation in training and capacity building for Vietnamese police officers in cybersecurity, hi-tech crime prevention, counterterrorism, anti-money laundering, and migration management.

On the occasion, he conveyed an invitation from the Vietnamese Minister of Public Security to the Austrian Minister of the Interior to attend the signing ceremony of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime, known as the Hanoi Convention, set for October 25–26.

During the trip, the delegation also visited the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), the country’s leading sci-tech research hub, to explore technological solutions for security, residency management and law enforcement support. They came to a laboratory on quantum encryption, the most cutting-edge secure communications technology developed by the AIT for government and law enforcement needs.

The AIT expressed the readiness for technology transfer, joint research, and training cooperation with the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security (MoPS).

At the Austrian State Printing House (OSD), the sole producer of Austria’s secure government documents, the delegation gained insights into secure document printing, identity document management, and digital application development.

Employing around 220 staff members, OSD produces passports, ID cards, visas, driver’s licenses, and security documents compliant with ISO, ICAO, and EU standards. Notable innovations include Austria’s multi-layered security passport and the “My Identity App”, a multifunctional digital ID platform.

OSD, which provides solutions for over 60 countries, including Cambodia, voiced interest in partnering with the MoPS in digital transformation and secure printing solutions. It presented two sample passports to Việt Nam for consideration.

During their stay, Hùng and his entourage visited the Vietnamese Embassy and met with representatives of the 9,000-strong Vietnamese community in Austria.

He asked the embassy to continue supporting the community and bolstering coordination in Austria’s areas of strength, including science-technology, innovation, and core and source technologies to support Việt Nam’s industrialisation and modernisation efforts. — VNA/VNS