A range of activities showcasing nearly four decades of development co-operation between Finland and Viet Nam will take place across the country as part of the “Finland 100 years” celebrations.

According to a report from the Embassy of Finland in Hanoi on Friday, “Finland 100 years” will be organised as a commemorative event to celebrate the 100th independence of the Northern European country next year, by the two countries to showcase future collaboration.

Viet Nam’s socio-economic development plans had achieved outstanding results including a complete education system reform, a stronger emphasis on environmental and climate sustainability, more involvement of the private sector in development creating conditions for start-up, and innovation of an eco-system development, said Ambassador to Viet Nam Ilkka-Pekka Similä.

The Finnish ambassador added that Finland had know-how and technology that were highly relevant to various priority areas of Việt Nam’s future development and hoped the two countries could boost such potential for their co-operation.

Among the events to take place next year was the celebration of thirty years of successful water co-operation history between the two countries with a workshop on Water and Sanitation Programme for Small Towns in Viet Nam, to be held in February.

About 41 water supply and waste water treatment schemes constructed over the past ten years will be handed over to the Government of Viet Nam, and new collaboration in water safety planning will be celebrated, said the report.

Finnish companies together with public entities will also participate in the VietWater Exhibition in November 2017.

Long-term co-operation in the forest sector will also be commemorated in February and March with Finnish, Vietnamese experts and companies to discuss forest resource and share data at a workshop on Forest Management Information Systems.

Sustainable management of natural resources and the promotion of green cities will be the topics of a tree planting event after Tết in which 100 trees will be planted in the city of Hà Nội together with the Municipality of Hanoi and Hanoian schools.

An innovation and start-up event organised in collaboration with the Finland-Việt Nam Innovation Partnership Programme will highlight successful co-operation in the sector.

The Vietnamese government recently awarded the Finnish government for long-term commitment and excellent results in the development of Viet Nam’s innovation system. Increasing co-operation in the education sector will also be highlighted during a demonstrative Finnish School Day and the launching of the Finnish K12 School in HCM City in the autumn. Ministerial visits in the sector are also expected.

Finland-related literature will be celebrated throughout the year. The best-selling book “Finnish Lessons 2.0” by Professor Pasi Sahlberg explaining the successful story of the Finnish education system is now available in Vietnamese.

VNS