Norway pledges aid for shipbuilding

Norway is committed to supporting a project aimed at boosting technology and improving management and product quality control at the Viet Nam Shipbuilding Industry Group (Vinashin). An agreement on the project was signed recently between Minister of Planning and Investment Vo Hong Phuc and the Norwegian Ambassador to Viet Nam Kjell Storlokken.

The agreement would create the framework for Viet Nam to implement the $3.9 million shipbuilding training project in Viet Nam aimed at boosting the efficiency of Vinashin and raising its operations to an international standard. The project, which would be implemented in three years, attracted the participation of Norway?s three leading shipbuilding companies, who contributed half of the project?s investment capital.

The two sides said they hoped the agreement would mark an important step forward in co-operation between Viet Nam and Norway in the shipbuilding industry as well as help to open a new chapter in the countries? bilateral relations.