VietNamNet Bridge – The Swiss government is to provide 1 million USD for Vietnam to implement a 2007-2010 joint programme on intellectual property rights (IP).

An agreement to this effect was signed by Vietnamese Minister of Science and Technology Hoang Van Phong and the Swiss Minister of Economics, Doris Leuthard, in Hanoi on July 16.

The programme is the second phase of a project which has been carried out by the Viet Nam Intellectual Property Department and the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property since 2001. The 2001-2006 first phase focused on building an IP legal framework, meeting the demand for Vietnam’s WTO accession.

Under the programme, the Swiss government will help Vietnam improve the capacity of intellectual property right enforcement agencies, speed up the IP teaching at universities and establish a system for traditional knowledge protection.

Switzerland has given its funding to Vietnam since 1993 in an effort to help the Southeast Asian country reduce poverty through sustainable economic development.

(Source: VNA)