Vietnam PM meets Estonian firms, urges investment in digital, tech sectors

In a meeting with Bolt executives, including president Jevgeni Kabanov and vice president Eirini Zafeiratou, the ride-hailing and delivery firm said it was seeking approval to launch services in Vietnam, including car and bike ride-hailing, scooters, and food and grocery delivery.

Bolt operates in more than 55 countries, including Thailand and Malaysia, with a network of 4.5 million drivers serving over 200 million customers, according to the company.

Kabanov asked the Vietnamese government to accelerate the licensing process. 

In response, Chinh welcomed Bolt's plans and said he had instructed relevant agencies to streamline administrative procedures and shorten approval timelines. 

He expressed confidence in the company's success in Vietnam and urged it to begin operations in major cities before expanding nationwide.

The prime minister also encouraged Bolt to enhance service quality, compete fairly, and explore new areas of investment, including digital transformation and the integration of artificial intelligence. 

He suggested the company share operational experience and digital solutions with local authorities and businesses.

Chinh also met with executives from 5.0 Robotics, a tech startup focused on industrial automation and digital skills training. 

The company proposed a '100 Robots for 100 Talents' initiative, supplying 100 CNC machines to 100 Vietnamese small and medium-sized enterprises and training 100 local technicians.

The prime minister welcomed the proposal, saying compact, cost-effective and user-friendly industrial robots matched the needs of Vietnam's SMEs. 

He called on the firm to transfer technology, support innovation ecosystems, and help build a skilled workforce. 

He also urged partnerships with Vietnamese tech firms to jointly expand into ASEAN and European markets.

Earlier the same day, Chinh visited Cybernetica, a leading Estonian firm in e-government, cybersecurity, and digital infrastructure. 

Discussions focused on the feasibility of applying Estonia's digital solutions in Vietnam, a country of over 100 million people, and on regulatory reforms, data security, cloud services, and high-speed internet infrastructure.

Chinh said he had agreed with his Estonian counterpart to set up a joint working group to support cooperation in digital transformation, e-government, and digital society development. 

He invited Cybernetica to share expertise and contribute to implementing bilateral agreements.