The Vietnamese government always gives priority to developingbiotechnology during the country’s modernisation and industrialisationprocess while attaching more importance to biosafety.

Bui Cach Tuyen, Director General of Vietnam ’s EnvironmentalAdministration at the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment(MoNRE), made the remarks at an Asian Workshop on the Cartagena Protocolon Biosafety, in Hanoi on September 7.

“Vietnam is acutely aware of the potential risks caused by moderntechnologies and will promote international and regional cooperation todeal with this issue,” he stressed.

The workshop also provided an opportunity for Vietnam to learn about bio safety from other countries, he added.

At the forum, delegates from 11 countries and territories, includingthe Philippines, India, Cambodia, Taiwan, the Republic of Korea, Laos,Malaysia, Thailand, China, Sri Lanka and Vietnam discussed major issuessuch as the handling, transporting, packaging and identification ofliving modified organisms; the rights and/or obligations of parties whotransit living modified organisms, as well as liability and redress.

The participants also debated risk assessment and management, raisingpublic awareness and drawing up strategic plans and programmes for thefifth Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol (MOP 5).

On September 11, 2003, the Cartegena Protocol on Bio safety came intoeffect, which highlighted international efforts to protect publichealth and the environment from potential risks caused by moderntechnologies. Vietnam joined the Protocol one year later.

The workshop was jointly organised by the MoNRE, the InternationalService for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications and theProgramme on Bio Safety in preparation for the MOP 5, which will be heldin Japan this October./.