On the morning of April 17th , 2018, at the A2 building, NEU campus, a scientific seminar on "Geographical Indications of Italy and Vietnam" held by the Embassy of Italy, National Economics University, The National Office of Intellectual Property of Vietnam and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Attending the seminar, there were Prof. Dr. Tran Tho Dat - President of National Economics University; Cecilia Piccioni - Ambassador of Italy at Vietnam; Mr. Le Ngoc Lam - Deputy Director of the National Office of Intellectual Property along with the representatives of domestic and foreign organizations and enterprises.
Making a speech at the opening ceremony, Prof. Dr. Tran Tho Dat - President of the National Economics University emphasized that the National Economics University and the Embassy of Italy had a traditional partnership in researching, offering scholarships and providing short courses to develop the human resources of both parties. This seminar was an opportunity to compare experiences and share knowledge on geographical indications between the two countries. Vietnam currently protects 60 products with geographical indications in more than 800 specialties nationwide. In fact, geographical indications have brought about the development of rural areas and the practical value for local communities, which is the golden thread to help the sustainable development of Vietnam's economy.
At the seminar, Cecilia Piccioni - Ambassador of Italy at Vietnam shared: The seminar on "Geographical Indications of Italy and Vietnam" was one of the important activities to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the establishment of the two countries' relationships.
The seminar had three sessions focusing mainly on the advertising tool of the geographical indications, the role of science and technology in protecting geographical indications and the contribution of geographical indications to the local economy. The discussion was exciting with insights from experts. The registration of geographical indications helped products be exported to the hard market in the world to develop and promote the Vietnamese brand. Therefore, the expansion of products which are registered by geographical indications is the right direction to help the sustainable development of Vietnam's economy.