Vietnamese customs officers’ active engagement in new ASEM framework on intellectual property protection and their part in a pilot project with enterprises proved the country has strong regional ties.

Customs Office General Director Le Manh Hung reported Viet Nam ’s activities at a meeting of Customs General Directors-Commissioners from Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) economies held in the port city of Yokohama , Japan , from November 12-13.

Hung said his agency plans to hold a workshop on implementing a project on partnership between customs offices and enterprises in Ha Noi by December with assistance from Swedish and Singaporean partners, after representatives from the two latter countries reported on the project at the meeting.

The common framework on intellectual property protection, which Viet Nam has been working hard to carry out, is aimed at unifying world efforts in this field, a representative from the World Customs Organisation said.

Protecting intellectual property has aroused great concerns from European countries, that globalisation and the universalisation of the internet are threatening the work of customs officers and set new tasks for the sector the world over.

A new set of customs standards on intellectual property protection was freshly approved by the World Customs Organisation at a General Assembly held in Brussels , Belgium , in June.

Other issues high on the meeting’s agenda included the role of customs in protecting the environment as well as cooperating and improving capacity for customs offices worldwide.

The Vietnamese customs delegation also had working sessions with its Japanese partner, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the Foreign Ministry of the host country on this occasion.

Over the past years, Japan customs office has given strong assistance to Viet Nam in training senior lecturers and supplying equipment. Japan is helping customs officers from Viet Nam, Cambodia and Thailand to implement a project on management of professional risks. (VNA)