This is the second maritime survey trip to implement the"Cooperation roadmap on marine scientific research in the 2018-2025 period" between VAST and RAS, and is also the seventh survey trip between the two sides in Vietnam's territorial waters.
In the context of the complicated COVID-19 epidemic, the ceremony took place in online form at Chua Ve Port.
The ceremony was attended by Professor, Academician Chau Van Minh, who is the VAST President; leaders of VAST's Institute of Marine Environment and Resources - the Vietnamese representative that will chair the survey trip; Vice Chairman of the city People's Committee Le Khac Nam; First Secretary at the Russian Embassy in Vietnam Alexander Maslov; Professor, Academician Valentin Sergienko, who is Vice President of RAS; and leaders of Institute of Far Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IFES RAS) who participated online from Vladivostok.
In order to ensure the prevention and control of Covid-19, despite the negative results for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the entire survey team and crew also participated online from the "Oparin Institute" ship and will not enter land during survey implementation, and quarantine according to regulations after the end of the survey trip.
Speaking at the ceremony, Professor, Academician Chau Van Minh and Professor, Academician Valentin Sergienko both emphasised the role of marine survey cooperation in promoting scientific research and training of the two institutes.
At the same time, they evaluated the efforts and determination of the scientists from both sides, overcoming many difficulties and obstacles with the epidemic over the past year to be able to start the seventh joint survey. Two sides also expressed their wishes that the survey trip will be safe and achieve scientific and practical results on marine life resources in Vietnam.
On behalf of the leaders of Hai Phong City - where the "Oparin Institute" ship first docked to start the marine survey trip, Vice Chairman of the city People's Committee Le Khac Nam said that cooperation in marine research will create scientific bases, contributing to promote economic development in coastal areas in Hai Phong - a dynamic seaport city with many recent breakthroughs in economic development .
After finishing the ceremony, the "Oparin Institute" ship sailed to sea with nearly 40 scientists from the specialised research units of VAST and IFES RAS to spend about a month in Vietnam's territorial waters, extending the very diversified and rich cooperative activities of marine research between the two institutes.
