On 4–11 November 2023, a delegation from the PGI-NRI attended a scientific conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, under the theme 'New Opening', related to the intensification of cooperation in the field of geology.

The conference was attended by representatives from all major scientific institutions in Poland, including the Polish Geological Institute-NRI, the University of Warsaw, the AGH University of Science and Technology, the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Ministry of Education and Science. The PGI-NRI was represented by Piotr Szrek PhD habil., Deputy Director for Research and Development, Scientific Secretary of the Institute.

During the first day of the conference, behind-the-scenes discussions and familiarisation talks took place with managers and directors of Vietnamese (the Vietnamese Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources, the Vietnam Union of Geological Sciences, and the Hanoi University of Mining and Geology) and Polish (the PIG-NRI, the Warsaw University, the Polish Academy of Sciences, the AGH University of Science and Technology, and the Polish embassy in Hanoi) entities.

Day two was a formal, public presentation of all the entities taking part in the event in the form of presentations lasting about a quarter each, and a discussion of the cooperation in the previous years (the 1970s, the 1980s and the 1990s) in the context of newly established relationships.

The PGI-NRI's presentation focused on the areas of activity that had been assessed as the most interesting in terms of potential joint projects in the course of pre-trip discussions, and it was presented in three speeches. The first one of them was delivered by Piotr Szrek PhD habil., and it concerned the activities of the entire Institute, with particular emphasis on areas which might be applicable to Polish-Vietnamese cooperation, i.e. the possibilities of absolute age dating, exploration of deposits by geophysical methods, studies of areas at risk of surface mass movements, and geochemical environmental studies.

The next day saw a scientific part with lectures on mineral exploration in Poland, and on landslides. Lectures on behalf of the Institute were presented by Olga Rosowiecka EngD (Usage of geophysical methods for mineral prospection of Poland) and Mateusz Parafiniuk (Geohazards—implementation of the Polish Geological Institute-National Research Institute).

The following days were devoted to discussing detailed ideas regarding possible projects for joint execution, including scientific and those concerning the development of the personnel of researchers. The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding was carried out by Piotr Szrek with his Vietnamese counterpart.

Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding governing the cooperation of the PGI-NRI with Vietnam

The Vietnamese side was assured of the determination to implement its provisions, and hope was expressed to discuss specific actions during the next meeting, this time possibly in Poland. Contacts are now also being maintained electronically. It is in Poland's interest to continuously cooperate with Vietnam, which is a very promising cooperation partner for the exploration and extraction of rare earth elements. Of particular interest here are the deposits of these raw materials in laterites, primarily in the northern part of the country.

The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding is a good step towards opening up this market for our specialists; the Vietnamese Partners have declared further cooperation on the basis of the already concluded agreements, and strengthening of these relations could take place during a revisit of the Vietnamese to Poland, which should be the next step.

The PGI-NRI will maintain relations with the Vietnamese partners at the level of planning joint projects, while continuing cooperation with the remaining Polish institutions which have participated in the Hanoi meeting.