HCM City is ready to organise COVID-19 vaccinations for people returning to the city from other localities.

Deputy chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Dương Anh Đức on Thursday signed an urgent dispatch requesting the city’s Department of Health to provide enough vaccine doses to localities for all people from other provinces and cities who have returned to work or study.

This is one of the city’s efforts to create favourable conditions for migrant workers and students after the lifting of strict pandemic prevention restrictions on October 1.

The committee asked the health department to support vaccination teams and guide localities on arranging fixed or mobile vaccination sites.

The city’s Department of Information and Communications was asked to widely disseminate the content of the dispatch throughout the city, and establish an immunisation information portal for people to register for vaccinations.

Nguyễn Hữu Hưng, deputy director of the city’s Department of Health, said the city would target injecting all people as much as possible. 

About 99 per cent of adults aged 18 and above have received at least one vaccine dose in the city, and 76.8 per cent are fully vaccinated in the city.

People who have not yet been vaccinated or have not yet received the second dose can register for vaccinations by calling the Department of Information and Communications’ centre at 8066 or going directly to the people’s committees of wards and communes.

Hưng recommended that returnees contact local authorities to register for vaccinations, and that local authorities arrange vaccination schedules for this group as soon as possible.

Local businesses have been asked to compile a list of their employees returning to work from other localities for arranging vaccinations. If there is a large number of people, vaccinations will be arranged at workplaces. 

Tech giant VNG to launch online charity run

Tech giant VNG will launch its annual online charity run for the community, UpRace, on October 31.

To last until November 21, it will see runners record the distance they run and the time they take on a mobile application on the UpRace website.

Each validated kilometre will fetched donations of at least VNĐ1,000 from VNG and other sponsors, and the money will be donated to NGOs Newborns Vietnam, Operation Smile Vietnam, Saigon Children’s Charity, and GreenViet.

Individuals and corporates can also donate to the four organisations via their ZaloPay, which is integrated into the Zalo account of UpRace.

People can access UpRace 2021 to download the application.

VNG initiated UpRace in 2018 and provides technical assistance for the annual event. 

Vietnamese, Chinese coast guards conduct joint patrol in Tonkin Gulf

The Vietnam and China coast guard forces on October 22 finished their second joint patrol in the waters adjacent to the demarcation line in the Gulf of Tonkin between the two countries in 2021.

The Vietnamese fleet was led by Vice Commander of the Vietnam Coast Guard 1 Colonel Luong Cao Khai, while the Chinese side was headed by Liu Tianrong, Deputy Chief of the Nanhai Division of the China Coast Guard.

Apart from the four-day patrol, the two sides held talks to seek ways to raise fishermen's awareness of regulations on fishing in the waters adjacent to the demarcation line in the Gulf of Tonkin, along with COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control measures.

The results of the patrol have contributed to realising international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Vietnam-China agreement on the delimitation of the territorial seas, exclusive economic zones, and continental shelves in the Gulf of Tonkin signed by the two countries on December 25, 2000.

The Vietnam Coast Guard hoped that the patrol will help to boost relations between the two countries./.

Prime Minister to attend 38th, 39th ASEAN Summits via video conference

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will attend the 38th and 39th ASEAN Summits and related summits via video conference on October 26 – 28 at the invitation of the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam – Chair of ASEAN 2021.

Apart from attending the 38th and 39th ASEAN Summits, the Prime Minister will participate in the Related Summits with Leaders of Dialogue Partners of ASEAN, namely China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, India, the United States, Australia and Russia, the ASEAN 3 Summit and the East Asia Summit, also via video conference.

Also on the occasion, several summits of ASEAN sub-regional countries will also take place/.

Thua Thien - Hue to host Vietnam Film Festival 2021

The 22nd Vietnam Film Festival will take place in the central province of Thua Thien – Hue from November 18-20 in virtual form for the first time, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced at a press conference in Hanoi on October 22.

Director of the Cinematography Department Vi Kien Thanh said this year, the organizing board will present two new awards, one for a feature film with the best cinematography, and the other for outstanding debut by a director. These awards aim to recognize the technological development of Vietnamese cinema, and encourage new talents.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong said despite the many impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the film industry has made great efforts to maintain production activities and complete many cinema works to serve people.

In addition to honouring the country's film industry, the festival will be a bridge for new films to reach the public via digital platforms, he said.

A total of 128 films of 42 units will vie to prizes in the festival, comprising 26 feature films, 56 documentaries, 15 science films, and 31 cartoons.

As schedule, an exhibition themed “Thua Thien – Hue - destination of film makers”, an “Ao dai” (long dress) performance show, and an online exchange programme with artists will be arranged in the framework of the festival./.

Vietnam prepares for deployment of sapper team No.1 to join UNISFA

Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien has inspected preparations for the deployment of sapper team No.1 to join the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).

Checking the team’s equipment and equipment transfer training at Brigade 249 under the High Command of the Sappers Arm, Chien, who is also head of the Defence Ministry’s Steering Committee for Joining United Nations Peacekeeping Mission, requested that the training course must closely follow the UN’s requirements.

The team comprises 203 soldiers, including 184 official and 19 reserve members. Of them, 21 are female soldiers.

The deputy minister also asked for soon completing the organisation of personnel for the team, as well as stepping up equipment procurement for training according to simplified administrative procedures./.

Over 11 billion VND donated for COVID-19-impacted children

The National Fund for Vietnamese Children on October 21 received more than 11 billion VND (483,727 USD) from different donors in aid of children affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of the donations, 10 billion VND came from the Vietnam Dairy Products Joint Stock Company (Vinamilk), 550 million VND from Vinanutrifood, 637 million VND from AIA Vietnam Life Insurance Co. Ltd, and 100 million VND from the Foreign Ministry’s trade union.

On the occasion, Vinamilk also presented 1 million glasses of milk to disadvantaged children, to be delivered through the “Stand Tall Vietnam Milk Fund.”

At the hand-over ceremony, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Thi Ha lauded the companies for their valuable assistance for disadvantaged children in many years, particularly during the pandemic.

Ha said she will direct the fund’s implementation of related support programmes to be timely, publicly, and transparently.

Children are among the hardest hit victims of the pandemic. Statistics showed that COVID-19 has made 2,352 children orphans, mostly in Ho Chi Minh City (1,584) and southern localities such as Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Long An, Dong Thap, Tien Giang, and An Giang.

The fund has so far provided 7.78 billion VND (342,572 USD) to children orphaned by COVID-19 and offered aid of over 7 billion VND 308,263 USD) in cash and kind to 12,800 others affected by the pandemic./.

Vietnam seeks technical cooperation to fight climate change

Director of the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment (ISPONRE) Nguyen Dinh Tho has said the ISPONRE is seeking international cooperation opportunities regarding rainfall collection and purification technology for the task of fighting climate change in the Mekong Delta.

During the 12th Environmental Technology Experts’ Group Meeting, held virtually by the United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-Habitat) on October 21, Tho said Vietnam ranked sixth among countries globally hardest hit by climate change and extreme weather phenomena during the 1999-2018 period.

As the country’s biggest farm produce and fisheries production hub, the Mekong Delta faces environment and climate change issues each year like rising sea water level, saltwater intrusion, drought, floods and storms, prolonged and serious tropical tornadoes, he added.

According to him, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has embarked on a project to improve resilience, develop resettlement and ecological areas via small-scale infrastructure intervention in the Mekong Delta’s coastal areas, focusing on dealing with environment and socio-economic problems in three communes of Tra Vinh and Bac Lieu provinces.

With four components, the project will provide three water purification and two rainfall collection systems, repair 850m of dykes and plant over 1,000 sq.m of mangrove forests from 2021 to 2025./.

Vietnam well placed within Asia in SDGs implementation progress: UNDP

Vietnam is very well placed within Asia in terms of the general progress in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), said United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative a.i. in Vietnam Terence D. Jones on October 21.

“Vietnam is doing very well”, he told the Vietnam News Agency, factoring in that Vietnam had, before the COVID-19 impacts, moved into the middle-income status.

“Given its developing country status, that’s very encouraging,” he said on the sidelines of the Launching Workshop of National Report 2020: “Five-year Progress of Sustainable Development Goals Implementation” held in Hanoi.

The report shows Vietnam has made progress across all 17 SDGs, he noted, adding that by 2030, the country would be likely to achieve five out of 17 SDGs, which include SDG 1 – No Poverty, SDG 2 – Zero Hunger, SDG 4 – Quality Education, SDG 13 – Climate Actions, and SDG 17 on global partnerships.

There has been good progress towards reaching some goals, but in a few others, there are difficulties, he said, adding “but what we notice is that in some of those goals, the same difficulties arise in many countries.”

He highly spoke of the way the Government of Vietnam is internalising its efforts and monitoring progress to decide how to invest more in making improvements, especially where there are still the gaps.

The UNDP Representative held that it would be challenging for Vietnam to accelerate the realisation of the SDGs over the next ten years, also known as the Decade of Action.

But the fact that the government has incorporated the SDGs in its own Socio-economic Development Plans for the next five and ten years is the most important signal for that Vietnam is likely to make progress, he stated.

Also, “the government has plans to make sure it is also implemented at the provincial level, so it filters down in a very real way to local decision makers as well, to use this as part of their planning process,” Jones said.

Outlining several recommendations for Vietnam, the UNDP Resident Representative emphasised that data is the most important, because that’s “how we measure progress, and to make sure that we have real time feedback on where we need to make further improvements.”

He suggested Vietnam make the best use of the available resources. The UNDP is working with the Ministry of Planning and Investment on “a financing framework” that looks into how to make better use of the resources Vietnam has both in terms of the budget, as well as in the private sector and in society, he unveiled.

Vietnam needs to mobilise more and more support from the international community to invest in what it is trying to achieve, he continued. He also called on the government to improve governance systems through digitalisation and to engage social organisations and the private sector to play their part in achieving the goals.

According to the National Report 2020, Vietnam’s ranking has been on the rise over the last five years. Last year, the country ranked 49th out of 166 countries on performance in SDG implementation, five places higher than the 2019 ranking.

Seventeen global SDGs have been nationalised into 115 Vietnam SDGs (VSDGs) in its “National Action Plan for Implementation of Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development” based on the country’s development context and priorities./.

USAID-funded Mekong Delta Coastal Habitat Conservation project launched

A workshop took place both virtually and in-person in Hanoi on October 21 to launch the Mekong Delta Coastal Habitat Conservation project, which was announced during US Vice President Kamala Harris’s visit to Vietnam in August.

The workshop was co-organised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the Directorate of Fisheries under the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

With a planned budget of up to 2.9 million USD provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the project, running from August 2021 to July 2024, aims to protect key coastal habitats in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam to increase the sustainability of fisheries, enhance climate change adaptation, and improve biodiversity conservation.

By partnering with businesses, provincial governments, the management board of Phu Quoc Marine Protected Area (MPA) of Phu Quoc National Park in Kien Giang province and fishing communities, the project will work to mitigate threats to coastal biodiversity and fisheries, and enhance coastal resilience in the region.

IUCN Viet Nam Country Representative Jake Brunner said the project will help pilot and build new policies as well as open up new opportunities on finance.

Geographically, the project’s activities will focus on the delta’s lowest lying and most vulnerable coastlines along the East and West Seas, Phu Quoc MPA, and three small island clusters of Hai Tac, Ba Lua and Nam Du.

The Mekong Delta and its islands are home to 70 percent of Vietnam’s mangroves and 90 percent of its seagrass beds. Fed by the sediment and nutrients from the Mekong River, these habitats support Vietnam’s richest fishing grounds, but are also under growing threat. The delta’s mangrove forests, which provide nursery habitat for sea bass, snapper, and other commercially important species, and important protection for coastal communities from storm surges, are declining due to sea level rise. The delta’s crucial fishery habitats are further threatened by environmental pressures including prolonged droughts, rising temperatures, and aquaculture demand for groundwater, and intensive near-shore fishing which has depleted fish stocks, causing cascading ecological damage.

The main components of the project include strengthening management of Phu Quoc MPA for more effective habitat and species conservation; establishing a network of locally managed marine areas to protect coral reefs, seagrass beds in three island clusters; and exploring solutions to conserve and expand mangrove forests to increase fish nursery habitat and coastal biodiversity.

It is expected that the project’s outcomes will contribute to addressing the systemic threats in the Mekong Delta, in support of ongoing measures being taken by the Government of Vietnam, such as the revised Fisheries Law, 2018 Resolution 36, Resolution 120, and 2019 Planning Law.

Director of the Directorate of Fisheries Tran Dinh Luan said one of the current challenges is to protect the marine environment without affecting the livelihoods of local people.

The project is among concrete steps to raise people's awareness of sustainable development in coastal areas, he stated.

Quang Trong Thao, Deputy Director the Kien Giang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the implementation of the project is of great significance when it looks toward the engagement of many stakeholders in protecting the living environment, such as the community, local businesses, international organisations, managers, and scientists./.

Voters pin hopes on 15th NA’s second session

 

Voters nationwide expect that measures on pandemic prevention and economic development will be discussed at the second session of the 15th National Assembly, which opened in Hanoi on October 20.

The second session’s working programme was changed to adapt to the complex developments of the ongoing pandemic, including the introduction of online voting and flexible discussions in groups.

Since supervision is a fundamental and important function of the National Assembly, voters hope that after laws are adopted they will be examined before coming into effect. They also expect that suitable measures in COVID-19 prevention and control will be considered for application.

Voters nationwide expect that new draft laws will be adopted and come into force, creating favourable conditions for social development./.

Vietnamese community in Laos assists disadvantaged families due to COVID-19

The Overseas Vietnamese Association in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, in coordination with the Phat Tich Pagoda, VietcomBank Laos and Khamhoung Saychaleun Company, on October 21 presented 200 gift packages worth 60 million LAK (nearly 6,000 USD) to Vietnamese and Lao households facing difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Vientiane.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, Nguyen Thanh Do, director of Vietcombank Laos, said that despite being affected by the COVID-19, Vietnamese enterprises have joined hands with Lao authorities and people to support those in need to overcome the challenges posed by the pandemic.

According to the pandemic prevention regulations of the Government of Laos, all gifts will be handed over to overseas Vietnamese branches to distribute to the poor households as soon as possible.

Various activities have been organised by the Vietnamese community in Laos including raising funds and donating cash and necessities for COVID-hit people over the past time./.

Vietnam needs stronger efforts to achieve SDGs: Workshop

A workshop was held on October 21 to publish the national report on the progress of the five-year implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), during which experts pointed out that Vietnam should strive harder to achieve the goals by 2030.

Le Viet Anh, Director of the Department of Science, Education, Natural Resources and Environment under the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), said the country will be likely to achieve five of the 17 SDGs by 2030, including the ones on no poverty, zero hunger, quality education, climate actions, and global partnerships.

However, it will face multiple challenges to achieve the remainders, especially the goal on responsible consumption and production, and the one on life below water.

The possibility of achieving the SDGs by 2030 had been forecasted basing on official statistics collected up to the end of 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. Given the pandemic's significant and adverse impacts on social and economic development, it may undermine or even reverse the achievements to date and change all forecasts, Anh noted.

As such, the official said, Vietnam should strive to turn challenges into actions and opportunities, and better the engagement of relevant stakeholders to maintain the sucesseses achieved to date and ensure the achievements of the remaining SDGs by 2030.

Michael Siegner, Resident Representative of the Hanns Seidel Foundation in Vietnam, said the country has made efforts to narrow the development gap and work towards the SDGs by 2030.

It has also made regular advancement on the Sustainable Development Index rankings, standing at the 46th position among 166 countries last year.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused more obstacles to the realisation of the SDGs, decelerate the progress, and worsen challenges to the goals, he said, adding that Vietnam needs to double efforts in the next 10 years so as to be back on track to obtain the goals by 2030.

The national report was drafted to evaluate the five-year implementation of the SDGs in Vietnam and to anticipate the possibility of achieving the goals by 2030. It provides a foundation for relevant ministries, sectors and local entities to make their action orientations, as well as important inputs for development partners to issue strategic directions for their support for Vietnam's realisation of the SDGs in the coming time.

The report compilation received inputs from relevant ministries and sectors, domestic and international organisations, and UN agencies in Vietnam. The UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the Hanns Seidel Foundation from Germany provided technical support for this process./.

JICA pledges to continue assisting Vietnam in improving medical capacity to respond to COVID-19

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will continue to support Vietnam in enhancing the medical capacity to respond to COVID-19, said JICA Chief Representative in Vietnam Shimizu Akira at a press conference that was held via videoconference on October 21.

Noting that Vietnam is undertaking measures to balance pandemic control and economic development efforts, Shimizu Akira said that in the coming time, JICA will continue to assist Vietnam in the work via improving the capacity of central hospitals and providing equipment to hospitals at local levels, thus helping the country strengthen its medical system.

JICA has also assisted Ho Chi Minh City in building testing facilities with an aim to increasing the city’s capacity in testing and preventing communicable diseases, while offering technical and training support to local hospitals, he said.

It has also provided aid for many hospitals in Vietnam including the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases and Bach Mai Hospital to serve COVID-19 treatment, he added.

Regarding Japan’s support to Vietnam in post-pandemic economic recovery, he said that JICA will help Vietnam strengthen connectivity with other ASEAN countries, making it easier for people to travel.

JICA will cooperate with Vietnam in human resources training, promoting the country’s industrialisation, digital transformation, developing 5G service, implementing technical research projects in Can Tho University, and strengthening connections among businesses and training facilities in the southern region, he pledged.

He also stressed the need for Vietnam to expand the access of businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, to middle and long-term loans from private banks to help them overcome difficulties caused by COVID-19./.

Vietnamese women’s union in Malaysia provides free foreign languages to members

The Vietnamese women’s union in Malaysia on October 20 held the opening ceremony of free foreign language courses for members on the occasion of the 91st anniversary of the Vietnamese Women’s Union (October 20, 1930-2021) and the 11th anniversary of Vietnamese Women's Day.

Speaking at the event, Tran Thi Chang, head of the Vietnamese women’s union in Malaysia, said it has decided to organise free Chinese and Malay classes which aimed at helping Vietnamese women who are living, working and studying in Malaysia to integrate with the daily life in the locality. They followed the success of the Vietnamese language classes that have been maintained over the past five years.

In the context that Malaysia is implementing quarantine measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and trainees coming from different states, the teaching and learning will take place in the online form with a duration of 1.5 hours per one lesson in the immediate future, she said, adding that based on pandemic situation, the association would consider holding face-to-face sessions to improve learning efficiency and enhance communication between teachers and students.

The Malaysian class will be taught by Tony Nguyen, the founder and manager of Tony Academy who has a lot of experience in teaching Malaysian to Vietnamese in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. Kieu My, a Vietnamese bride in Malaysia, will be in charge of the Chinese class.

The idea of holding the foreign language classes came from Kieu My after she learned about the meaningful activities of the Vietnamese Women's Union in Malaysia. She wishes to make her small contribution to the association's volunteer activities, helping the Vietnamese community in Malaysia in general, Chang said.

She said that with the experience of organising and operating the Vietnamese language classes, the association will successfully organise Malaysian and Vietnamese language classes./.

Twelve out of 18 district of Hanoi recognised as new-style rural areas

Hanoi has so far had 12 out of its total 18 districts and townships recognised as new-style rural areas, while 368 out of 382 communes, or 96.3 percent, have received the title, according to the municipal Department of Agriculture and Rural Department.

The department reported that 29 communes of the capital city have fulfilled all criteria of advanced new-style rural areas, including 100 percent of communes in Dan Phuong district.

The remaining six districts are expected to complete all criteria in 2021 and 2022. The 14 communes that have yet to be recognised as new-style rural areas are under verification process.

Director of the department Chu Phu My said that in the third quarter of 2021, COVID-19 has posed many difficulties to the implementation of the new-style rural area building programme.

In that context, Hanoi has issued many drastic, timely and flexible directions to control COVID-19, maintain the supply chain and recover production at the same time. The city Coordination Office for new-style rural area building programme has organised five training courses on online selling for nearly 500 farmers, while launching a pilot model to promote OCOP products and regional specialties via videoconference, said My.

He said that in the remaining of the year, the city will mobilise resources to keep up the progress of the new-style rural area building, while applying measures to prevent the pandemic and boost production recovery at the same time. Other tasks for the period from now to the end of the year is to prepare sufficient supply of foodstuff for the market, especially during the Lunar New Year festival, and strive to raise per capita income of farmers to 60 million VND (2,635 USD) per year./.

Stamp collection features global geoparks in Vietnam

The Ministry of Information and Communications has issued a stamp collection featuring three global geoparks of Vietnam, to promote their values and beauty.

The collection comprises three designs and one block with images of Dong Van Karst Plateau in Ha Giang province and Non Nuoc Cao Bang Geopark in Cao Bang province, both in the north of Vietnam, together with Dak Nong Geopark in the Central Highlands province of the same name.

The three geoparks received official recognition by UNESCO in 2010, 2018 and 2020, respectively.

The collection was designed by painter Nguyen Du of the Vietnam Post and will be available from October 30, 2021 to June 30, 2023./.

Thua Thien - Hue to host Vietnam Film Festival 2021

The 22nd Vietnam Film Festival will take place in the central province of Thua Thien – Hue from November 18-20 in virtual form for the first time, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced at a press conference in Hanoi on October 22.

Director of the Cinematography Department Vi Kien Thanh said this year, the organizing board will present two new awards, one for a feature film with the best cinematography, and the other for outstanding debut by a director. These awards aim to recognize the technological development of Vietnamese cinema, and encourage new talents.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong said despite the many impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the film industry has made great efforts to maintain production activities and complete many cinema works to serve people.

In addition to honouring the country's film industry, the festival will be a bridge for new films to reach the public via digital platforms, he said.

A total of 128 films of 42 units will vie to prizes in the festival, comprising 26 feature films, 56 documentaries, 15 science films, and 31 cartoons.

As schedule, an exhibition themed “Thua Thien – Hue - destination of film makers”, an “Ao dai” (long dress) performance show, and an online exchange programme with artists will be arranged in the framework of the festival./.

Vietnamese photographer wins gold at Epson International Pano Awards

Local photographer Cao Ky Nhan has won a gold prize at the Epson International Pano Awards for his photo "Autumn love song" which was taken at Suoi Tia stream in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong.

Nhan’s entry “Autumn love song” was rated 94 out of 100 points, ranking fourth among the top 50 most beautiful panoramic photos in the amateur category.

He also won a bronze for his photo "Quiet" in the landscape category, which captures the beauty of the mountains and hills hidden in the morning mist of Bao Loc city in the Central Highlands of Lam Dong in 2019.

The Epson International Pano Awards 2021 is a large-scale photography competition that offers a platform to bring together world-renowned landscape photographers.

This marks the 12th year that the contest has been held, attracting 5,378 artworks by 1,245 photographers from 97 countries from around the world.

Association helps to promote Vietnam-DPRK relations

The friendship between Vietnam and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has developed continuously since the two countries established diplomatic ties more than seven decades ago, heard a meeting in Hanoi on October 22.

The Vietnam-DPRK Friendship Association, part of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO), convened its congress for the 2021-2026 in both online and in-person forms.

Vuong Duy Bien, former Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, was re-elected as President of the association for the tenure.

In his remarks, Bien highlighted contributions made by the Vietnam-DPRK Friendship Association and the DPRK-Vietnam Friendship Association to the bilateral ties.

During the 2021-2026 term, the Vietnam-DPRK Friendship Association aims to step up the communication work to raise public awareness of the traditional friendship, and organise more exchanges in culture, arts, sports and tourism.

Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, VUFO President, lauded diverse activities carried out by the association, saying it has closely and effectively coordinated with the DPRK Embassy in Hanoi to hold a range of events, helping to tighten the friendship.

Nga expressed her belief that the association will reap more achievements in the time ahead./.

Vietnam recognises vaccine passports from 72 countries, territories

 

Vietnam has temporarily recognised vaccination certificates and vaccine passports by 72 countries and territories, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The ministry said holders of these documents will have their concentrated quarantine period reduced to seven days in accordance with the Vietnamese Health Ministry’s guidelines on shortening quarantine time for fully vaccinated or recovered passengers.

The Foreign Ministry discussed with nearly 80 partners about mutual recognition of vaccination certificates or vaccine passports. To date, Vietnam’s vaccination certificate has been recognised by several nations.

According to the Prime Minister’s directions on creating favourable conditions for workers, experts, investors and others for development goals, the Foreign Ministry consulted ministries, agencies and localities regarding difficulties and suggested authorities adjust procedures for approving foreigners’ entry, including supplementing vaccination certificates or vaccine passports in visa application, cutting time for handling dossiers, and enhancing decentralisation for ministries and agencies./.

Ceremony spotlights growth of Vietnam – Thailand relations

The Vietnam Consulate General in Thailand’s Khon Kaen together with the association of Thai people of Vietnamese origin in Nakhon Phanom province held a ceremony on October 22 to mark the 45th anniversary of the nations’ diplomatic relations (August 6, 1976 – 2021).

The event, taking place at the Vietnam-Thailand friendship village in Nachok village, Muang district, Nakhon Phanom, featured a photo exhibition on late Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh and the 45-year ties as well as a trade fair showcasing Vietnamese and Thai products.

Addressing the ceremony, Vietnamese Consul General in Khon Kaen Chu Duc Dung stated Vietnam and Thailand have made efforts together to strengthen their practical relations across all fields as well as foster their friendship, cooperation, and mutual trust and respect in a fair and win-win manner.

Thailand is the 9th biggest foreign investor out of 139 countries and territories investing in Vietnam and is Vietnam's largest trading partner in ASEAN.

Dung recalled a phone conversation between the Vietnamese and Thai Prime Ministers in May, during which the leaders agreed to boost effective and practical bilateral cooperation with an aim to push the bilateral trade up to 25 billion USD in 2025.

He affirmed with the nations’ high political trust, efforts, strengths and potential, their ties will continue to grow stronger.

Governor of Nakhon Phanom Chathip Ruchanaseri expressed his belief in the development of the Vietnam – Thailand friendship, adding that Nakhon Phanom, home to large number of Vietnamese-Thai people, has implemented a series of activities to boost its friendship with Vietnamese localities across the sectors of education, culture, trade, investment and tourism, among others.

Supachai Phosu, Second Deputy speaker of Thailand’s House of Representatives, said the nations share a long-standing relationship which has been upgraded to enhanced strategic partnership.

He noted Thai people of Vietnamese origin, particularly those living in Nakhon Phanom, have integrated deeply into Thailand in economy, trade and politics, among other aspects.

The official suggested Vietnam and Thailand seek orientations and dialogue mechanisms for socio-economic development and facilitation of travel and trade between them amid COVID-19.

On the occasion, the general association of Vietnamese-Thai people in Thailand donated 250,000 THB (7,500 USD) to the renovation of the memorial site for President Ho Chi Minh in Nachok village, which was built to commemorate the President’s revolutionary activities in the province./.

Vietnam reports 3,985 COVID-19 cases, 5,202 recoveries on October 22

Vietnam recorded 3,985 cases of COVID-19 on October 22, including eight imported cases, according to the Ministry of Health.

Ho Chi Minh City still recorded the highest number of infections with 1,205, followed by neighbouring Binh Duong province with 471 and Dong Nai province with 417.

The national tally now stands at 881,522.

According to the Ministry of Health’s report, 3,073 patients nationwide are in serious conditions, with 383 requiring invasive ventilation and 16 on life support (ECMO).

On the day, the country saw 56 deaths from the disease. The death toll now hits 21,543.

A further 5,202 patients were given the all-clear, taking the total number of recoveries to 803,326.

By October 21, the country had injected over 70.48 million doses of vaccines to date, with more than 20.15 million people now fully inoculated./.

Vietnamese, Lao, Cambodian youth share pandemic-prevention experience

A Vietnam – Laos – Cambodia youth exchange programme took place virtually on October 22, sharing knowledge on the nations’ friendship and their young people’s experience in COVID-19 prevention and control and adaptation to digital transformation.

Delivering an opening speech, Nguyen Ngoc Luong, Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee and President of the Vietnam Youth Federation (VYF), said given complicated developments of the pandemic, youth units of the three nations have came up with new initiatives to communicate, exchange information with and support one another.

Their high-level phone talks, support activities to ensure social welfare and fight the epidemic, and the youth exchange demonstrate their strong and close-knit friendship, he stressed.

He hoped the exchange will help improve young the Vietnamese, Lao, and Cambodian people’s adaptation capacity and comprehensive development and believed it would connect them and foster their countries’ traditional friendship and cooperation.

Considering the event an opportunity for better solidarity and mutual understanding, President of the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia (UYFC) Hun Many expressed his wish for more similar activities to take place in contribution to the development of the nations’ political, economic and diplomatic ties.

Vice Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Youth Union (LPRYU) Thoong Chan Phu Mu Phan hoped young people of the three nations will cultivate their solidarity, and boost exchanges, experience sharing, cooperation, and mutual support in socio-economic, investment, and tourism development./.

Film festival encourages students in science study

An online science film festival is set to be held for teachers, students and parents from October 22.

Launched by Goethe Institute in Hanoi, this is the 11th Science Film Festival in Vietnam with the theme 'Better Understanding for Better Health'.

“The Science Film Festival is a response to the pandemic situation around the world. Therefore, this year its focus is on health,” said Goethe Institute’s Director Wilfried Eckstein at the recent press conference.

The science film festival combines a fascination for scientific discoveries with experimentation. Film entertainment and learning through discovery make the Science Film Festival a useful educational experience.

The film and experiments are designed in such a way that they can be easily recreated at home. Teaching materials give teachers inspiration for their own lessons. The science film festival supports the broad efforts in Vietnam to place science teaching in a new context of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) teaching.

With a record number of 43 films from 122 films submitted to the festival, the Goethe-Institut hopes to create an interesting and diverse film festival for the audience.

With three main activities within the framework of the festival, young scientists will have the opportunity to watch free movies; join the STEM Innovation Contest every month and join ten workshops organised by STEM teachers and invited guests who are experts in different fields of health.

Movie screenings will only take place virtually. By receiving the password, viewers agree that the link and password cannot be posted on the internet or passed on to third parties.

Commercial use, screen capture or downloading of the films is also strictly prohibited.

The festival has also provided suggested teaching materials for learning activities connected to this year's theme of health and mental well-being, which complement a number of films and can be found online on the Science Film Festival website.

In the shadow of the pandemic, the 44-minute Good Viruses, Bad Viruses will show that viruses are much more than pathogens that cause disease. They determine human existence and people can make use of their properties.

In the very short animated documentary The Origin of Quarantine, filmmakers explore the origin of the word “quarantine”. Nowadays this word has become an inevitable part of daily conservations.

The Film It Forward contest is held as a sideline of the film festival for the schools, teachers, and students across Vietnam creating products inspired by the suggested film packages and experimental activities.

More than that, the organisers look forward to receiving scientific ideas related to this year's context.

There are weekly contests and prizes for individuals that submit one activity video and monthly prizes for groups that submit three or more activity videos.

The festival will run until December 31 with support from Educational Solutions Company, the General Science Library and the Ministry of Education and Training's Vietnam Institute of Education./.

Vietnam plans return of tourism and hospitality after COVID-19

After a bad year for business in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic shut down travel around the world, Vietnam's tourism revenue fell even further this year. Plans were discussed by experts at a forum to access the current state of the hospitality market and map out a way towards a post-COVID-19 recovery.

Speaking at the "Vietnam Tourism and Hospitality – Managing in Uncertain Times and the Way Forward”, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Ha Van Sieu said the tourism industry experienced a decline of 16 percent in domestic visitors and 41 percent in tourism revenue in the first nine months of 2021, compared to the same period last year.

“Accommodations, tour operators and travel services have been shut down or closed temporarily while most international and domestic flights have been cancelled or interrupted significantly due to travel restrictions,” Sieu said.

“The percentage of occupied rooms in Vietnam’s accommodation services was about 20 percent in 2020 and less than 10 percent in 2021.”

RMIT Head of Management Department from the School of Business & Management Associate, Professor Nguyen Quang Trung, observed that “the past two years have been challenging for the hospitality and tourism landscape, leading to a really tough time for hotels, restaurants and tourism establishments.”

In response to these uncertain times, InterContinental Hanoi Landmark72 General Manager, Patrick Verove, shared proactive plans which have helped the hotel overcome the difficulties.

“At a time of great uncertainty, we have ensured guests can trust us for flexibility, cleanliness, safety and wellbeing priority,” Verove said.

“Faced with temporary closures and low demand, we have identified ways for operational changes to improve profitability, protect cash flow, apply sophisticated digital solutions and train our staff with a growth mindset.”

Capella Hotel General Manager, Christoph Strahm, emphasised the hotel had taken various measures including speeding up the adaptation of “state-of-the-art” technology and the implementation of touchless services to deliver a modern guest experience.

“We have prioritised safety for both guests and staff by adopting touchless services such as contactless check-in and check-out, in-room tablets, mobile key and press reader, among others,” Strahm said.

When talking about the local tourism recovery plan, experts thought about how the easing of restrictions can be managed, in line with the economy getting back on track. The tourism sector is expected to benefit from recovery measures and stimulus packages, allowing the sector to return gradually.

Sieu urged tourism and hospitality companies to revise their development strategies to adapt to new trends in tourism demands.

“Domestic tourism will surge, with a large proportion of travellers favouring green destinations ranging from beaches, mountains, forests, and national parks, followed by cuisine, culture, history and entertainment,” he said.

“Tourism and hospitality companies should innovate and diversify into new products which focus on wellness, safety, nature and authentic experiences.”

Two other panellists at the forum included Frasers Suites Hanoi General Manager, Sandy Ng, and Silk Path Hotels General Manager and Chief Business Officer, Nguyen Thi Thanh Thủy.

Following the success of a previous event in January, the online forum attracted close to 100 participants. They included local authorities and business leaders in the tourism and hospitality industry, as well as academics and students./.

President hosts outgoing Algerian Ambassador

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on October 22 hosted a reception for outgoing Algerian Ambassador Mohamed Berrah, who came to bid his farewell.

The President lauded the diplomat’s contributions to the Vietnam-Algeria relations, particularly in trade and investment. He said the two countries share a longstanding traditional relationship and mutual support in their past struggles for national liberation and in national construction at present.

For his part, Berrah expressed his delights at his six successful years in Vietnam. Vietnam has had the miraculous development in all aspects and such development is a model for Algeria to learn from, he noted, adding that the two countries have effectively cooperated and supported each other at international forums.

The diplomat said he coordinated with the authorities of the two countries to organise many commemorative activities to show the affection for the country and people of Vietnam over the past time.

He hoped the nations to step up their implementation of economic cooperation pacts. The ambassador suggested Vietnam send experts in energy and agriculture to Algeria to assist and cooperate with the African country in exploiting its strength in these fields, which Phuc agreed.

President Phuc said as the bilateral trade has only reached 145 million USD, he has assigned the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to implement a project on promoting trade between Vietnam and Algeria to exploit their strengths and markets.

He took the occasion to thank the Algerian Government for facilitating the operation of the nations’ joint petrol and oil projects in Algeria.

Phuc said he wishes the countries organise many activities to mark the 60th founding anniversary of their diplomatic relations next year, thereby further promoting their sound traditional ties, which he believes will grow stronger in all aspects.

He sent an invitation to his Algerian counterpart to visit Vietnam at an appropriate time.

He said he hopes the outgoing ambassador will make further efforts in promoting Vietnam – Algeria cooperation in his future positions./.

UNDP praises Vietnam for SDGs implementation progress

 

Vietnam is very well placed within Asia in terms of the general progress in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), United Nations Development Programme Resident Representative in Vietnam Terence D. Jones has said in an interview with the Vietnam News Agency.

According to the UNDP representative, for a developing country like Vietnam, the progress it has achieved over the past time is very encouraging. Vietnam had even moved into the middle-income status before the COVID-19 impacts.

The UNDP chief in Vietnam said by 2030, Vietnam would be likely to achieve five out of 17 SDGs, including those on Poverty, Hunger, Quality Education, Climate Actions, and global partnerships.

It would be challenging for Vietnam to accelerate the realisation of the SDGs over the next ten years, also known as the Decade of Action, according to Terence D. Jones.

However, he said he believed that Vietnam would make more progresses thanks to the government’s efforts and appropriate policies.

According to the National Report 2020, which was announced on October 21, Vietnam’s ranking has been on the rise over the last five years. Last year, the country ranked 49th out of 166 countries on performance in SDG implementation, five places higher than the 2019 ranking.

Seventeen global SDGs have been nationalised into 115 Vietnam SDGs (VSDGs) in its “National Action Plan for Implementation of Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development” based on the country’s development context and priorities./.

Vietnam, RoK share experience in safe tourism recovery post COVID-19

Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) exchanged experience in ensuring safety for tourists amid COVID-19, as well as tourism recovery and development after the pandemic at a seminar held virtually on October 22.

The event was jointly held by the Institute for Tourism Development Research at the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism and the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute.

It is also expected to boost relations between the two institutes and create a foundation to build a network of tourism experts between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK).

Director of the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute Kim Dea-kwan said the two countries have maintained close cooperation over the past time, especially in culture and tourism through diverse exchange activities.

Many delegates shared the view that the best policy for travel companies is to help them resume operations in line with COVID-19 prevention and control measures.

Vietnam will welcome international tourists to Phu Quoc island off the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang in November on a trial basis. The model will be rolled out on a larger scale in other destinations like Ha Long Bay (Quang Ninh), Hoi An (Quang Nam), Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa), and Da Lat (Lam Dong), towards fully reopening when conditions permit./.

Third working day of 15th NA’s second session

The Law on Insurance Business (amended) was among the documents debated at the third working day of the 15th National Assembly’s second session on October 22.

Other documents include a report assessing the draft Law on Insurance Business (amended), a proposal on draft resolutions on a number of specific mechanisms and policies for development in Hai Phong city and Nghe An, Thanh Hoa and Thua Thien-Hue provinces, along with a report assessing the draft resolutions. The lawmakers then discussed in groups these draft resolutions.

In the afternoon, the deputies mulled over the implementation of social insurance policies, and the management and use of the social insurance fund in 2020.

They are scheduled to look into the Law on Cinematography and the Law on Emulation and Reward (amended) on October 23 morning.

On October 23 afternoon, they will debate crime combat and law violations in 2021, along with a number of reports./.

UNDP debuts climate change news portal for Vietnamese youth

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Vietnam launched a news portal on climate change for young people at a discussion held virtually on October 22.

Organised in collaboration with the Italian and British embassies in Vietnam, the event took place on the threshold of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) and gathered more than 2,400 Vietnamese youths from different regions.

In his opening speech, UNDP Resident Representative a.i. in Vietnam, Terence D. Jones, highlighted that through the portal, the UNDP will support youth capacity development, empower youth-led climate initiatives, and create an favourable environment for young people to access green job opportunities and adopt sustainable lifestyles.

Jones said that the UNDP will continue to prioritise supporting and strengthening the climate action of Vietnamese youth in the coming years by establishing a Training of Trainers (TOT) network on different climate topics and foster knowledge for 100 excellent young people to expand the climate learning society in the nation.

The portal provides a learning space for young people to access reliable, accurate and contextual information in Vietnam on climate science, agriculture and forestry, energy, waste, circular economy and climate policy. It reshapes and updates climate science and policy into youth-friendly learning themes./.

Exhibition boats essence of Vietnamese ceramic arts

 

An exhibition themed ‘Vietnamese ceramic arts’ is taking place at the Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum in Hanoi, displaying more than 100 artworks from 56 artists nationwide.

Items on display have been selected from a competition which was launched by the Department of Fine Arts, Photography and Exhibition under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism more than four months ago.

The organisers received a total of 278 entries from 120 artists in 25 cities and provinces. A total of six prizes are set to be awarded as part of the event.

The works on display reflect the artists’ creativity, innovative techniques, experimental designs and decoration styles with pottery.

They also illustrate the artists and crafts people’s efforts to safeguard and promote the essence of traditional Vietnamese ceramic arts while blending a fresh air of modernity into their works.

The exhibition, which will run until October 27, aims to provide the public with an opportunity to admire the diversity of ceramic materials used as well as the richness of the shaping methodologies.

It is expected to introduce the public to various ceramic artworks nationwide, contributing to developing ceramic arts in contemporary life./.

Twelve out of 18 district of Hanoi recognised as new-style rural areas

Hanoi has so far had 12 out of its total 18 districts and townships recognised as new-style rural areas, while 368 out of 382 communes, or 96.3 percent, have received the title, according to the municipal Department of Agriculture and Rural Department.

The department reported that 29 communes of the capital city have fulfilled all criteria of advanced new-style rural areas, including 100 percent of communes in Dan Phuong district.

The remaining six districts are expected to complete all criteria in 2021 and 2022. The 14 communes that have yet to be recognised as new-style rural areas are under verification process.

Director of the department Chu Phu My said that in the third quarter of 2021, COVID-19 has posed many difficulties to the implementation of the new-style rural area building programme.

In that context, Hanoi has issued many drastic, timely and flexible directions to control COVID-19, maintain the supply chain and recover production at the same time. The city Coordination Office for new-style rural area building programme has organised five training courses on online selling for nearly 500 farmers, while launching a pilot model to promote OCOP products and regional specialties via videoconference, said My.

He said that in the remaining of the year, the city will mobilise resources to keep up the progress of the new-style rural area building, while applying measures to prevent the pandemic and boost production recovery at the same time. Other tasks for the period from now to the end of the year is to prepare sufficient supply of foodstuff for the market, especially during the Lunar New Year festival, and strive to raise per capita income of farmers to 60 million VND (2,635 USD) per year./.

Ho Chi Minh Trail at Sea remains pride of Vietnam’s army and people: Deputy Minister

Ho Chi Minh Trail at Sea will forever remain the pride of the army and people of Vietnam, Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lt. Gen. Le Huy Vinh said at a ceremony marking the 60th year since the opening of the secret shipping route.

The ceremony was held in the northern port city of Hai Phong by the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defence and the municipal People’s Committee on October 22.

Vinh said since it was launched in 1961, Ho Chi Minh Trail at Sea had become a new and important channel for transporting weapons and supplies all the way from the North to the southern front during the resistance war against the US.

The Vietnamese army had taken nearly 2,000 boat trips on the route, carrying about 80,000 personnel, over 150,000 tonnes of weapons and ammunition, and tens of thousands of tonnes of goods to support its troops on major battlefields in the South, that could not be done by road, he noted.

He described it as a shining symbol of the revolutionary heroism and the Vietnamese army’s intelligence, braveness, and determination to liberate and unite the nation. It is such an innovative and strategic initiative of President Ho Chi Minh and the Communist Party of Vietnam, he stressed.

The deputy minister went on to say that to fulfill today’s missions, forces on duty at sea and on islands, particularly the Vietnam People’s Navy, must successfully implement the Party's policies and the State’s laws relating sea and islands, thus turning Vietnam into a strong and rich country based on the sea-borne economy.

He also urged the forces to safeguard the country’s security, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and strengthen international marine cooperation to maintain a peaceful and stable environment for national development.

Ho Chi Minh Trail at Sea remains pride of Vietnam’s army and people: Deputy Minister hinh anh 3
Missile ship HQ-378 of the Naval Region 2's Brigade 167 conducts live-fire drills. (Photo: VNA)
During the anti-US war, the Ho Chi Minh Trail was deemed a “strategic road through jungles” while the Ho Chi Minh Trail at Sea was associated with the secret transport ships without numbers.

The existence of these two mysterious routes caused extreme difficulties for the US military and the South Vietnam government, who made many attempts to prevent the northern army from supporting the southern battles./.

Vietnam to complete fishery management institutions in Q4

The Directorate of Fisheries (DoF) is striving to complete institutions for sustainable and responsible fishery management in the fourth quarter of 2021, and quickly address the European Commission (EC)’s recommendations related to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The information was unveiled by DoF Deputy General Director Nguyen Quang Hung on the sidelines of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Develop’s online conference with coastal localities on October 22.

Hung said that the EC assessed that Vietnam is on the right track and seeing positive results in the fight against IUU fishing.

According to the official, the EC is likely not to impose a "red card" but will maintain its "yellow card" warning until there is no Vietnamese fishing vessel violating foreign waters and overcome the EC’s four groups of recommendations.

The Directorate of Fisheries said that localities have actively installed vessel monitoring devices on fishing vessels and marked them in accordance with the provisions of the Fisheries Law.

Up to now, 27,716 vessels, or 90.5 percent of the targeted boats, have installed vessel monitoring systems (VMS), and 90.53 percent of fishing vessels have been marked. Quang Ninh, Quang Tri and Tra Vinh provinces have less than 75 percent of their fishing vessels installing these devices.

Authorised forces from central to local levels have implemented many measures to prevent and stop Vietnamese fishing vessels from violating foreign waters. The situation tends to decrease gradually, but is still developing complicatedly. Ca Mau, Binh Dinh, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Ben Tre, and Kien Giang provinces have still seen fishing vessels violating the regulations.

Administrative sanctions against violations related to IUU fishing have led to positive changes in some localities. However, the sanctions are not really strict and inconsistent among localities, and the rate of penalties imposed on violations in foreign waters are still low compared to the reality./.

SAV fulfils leadership role as ASOSAI Chair over last three years

As Chair of the Asian Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI), the State Audit Office of Vietnam (SAV) played a leadership role in together with the ASOSAI Governing Board guiding SAI members to successfully realise key agendas over the last three years.

The SAV proved their capacity by staying active, innovative and flexible in performing ASOSAI’s professional tasks and responsibly contributing to the regional development.

Chairing the 14th ASOSAI Assembly in 2018, the SAV initiated the formulation of the Hanoi Declaration that demonstrates ASOSAI’s long-term vision in promoting environmental audit for sustainable development.

It cooperated with the Board of Audit of Japan, as ASOSAI’s Capacity Development Administrator, to step up capacity building and knowledge sharing among SAI members.

It also initiated the establishment of new ASOSAI working groups on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Crisis Management Audit, aiming to better prepare SAI members with emerging challenges and issues regionally and globally.

The SAV represented ASOSAI to take part in major international events – for example, the 9th International Public Sector Conference of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) of the UK in the Czech Republic, and the 23rd INTOSAI Congress in Russia themed “the role of the SAIs in the Achievement of National Priorities and Goals” – and sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Arab Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (ARABOSAI) to exchange expertise and bolster cooperation.

Despite COVID-19 impacts, the SAV coordinated with the ASOSAI Governing Board to further accelerate one of the organisation’s missions – to provide training for and promote exchange of expertise among SAI members.

Its mission as ASOSAI Chair came to an end at the 15th ASOSAI Assembly held from September 6 – 8, 2021./.

Vietnam, Thailand mark 45 years of bilateral diplomacy

The Consulate General of Vietnam in Khon Kaen (Thailand) in collaboration with the administration of Nakhon Phanom province hosted a ceremony on October 22 celebrating 45 years of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Thailand.

Addressing the event, Vietnamese Consul General in Khon Kaen Chu Duc Dung affirmed the bilateral relations have developed in various areas since the establishment of diplomatic ties 45 years ago.

Thailand is the largest trading partner of Vietnam in Southeast Asia. It is the ninth largest foreign investor out of 139 countries and territories investing in Vietnam. It is also Vietnam’s fourth largest tourism market in Southeast Asia and the 10th in the world.

Dung recalled the May 2021 phone talks between the two countries’ Prime Ministers during which the two sides pledged to raise bilateral trade value to US$25 billion by 2025.

“I firmly believe that with high political trust, consensus and efforts from both sides, the Vietnam-Thailand cooperation relationship will enter into a new stage of more effective and substantive development moving forward,” said the diplomat.

Chathip Ruchanaseri, Governor of Nakhon Phanom province, noted that the ceremony vividly manifests the growing relationship and fruitful cooperation between the governments and people of the two countries. He expressed his belief that both Thailand and Vietnam will jointly develop their long-standing friendship for future generations.

At the ceremony, the general association of Vietnamese born Thai people donated THB250,000 (US$7,500) to renovate Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh’s memorial site in May village, Nakhon Phanom province.

Exchange programme promotes friendship among three countries’ youths

The Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union held a virtual exchange on October 22 to promote friendship amongst youths from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

Delegates shared their experience in youth activities during the ongoing struggle against the COVID-19 pandemic, along with their adaptation to digital transformation in social activities.

Nguyen Ngoc Luong, secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, said the youth unions of the three countries had launched initiatives aimed at exchanging information and assisting each other amid the COVID-19 pandemic developing complicatedly over the past two years.

He believed that such exchanges would help to reinforce the traditional friendship among youths from all three countries and contribute to the comprehensive development of each side.

As part of the event, delegates discussed various themes, including voluntary activities for the COVID-19 combat, digital transformation, and an innovative youth start-up model.

HCM City to permit reopening of dine-in services from next week

Ho Chi Minh City plans to resume dine-in services in some areas where the COVID-19 pandemic has been brought under control from next week, said Phan Van Mai, chairman of the municipal government.

Ho Chi Minh City is expected to reopen dine-in services in some safe areas after October 25
Mai told media workers on the sidelines of the ongoing national Assembly session that the southern metropolis will announce COVID-19 alert levels in all of its localities on October 25, and the local administrations will then consider reopening services based on the alert levels.

The Government has recently issued Resolution No128 detailing four COVID-19 alert levels in Vietnam with virus risks measured on case numbers, vaccination coverage and medical capacity in localities.

Level 1 (green) applies to localities that have controlled the coronavirus and moved into a new normal.

Level 2 (orange) applies to localities that are at a medium risk of virus transmission.

Level 3 (yellow) applies to localities at a high risk of virus transmission, and Level 4 (red) is applicable to localities at a very high risk of virus transmission.

Several industries in HCM City has resumed services since October 1 with the exception of bars, beer clubs, pubs, spas, massages, beauty services, dine-in services, cinemas, circuses, discos, karaoke parlours, video games, flea markets, and lottery services.

The municipal Department of Industry and Trade has recently proposed allowing food catering services to resume operations, including take-away and in-person services. Such food outlets are required to meet COVID-19 prevention and control measures set by both the health sector and local authorities.