Workshop features late Vietnamese, Lao leaders’ thoughts

A scientific workshop featuring Ho Chi Minh’s thoughts on Vietnamese revolution and Kaysone Phomvihane’s thoughts on Lao revolution took place in Vientiane on August 30. 

The event was part of activities within the framework of a scientific cooperation agreement signed between the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, the Lao National Academy of Politics and Public Administration and the Lao Academy of Social Sciences. 

Speaking at the event, head of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Central Committee’s Commission for Propaganda and Training Kikeo Khaykhamphithoune hailed the workshop for enriching theory and reality treasures of the two Parties, contributing to refining policies and guidelines of each Party and State and bringing practical benefits to the countries’ people. 

More than 100 Vietnamese and Lao theorists and scientists delivered over 40 presentations on thoughts of the two preeminent leaders and their contributions to the Vietnamese and Lao revolutions, their influences in the country, the region and the world, as well as theories on Party and people’s administration building, among others. 

Participants agreed to facilitate exchanges between the four academies and the two nations in order to popularise Ho Chi Minh and Kaysone Phomvihane’s thoughts on Vietnamese and Lao revolutions, respectively. 

Concluding the event, Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics Nguyen Xuan Thang said the event and the similar one held in Binh Thuan in June afford the four academies a chance to continue joint work to contribute to celebrating the 55th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties and the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Vietnam – Laos Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.

Congratulations to Malaysia on National Day

President Tran Dai Quang on August 30 sent a letter of congratulations to Sultan Muhammad V, the 15th king of Malaysia, on the country’s 60th National Day (August 31).

The same day, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc cabled a similar letter to his Malaysian counterpart Najib Tun Razak.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh also congratulated Foreign Minister Anifah Aman of Malaysia on this occasion.

Diplomat assures special priorities for Vietnamese investments in Cuba

Vietnamese businesses will be given top priorities in terms of procedures and competition when investing in Cuba, Consul General of Cuba in Ho Chi Minh City Bernabe Garcia Valido said on August 30.

Talking to Vice Chairman of the Can Tho People’s Committee Truong Quang Hoai Nam, the outgoing diplomat said Cuba’s investment attraction policy prioritises firms from fraternal nations which have mutual trust with Cuba, and Vietnam is one of such countries.

He said Cuba considers foreign investment as a resource for national economic development and a chance to learn new management methods, adding that investment opportunities concentrate on agricultural and forestry product manufacturing (especially food and cane sugar), industry, tourism, energy, mining, transport, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, health care, construction, trade and audiovisual industry.

Valido affirmed that his successor will continue implementing the abovementioned cooperation projects and plans and focus on popularising opportunities for investment in the Mariel Special Economic Development Zone, which covers over 465 sq.km. in the west of Havana.

He hoped that this zone’s potential will attract investors from Can Tho and other southwestern provinces of Vietnam.

For his part, Vice Chairman Nam applauded the Consul General’s proposals and contributions, noting that cooperation between Can Tho and Cuba remains almost untapped due to a shortage of information about the market and investment policy. 

Cuba has only one project worth 5.6 million USD in the city which is the Labiofam Vietnam Co. Ltd based in Binh Thuy district. Meanwhile, Can Tho is yet to have any investment project or export goods to the Latin American country.

Nam called on Cuba and Vietnam to sign a bilateral free trade agreement so as to facilitate cooperation in potential fields such as tourism, hi-tech agriculture, pharmaceutical and biotechnology.

Consul General Valido said after returning to Cuba, he will continue working to boost trade between his country and Can Tho and help more Cuban businesses to seek cooperation opportunities in the Mekong Delta city.-

Quang Ngai seeks measures for sustainable tourism on Ly Son island

Tourism experts, representatives from 120 travel agencies and local authorities gathered at a workshop in the central province of Quang Ngai on August 30 to seek measures for sustainable tourism development on Ly Son island.

The event was jointly organised by the People’s Committees of Quang Ngai province and the island district of Ly Son as one activity on the occasion of the Vietnam Sea and Islands Week.

Addressing the event, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Dang Ngoc Dung highlighted the historical and cultural values of Ly Son island, which is home to three cultures of Sa Huynh, Champa and Viet with numerous relic sites in in Oc hamlet, Chinh spring, Gieng Tien crater, Hang pagoda, An Vinh communal house, among others.

The island also preserves historical proof of Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes. Besides, Ly Son boasts unique geographic conditions which are highly valued by researchers.

These are the factors boosting the development of cultural tourism in the island, Dung added.

He said the workshop provided a much-needed opportunity for the locality to review its tourism development over the past years, and set out orientations for tourism development in the coming time.

It also helps the island connect with other tourism destinations in the region and attract investment in new tourism products, thus creating a new momentum for the tourism sector of the district in particular and Quang Ngai province in general.

Participants suggested Ly Son district design detailed plans on preserving the environment and natural landscape along with historical and cultural heritage, while building tourism products unique to the island based on local advantages.

In 2015, Ly Son island district received 45,000 tourists, compared to just 2,000 in 2007. In the first eight months of 2017, Ly Son welcomed over 210,000 arrivals.

The locality targets to become a national tourism destination, with tourism serving as the spearhead of the district’s economy by 2020.

Vietnam labour confederation ready to support Cuban workers’ union

The Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) is ready to share experience with and provide material aid for the Central Union of Cuban Workers (CTC), VGLC President Bui Van Cuong told Cuban Ambassador Herminio Lopez Diaz on August 30.

At the meeting in Hanoi, Cuong said the VGCL and the CTC have continually stood side by side in international and bilateral activities, adding that the Vietnamese confederation has also wholeheartedly supported the Cuban people and State.

He noted the VGCL is strongly reforming its organisation and operations with a view to contributing to national development and protecting labourers’ rights and legitimate interests.

It will assist the CTC with 10 computer sets in the time ahead to help the Cuban side work more effectively, he added.

Cuong took this occasion to thank the Cuban people, Party and State for their all-out support for Vietnam’s struggle for national reunification in the past.

Meanwhile, Diaz said as the Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam, he is often updated with information about the VGCL and the CTC’s activities and has also worked to assist their operations.

Cuba is in a very important stage of development, he noted, adding that it wants to learn from Vietnam’s reform experience. Particularly, the CTC also hopes the VGCL will share more experience in protecting labourers’ rights.

The diplomat appreciated the all-faceted support the Vietnamese Party, State and the VGCL have given to Cuba. He affirmed that the relationship between the Vietnamese and Cuban people is special and cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

National Day Festival enhances unity among ethnic groups

A cultural program will be held in September at the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism in Hanoi to celebrate Vietnam’s 72nd National Day.

300 artists and students from 12 ethnic groups will take part in the event.

The New Year market fair of the Dong Van Karst Plateau in Ha Giang province will be re-created during the festival. Here visitors will taste local dishes, enjoy folk music and games, and get acquainted with ethnic minority culture.

Nguyen Thanh Son, an official of the National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism, said, “We have organized festivals celebrating National Day on September 2 for 4 consecutive years. The highlight is the mountain market fair where ethnic people sell their specialties and engage in exchanges to enhance unity.”

There will be a photo exhibition featuring the life of people on the Dong Van Karst Plateau. A pair of pan-pipes, 7 meters tall, created by Mong artisans who live in the Culture Village, will be on display.

A traditional boat race of Phu Tho province will be re-enacted, demonstrating the martial spirit and resilience of Vietnamese people and rekindling the spirit of “remembering the source of the water we drink”.

Nguyen Thanh Son said, “The festival intends to bring together the people of the mountains and the people of the plains. The market fair of the Dong Van Karst Plateau will include a Mong panpipe festival and Phu Tho boat racing.”

The organizing board will reenact a full-moon festival of the Dao ethnic people in Ba Vi district to pay tribute to the deceased. Two historical documentary films – “Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh” and “Motherland gives us all” – will be screened.

State-run firm exec faces charges for sending death threats to city leader in Vietnam

He claimed he was upset that his villa was being taken away for a tourism project in Da Nang, so he wanted to hit back at authorities.

Police at the Ministry of Public Security are pressing charges against a vice director of a state-owned company for sending death threats to Huynh Duc Tho, the mayor of the central city of Danang, and his family.

According to the police, Dao Tan Cuong, vice director of the Danang branch of Petrolimex Aviation Fuel JSC, admitted that he had sent the messages, saying his villa on Son Tra Peninsula, home to the biggest langur population in Vietnam, had been requistioned to make way for tourism development, so he wanted to hit back at authorities.

Other leaders also received similar threats from undisclosed senders, prosecutors said. It remains unclear if Cuong had also sent them out.

Under Vietnam’s Penal Code, a person who sends death threats can be convicted if they cause the recipient undue concern or if there is evidence that they will carry out the threats.

Punishments range from three to seven years in jail. Vietnam's top prosecutors' agency will consider ratifying the charges.

The tourism plan for Son Tra is being revised after receiving strong public criticism, including an online petition lodged by Danang's tourism association.

The peninsula, which covers more than 4,400 hectares (10,880 acres) and rises to 700 meters at its peak, acts as a natural shield for Danang.

Home to hundreds of species of fauna, including 22 endangered animals, the peninsula is best known for the world’s largest population of the endangered red-shanked douc langur.

The plan was to develop a resort on the eastern part of Son Tra would have covered around 2,900 hectares (7,170 acres), or around half of the peninsula.

Experts and the public said it would have robbed Danang of its precious green space and turned the popular tourist city into "the most suffocating" area in Vietnam.

Concerns were raised after images of forests being cleared for construction were posted on social media.

The prime minister will have the final say on the project.

Exhibition features Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia solidarity

An exhibition spotlighting the friendship among Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia opened at the Vietnam Military History Museum (VMHM) in Hanoi on August 30.

The event is held to mark 40 years since Vietnam and Laos signed a Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (July 18, 1977-2017), the 55th anniversary of Vietnam-Laos diplomatic ties (September 5, 1962-2017), and the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Cambodia diplomatic ties (June 24, 1967-2017).

Speaking at the opening ceremony, VMHM Director Nguyen Xuan Nang said that the Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia special relationship is an example for the pure and faithful attachment between the three nations in their struggles for national liberation and social progress.

The exhibition showcases over 300 photos, documents and objects divided into three parts.

The first part includes photos, documents and objects highlighting the solidarity of the three Indochinese nations during the anti-French resistance war from 1945 to 1954.

Meanwhile, their solidarity in the anti-US resistance war during 1954-1975 is highlighted in the second part which contains photos and objects related to the Truong Son strategic transportation route – a symbol of the Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia relations.

The third part focuses on the friendship and comprehensive cooperation in the nation building and development between the three nations from 1975 until now.

146 poor students in HCMC receive Nguyen Huu Tho scholarships

The Vietnam Fatherland Front's Committee in Ho Chi Minh City yesterday organized a meeting to honor those students who have overcome dificulties to achieve success in study and presented scholarships to them. 

The scholarships is named after Nguyen Huu Tho who was a lawyer and the first President of the National Liberation Front for South Vietnam.

146 students of all grade levels coming from poor families, near-poor families, orphans and disabled students were presented with the scholarships.

Each primary student was given VND1 million ($43.9), junior high school students each received VND1.2 million, each student enrolling 3 year programs at colleges or vocational schools received VND1.5 million and each student studying four year program at universities was granted VND2 million.

In addition to cash, students were offered bicycles and free bus tickets.

The scholarship is a part of the activities for the poor launched by the committee since 2000. So far, the committee and the steering board for the poor have given 234,052 scholarships worth VND89.5 billion and 3,351 bicycles worth VND3 billion to students.

Steering boards for the poor in districts have also offered 179,752 scholarships worth nearly VND156.1 billion and 6,219 bicycles worth VND6.2 billion to disadvantaged students.

HCMC wants more self-financing schools

Deputy Chairman of People’s Committee in Ho Chi Minh City Tran Vinh Tuyen yesterday asked most schools to become self-financing. 

He made the statement at a meeting to review the academic year 2016-2017 and implementation of new mission of the new school year held by the municipal Department of Education and Training.

Mr. Tuyen stressed that the People’s Committee always advocates educational facilities to be self-financed institutions in an attempt to spend state budget less yet still guarantee teaching staffs’ lives and protect schools’ brand name.

The deputy chairman appreciated the education sector’s for years including taking heed to providing a basic education for students, taking initiatives in reforming curricula and teaching methods as well as in testing and assessing so as to improve the quality.

For the preparation of the new school year 2017-2018, the city allocated more than one fourth of state budget for the sector, said Mr. Tuyen. The amount was spent on building 1,500 classrooms and 85 preschool construction projects with 1,153 rooms and VND500 billion was used for repairing and purchasing equipment for teaching and learning activities.

At the meeting, the People’s Committee presented certificates of merit to nine people and one certificate of merit to a team of good students who had won medals at the International Maths Olympiad 2017.

Teacher training to be undergone as per demand

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said that teacher education must be carried out as per demand or it will be a big waste for the country. 

The Deputy PM made the statement at a meeting with the Ministry of Education and Training yesterday. The sector must assess real market demand for human resources of the pedagogical sector, accordingly it leads to surplus of teachers in some areas but shortage of teachers in other areas.

The Deputy PM asserted that the education sector must submit the mechanism and demand policies for teachers in this year.

At the meeting, Education Minister Phung Xuan Nha took the responsibility of issues of public concerns such as admission into universities, training quality in pedagogy universities, difficulties in find a job for graduates from teacher training facilities, local abundance and shortage of teachers.

He said that because of difficulties in finding a job, good students refused to sit for examination into pedagogy universities. Additionally, salary and bonus don’t deserve with teachers’ efforts.

Mr. Nha said that in the next time, the Ministry will liaise with the Ministry of Home Affairs and local administrations to carry out assessment on teacher demand of each subject to admission quota for each pedagogy university.

To solve the abundance of teachers, Minister Nha said that on one side, the sector will tighten admission quota and on the other side, the sector will provide job for unemployed graduates by working with other sectors which are short of employees to re-train them.

Moreover, the Ministry will provide refresher courses to over one million teachers. From 2018, the sector will stop enrollment of subjects with abundant teachers.

Also from 2018 qualifying score into the sector will be high to ensure teaching quality. Furthermore, the Ministry will liaise with the Ministry of Home Affairs to review policies for teachers. The Ministry will submit salary project to the government.

Mr. Dam said that the cause of all problems is difficulties in finding jobs.

Before, on August 11, at an online meeting to review the academic year 2016-2017, Mr. Nha mentioned issued which raised public concerns like many students have ten marks in the national high school examination; students with high qualifying score failed into universities and students with very low score still enter pedagogical institutions.

“Month of good books” program to open

Phuong Nam Cultural Corporation will launch the “Month of good books” program at its bookstores nationwide from September 5-October 1.

More than 2,000 titles will be offered at a discount of 20-50 percent during the month. A special price of VND2,000 will be applied for some books.

The program will be also be held at bookstores and online bookshops, such as Tiki, nhasachphuongnam.com, Hoang Cuong, Ca Chep, Van Viet, Minh Khai , ADC Books and more.

The event also includes many exchanges and book signing between authors and readers at Hanoi book street on September 16; at Nguyen Van Binh Book Street in HCMC on September 9; at BCF Book City in Binh Duong Province on September 10; at Bookcafe Phu Xuan in Hue City on September 23.

Int’l circus performances to be staged in Vietnam

The Vietnam Circus Federation in collaboration with Japan’s Happy Dream Circus will organize an international circus performance program in different parts of the country from September 1, the Vietnam News Agency reports.

As part of a series of activities in celebration of the 45th anniversary of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties (1973-2017) and Vietnam’s 72nd National Day (September 2, 1945-2017), the program will feature the Japanese circus troupe’s leading artists who are from Colombia, Argentina, Ecuador, Brazil and Mexico.

These international artists will demonstrate their impressive performances of aerobatics, flying motorcycles, circles of death and ejecting fire that have won the hearts of millions of spectators around the world. 

Meanwhile, circus lovers will be entertained by imposing animal circus repertoires performed by Meritorious Artists Tran Manh Cuong and Nguyen Tien Hung of Vietnamese comedy circus troupe.

Artist Ta Duy Anh, director of the Vietnam Circus Federation, was quoted by the Vietnam News Agency as saying that the program is an effort to promote mutual understanding and cultural exchange between Vietnam and Japan, open up a chance for local artists to learn from their foreign peers aside.

The show will begin at Hanoi Central Circus on September 1 and will last until early December before moving on to to other provinces and cities nationwide from December 2 until April next year.

Founded on January 16, 1956 with 17 performers, the Vietnam Circus Federation has bagged numerous gold and silver medals in Spain, France, Italy, Russia, Bulgaria, China, North Korea, and Cuba.