The Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic has enjoyed equal rights as other recognised foreign communities there, stated Hoang Dinh Thang, head of the Vietnamese Association in the Czech Republic.

Since being recognised as the 14th ethnic minority group in July 2013, the Vietnamese community has benefited from the rights of ethnic minority groups as stated in the Czech Republic’s law, including having a representative at the Council for Ethnic Minorities at all levels, and engaging in discussions on ethnic minority affairs.

The Vietnamese can also keep their full name in their native language and enjoy the right to learn their mother tongue in schools and maintain and promote their Vietnamese identity, said Thang.

The Czech Republic’s government and its relevant agencies have also granted funds for the Vietnamese community’s projects, including those on compiling the Czech-Vietnamese dictionary and publishing the “Bong Sen” (Lotus) magazine in Vietnamese, along with the organisation of cultural and artistic activities.

According to Thang, the Vietnamese people have been valued by the government and people in the Czech Republic for their hardworking characteristics and good integration into the host society.

They have, therefore, also been supported in the works relating to residing, studying and doing business as well as in daily activities, as have their second and third generations, he added.

The Vietnamese community is currently the third largest foreign community in the Czech Republic after those from Slovakia and Ukraine.

HCM City’s officials meet Indochinese children attending exchange

Ho Chi Minh City’s leaders met with outstanding children of Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, who will attend an international exchange programme for children, in Ho Chi Minh City on July 28.

Addressing the meeting, Vo Thi Dung, Vice Secretary of the municipal Party Committee, said the exchange programme is a significant event that continues and cement the traditional solidarity between Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.

The municipal officials expressed their hope that participating children will gain useful experiences and make more friends during the programme.

Themed “Friends’ arms”, the exchange programme is participated by 180 children from the Indochinese countries.

Between July 28 and August 1, they will tour historic relics, museums, and traditional craft villages in Ho Chi Minh City, and take part in cultural and artistic performances.

The programme is hosted by the municipal youth organisation.

Son La: illegal drug transporter arrested

The police in the northern mountainous province of Son La have arrested a man for illegally transporting 20 cakes (about 7 kg) of heroin.

Kha A Lu, born in 1995 and residing in Thung Ang village, Hang Kia commune, Mai Chau district in Son La’s neighbouring province of Hoa Binh , was captured at 16:00 on July 27 in Long Luong commune, Van Ho district, Son La province.

Khu A Lu confessed that he was hired by a man in his village to transport the heroin to National Highway 6 for 600,000 VND (28 USD).

The case is under investigation.

Son La, which borders Laos and is home to some ethnic minority groups, has long been a drug trafficking hot spot. According to the provincial police, in the first week of July alone, 13 cases were detected involving 16 suspects and 1.064kg heroin.

Four people have been arrested for their alleged involvement in at least five robberies in Ho Chi Minh City in the last few months, police has said.

They were identified as Nguyen Ngoc Nhan, 21, Trinh Van Quoc, 34, Tu Dat Minh, 20, and Dinh Hoang Hiep, 31.

The police are looking for another accused gang member, identified as Bao.

The gang is thought to have carried out many robberies in Districts 10, Binh Tan, Thu Duc, and Binh Chanh.

A CCTV footage of one such robbery in an optical shop in District 10 in May caused public outrage when it was posted on the Internet, prompting the police to investigate.

Nhan, allegedly the gang leader, was arrested on July 25, and the other three were caught the next day, according to the police, who said they seized two machetes and two stolen motorbikes from them.

They said the suspects are drug addicts.

Children contracting respiratory diseases flood hospitals in HCM City

Pediatric patients of respiratory diseases have packed hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City while doctors are concerned about the large number of kids infected at the beginning of this year’s outbreak.

A rapidly increasing number of young children have been admitted to Children’s Hospital 1 in the southern city to receive treatment for their respiratory illness.

According to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters’ observation on Wednesday, the infirmary was still filled with patients despite the efforts of doctors from the respiratory department and two other wards.

Only children in the emergency rooms were placed on separate beds while other kids in common ailment stages were given a limited number of berths.

With only 100 beds, the respiratory department of the hospital sometimes receives up to 464 patients a day, double the average number on a regular day.

In room 305, about four to six infants, two to three months old, were placed in a single bed while parents who failed to snatch a spot for their kids had to let them rest in the hallway.

Phuc, 60, who was looking after her grandchildren infected with pneumonia, said she had not been able to take a rest during their four days at the hospital.

One reason for the patient crowding at Children’s Hospital 1 is that it is a place preferred by not only parents from Ho Chi Minh City but also those from other provinces and cities in the south when it comes to treating their children’s sickness.

Tran Anh Tuan, head of the respiratory department at the facility, expressed his concern over the growing number of young patients, stating that now is just the beginning of this year’s respiratory epidemic.

After multiple kids showing milder symptoms were transferred to the ward of general internal medicine, about 398 patients were still in the respiratory department on Tuesday, suffering such illnesses as pneumonia, bronchitis, and asthma.

Aside from the weather, which is the primary cause of the diseases, other factors, namely a rise in population, favorable transportation, and low credibility of local-level medical centers, have caused an overload of sick children at the hospital, Dr. Tuan said.

Patient records at the infirmary showed that 60% of them are from places neighboring Ho Chi Minh City, he added.

According to Huynh Minh Thu, an official at Children’s Hospital 2, a similar situation is also recorded at the facility with about 388 children being admitted there on July 27 .

There has also been a rise in the number of diarrhea and dengue fever cases at the hospital, Thu added.

Initial symptoms of respiratory diseases often include coughing, accompanied by fever and rhinorrhea.

70% of the patients will recover while the rest will suffer more sever conditions as their illness develops into pneumonia, bronchitis, bronchiolitis, among others.

Recent research showed that pneumonia and bronchiolitis in young kids could develop into asthma with the probability of 50%.

It is recommended that parents keep their children warm and away from the direct impacts of rain and breezes.

Electric fans should be adjusted to a moderate level while air-conditioned rooms should be maintained at 27 degrees Celsius.

Kids should be provided with a healthy and sufficient diet containing lots of greens, fruits, and vitamins to enhance their immune system.

Pneumococcal vaccination has also been proven to help lower the chance of pneumonia in children.

Photo exhibition raises funds for disadvantaged children

A photo exhibition entitled ‘Light from the Heart’ is scheduled to take place in Hanoi from August 8-15 to raise funds for disadvantaged children.

The exhibition features 88 photos by a number of journalists and photographers such as Bui Hoa Tien, Nguyen Quang Tuan, Hoang Manh Cuong Tran Thiet Dung, Tran Cao Bao Long, Nguyen Hong Vinh, Kim Manh and Chu Thu Hao.

The photos capture various beautiful moments of the land and people of Vietnam.

Each photo is expected to be sold for VND1 million (nearly US$45).

All proceeds from the exhibition will be presented to disadvantaged children living in remote localities.

The week-long event will be held at Hanoi Book Centre at No.4 Dinh Le street.

Vietnam reports 260% rise in dengue infections

Nearly 45,000 people came down with dengue fever across Vietnam in the first seven months, a 260% increase from a year ago, local media has reported, citing new data released by the health ministry.

At least 14 people were killed and infections were recorded in 46 out of 63 cities and provinces, Tran Dac Phu, chief of the ministry's General Department of Preventive

The department has urged local governments, especially provinces with outbreaks such as Bac Lieu and Dak Lak, to take measures for killing mosquito larvae and spraying insecticides.

Local clinics have also been ordered to provide appropriate and urgent treatment for patients to limit fatalities, he added.

Vietnam recorded nearly 82,000 dengue infections last year, including 52 deaths, according to official figures.

Quang Nam Heritage Festival 2017 launched

The 6th Quang Nam Heritage Festival is set to take place on June 9-14 next year. The project has been approved by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Director of Quang Nam provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Dinh Hai said on July 29 that the festival will include various special culture and arts programmes, and sports and tourism activities such as an exchange among world heritage cities, an exhibition on Vietnam sea and islands, Bai Choi folk games festival, a boat racing, an international windsurfing racing with the participation of racers from 30 countries, an international choir competition, and Ngoc Linh ginseng festival.

The opening ceremony is scheduled for June 9, 2017 in Tam Ky city and the closing ceremony will take place on June 14 in Hoi An city.

Mr Hai said the event aims to honour Vietnam’s cultural value and Quang Nam province’s cultural identities as well as promoting Vietnam images to international friends.

The festival will provide an excellent chance for Quang Nam to accelerate cultural exchanges and share experiences in management and conservation of cultural heritages.

Alkaline spill threatens water quality

A stream in Dak Nong Province has been severely polluted after an alkaline spill accident at an alumina plant.

On July 28, Ngo Xuan Loc, head of the administrative office of Dak Nong Province People's Committee said after testing water samples, they confirmed that that Dak Dao Stream had been polluted by alkaline substances from Nhan Co alumina plant. Loc said it was unclear whether alkaline had contaminated any other water sources but they had the situation under control.

At 8.15am on July 23, the employees heard strange noises coming from where alkaline substances are stored. They discovered that part of the pump had broken so a huge amount of alkaline substance had spilled out.

Thanks to quick actions, they were able to prevent more alkaline from leaking out after four minutes. It was reported that 9.58 cubic metres of alkaline already spilled out covered 600 square metres before the incident was put under control. Unluckily, a small amount had got into the sewerage which leads to Dak Dao Stream.

The polluted water killed shrimp and fish immediately. According to the locals, they became itchy and began to have a burning sensation and then bumps appeared on their skin after walking through the stream. At many sections, the water had turned black and greasy.

Children in Nhan Co Commune showed bumps which appeared on their skin after walking through the stream.

Vinacomin invested in the Nhan Co alumina plant which started its trial operation in the first quarter. The plant is expected to produce 150,000 tonnes annually by 2016 and 300,000 tonnes by next year. It is expected to have a 450,000-tonne annual capacity by early 2019.

Ho Uy Liem, former deputy chairman of the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations, expressed fears about the construction. "The amount of alkaline during the trial period is small and yet the pump broke. What'll happened if the amount is increased?" he said. "This is extremely dangerous because storm season has come and water, rain can carry the substance everywhere."

He went on to say that the Highlands region was already facing severe environmental hazards from the red mud spill and bauxite pipe crack at the Tan Rai bauxite complex and now Nhan Co Plant.

Vietnamese, Japanese experts share experience on road traffic management

A seminar on quality management for road and traffic infrastructure was held on July 28 in Hanoi by the Ministry of Transport, in collaboration with the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA).

At the seminar, Vietnamese and Japanese experts introduced several measures and solutions in management which could be used to ensure the quality of projects in Vietnam.

In addition, participants also shared their experience on road maintenance and the application of science and technology in building projects.

At the seminar, Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Ngoc Dong emphasised that the seminar offered an opportunity for delegates to share valuable experiences on improving the management of project quality in the coming time, meeting the development demand of the country.

Yoshiaki Matsuno, a JICA expert, said that in order to ensure quality in public projects, Japan applied a system to select contractors based on the quality and cost.

In addition, Japan used the system in to share information on new technology with relevant agencies as well as information systems for construction documents to ensure transparency and eliminate contractors with weak capacity.

Representatives of the Ministry of Transport affirmed that the ministry would research and apply the shared experiences in completing quality management systems and promoting the use of new technology, contributing to reducing costs and ensuring the quality of projects.

School psychology discussed at Da Nang conference

An international conference on school psychology opened in the central city of Da Nang on July 28, attracting the participation of over 300 scientists and school psychologists from the US, Australia and Vietnam.

More than 70 scientific reports from local and international school psychology experts presented during the two-day event focus on polices to develop school psychology in Vietnam and the world, the development of school psychology in kindergartens, primary, secondary and high schools, universities and vocational schools.

According to Ngu Duy Anh, Head of the Student Affairs Department under the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET), the ministry has implemented a number of activities to make school psychology consultancy more professional.

A 2015 survey conducted by the ministry in a number of secondary and high schools and universities in Hanoi, Hai Duong, HCM City and Khanh Hoa showed that psychological consultancy for students faced a lot of difficulties due to the lack of facilities and staff.

He said the MoET will issue a circular guiding school psychology consultancy as a basis for schools to effectively implement the work.

Prof. Tracey G.Scherr from the US’s Wiscosin University said school psychology helps address many issues related to the development of students.

According to Dang Hoa Nam, Head of the Department of Child Care and Protection under the Ministry of Labours, War Invalids and Social Affairs, said from 2013 to 2015, the department’s child consultancy and support hotline received an average of 300,000 calls each year.

Sài Gòn’s history, people in new book

A book on the history and people of Sài Gòn written by journalist Phúc Tiến was released this week.

The 320-page book, Sài Gòn – Không Phải Ngày Hôm Qua (Sài Gòn – For Tomorrow), consists of five chapters featuring historical events and development of HCM City through the eyes of the author, a native of the city.

Tiến includes 30 of his own stories to express his feelings and thoughts of Sài Gòn and its people.

The writer also presents more than 100 documentary photos which offer the readers an overview of the city’s life and society from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day.

Published by the Thế Giới (World) Publishing House, the book was issued by Phương Nam Book Company. It costs VNĐ268,000 (US$12).

An official book signing and introduction event will be held at the HCM City Pedestrian Book Street in District 1 on July 30, where the writer will share his memories and thoughts while writing the book.

Born in 1962, Tiến graduated from Petrus Ký High School (now Lê Hồng Phong High School), and the history faculty of the General University of HCM City (now HCM City University of Social Sciences and Humanities).

He studied journalism in Hungary and the UK, and worked as a reporter at Tuổi Trẻ (Youth) Newspaper, Saigon Times and FBNC TV channel.

Since 2000, he has been director of education and media group Vietnam Centre Point.

Dancers raise funds for children’s hearing aids

A dance charity concert titled Moving Feet, Moving Hearts will be held on Saturday in HCM City, showcasing guest dancers from the US.

Moving Feet, Moving Hearts will focus on stories told through contemporary dance and hip-hop performances. Performers include dancers Tony Tran, Charles Nguyen, Alexander Tu and students from the Soul Music & Performing Arts Academy.

This is the second Moving Feet, Moving Hearts presentation by the academy’s Soul Live Project which raises money to provide hearing aids for underprivileged children with hearing deficits.

Dancers Tran and Nguyen are members of Kinjaz dance group based in Los Angeles. Tran won America’s Best Dance Crew 2008. Nguyen was a runner-up of America’s Best Dance Crew 2015.

The event will kick off at 6.30pm on Saturday at 214–216 Pasteur Street, District 3. All the proceeds will go to the Power of Hearing Foundation founded and operated by Gia Khánh, a student of the academy.

Theatre group opens camp for young scriptwriters

A creative camp for young writers began at the HCM City Theatre Association yesterday.

The six-day camp has attracted more than 50 young scriptwriters from both State-owned and private theatres and cải lương (reformed opera) troupes, including well-known writers Bích Ngân, Kim Khôi, Ngọc Trúc.

Artists and authors invited by the association are teaching the participants history, traditional culture and theatre as well as writing skills.

“Our fact-finding tours to famous theatres in the region, like Trần Hữu Trang Cải Lương Theatre in HCM City and Bạc Liêu Cải Lương Troupe in Bạc Liêu Province, will help young writers learn about the art from talks and performances staged by experienced actors,” Meritorious Artist Hoa Hạ, deputy director of the association, said.

“Theatres are faced with a shortage of interesting scripts. If cultural authorities want to build on the rising popularity of traditional theatre, they need to encourage and train young scriptwriters,” Hạ, himself a scriptwriter and director of many plays for city and provincial troupes and television channels, said.

The HCM City University of Theatre and Cinematography and HCM City University of Culture, two of the region’s leading art schools, attract more than 1,000 students a year, but only a few dozen join scriptwriting course.

Đồng Nai enterprises in need of more workers

Many enterprises in southern Đồng Nai Province have been in need of labourers, mostly manual workers for textiles, wood processing and mechanics to complete their additional contracts in the past two months.

They have tried many ways to recruit enough workers. Some have even set a table with recruitment signs in crowded areas, but the number registered has not met current demand.

In industrial zones such as Hố Nai, Song Mây in Trảng Bom District and Amata in Biên Hòa City, recruitment leaflets are seen on information boards. Each enterprise is in need of between 10 and 200 workers.

Bắc Hoàng Co Ltd in Hố Nai Industrial Zone is an example. A new workshop has been built and the company is recruiting 300 labourers. During the probationary period, the company offers the monthly salary of more than VNĐ3.7 million (US$166) and additional bonus of VNĐ300,000-550,000 ($13-23.9) for hard-working employees.

The company has advertised in many places since the end of June, but there were several people coming to apply for jobs each day. By mid July, the company decided to set a recruitment table at the gate of the industrial zone, with two persons on duty to give consultancy, answer questions and receive CVs from potential employees.

A representative of the company said that the number of applicants has increased but still could not meet demand.

This recruitment method was costly and the company could not maintain it any longer, he said.

Việt Nam Golden Flag Co Ltd is in the same situation. It has offered the monthly salary of VNĐ3.7 million ($166) for positions of mechanics and welders, and accepted those who have not been trained in these fields, but the result has not been as positive as expected.

The company has later set a table on the road to recruit labourers, and staff from human resources have been forced to be on duty at the table to get enough workers.

Lâm Thanh Thu, deputy head of Southeast Job Introduction Centre in Đồng Nai Province said that the demand of labourers is exceeding supply. At three job transactions organised by the centre recently, the number of employees needed was between 1,000 and 2,000, but those applying for jobs were low.

Thu cited the transaction on July 10 as an example. There were nearly 1,000 positions waiting for employees, but only 100 positions were filled.

According to Thu, the high demand of employees was caused by the additional contracts enterprises have gained in the past several months.

Moreover, the number of migrants looking for jobs from the North and the Central region to Đồng Nai Province has been reducing as many industrial zones have been built in their hometown. Most labourers preferred to work closer to home, he said.

Thu said enterprises in the province should set up a strategy on human resource management, which includes benefits and favourable working conditions for workers to attract them to return to work after holidays and attract more labourers when needed.

FPT IS builds e-payment system for State Treasury

FPT Information System (FPT IS) has announced that it has successfully built an e-payment system for the State Treasury of Vietnam.

The important application has helped facilitate cash transfers within the State Treasury, between Treasury units and between the Treasury and banking systems and ensure security through intelligent PKT (Public Key Infrastructure) cards. It is integrated into the TABMIS (Treasury And Budget Management Information System) – the largest IT system in Vietnam.   

The operation of the e-payment system has helped process outgoing and incoming payment orders immediately and reduced roughly 50% of procedures within the State Treasury and between the Treasury and banking systems.

With a total investment capital of roughly US$70 million, TABMIS is the largest IT project in Vietnam, which has been implemented by IBM and FPT IS for eight years now.

Germer to host Midsummer Night’s Dream concert on Saturday

Germer, established by a group of HCMC Conservatory of Music students in 2014, will host a Midsummer Night’s Dream concert at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday in District 10, HCMC.

With an aim to bring classical music to more people, especially youth, the team has held 18 concerts, including the forthcoming program, over the past two years.

During this July concert, spectators will have the opportunity to listen to adapted pieces of classical music inspired from poems and paintings that reflect different tones of people’s emotions.

The event will take place at Hoa Binh Hall of the HCMC University of Technology at 268 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, District 10, HCMC. Tickets are priced at VND60,000 per person and available at Deja Vu Coffee at 314/2 Dien Bien Phu Street in HCMC’s District 10 from July 24 and at the university on the performance day.

For further information, visit Facebook page of Germer Team or email to germer.team@gmail.com.

People report mass fish deaths in Âm River

Mass fish deaths in Âm River were reported by the local people in the mountainous Lang Chánh District of Thanh Hóa yesterday afternoon.

Lê Văn Tiến, head of Giao An Commune, said this was not a natural incident and adviced the local people not to eat the dead fish to avoid poisoning, and not to even feed it to poultry and cattle.

On the same day, the local authority instructed the youth force to collect the dead fish and dump them.

The local authority is investigating the cause of the mass fish deaths.

Trương Văn Huyền, head of the environment section of Lang Chánh District’s Natural Resources and Environment Department, said the agency had visited the site to take water samples for testing, in an attempt to find the cause of the mass fish deaths.

The local people are worried that the river might have become polluted by some wastewater discharge.

The Âm River flows through the communes of Yên Khương, Yên Thắng, Tam Văn and Tân Phúc, besides Quang Hiến, and the townships of Lang Chánh, Giao An and Giao Thiện in Lang Chánh District.

Red Journey attracts 3,000 donors in Thanh Hoa

The central province of Thanh Hoa received nearly 1,500 units of blood from 3,000 donors on July 27-28 during an activity as part of the Red Journey, a transnational campaign to raise awareness of blood donation.

During the event, numerous activities were organised, including art performances, leaflet distribution and training courses to raise public awareness of the significance of blood donation to save lives.

The Red Journey 2016 blood donation campaign was officially kicked off in Hanoi on July 11 by the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT).

The institute expects to collect 50,000 units of donated blood during the month-long campaign, including 20,000 units in 27 provinces and cities.

Since its inception in 2013, the Red Journey has collected nearly 57,000 blood units, saving the lives of thousands of patients, said the NIHBT.

Last year, the health sector collected more than 1.1 million units of blood. It targets 1.2 million units of blood from voluntary donors in 2016.

Various activities are taking place nationwide to improve public awareness of viral hepatitis as Vietnam has high incidence of hepatitis B and C compared to other regional countries.

The theme of this year’s World Hepatitis Day (July 28) is “Know Hepatitis. Act Now”, which aims to promote awareness-raising campaigns towards the global goal of eliminating viral hepatitis by 2030.

Co-held by the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation (WHO), the activities include a workshop to provide hepatitis-related information for press outlets, posting the knowledge on the ministry’s website and Facebook, and a flash mob to convey the anti-hepatitis message.

About 10 – 20 percent of healthy people and pregnant women in Vietnam are infected with hepatitis B, according to the health ministry’s Preventive Medicine Department.

The mother-to-child transmission is a major cause of child infection with hepatitis B, which can later develop into chronic hepatitis in children.

Viral hepatitis is a popular infectious disease with dangerous complications like acute liver failure, cirrhosis and liver cancer which can result in death.

Among the five hepatitis viruses, hepatitis B and C viruses have the greatest impacts on human health and are transmitted through blood, sexual intercourse, and mother-to-child. While hepatitis D virus relies on hepatitis B virus for transmission, hepatitis A and E viruses are spread through contaminated food and water and poor hygiene.

Vietnam records a high incidence of hepatitis B in children, and WHO recommends they should be vaccinated against this virus within the first 24 hours after birth. Hepatitis B vaccine covered 95 percent of the country’s population and 65 percent of the newborns in 2015.

Though there haven’t been any vaccines against hepatitis C, it can be cured by new medicine, but medication costs are still high.

The Ministry of Health issued a viral hepatitis prevention plan until 2019 in March 2015 with a view to reducing hepatitis transmission and enhancing people’s access to preventive, diagnosis and treatment services. Vietnam is one of the 36 countries having this kind of plan, according to the Preventive Medicine Department.

Vietnam Airlines has announced 10-30 percent discounted tickets to Europe.

Round-trip economy-class fares for flights between Ho Chi Minh City and London (England), Paris (France), and Frankfurt (Germany) will start at 10.5 million VND (450 USD).

Flights between Hanoi and Paris and Frankfurt cost 11.5 million VND (500 USD).

The round-trip ticket price for flights between Hanoi, HCM City and London will be 11.5 million VND (500 USD) for economy class and 19.5 million VND (850 USD) for premium economy class.

Flights from Hanoi and HCM City to other European cities, transiting in Paris, Frankfurt or London, will cost 12.5 million VND (550 USD) for economy class and 23.5 million VND (1,050 USD) for premium economy class.

The tickets will be sold until September 30 for flights starting from now to December 31.

The discounted airfares exclude taxes, surcharges and fees.

Party, State leaders meet ethnic minority legislators

Party and State leaders met with 86 deputies of the 14h National Assembly, who are from ethnic minority groups, in Hanoi on July 28.

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, and President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Nguyen Thien Nhan, were present at the gathering, among others.

Ha Ngoc Chien, Head of the National Assembly’s Ethnic Affairs Council, said through the NA’s terms, 49 out of the 53 ethnic minority groups have had their representatives at the law-making body.

Only the Lu, Ngai, Brau and O du ethnic minority groups have not yet to present at the NA, Chien said.

The percentage of ethnic minority deputies in the NA has risen significantly, ranging from 15-18 percent of the total deputies. It was 17.4 percent in the 14 th NA.

Addressing the meeting, NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan congratulated the 86 ethnic minority deputies and expressed her hope that they will work together with other deputies to perform soundly the functions and tasks of the NA and its related committees.

She asked the deputies to play a responsible role in the implementation of socio-economic development projects and programmes relating to mountainous, border and ethnic minority-inhabited areas.

Pacific Partnership programme wraps up in Da Nang city

The Pacific Partnership 2016 (PP16) event, which aims to improve disaster preparedness and regional responsiveness, concluded in the central city of Da Nang on July 28.

Participating in the two-week event were Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Palau, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Timor Leste, the UK, the US and Vietnam.

This was the seventh time in 11 years that the Pacific Partnership took place in Vietnam, and the third consecutive year in Da Nang city.

For the first time, three ships, including USNS MERCY, Japanese Ship Shimokita, and the Vietnam People’s Navy ship Khanh Hoa participated in the programme.

A disaster relief workshop, hosted by the Vietnam National Committee for Search and Rescue and PP16 was also a new feature this year. The workshop included disaster management organisation, early warning signs and incident command systems, and search and rescue efforts.

It concluded with a search and rescue field exercise on the Han river and aboard US hospital ship USNS Mercy.

Four separate engineering projects were completed by Vietnamese and Japanese service members, US Navy Seabees and Marine combat engineers at Hoa Phu primary school , Chinh Gian medical station, Rang Dong kindergarten and Tuong Lai school.

Nine members of the US Pacific Fleet Band performed at various schools and gave two public performances at Bach Dang street and Bien Dong Beach Park.

Colonel Takeshi Okada, Commander of Landing Ship Division One from Japan’s Joint Maritime Self-Defense Force, said the programme helped improve capacity and enhance regional partnerships and cooperation with Vietnam.

U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius said “PP16 serves as a concrete example of the mutually beneficial activities President Obama discussed in his May visit to Vietnam. PP16 builds trust and evidences the U.S. commitment to Vietnam and the region.”

Pacific Partnership 2016 is focused on enhancing multinational-interoperability through knowledge exchange and training, ensuring partner nations are prepared to respond when disaster strikes.

After Vietnam, Pacific Partnership 16 continues onto Malaysia and Indonesia.

Hanoi strengthens ties with Swiss localities

Vice Secretary of the Hanoi Party’s Committee Ngo Thi Thanh Hang led a delegation to Switzerland to strengthen ties with Swiss localities.

During the visit from July 25-27, the delegation had a working session with Luc Barthassat, Minister of Transport, Environment and Agriculture and Mauro Poggia, Minister of Social Affairs, Employment and Health, of Geneva State, on July 27.

Minister Barthassat shared with the guests local projects on urban waste treatment and public transport, including the Trolleybus Optimisation Systeme Alimentation (TOSA) project.

The TOSA project aims to launch a chargeable battery-run bus system in 2018 in Geneva, which can carry some 120 passengers each with less pollution and noise than normal buses, according to the minister.

Minster Poggia highlighted the measures the locality has taken to address unemployement and health care for the elderly and dependent people.

Previously on July 26, in the capital city of Bern, the Hanoi delegation met with Christoph Miesch, General Secretary of the municipal Agency for Judiciary, Local Affairs and Religion.

The host shared experience in preserving cultural and religious heritage with the guests.

Hang expressed her hope for Hanoi to team up with Bern in the conservation of cultural heritage.

The delegation is scheduled to visit Spain and Italy during the tour.

VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri/VNE