President To Lam has called for addressing challenges and finding effective solutions to honouring organisations and individuals who rendered service to the nation, especially during wartime and the past four decades of renewal.

During a working session in Hanoi on July 31, the President underscored the significance of the year 2025, which marks several significant anniversaries, including the 95th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) (February 3), the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification, and the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day (September 2).

With these milestones approaching, numerous tasks and challenges in emulation and commendation are ahead, he said.

President Lam agreed on the need for a thorough review of the 10-year implementation of the Politburo's Directive on continuing emulation and commendation reform, with a focus on the work in the nearly four decades of national renewal. He noted the work should aim to duly honour the contributions of officials and citizens.

He proposed that the Central Emulation and Commendation Council advise the Politburo to issue a new directive, not only for the upcoming National Patriotic Emulation Congress but also for the centenary celebrations of the CPV and the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Looking ahead, he tasked the council and the Ministry of Home Affairs with reviewing the list of veteran officials who have made significant contributions to the country so as to make recommendations to the Politburo and the Secretariat, ensuring timely and meaningful recognition in major national anniversaries.

According to the council's report, since 2021, seven national emulation movements have been launched by the Prime Minister, Chairman of the council. A national conference was held last year to honour exemplary models in celebration of the 75th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh’s appeal for patriotic emulation. Various ministries, agencies and localities have developed plans and conducted numerous activities to encourage, motivate, and replicate role models through various means./.

Deputy PM urges stronger efforts in administrative reform

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang on July 31 emphasised the need for more drastic actions and improved coordination between relevant sides in administrative reform, while addressing a Hanoi meeting of the Prime Minister’s working group and advisory council for administrative reform.

Quang pointed to achievements in the first half of this year, including those in decentralisation and digitalisation in administrative procedures, response to the feedback of businesses and people, and reform in law building.

He also noted poor performance of a number of ministries and agencies in this regard, and limitations in coordination between ministries, agencies, and localities in the field.

Against the backdrop, the official urged a higher sense of responsibility, saying heads of agencies and localities need to play a more active role in the effort.

Quang asked the ministries of home affairs, finance, industry and trade, natural resources and environment, transport, and health to respond to concern by localities before August 15, and ministries, agencies and localities to clear up questions by the council no later than August 30.

Touching upon the model of issuing judicial record certificates via the e-identification app (VNeID) in Hanoi and the central province of Thua Thien – Hue, which has proven effective, he expressed his hope that the project on developing resident data, electronic identification and authentication applications to serve national digital transformation in the 2022-2025 period with a vision to 2030 (Project 06), will be maximised in other localities.

The pilot model of establishing a one-level public administrative service centre, to be put into operation in September, is also expected to bring about positive results, he said.

It was reported at the meeting that 168 business conditions were cut or streamlined in the first six months, raising the total to 2,943 since 2001, helping improve the domestic business environment./.

Vietnamese labourers assisted to live, work in Japan

The Vietnamese Embassy in Japan on July 30 held a seminar on promoting support for Vietnamese workers in Japan to integrate into the local community, develop themselves and their careers, with the participation of representatives of relevant Japanese agencies, departments and localities.

There are currently nearly 600,000 Vietnamese living, studying, and working across 47 prefectures and cities of Japan

In his opening remarks, Vietnamese Ambassador Pham Quang Hieu said that the majority of Vietnamese people are hardworking, eager to learn, and live harmoniously and amicably. They have continuously improved their Japanese language skills to better themselves, support their families, and contribute to Japan's economy, as well as enhancing the friendship between the two countries.

He noted that following the Japanese Government's policy revision allowing talented foreign workers to reside and work for a long-term in Japan, the number of Vietnamese workers in the East Asian country is expected to continue rising in the near future.

Therefore, the embassy organised this event to exchange opinions with Japanese agencies, departments, sectors and localities on measures for Vietnamese workers to choose Japanese localities as a destination to work and live for a long term, become a part of the local society and effectively contribute to the socio-economic development of that locality, added Hieu.

Yasuhisa Arai, a representative from Japan's Ministry of Justice, provided an overview of the new recruitment and training system announced by the government on June 21. He explained that under the new law, the technical apprentice training system, which involves skill transfer, will be fundamentally re-evaluated, while a new recruitment and training system will be established to develop and ensure human resources in fields where Japan is experiencing a labour shortage.

At the seminar, representatives from Yamanashi, Kanagawa, and Aichi prefectures briefed participants on their respective locality’s efforts to attract foreign labourers, particularly those from Vietnam.

Hieu emphasised the need to focus on Japanese language training, Japanese culture popularisation, and skill development for Vietnamese workers. He also highlighted the importance of continuous training activities, starting before their arrival in Japan and maintaining it throughout their time living and working in the country./.

Outcomes of AMM-57, related meetings announced

The ASEAN Secretariat held a press conference in Jakarta on July 30 to announce the results of the 57th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM-57) and related meetings.

The conference was participated by representatives of the missions of ASEAN countries, ASEAN partners, international organisations, and international and Indonesian press agencies.

ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn said that the AMM-57 and related meetings, including the ASEAN - US Foreign Ministers' Meeting, ASEAN 3, East Asia Summit (EAS) and ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), held in Vientiane from July 24 to 27 achieved remarkable results.

The issues under consideration were those affecting the ASEAN integration, the building of the ASEAN Community, and the bloc's cooperation in each community pillar.

Participants also spent a lot of time exchanging views and stances on international and regional issues of common concern, including those relating to the East Sea, Myanmar, the Middle East, the Korean Peninsula, and the Russia - Ukraine conflict.

The ministers discussed regional resilience and energy security, notably the promotion of the ASEAN Power Grid initiative, the formation of a network for electricity connection and renewable energy supply among member countries, as well as support for Timor Leste to join the association.

Kao emphasised that the AMM-57 and related meeting demonstrated the importance member countries attach to solidarity and trust as a prerequisite for ASEAN's success, the promotion of the bloc's relations with its partners, the expansion of cooperation in such areas as digital economy and green transition, and the enhancement of regional infrastructure, institutional, and people-to-people connectivity.

During the meetings, many documents and initiatives were stepped up such as the ASEAN-UK Joint Ministerial Statement, the ASEAN-India fund for digital future, and the EU-ASEAN Sustainable Connectivity Package.

He also announced that the ASEAN 3 Foreign Ministers' Meeting (with China, Japan and the Republic of Korea) reviewed and acknowledged the recent cooperation progress./.

Da Nang to host BRG Open Golf Championship in August

The BRG Open Golf Championship Danang 2024 will be back for its third edition in the central beach city from August 29-31.

The BRG Open prize purse now stands at 100,000 USD with 25% of the fund coming from tournament partner - the Southeast Asia Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SeABank).

Tran Chi Cuong, Vice Chairman of municipal People’s Committee, head of the organising board, said the consecutive hosting of the championship in the locality has affirmed Da Nang’s position as "Asia's Leading Event - Festival Destination".

The event is also an important milestone in developing the city's golf tourism potential to become one of the leading destinations of this kind in Asia and the world, contributing to promoting the development of high-quality tourism, in accordance with the city's development orientation, Cuong added.

Returning to the Legend Da Nang Golf Resort, the event’s home since its launch in 2022, it will be played over the Nicklaus Course as the seventh stop on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) circuit and third time this year that the ADT has visited the emerging golf market of Vietnam.

Ken Kudo, General Manager of the tour, said that this year's tournament will see the participation of young champions. Australia’s Aaron Wilkin triumphed last year, succeeding China’s Chen Guxin.

Mark Reeves, General Deputy Director at BRG Group, shared that the BRG Open Golf Championship Danang is a key component of the group's strategy to support the city to establish itself as a leading golf tourism destination. The event also serves as a solid platform to inspire Vietnamese golfers and allows them to measure themselves against top talents in the region as they consider a career in the professional game.

The tournament will boast a strong international field of 144 players from across the region, including 110 ADT members who will play alongside 20 professionals and elite amateurs nominated by the Vietnam Golf Association plus 14 invites.

The impressive Da Nang City venue – a member of Asian Tour Destinations – boasts two 18-hole courses, one designed by Jack Nicklaus and the other by Greg Norman./.

Vietnamese, RoK localities enhance cultural exchange

The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCMCYU) in the southern province of Long An and the Women, Family and Youth Social Service Institute of the Republic of Korea’s Chungcheongnam province have held a cultural exchange and volunteer programme with activities in Ben Luc and Thu Thua districts and Tan An city.

The programme, which ended on June 30, drew the participation of 16 students from Chungcheongnam province and students and HCMCYU members from Nguyen Trung Truc High School in Ben Luc and Bo De Phuong Duy School in Thu Thua.

Through the six-day event, participants from the two sides engaged in many activities such as decorating reading rooms, planting trees, visiting the Long An Monument Park, and learning how to cook Korean and Vietnamese dishes.

These activities are expected to help the youths understand more about each other's cultural traditions and customs as well as enable them to feel the joy when bringing happiness to the community.

Yu Jison from the RoK said that through a short but meaningful time, the participants learned about the cultures of the two countries, shared their dreams and created valuable memories. She hoped that volunteer activities and cultural exchanges will continue to be carried out in the future.

Deputy Secretary of the provincial HCMCYU committee Pham Van Hau believed that the success of the programme will be an important premise for both sides to organise more joint activities, thereby contributing to strengthening the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and RoK in general and between young people of Long An and ChungCheongnam in particular./.

Embassy advises Vietnamese citizens in Israel on safety measures

The Vietnamese Embassy in Israel on July 30 recommended measures for the Vietnamese community to ensure their safety and security amidst escalating tensions between Israel and the Hezbollah force in Lebanon.

In an announcement, the embassy said the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) carried out an air attack on the Lebanese capital of Beirut on July 30 (local time), targeting Hazbollah’s senior military commander Fuad Shukr, who was said to be responsible for the rocket attack in Majdal Shams town of Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

The Upper Galilee Regional Councils told its residents to stay near safe rooms, and reduce movement and gatherings.

According to IDF, Hezbollah could deliver a retaliation, and both sides are running the risk of a full-blown conflict.

Against this backdrop, the embassy advised the Vietnamese community to keep a close watch on the situation in Israel through trusted local media sources, avoid areas prone to Hezbollah’s attacks, particularly the northern region, strictly comply with safety and security measures prescribed by the local administrations, and proactively prepare plans to ensure safety for themselves and relatives.

The embassy asked the community to keep regular contact with the embassy, and seek support and information when necessary via the citizen protection hotlines of 972-55-502-5616, 972-52-727-4248, and 972-50-994-0889, or emails giooctv.mofa@gmail.com, anhnguyen.mofavn@gmail.com, and ductrivu.mofa@gmail.com./.

Chinese scholars praise General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s contributions to growth of Vietnam-Chinese relations

The passing of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has left deep grief among Chinese scholars and friends who highly evaluated contributions that the Vietnamese Party chief made to Vietnam and the growth of the Vietnam-China relations.

Prof. Dr. Cheng Hanping, Director of the Vietnam Research Centre of Zhejiang University of Industry commented that the “bamboo diplomacy” inherits Vietnamese history and Ho Chi Minh's diplomatic ideology, helping Vietnam expand friendly relations without affecting sovereignty and territorial integrity, and maximise national interests amid fierce competition among world powers.

According to Prof. Dr. Cheng, the “bamboo diplomacy” policy initiated by General Secretary Trong has created great economic miracles for Vietnam, enhancing the country’s international position and inspiring people’s national pride.

Meanwhile, Xu Ningning, Chairman of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Industry Cooperation Committee and Executive President of the China-ASEAN Business Council, noted that under General Secretary Trong’s leadership, Vietnam, on one hand, has built an economic development policy suitable to the country's conditions, and, on the other hand, actively promoted economic cooperation with neighbouring countries, world powers and other important countries in the world such as China, the US, Russia and Japan. Under the Party chief’s leadership, Vietnam successfully negotiated and signed many bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) with partners, he said.

Wei Wei, a researcher of Vietnam from China's central television and radio station, asserted that under General Secretary Trong’s leadership, the country's diplomacy has emphasised the priority of developing relations with neighbouring countries, major countries and traditional partners.

Prof. Dr. Cheng also highlighted General Secretary Trong’s contributions to the growth of the China-Vietnam relations and the long-standing friendship between the two countries, saying that the fact that Vietnamese leader was honoured with a “Friendship Order” of China in 2022 demonstrated the recognition of the Chinese Government and people for the Vietnamese leader’s contributions to the healthy growth of bilateral ties.

Regarding anti-corruption efforts, Xu Liping, Director of the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Science (CASS), said that General Secretary Trong stressed the need to firmly maintain the spirit of self-revolution and constantly promote the building of the Party's leadership capacity on these issues.

Sharing Xu’s opinions, Prof. Miliang, Director of the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies and Dean of the Law School of Beijing Foreign Studies University said that General Secretary Trong was an outstanding leader of the Vietnamese Party and nation, adding that he made significant contributions to the building of the Communist Party of Vietnam and in the fight against corruption, resulting in outstanding results in the fight against corruption, promoting integrity, enhancing prestige and consolidating the Party's leadership./.

Vietnam perseveres in seeking justice for Agent Orange/dioxin victims

Despite the three previous rejections by courts in the US, the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/ Dioxin (VAVA) is suing US chemical companies that supported the US military to spray AO/dioxin in Vietnam during wartime, VAVA Vice President Maj. Gen. Nguyen Hong Son said on July 30.

He said that for the last nearly 20 years, VAVA has repeatedly submitted petitions to courts in the US regarding the US army's spray of toxic chemicals including AO/dioxin in the Vietnamese territory, which has led to serious consequences.

However, the US military has just conducted environmental remediation of dioxin contamination in some severely impacted areas like Bien Hoa airfield and Da Nang airport. Meanwhile, it doesn’t accept the responsibility for caring for AO/dioxin victims’ health, saying Vietnam’s requests are groundless, Son noted.

Therefore, Son continued, VAVA decided to sue the 37 US chemical companies that supported the US military to carry out the sprays during 1961 - 1971 to force them to bear the responsibility for their crime.

VAVA reported that from 1961 to 1971, the US military conducted 19,905 missions spraying more than 80 million litres of toxic chemicals, 61% of which was AO containing 366kg of dioxin, on nearly 26,000 hamlets and villages that covered 3.06 million hectares, equivalent to almost one-fourth of the area of southern Vietnam. Up to 86% of the area was subject to more than two times of spraying, and 11% over 10 times.

AO has caused strong and enduring impacts on the environment and human health. About 4.8 million people in Vietnam were exposed to AO/dioxin, statistics showed.

The association cited studies in Vietnam and the world as finding that AO/dioxin is able to cause diverse and complicated injuries on all organs of the body while triggering genetic and chromosomal mutations that result in innate deformities and birth injuries. In particular, AO/dioxin could be hereditary for many generations.

In Vietnam, AO effects have reached the fourth generation. There are about 850,000 victims in the second generation, 350,000 others in the third generation, and about 500 in the fourth generation in the country at present, according to VAVA.

In HCM City alone, there are more than 20,000 victims of AO/dioxin, and many families have two or three victims suffering from serious disabilities.

The city’s association for AO/dioxin victims have carried out various activities over the past years to assist the victims and their families such as helping to build houses, providing health services and wheelchairs, and granting scholarships. It is accelerating the construction of a village that will give nursing and vocational training for AO victims, said president of the local association Maj. Gen. Tran Ngoc Tho./.

Investigation expanded into transnational synthetic drug smuggling network

 The anti-narcotics investigation unit under the Hanoi Police Department is expanding investigation into a network smuggling synthetic drugs from Europe to Vietnam for distribution.

Earlier, the unit, in coordination with the municipal Customs Department, uncovered a drug trafficking operation that involved shipping narcotics hidden in packages from Europe to Noi Bai International Airport in the capital city. Authorities then initiated a plan to dismantle the network.
On July 8, during an inspection of a pallet shipment from Germany to Noi Bai, officials discovered a package weighing 240 kg, which contained 15 smaller packages, including one foam box with baby formula and 14 cardboard boxes with ceramic candleholders, all of which had narcotics concealed inside.

The following day, Nguyen Van Duc, born in 1994 from the northern province of Vinh Phuc, arrived to collect the packages. Authorities required him to open the shipment, which led to the discovery of 34 kg of MDMA (Ecstasy/Molly) hidden inside the ceramic candleholders.

Duc initially confessed to his involvement in the crime, and the Hanoi police issued an emergency arrest order for him on charges of illegal drug trafficking./.

Deputy PM orders drastic measures against human trafficking

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang requested competent authorities to carry out drastic measures and plans to prevent human trafficking, especially in hotspots and cyber space, while attending a ceremony in the northern border province of Lao Cai on July 30 to launch a campaign to combat human trafficking.

At the event, held in response to the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons and National Day on Anti-Trafficking in Persons (July 30), Quang said relevant agencies must intensify their work against the evil while effectively managing residence, border areas, border gates and business sectors subject to security and order conditions. It is necessary to enhance state management in child adoption and marriage to foreigners, he said, adding support should be given to children and women in difficulties who are easy to fall victim or become a link in criminal activities.

Ministries, sectors, and localities must take human trafficking combat a key mission which is integrated into socio-economic, cultural, healthcare, education and children protection programmes amidst complicated developments of the crimes on the back of the internet and social media boom.

He asked press agencies and media organisations to enhance communications work to raise public awareness of related policies and regulations, and the operation of the traffickers, and residents to stay prudent and actively engage in the fight.

Competent authorities need to complete the revised anti-human trafficking law to be submitted to the National Assembly at its eighth sitting in October, and study and evaluate legal documents on assistance for the victims, he said.

According to Quang, ministries, sectors, and localities should bolster inter-sectoral and international cooperation in the areas, especially exchanging information and supporting investigations and arrests of those involving in human trafficking, kidnapping, and child sexual abuse.

So far this year, authorities have detected and handled 98 human trafficking cases involving 246 victims.

They have stepped up international cooperation in the area, and received positive assessment from international organisations. Most recently, the US raised Vietnam’s ranking in its human trafficking report./.

Hanoi greets 2.5 million visitors in July

The number of tourists to Hanoi in July is estimated to reach 2.52 million, an increase 7.4% over the same period last year, the municipal Department of Tourism reported on July 29.

Of the figure, the number of international arrivals is forecast to hit 425,000, a surge of 20.8% year on year, domestic tourists at 2.10 million, up 5%. Total revenue from tourism in the month is approximated at 9.2 trillion VND (366.2 billion USD), a year-on-year rise of 10.3%.

The total number of tourists visiting Hanoi in the January - July period is estimated to hit16.44 million, a 11.8% increase compared to that in the same period last year, the department said. The number of foreign visitors stood at 3.43 million, a year-on-year rise of 42.5%. Tourism revenue totaled 63.6 trillion VND in the reviewed period, up 18.9% year-on-year.

Hanoi has 3,760 accommodation establishments with a total of 71,246 rooms, of which 606 hotels and apartment complexes have been rated from 1-5 stars.

The capital targets to welcome 26.5 million tourists in 2024, a year-on-year rise of 10.4%. This includes 5 million foreign visitors and 21.5 million domestic tourists, representing year-on-year increases of 25% and 7.5%, respectively. Total revenue from tourism activities is expected at 99.77 trillion VND.

To attract tourist arrivals in the remaining months of the year, the department will continue to promote the value of special national relic Huong Son landscape complex (Huong Pagoda) in My Duc district, organise a host of programmes and events, including Hanoi Tourism Gift Festival 2024, sports events and thematic activities featuring local cultural and historical tourism products. There will also be a dialogue with businesses in the field and event to launch the city’s stimulus programme.

Hanoi and the central city of Da Nang have been ranked among the seven best places in Southeast Asia for solo travellers by Lonely Planet. Da Nang ranks third for its idyllic coastal escape and gateway to varied experiences. Meanwhile Hanoi is in the sixth place for its unpretentious vibes.

The criteria for selecting a destination are based on a low crime rate, safety, affordability, diverse landscapes, an "amazing" and immediately noticeable culture upon arrival, and cuisine with enticing flavors that offer a sense of daily triumph with delicious dishes. The ranking criteria are based on low crime rates, safety, affordability, diverse cultures and landscapes, and delicious foods with enticing flavours.

Lonely Planet said Hanoi is one of the few cities in the region that has remained relatively unchanged by its popularity.

Local people go about their daily lives with a genuine, unpretentious spirit that keeps Hanoi feeling refreshingly authentic; which to casual observers might seem aloof, but is largely not personal. It is this unvarnished appeal that has won its fans. Vietnamese people are a sociable lot, and solo travellers will find themselves making transient connections easily.

“Don't be surprised if you're approached by local youths when walking about – they often just wish to practice their English skills and are more than happy to make recommendations,” Lonely Planet said.

Hanoi also serves as a springboard for neighbouring attractions, it said, adding that from Hanoi, visitors can book tours to Ha Long, Lan Ha Bay, Sa Pa, and Ninh Binh to explore the beauty of the northern region of Vietnam./.

Women leaders in cooperatives take centre stage in Hanoi summit

A summit focusing on women's leadership in cooperatives kicked off in Hanoi on July 29, highlighting the role of women in driving economic growth.

The annual Asia-Pacific Women CEOs in Cooperatives Summit, held as part of the International Cooperative Alliance Asia-Pacific (ICA-AP) Regional Board Meeting, carries the theme "Empowering Leadership: Navigating the Future of Cooperatives with Women at the Helm".

In her opening speech, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance (VCA) Cao Xuan Thu Van highlighted gender equality and empowerment of women in economic development as global and regional concerns. Many cooperatives, established and led by women, are operating effectively, contributing to job creation and income growth.

Vietnam's agricultural sector, while lacking comprehensive data, shows promising signs of women’s leadership, with at least 10% of women in management roles in 18,340 agricultural cooperatives and 85% of female workers having stable employment in this field.

The "One Commune, One Product" programme, a key driver of rural development, boasts 39% female-led entities, and 20% of cooperatives with registered OCOP products are managed by women.

Van also pointed out the Vietnamese Government's policies and mechanisms that encourage women's participation in collective economic development and cooperative establishment. She cited a project approved in January 2023, which supports cooperatives led by women and aims to create jobs for female workers by 2030. Additionally, the national gender equality strategy for 2021-2030 targets at least 27% of female directors or cooperative managers by 2025 and 30% by 2030.

Le Hoai Trung, Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and head of its Commission for External Relations, described the collective economy and cooperatives as vital components of the national economy, playing a significant role in socio-economic development.

He encouraged the VCA to proactively collaborate with relevant ministries and agencies to launch initiatives that enhance the role of female managers and leaders in cooperatives, thereby supporting the national strategy.

The summit will continue through July 31, with discussions on challenges and opportunities for women in cooperatives./.

Thailand recognises ​​Vietnamese Buddhist sect

Nine religious dignities, including Most Venerable Thich Tinh Lien, head of the An Nam Tong (Annamkiya) Buddhist sect and abbots of Vietnamese Buddhist pagodas in Thailand have received a royal decree from Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua.

The pagodas are Pho Phuoc, Khanh Van, Thuy Ngan, Khanh Tho, Phuoc Dien, Ngoc Thanh, Hoi Khanh, Hung Thanh and Hung Phuoc pagodas.

Theetat Phimpha, Director of the Department of Religious Affairs, Ministry of Culture of Thailand, read the royal decree at a ceremony which was held at Khanh Van Pagoda in Bangkok capital on July 28.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung and monks, nuns and Buddhist followers attended the ceremony and congratulated Most Venerable Thich Tinh Lien and the An Nam Tong Buddhist sect's monks.

This is a significant event for the An Nam Tong Buddhist sect, continuing to affirm the recognition and respect of the Royal Family and Government of Thailand for the Vietnamese Buddhist sect.

The An Nam Tong (Annamkiya) Buddhist sect (also called Vietnamese Buddhist sect) has been established in Thailand since the late 18th century. In 1889, the Annamkiya Buddhist sect was officially recognised by King Rama V (Chulalongkorn, reigned 1868-1910) as one of the two foreign Buddhist sects in Thailand. Over the past 200 years, Thai Kings gave names to and appointed monks of Vietnamese-built pagodas belonging to the Annamkiya sect./.

ICA-AP Board meets in Hanoi, vows to boost cooperative movement

The International Cooperative Alliance Asia-Pacific (ICA-AP), in collaboration with the ICA-AP Women's Committee and the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance (VCA), convened the ICA-AP Regional Board Meeting in Hanoi on July 29.

In her opening speech, VCA Chairwoman Cao Xuan Thu Van commended the ICA-AP Regional Board for its efforts to unite ICA-AP member countries and create platforms for female cooperative leaders in the region to share valuable experience in economic development.

She expressed her optimism about the upcoming approval and implementation of the ICA-AP strategic plan for 2025-2030, a crucial document in light of the International Year of Cooperatives in 2025.

The VCA will always be a responsible member of the ICA-AP, actively joining other member countries in future activities to improve the alliance’s operating efficiency and global standing, she said.

She added that the VCA will facilitate the sharing of experience and mutually beneficial cooperation among cooperatives in different countries, contributing to the growth of the cooperative movement both regionally and globally. In particular, the VCA is committed to making every effort to successfully host the Asia-Pacific Women CEOs in Cooperatives Summit over the next two days.

The biannual ICA-AP Regional Board Meeting serves as a platform for member organisations to report on their activities, discuss ongoing initiatives, and align efforts with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

A long-standing member of the ICA since 1988, the VCA has been instrumental in promoting Vietnam’s cooperative economy and fostering international collaboration.

Founded in 1895, the ICA represents a global network of around 3 million cooperatives and mutual organisations with a combined membership of 1.2 billion people, constituting at least 12% of the world’s population. The top 300 cooperatives worldwide generated a total revenue of 2.4 trillion in 2022, providing stable and quality employment for more than 280 million people./.

Hanoi promises most enabling environment for large investors

The Hanoi People’s Committee recently issued a document requesting local authorities make stronger moves to improve the quality and efficiency of foreign direct investment (FDI) promotion, attraction, and management.

Accordingly, the municipal Department of Planning and Investment, the Hanoi Industrial and Export Processing Zones Authority, the Hoa Lac Hi-tech Park Management Board, the Hanoi Promotion Agency, other departments, sectors, and units were asked to closely follow the Politburo’s instructions, the Government’s action plan, and the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI)’s promotion programme to build and carry out the city’s annual investment promotion programme. They were told to give advice to city leaders joining central delegations in visits abroad so as to attract large, quality, and effective investment projects.

They were demanded to encourage investors to make investments in line with the city’s list of investment attraction projects while frequently reviewing and adjusting the list to ensure investment attraction efficiency in accordance with the Politburo’s Resolution No. 15-NQ/TU. They need to work with relevant departments, sectors, and units to prepare land, infrastructure, and labour, among others for welcoming large investors and enterprises. The agencies and units were also instructed to upgrade industrial park infrastructure to create a competitive edge for medium- and long-term investment attraction.

The Hanoi administration asked them to enhance civil servants’ implementation capacity, reform administrative procedures and the administrative apparatus in a way that centres on people and enterprises, quickly handle investment and business procedures in line with law, and not arbitrarily issue requirements or conditions that do not match legal regulations during the settlement of administrative procedures.

In case there are problems or inconsistency during the enforcement of legal rules on investment and enterprises, they need to quickly report to and consult with the municipal People’s Committee to seek opinions from ministries and central agencies.

Departments, agencies, and units were asked to proactively access and assist investors to tackle difficulties and hindrances, speed up investment disbursement, and find out each department, sector, and unit’s responsibilities towards problem-hit projects to seek instructions from the municipal People’s Committee.

The administration assigned the Department of Planning and Investment to coordinate the implementation of investment supervision and assessment tasks. Meanwhile, the investment registration agency is responsible for compiling and submitting periodic reports on schedule, ensuring updated and quality information, and especially the submission of reports via the national investment information system.

Heads of agencies and units were also requested to seriously implement the municipal Party Committee Standing Board’s Directive No. 24-CT/TU, dated August 7, 2023, on enhancing discipline and sense of responsibility towards the settlement of works throughout the city’s political system. They must also bear responsibility for any wrongdoings related to foreign investment, according to the Hanoi People’s Committee.

During January - July, total registered foreign capital in Vietnam has topped 18 billion USD, a year-on-year increase of 10.9%, according to the MPI’s Foreign Trade Agency.

Foreign investors injected 10.76 billion USD in 1,816 new projects, rising 35.6% and 11.6%, respectively.

Meanwhile, 734 projects had their capital adjusted up with a total of more than 10.76 billion USD, down 0.3% in the project number and up 19.4% in capital year-on-year.

Capital contributions and share purchases fell 45.2% to 2.27 billion USD.

In the first seven months, Hanoi has attracted 1.3 billion USD in FDI, surging 65% from a year earlier. That includes 1.1 billion USD channeled into 143 new projects, 138 million USD into 102 existing ones, and 77 million USD spent on contributing capital to or purchasing shares of local companies, statistics show./.

Traffic accident-related deaths down 10.36% in 7 months

Traffic accidents killed 6,204 people nationwide in the first seven months of this year, a decline of 717 or 10.36% year-on-year, according to the National Committee for Traffic Safety.

As many as 14,242 traffic accidents were reported across the country during the period, injuring 10,976 people, up 32.95% compared to the same period last year.

Of the total, 14,125 road accidents killed 6,126 people and injured 10,953 others; 84 railway, 60 and eight; 30 waterway, 17 and injured five; and three marine, one.

In July alone, 1,889 traffic accidents occurred nationwide, killing 860 people and injuring 1,424 others.

Notably, three accidents occurring on the Hanoi – Hai Phong expressway passing through Gia Loc district in the northern province of Hai Duong, and another on the Trung Luong – My Thuan expressway resulted in serious consequences.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam received 126 mandatory safety reports, one Level B, one Level C, and 48 Level D incidents, including 32 relating to a technical failure, two to a bird strike, 13 to flight crew, and three to technical staff, among others./.

Vietnamese’ largest market in Berlin hosts popular cultural festival

A freshly-ended popular culture festival called “Song o Berlin (Living in Berlin)” has taken Dong Xuan - the largest Vietnamese shopping centre in Berlin - by storm, attracting over 10,000 participants and vividly depicting the integration and coexistence of different cultures.

The four-day event, starting on July 25, featured live music performances, activities involving arts, comedy, dance, and Vietnamese cuisine, as well as discussions focusing on the younger Vietnamese generation growing up in Berlin, embodying both cultures. It also ran a Vietnamese film programme showcasing award-winning short movies and special pre-screenings of a new series by the German broadcaster ARD, titled "Made in Germany" and directed by young Vietnamese-German director Ngo Ngoc Duc.

At the event, which marked the shopping centre’s 20th founding anniversary, its general director Nguyen Van Hien recalled its development path from challenging and difficult early days to the present vibrant and distinctive operation amidst a multicultural Berlin. The journey is truly memorable and a source of pride, he said.

Mayor of Lichtenberg Martin Schaefer noted that the district, which houses Dong Xuan and the largest Vietnamese community in the German capital, has evolved along with immigrants who have come to shape the area.

According to Schaefer, out of approximately 310,000 people currently residing in Lichtenberg, nearly 12,500 are of Vietnamese descent. Therefore, the shopping centre and other facilities established by Vietnamese expatriates in Berlin and the neighbouring state of Brandenburg have played a significant role in building social bridges in many years.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Vu Quang Minh said that Dong Xuan is not only the number one commercial and service hub for the Vietnamese community in Europe but also a major contributor to Berlin's tax revenue, providing numerous jobs and serving as a significant cultural venue for various segments of Germany's population, especially the youth./.

Vietnam introduces agricultural strengths in Canada’s Alberta province

The Vietnam Trade Office in Canada has introduced the structure of Vietnam’s agricultural products and the potential for cooperation between Vietnamese enterprises with their peers in Alberta province of Canada in farm produce production and processing.

At a dialogue on Vietnamese agriculture held recently in Alberta, the office shared the important role of agriculture in the Vietnamese economy as well as Vietnam’s efforts to engage in the global agricultural chain to ensure food security.

Some enterprises of Alberta and British Columbia, which are engaging in production activities of Vietnam or partnering with Vietnamese firms, were invited to the dialogue to share their experience in optimising the advantages created by the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) to cooperate with Vietnamese partners in food processing.

Representatives from the trade office, the Canada-ASEAN Business Council and the Office of the Trade Commissioner Service of Canada in the region answered participants’ questions on mechanisms to support businesses that wish to expand their operations abroad. Alberta is keen on seeking opportunities to expand its market into the Indo-Pacific region and sees Vietnam as a gateway to this region.

Alberta currently has more than 41,500 agricultural farms, 959 agricultural production facilities and 511 food processing establishments. The food processing industry accounts for 25% of the total industrial production value of this province.

The agricultural sector plays a major role in Alberta’s economy and contributed 13% to its economic growth in the 2016-2022 period. Currently, about 20% of Canada’s agricultural exports originate from Alberta. The locality is working to attract investors to the plant-based food sector and processing activities using the province's agricultural and livestock products.

Within the framework of the Calgary Stampede, a 10-day annual rodeo, exhibition, and festival held every July in Calgary, Alberta, the Vietnamese Trade Office had a working session with the Invest Alberta Corporation to explore models for attracting foreign investment, especially in the agriculture and energy sectors. The locality is now committing to a 12% tax credit for processed food investment projects valuing over 10 million USD. It is also offering refund of up to 60% of investment value and a funding mechanism of up to 12% of total capital for businesses investing in developing clean energy infrastructure.

Alberta has 27,000 oil and gas exploitation facilities and 18,000 gas exploitation facilities, with oil and gas reserves of up to 100 billion tonnes.

This year, Stampede, dating back to 1886, took place from July 5-14, attracting 1.5 million visitors./.

VN, Cambodia suggested to enhance sharing experience to ensure religious freedom

Vietnam and Cambodia, boasting similarities in the practice of Buddhism, should share experience with each other in building the great national solidarity to create favourable conditions for their people to exercise the right to freedom of belief and religion, Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra said on July 31.

Hosting Cambodian Minister of Cults and Religions Chay Borin, Tra stressed that as a multi-religion country, Vietnam has paid due regard to the state management of religious affairs. Over the recent years, the religious situation in Vietnam has remained stable while the Party's policies and guidelines on the affairs have been carried out properly, thus ensuring solidarity and the respect for all people's right to the freedom of belief and religion to contribute to national development and the great national solidarity.

The host highly valued the cooperation between the Vietnamese Ministry of Home Affairs/the Government's Committee for Religious Affairs and the Cambodian Ministry of Cults and Religions. She expressed her hope that the two sides will discuss and reach consensus to bolster their cooperation regarding state management in the area in a more intensive and effective manner, aiming to promote the great national solidarity as well as the values of religions.

The Cambodian official, for his part, laid a stress on the friendly neighbourliness, traditional friendship, and time-tested comprehensive cooperation between the two nations, while affirming his commitment to fruitfully implementating the agreements signed between the two ministries.

At their talks following the reception, the two ministers briefed each other on their countries' religious situation and state management experience in the field. They also reviewed the implementation of the cooperation agreement on religious work for 2022 - 2026, signed in Ho Chi Minh City in November 2022.

The sides concurred to continue carrying out their cooperation agreement, improve the cooperation effectiveness in state management of religious affairs, and also encourage and create favourable conditions for the two Buddhist communities to enhance collaboration so as to make practical contributions to building solidarity and friendship between the two nations.

According to Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vu Chien Thang, about 95% of the Vietnamese population practice a belief or a religion, with more than 27 million people, or 27% of the population, being religious followers. The State of Vietnam has been consistently implementing the policy of respecting and protecting the right to freedom of belief and religion for all, ensuring equality among the religions, and capitalising on religions’ cultural and ethical values along with resources for national development.

Party mass mobilisation delegation visits Japan

A delegation from the Party Central Committee’s Mass Mobilisation Commission led by its Deputy Chairman Trieu Tai Vinh has held working sessions with representatives of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan and the Japanese Communist Party (JCP) on mass mobilisation work, as part of their working trip to Japan from July 21-31.

During the working session with Suzuki Keisuke, Deputy Chairperson of the LDP's Policy Research Council, Vinh briefed the host about the Party and State's policies towards the Vietnamese community abroad in general and the Vietnamese community in Japan in particular.

The two sides also discussed the LDP's experience in devising solutions to social security issues such as coping with aging population and declining birthrate in Japan, and ways to enhance the contribution of the Vietnamese community in the host country.

For his part, Suzuki spoke highly of contributions of the Vietnamese community to the socio-economic development in Japan, not only in recent years but also in the medium and long term, especially in the context of Japan's labour shortage in various fields.

More Japanese enterprises are choosing Vietnam as an investment destination, he said, also noting the development trend of Vietnamese enterprises in Japan. Therefore, it is necessary for the two Parties and governments of the two countries to strengthen coordination in both policy making and promoting people-to-people exchanges, Suzuki said.

The Vietnamese Party delegation also visited the JCP’s headquarters and held working session with JCP's International Peace Movement Committee to exchange research and experiences in grasping the needs and aspirations of the people as well as promoting collaboration between the two parties in cultural, ethnic and religious affairs.

At the delegation's working session with the embassy, Vinh appreciated the establishment of a union of Vietnamese association in Japan, saying it has become an umbrella organisation that helps strengthen the solidarity of the Vietnamese community in Japan. He also underlined that mass mobilisation work for overseas Vietnamese should focus on creating a favourable environment for Vietnamese people in Japan to access positive information, clearly understand the policies of the Party and State, strictly comply with local regulations, unite and support each other, especially in difficult circumstances.

The number of Vietnamese people in Japan topped 560,000 as of March 22, according to the Japanese Ministry of Justice. Vietnamese continued to be the second biggest foreign community in Japan after China.

Deputy PM urges stronger efforts in administrative reform

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang on July 31 emphasised the need for more drastic actions and improved coordination between relevant sides in administrative reform, while addressing a Hanoi meeting of the Prime Minister’s working group and advisory council for administrative reform.

Quang pointed to achievements in the first half of this year, including those in decentralisation and digitalisation in administrative procedures, response to the feedback of businesses and people, and reform in law building.

He also noted poor performance of a number of ministries and agencies in this regard, and limitations in coordination between ministries, agencies, and localities in the field.

Against the backdrop, the official urged a higher sense of responsibility, saying heads of agencies and localities need to play a more active role in the effort.

Quang asked the ministries of home affairs, finance, industry and trade, natural resources and environment, transport, and health to respond to concern by localities before August 15, and ministries, agencies and localities to clear up questions by the council no later than August 30.

Touching upon the model of issuing judicial record certificates via the e-identification app (VNeID) in Hanoi and the central province of Thua Thien – Hue, which has proven effective, he expressed his hope that the project on developing resident data, electronic identification and authentication applications to serve national digital transformation in the 2022-2025 period with a vision to 2030 (Project 06), will be maximised in other localities.

The pilot model of establishing a one-level public administrative service centre, to be put into operation in September, is also expected to bring about positive results, he said.

It was reported at the meeting that 168 business conditions were cut or streamlined in the first six months, raising the total to 2,943 since 2001, helping improve the domestic business environment.

A big haul of prizes for Vietnam at India international math competition

Sixteen out of 17 Vietnamese students have won prizes at the India International Mathematics Competition (InIMC) 2024, which took place from July 26 to 30.

According to the official result, they brought home a total of three golds, six silvers, six bronzes, and one consolation prize.

Most notably, Nguyen Phong Chau of Newton 5 Primary and Secondary School successfully surpassed strong rivals from the United States, scoring 140 out of 150 points, the highest at the Key Stage 2 level (Upper Primary Level).

In the team’s category, the Vietnamese team also claimed two champion prizes, one first prize, and two second prizes.

This year has seen the competition drew more than 600 young contestants from 30 countries and territories globally.

Source: VNA//VNS/VOV/SGGP/VGP