Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang on August 29 chaired a teleconference with 28 coastal localities on solutions to fight illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and make preparations for the EC’s fourth inspection in October.

He asked the coastal localities to resolutely put an end to illegal fishing by vessels in foreign waters, which serves as a decisive factor for Vietnam to have the yellow card imposed by the European Commission (EC) on IUU fishing lifted.

“Local authorities must uphold the highest responsibilities and take drastic solutions to put an end to IUU fishing,” he said, adding they must make inspections, manage the implementation of regulations against IUU fishing and absolutely not allow fishing vessels to make violations out of the territory.

According to the National Steering Committee on IUU fishing prevention, following the EC's recommendation on reducing the number of fishing vessels and fishing intensity, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has advised the Prime Minister to direct localities to review the entire number of fishing vessels, update fishing vessel data into the national fishery database VNFishbase.

31 provinces and cities with 71,658 ships have so far updated their database on the VNFishbase.

As of August 29, 2023, the whole country has 86,820 fishing vessels with a length of 6m or more. Among those, there are 30,091 fishing vessels with a length of 15m or more.

About 97.8% of fishing vessels with a length of 15m or more have been equipped with a vessel monitoring system (VMS).
The vessels that have not installed VMS have been on the supervision list of local authorities. Most of them are fishing vessels lying on the shore without operation, or awaiting deregistration.

Since the fourth quarter of 2022, law enforcement forces have detected 11 cases and seized 13 fishing boats, and 115 VMS devices fishing illegally in the wrong area or in foreign waters.

Competent agencies have imposed sanctions on more than 4,000 cases of violations of regulations against IUU fishing since the end of last year.

Some provinces and cities such as Quang Ninh, Quang Binh, Phu Yen, Kien Giang and Thanh Hóa have a low rate of monitoring fishery production catch, less than 20%.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan proposed the Government set up an interdisciplinary special working group to handle violations such as ship disconnection, and shutdown.

The working group will also be responsible for tracing fishery products’ origin and strengthening management from within the region to offshore.

Gaps remains in State budget disclosure policy, implementation: Research

The legal provisions related to State budget disclosure, accountability and people's participation in state management and the budget cycles are relatively complete, but there is still a number of gaps between legal documents and their actual implementation, according to research on the policies of State budget disclosure and engagement in the budget cycle.

The research results were announced at a conference held in Hanoi on August 29, collecting and analysing data from a number of localities across the country based on their Provincial Open Budget Index (POBI), Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI), and Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI).

The results will be used as a reference for the amendment of the Law on State Budget 2015.

Pham Van Long, a representative of the research team, said that in some localities like Dien Bien and Ba Ria-Vung Tau, improvements and good practices in budget disclosure are limited to the provincial level, mainly due to competitive pressure on the indicators.

The difference in budget disclosure practices between the two provinces is more evident at the district and commune levels and in the villages/hamlets/population groups/residential areas, he said.

Nguyen Duc Thanh, the founder of the Vietnam Centre for Economic and Strategic Studies (VESS) and head of the research team, pointed to a lack of a transparency culture in which publicity and transparency is a need for the people and obvious obligation for the government.

He recommended the strengthening of publicity and transparency of State budget at lower levels, initially the district one.

Nguyen Quang Thuong, Director of the Centre for Development and Integration (CDI), said that the People's Committees and Departments of Finance of provinces with good practice in budget publicity need to spread the spirit and culture of transparency to the district and commune levels to ensure that budget information is fully declared according to regulations.

Public policy analyst Do Thi Thanh Huyen from UNDP Vietnam said that narrowing the gap in State budget administration is necessary, as is ensuring the right of citizens to access information and participate in discussion, inspection and supervision of State budget revenues and expenditures in all levels. In addition, monitoring the implementation of publicity of State budget information and documents will help the local administrations better comply with the implementation of policies and laws related to budget disclosure and ensure a citizen's right to participate in the State budget cycle, the expert underscored.

Vietnam, China to hold 8th border defence friendship exchange in September

The eighth border defence friendship exchange between Vietnam and China is scheduled to take place in Vietnam’s northern province of Lao Cai and its neighbouring Chinese province of Yunnan on September 7 - 8.

The Vietnamese delegation will be led by Phan Van Giang, Politburo member, Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission and Minister of National Defense. Meanwhile, Li Shangfu, a State Councillor and Minister of National Defense of China, will lead the Chinese side to the event, the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence told a press briefing in Hanoi on August 29.

On September 7, activities will take place in Vietnam, including a welcome ceremony for the Chinese delegation at the Lao Cai International Border Gate, a border marker saluting ceremony, the planting of commemorative trees, the launch of work on a friendship house of culture in Ban Phiet commune of Bao Thang district, a visit to and presentation of gifts to the Kim Dong Primary School in Lao Cai city, and the talks between the two delegations.

China will host others on September 8, including a welcome ceremony for the Vietnamese delegation at the Hekou International Border Gate, a border marker saluting ceremony, the planting of commemorative trees, a visit to a military unit/a school in the Hekou area, and a bilateral seminar.

Prior to the exchange, other activities will be organised, such as providing free health examinations and medicine for border residents, presenting scholarships to 50 students from poor families and heifers to disadvantaged households. The authorities will also review the twin relationship between border communities and the coordination between the border guard post of the Lao Cai International Border Gate and the Hekou border guard unit of Yunnan’s Mengzi region.

The ministry said the eighth border defence friendship exchange aims to help implement the Vietnam - China joint statement on the continued promotion and intensification of their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, issued during an official visit to China by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in November 2022, thereby helping strengthen mutual trust and cooperation between the two Parties, States, and defence ministries.

It is also one of important diplomatic activities between the countries’ defense ministries this year, with a view to promoting the friendship, solidarity, and substantive cooperation between their border defense forces, administrations of border localities, and local residents so as to build a joint border of peace, friendship, stability, cooperation, and development, the ministry added.

The first exchange was held in Quang Ninh province of Vietnam and Guangxi province of China in 2014.

Binh Dinh to host fourth cultural ethnic culture festival in September

The fourth cultural festival of ethnic minorities in the central region will take place in Quy Nhon city, Binh Dinh province from September 8-10.

The event aims to honour fine traditional cultural values, preserve and promote the cultural identity of the central region’s ethnic minority groups, contributing to building, developing Vietnamese culture and people to meet the need of sustainable development, Nguyen Thi Hai Nhung, head of Department of Ethnic Culture, under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, told a press briefing in Binh Dinh on August 29.

The festival provides a chance for participants to share experiences while raising awareness of the importance of preserving and protecting traditional cultural values in the integration and sustainable development process, she added.

Lam Hai Giang, Vice Chairman of the Binh Dinh provincial People’s Committee, highlighted the festival's significance, saying it is expected to reate a "push" for the strong development of the local tourism industry. 

The highlight of this year’s edition is that the organising board will integrate community-based tourism factors imbued with the identity and culture of ethnic groups in the region to create diversity for the festival, he continued.

The three-day festival will draw more than 1,000 artists of ethnic groups from 11 central provinces.

It includes activities such as an amateur artist festival, a traditional national costume show,  an introduction to local cuisine, sports activities and ethnic folk games.

FM Bui Thanh Son meets Govenor of Japan's Nagasaki prefecture

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son hosted a reception in Hanoi on August 29 for Governor of Japan's Nagasaki prefecture Oishi Kengo, who is on a working visit to Vietnam from August 27-31.

FM Son highly valued Governor Oishi's efforts in promoting cooperation and exchanges between Nagasaki prefecture and Vietnam in general and Vietnamese localities in particular in the past time.

He expressed his pleasure with the sound, rapid and comprehensive development of the Vietnam - Japan relations with high political trust, affirming that Vietnam considers locality-to-locality cooperation an important, sustantive and effective channel to strengthen economic, trade and labour cooperation, and to promote people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

The minister highly appreciated and thanked the Nagasaki administration as well as Governor Oishi for always paying attention to promoting the development of friend and cooperation between Nagasaki and Vietnam, especially between the Japanese prefecture and Quang Nam province, the place that still preserves many vestiges of the exchange relations between the two countries more than 400 years ago.

Son suggested Oishi promote the prefecture’s businesses to boost investment and business in Vietnam, especially in potential fields such as high-quality agriculture, fishery, manufacturing and supporting industry as well as strengthen human resources training and people-to-people exchanges, thereby creating an important foundation for enhancing long-term cooperation between Nagasaki and Vietnam.

For his part, Governor Oishi expressed his impression of Vietnam's socio-economic development achievements in recent years.

He briefed his host about the outcome of cooperation between Nagasaki prefecture and Quang Nam province and agreed to support the expansion of collaboration between Nagasaki and other localities of Vietnam in the fields of investment, trade, culture and tourism.

The governor spoke highly of contributions of the nearly 3,000 Vietnamese community to the prefecture's socio-economic development. He expressed his wish to expand the reception of Vietnamese trainees, nurses and workers, and pledged to continue to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese people to live, study and work in the locality.

Hanoi painting exhibition marks National Day

Some 80 paintings are on display at the Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts in Hanoi in celebration of the 78th National Day anniversary.

The exhibition entitled Dat Nuoc Toi (Our Country) features remarkable landscape paintings selected from the Collection of Modern Art of the museum.

The paintings were created during the period 1945-2007 and by popular artists of different generations. It includes artists who graduated from the Indochina Fine Art School such as Luong Xuan Nhi, Nguyen Van Ty, Tran Dinh Tho, Huynh Van Thuan, Phan Ke An, and those who were trained in the Resistance Art courses like Luu Cong Nhan and Dao Duc, as well as the following generations of artists such as Tran Thanh Ngoc, Nguyen Thanh Chau, Do Duc and Do Thi Ninh.

The country is the inspiration for many art forms such as literature, music, cinema, and theatre, said Nguyen Anh Minh, Director of the museum, at the opening ceremony which took place on August 24.

"For fine art, the country is a sacred calling, an endless source of emotions that each artist wants to express his patriotism with all his affection and talent,” Minh said.

Through the true lens of the artists with rich and vivid visual language, the beautiful typical sceneries of all regions of the country have been successfully expressed.

Coming to the exhibition, visitors can see popular destinations like Ha Long Bay, Da Lat in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, Dong Van in the northern province of Ha Giang and Huong River in the central province of Thua Thien – Hue or familiar sceneries such as an old street, a duckweed pond, a coconut grove, and a village road.

From the mountainous areas with famous historical sites, including Ban Gioc, Pac Bo, Con Son, and the midlands with the Hung Kings Temple to coastal areas like Nha Trang and Phu Quoc in the south, all are poetically portrayed in these works showing the love for the homeland of the artists.

Each work is presented in a different style and penmanship, but all are imbued with the love of the artist's homeland.

This is the first time that the museum has displayed original paintings in combination with digital projection with motion graphic technology.

The museum hopes that the public have an experience of seeing the artworks with technology. It will be a new way to display the artworks of the museum, which will not be limited by time and space, according to Minh.

The exhibition runs until September 10.

Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia look to enhance audit cooperation

The 10th Tripartite Meeting between the Supreme Audit Institutions of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam with the theme of "Follow up on audit recommendations” was held in central city of Da Nang on August 29.

In his opening remarks, State Auditor General of Vietnam Ngo Van Tuan said the State Audit plays an important role in raising the efficiency of management and use of public finance and assets, as well as contributing to improving publicity, transparency, accountability and discipline in the management and use of public finance and assets of a country.

In audit activities, "follow-up on audit recommendations" is a very necessary stage, because the outcome of this phase is one of the measures of effectiveness and efficiency, and reflects the actual impact of an audit, he added.

The results of the conference will be an important basis for the three audit institutions to improve the quality of the work through the successful sharing and application of practical experiences and valuable lessons of the State Auditing agencies in related fields, Tuan said.

Since 2009, the three parties have successfully organised nine meetings of head of supreme audit institutions of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

He said that the State Audit of Vietnam always appreciates the significance of this tripartite forum, saying this is an opportunity for the parties to share experiences in the field of public audit, strengthen their professional capacity, and jointly address challenges and common concerns, thereby enhancing understanding and mutual cooperation.

At the meeting, representatives of the three audit instituations focused their discussions on some issues concerning legal foundation as well as international practices related to the monitoring the implementation of audit recommendations and lessons learned from each country in this regard. Challenges for the supreme audit institutions and solutions to improve the quality of the work were also mulled over.

The parties also reached a consensus on cooperation policy from now until the 11th meeting and agreed on the theme for the event which to be held in Cambodia in 2025.

A thematic symposium on performing audit in the new normal was also held in Da Nang city on the same day within the framework of the event.

The parties discussed about the "new normal" that has offered both opportunities and challenges, requiring each State Audit institution to have new approaches and new measures in planning and implementing the audit plan. Therefore, each institution needs to develop a multi-dimensional approach, combining many methods and taking advantage of the developments of advanced and modern technology to improve the quality and efficiency of audit activities in a globally connected environment.

Also on the same day, Secretary of the Da Nang Party Committee Nguyen Van Quang hosted a reception for high-ranking delegations of the State Audit of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

According to Quang, Da Nang has always paid great attention to develop cooperative relations with localities and partners in Laos and Cambodia.

Currently, the city has signed memoranda of understanding with five provinces of southern Laos, namely Savannakhet, Champasak, Salavan, Sekong and Attapeu, and Cambodia's Battambang province. It has deployed various cooperation programmes with these localities in such fields as delegation exchange, agriculture, education, training, cultural exchange, sports, urban planning and economic development.

Singaporean PM concludes official visit to Vietnam

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, his spouse, and their entourage wrapped up their three-day official visit to Vietnam, made at the invitation of PM Pham Minh Chinh, on late August 29.

During the trip, PM Lee came to the Mausoleum of President Ho Chi Minh to pay tribute to the late leader of Vietnam.

The visiting leader had meetings with Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and State President Vo Van Thuong. He attended the official welcome ceremony hosted by PM Chinh and joined his Vietnamese counterpart in holding the bilateral talks, witnessing the signing of cooperation documents, and participating in an official banquet. He also met with National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

At those events, the Vietnamese leaders hailed PM Lee and the Singaporean delegation’s visit amid the 50th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties and the 10th anniversary of the strategic partnership. They described the visit as an important milestone in the development of bilateral relations.

PM Lee underlined that relations between the two countries have been flourishing and expanded to many new areas, adding Singapore attaches importance to the continued enhancement of ties with Vietnam.

On this occasion, the two countries signed seven cooperation documents.

As part of the visit, the two PMs and their spouses attended a Vietnam - Singapore investment promotion conference; met with outstanding students of the Vietnam National University, Hanoi; and engaged in a dialogue with prominent young leaders from both countries.

Besides, PM Lee also tried Hanoi’s cuisine and went for a stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake. The spouses of the two PMs visited Vun Art, a cooperative of disabled persons making items from fabric scraps, in Van Phuc ward of Hanoi’s Ha Dong district.

President of Thai Privy Council supports friendship with Vietnam

President of the Privy Council of Thailand Surayud Chulanont received Vietnamese Ambassador Phan Chi Thanh in Bangkok on August 29, showing his high evaluation of and support for the friendship and enhanced strategic partnership between the two countries.

Recalling his visit to Vietnam in 2006 as Prime Minister of Thailand, Surayud expressed his delight at the countries’ cooperation results in both bilateral aspects and within the ASEAN framework over the past years.

The two sides should keep strengthening cooperation in all fields, and pay more attention to cultural and educational ties and people-to-people exchanges, he recommended.

The Privy Council leader added that he hopes they will join neighbouring countries in connecting their roads early to facilitate mobility, tourism, and economic connections in the region.

For his part, Thanh asked his host to convey his thanks to the King, Government, and Royal Family of Thailand for their support for the bilateral friendship and cooperation, especially the provision of conditions for the Vietnamese community in the country to live, work, and contribute to the local socio-economic development and both sides’ connections.

He highlighted the thriving relations across the board, with economic links remaining a bright spot.

The Vietnamese Government also wishes to further promote cultural and educational ties with Thailand, including the teaching and learning of the Thai and Vietnamese languages in each other’s countries, along with the increase of exchange students.

The ambassador underlined the importance of the project on developing primary school students and teachers in Vietnam, sponsored by Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, as well as the Princess’s awards for the teachers with substantial contributions to education and the community. He called on the Royal Family of Thailand to continue supporting and expanding the project to more Vietnamese localities.

Special art programme marks National Day

A special art programme was held by the Dai bieu nhan dan (People’s Deputies) newspaper in Hanoi on August 29 to celebrate the 78th anniversary of August Revolution (August 19) and National Day (September 2).

The event saw National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, former NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung, and NA Vice Chairmen Nguyen Khac Dinh, Nguyen Duc Hai and Tran Quang Phuong, and Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha in presence among others.

In her opening remarks , Editor-in-Chief of the Dai bieu nhan dan newspaper Pham Thi Thanh Huyen highlighted the success of the August Revolution in 1945 and the birth of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, is a great turning point, a brilliant milestone in the history of the nation, bringing the country into a new era - the era of national independence associated with socialism.

The art programme recalled the spirit of unforgettable years with songs and music works praising the country, the Party and President Ho Chi Minh and honouring the great victories of the Vietnamese people.

It aims to arouse the spirit of solidarity of the whole nation, nurture patriotism, and strengthen the people's confidence in the leadership of the Party and State to build a thriving Vietnam, she said.

Economic diplomacy contributes to national development: Deputy FM

Deputy Foreign Minister and head of the Steering Committee for Economic Diplomacy Nguyen Minh Vu has written an article highlighting how economic diplomacy has positively contributed to the national development and effectively played a role following the directions set forth at the 13th National Party Congress.

He wrote that over the past 78 years, the diplomatic sector has always accompanied the nation and served the homeland and the people.

Right from the mid-1970s when the country was nearing reunification, the diplomatic sector recognised the need for a new direction - economic diplomacy - to serve the country's post-war rehabilitation.

 Deputy Foreign Minister and head of the Steering Committee for Economic Diplomacy Nguyen Minh Vu (Photo: VNA)
As one of the four pillars of the sector, economic diplomacy is an integral, continuous, and increasingly prioritised aspect of foreign affairs. Its mission is to serve the most practical purposes for national socio-economic development, Vu added.

In the near future, he said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to capitalise on and maximise the nation's strength and resources; actively and proactively create a favourable environment for peace, security and national development; and efficiently seize cooperation opportunities while ensuring a reinforced strategic balance and harmonious development in relationships with partners.

Priority will be given to promoting key growth drivers such as export, investment, tourism, agriculture, as well as emerging growth drivers like digital transformation, green development, circular economy, sharing economy, innovation.

The official said the ministry will also improve the effectiveness of support for sectors, industries, localities, and enterprises engaged in international cooperation.

On the occasion of the 78th founding anniversary of the diplomatic sector, Deputy Foreign Minister and Chairwoman of the State Committee on Overseas Vietnamese Affairs (SCOVA) Le Thi Thu Hang also granted an interview to the Vietnam News Agency on the achievements and orientations to preserve and promote the Vietnamese language after two years of following the Politburo’s conclusion on overseas Vietnamese affairs in the new situation.

As 2023 marks the first year of implementing the project honouring the Vietnamese language in the Vietnamese communities abroad, she said SCOVA has launched the "Ambassadors of Vietnamese Abroad 2023" competition with the hope that they will popularise the Vietnamese culture and motivate the learning of the Vietnamese language in the overseas Vietnamese community.

On September 8 – the Day to honour the Vietnamese language, a workshop and a closing ceremony on the Day, the awarding of the title "Ambassador of Vietnamese Language Abroad 2023", and the gala "Beloved Vietnamese Language" will be broadcast live nationwide.

From now to the end of this year, the ministry will proceed with the launch of Vietnamese language bookshelves in Japan, Slovakia, Austria, and Hungary, among others. Regular activities will continue to take place, such as training sessions for Vietnamese teachers abroad, providing teaching and learning materials for the Vietnamese community in various countries.

The SCOVA also builds a Vietnamese language teaching website for overseas Vietnamese and launches programmes like "Chao Tieng Viet" (Hello Vietnamese Language) and "Dau an Viet Nam" (Vietnam Impressions) on a national TV channel.

It will also partner with various units to hold events in response to the Day, such as a forum on preserving the Vietnamese language abroad in Poland, a class and workshop on the Vietnamese language in Japan, a Vietnamese-language classes, and the opening of Vietnamese bookshelves in Laos, she added.

"Dance for kindness 2023" to take place in November

The “Dance for Kindness 2023” is scheduled to take place in Hanoi on November 12 in response to the World Kindness Day (November 13).

First held in Vietnam in 2014, the event aims to create a playground to improve health and connect young people to awaken kindness in each individual and social community.

It is a global networking event for kindness, transcending boundaries of gender, sexual diversity, race, religion, and nationality with practical activities to connect young people and raise the sense of contributing kindness to the community.

Every year, hundreds of cities around the world join together to perform a Kindness FreezeMob/FlashMob to the same song and dance, all happening on the same day to welcome the World Kindness Week.

This year's event will include four parts with important messages, including “I am kind to myself”, aiming to promote kindness in each individual through self-care both physically and mentally through the "14-day self-love challenge". Participants will film and take pictures of self-love moments so that they can inspire more young people.

“I am kind to my family” is the message of the second part. The third part – “I am kind to society” includes volunteering activities such as environmental protection, garbage collection, waste reduction in public places, participating in social security activities, among others.

Entitled “I am kind”, the last part will cover an annual Flashmob dance event that unites kind hearts and a special concert.

Party delegation visits Nigeria

A delegation of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) led by Pham Tat Thang, member of its Central Committee and permanent deputy head of the committee’s Commission for Mass Mobilisation, paid a visit to Nigeria from August 25-27.  

On behalf of Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Party, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Adamu Ibrahim Lamuwa had a working session with Thang and Vietnamese Ambassador to Nigeria Bui Quoc Hung.

The Vietnamese delegation also held talks with Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Samuel Anyanwu.

Speaking at these meetings, Thang congratulated the APC Party on its victory in the general election earlier this year, as well as achievements Nigeria has recorded in economic development, and security and political stability over the past years.

He spoke highly of Nigeria’s role in settling common challenges in the region and the world, and affirmed that Vietnam always attaches importance to the friendship and multi-faceted cooperation with the country.

The official expressed his hope that the two sides will step up the exchange of experience in national management, Party building, and the handling of socio-economic issues.

He suggested the two countries prioritise trade, economic and investment activities, create optimal conditions for their businesses to access the respective markets, and promote friendship and cooperation between mass organisations.

The host officials emphasised the importance Nigeria attaches to the friendship and cooperation with Vietnam, saying they are impressed by the Southeast Asian nation’s socio-economic achievements.

They expressed their belief that under the sound leadership of the CPV, Vietnam will reap more achievements, and their hope for more intensive bilateral collaboration in politics, diplomacy, and non-traditional security challenge response.

Vietnam and Nigeria should expand their economic cooperation in the areas where both have potential, the hosts said, suggesting the CPV enhance connectivity with political parties in Nigeria.

The two sides compared notes on specific measures to boost the bilateral ties, and agreed to continue their close coordination at multilateral forums, especially the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement, and complete mechanisms and legal institutions to strengthen the bilateral cooperation in a more substantive and effective fashion.

Vietnam, Algeria’s localities set up twinning ties

Local administrations of Batna province of Algeria and Vietnam’s Dien Bien province agreed to establish a twinning partnership between the two cities on August 28.

The signing ceremony was held in Batna province in the witness of Provincial Governor Mohamed Benmalek, Vietnamese Ambassador to Algeria Tran Quoc Khanh, and a delegation from Dien Ben province led by Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Le Thanh Do.

Governor Benmalek said this is the first suc agreement between the two localities of Algeria and Vietnam. Dien Bien is known by many Algerians for the glorious Dien Bien Phu victory, which encouraged the national liberation movement of many countries around the world, adding Algerians also have special affection for President Ho Chi Minh and General Vo Nguyen Giap.

For his part, Do introduced strengths and potentials of Dien Bien and emphasised the importance of the freshly signed agreement for cooperation development between the two provinces. He also expressed his hope that the two local administrations will concretise cooperation contents, and develop practical plans and action plans.

He suggested the two provinces strengthen cooperation in the fields of culture, sports, tourism, and delegation exchange, and organise promotion activities between the two sides.

Do also invited the host to visit Dien Bien in 2024 on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory as well as organise a business delegation to seek investment cooperation opportunities in the Vietnam’s province.

Workshop discusses gender equality, issues in plastic waste management

A workshop on gender equality and comprehensive development in plastic waste management was held in Hanoi on August 29.

Co-hosted by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU), the Canadian Embassy in Vietnam, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the event aimed to share the results of the gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) assessment report in the plastic value chain in Vietnam conducted by the National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP) programme. It also looked to raise awareness of national partners and stakeholders in promoting gender equality and comprehensive development in the field of plastic waste management.

Speaking at the event, head of the VWU Central Committee’s Department of Information and Education Nguyen Thi Kim Dung said plastic pollution has become a major global challenge, including Vietnam. According to statistics, around 1.8 million tonnes of plastic waste are released into the environment in the each year. The sorting, collection, recycling, and disposal of plastic waste are still limited, with up to 90% of the plastic waste being disposed of through landfill and incineration, and only 10% recycled. Moreover, 90% of the waste collectors and scavengers are women, exposing them to a hazardous environment impacting their health.

Patrick Haverman, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP Vietnam, said policymakers need to have additional research, data, and evidence on issues related to plastics, gender, and social inclusion to avoid any negative impacts on women, migrant labourers, and other vulnerable groups during the implementation of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies.

Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Shawn Steil said Canadian-funded programmes and projects focus on supporting women's rights and livelihoods, aiming to contribute to efforts in transitioning toward a more sustainable and circular plastic economy.

The event highlighted the need to integrate gender equality and comprehensive development issues into the shared action plan proposed by the VWU Central Committee, the Embassy of Canada, the UNDP Vietnam, and other active members of the NPAP network.

Delegates discussed ideas and solutions to steer Vietnam towards a sustainable and comprehensive plastic circular economy that benefits everyone.

Party leader's book on socialism promotes aspirations for national development: experts

The book on some theoretical and practical issues on socialism and the path to socialism in Vietnam by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was introduced in Ho Chi Minh City on August 29 on the occasion of the 78th anniversary of National Day (September 2, 1945-2023).

The event was jointly held by the HCM City Union of Friendship Organisations (HUFO), Nguoi Lao dong (Labourers) Newspaper, and the Su That (Truth) National Political Publishing House in HCM City.

The book was launched on the occasion of the 92nd founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (February 3, 1930 - 2022).

As one of the highly influential publications by the Party leader, it gathers his 29 outstanding articles and speeches, aiming to help cadres, Party members, and people gain an insight into socialism and the path to socialism in Vietnam so as to promote consensus in the society and bring into play the great national solidarity to achieve the strategic goals set by the Party, late President Ho Chi Minh, and the people.

HUFO Vice President Ho Xuan Lam noted that after more than 35 years of reform, Vietnam has recorded many socioeconomic achievements and affirmed its firm position in the international arena.

This demonstrates the Party’s and the nation’s sound decision of the path towards socialism, as well as the strong resolve in socialism building, he said, stressing that the achievements have also cleared up concern among a contingent of people, smashed distortions by reactionary and hostile forces, and consolidated public confidence in the Party.

Dr. Than Ngoc Anh, from Academy of Politics Region II, said the book arouses and promotes aspirations for national development in the Party, the public, and the entire army.

Ton Nu Thi Ninh, former deputy head of the National Assembly (NA) Committee for Foreign Affairs, spoke of the idea of “bamboo diplomacy” mentioned by the Party leader in his book.

The term “bamboo diplomacy” was coined by General Secretary Trong during a diplomatic conference in 2016 and reiterated at the first national conference on foreign affairs in 2021.

During these meetings, the leader likened Vietnam’s foreign policy to bamboo, with strong roots, solid stems, and flexible branches.

On this occasion, the Su That (Truth) National Political Publishing House in HCM City presented the book to the HUFU.

Việt Nam gear up for AFC U23 Asian Cup 2024 Qualifiers

Việt Nam are gearing up for the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2024 qualifiers, which will take place at Việt Trì Stadium in the northern province of Phú Thọ next month.

Coach Philippe Troussier has officially announced the 34-player squad for the preparation plan leading up to the qualifiers. This includes 10 players who were recently crowned champions with the U23 team at the 2023 AFF U23 Championship in Thailand.

Notable players from the championship-winning squad who have made the cut are goalkeeper Nguyễn Văn Việt, defenders Trần Nam Hải and Nguyễn Hồng Phúc, midfielders Đinh Xuân Tiến and Võ Hoàng Minh Khoa, and strikers Bùi Vĩ Hào and Nguyễn Minh Quang. Among these individuals, Xuân Tiến and Minh Quang stood out in the 2023 AFF U23 Championship. Tiến served as the team's captain, while Quang impressed with his energetic play on the right side.

Additionally, the French coach has also selected and retained several players who have been in good form and were part of the initial squad, such as goalkeepers Cao Văn Bình and Đoàn Huy Hoàng, defenders Đặng Tuấn Phong, Võ Minh Trọng, and Hồ Văn Cường, and midfielders Huỳnh Thế Hiếu and Lê Quốc Nhật Nam.

Prominent players who have been integral to the U23 squad and have worked extensively with coach Troussier have also been included. This group includes defenders Trần Quang Thịnh and Vũ Tiến Long, midfielders Lê Văn Đô and Huỳnh Công Đến, and strikers Nguyễn Văn Tùng and Nguyễn Thanh Nhàn.

Overall, the squad comprises a blend of talented players who have recently tasted success, as well as those who have consistently performed well and have experience working with Coach Troussier.

As per the schedule, the team will assemble for practice starting on August 29 at the Việt Nam Youth Football Training Center. Notably, Nguyễn An Khánh, who plays for U19 Sigma Olomouc in the Czech Republic, will return to join the team on August 31.

In the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2024 Qualifiers, Việt Nam are in Group C alongside Guam, Yemen, and Singapore. Their matches are scheduled as follows: Guam on September 6, Yemen on September 9, and Singapore on September 12.

Ticket prices for the matches will range from VNĐ50,000 to VNĐ200,000.

A total of 47 teams will compete in the qualification round, which will take place from September 4 to September 12. The top 16 teams from this round will advance to the final tournament, which includes Qatar as the automatic qualifier as hosts.

Saudi Arabia are the current defending champions of the tournament. 

Coaches and players make moves as clubs prepare for new season

Topenland Bình Định are the first V.League 1 team to replace their head coach after the end of the national premier league season.

Coach Nguyễn Hữu Thắng decided to end his reign at the central region team after three seasons.

Under his charge, Bình Định won the V.League 2 title in 2021, jumping to the V.League 1. They finished third in V.League 1 in 2022 and were runners-up in the National Cup in the same year.

In 2023, the team finished seventh at the V.League 1 and lifted the National Cup.

Coach assistant Bùi Đoàn Quang Huy will temporarily be in charge of the club until a new coach is found.

Bình Định officials also confirmed that some players will leave the team. They include defender Nguyễn Tiến Duy and forward Rafaelson Bezerra Fernande who is the top scorer with 16 goals this season.

SHB Đà Nẵng also made changes to their coaching board after being relegated to the lower division.

Đà Nẵng President Ngô Quốc Tá has confirmed former national defender Trương Việt Hoàng is the new head coach of the former three-time champions.

Đà Nẵng's poor performance forced them to play in the V.League 2 next season. After their relegation, coach Phạm Minh Đức left.

Hoàng will sign a one-year contract later this week and he is asked to push Đà Nẵng back to the V.League in the following year.

Hoàng is currently a free agent. He quit as coach of HCM City last October.

The 47-year-old trainer used to win the V-League 1 trophy and National Cup silver with Viettel in 2020 and V.League 1 silver in 2021.

Đà Nẵng players are currently being guided by coach Võ Phước. They begin training on August 28 to prepare for the new season.

 Hải Phòng FC signed a contract with Brazilian forward Lucas Vinicius who is expected to lead the team's front line in both local and continental competitions in 2023-24.

Vinicius played Hà Nội in 2022. He scored eight goals in 13 matches. Vinicius will play for Hải Phòng for one year.

At the weekend, Hà Nội FC also introduced their two new members, defender Phạm Xuân Mạnh and goalkeeper Nguyễn Văn Hoàng, both from Sông Lam Nghệ An and the national teams.

Their contract details have not been published. 

Badminton championship kicks off to test athletes’ abilities

The National Individual Badminton Championship which lures the national best competitors will be held on August 29-September 2 in Bắc Giang Province.

According to Khoa Trung Kiên, official of the Sports Authority of Việt Nam's Badminton Department, it was one of the most important tournaments in the national competition system. 

Organised annually, this year it will see 121 athletes from 16 cities and provinces. They will compete in all five categories of men's and women's singles and doubles and mixed doubles with a total award of US$10,200. 

"It is chance for us to check athletes' technique, especially the members of the national team as they are preparing for big events later this year including the 19th Asian Games," Kiên said.

"We expect that the top players will showcase their best skills while the new talents will have a chance to shine. At this event, if players do not focus and try hard, everything can happen as young players can cause upsets."

On the men's side, national legend Nguyễn Tiến Minh of HCM City will vie for title against teammate Nguyễn Hải Đăng and Lê Đức Phát of the Military, both are raising stars currently.

On the women's class, Nguyễn Thùy Linh of Đồng Nai is the top title favourite as she is the world highest-ranking player of Việt Nam.

She will be against former Olympian Vũ Thị Trang of HCM City and national junior championship winner Lê Ngọc Vân, also from HCM City, and Trần Thị Phương Thúy of Bắc Giang.

Exhibition opens at National Museum to mark National Day

Việt Nam National Museum of Fine Arts is displaying some 80 artworks at an exhibition in celebration of the 78th National Day anniversary.

The exhibition entitled Đất Nước Tôi (Our Country) features remarkable landscape paintings selected from the Collection of Modern Art of the museum.

The paintings were created during the period 1945-2007 and by popular artists of different generations. It includes artists who graduated from the Indochina Fine Art School such as Lương Xuân Nhị, Nguyễn Văn Tỵ, Trần Đình Thọ, Huỳnh Văn Thuận, Phan Kế An, and those who were trained in the Resistance Art courses like Lưu Công Nhân and Đào Đức, as well as the following generations of artists such as Trần Thanh Ngọc, Nguyễn Thanh Châu, Đỗ Đức and Đỗ Thị Ninh.

"The country is the inspiration for many art forms such as literature, music, cinema, and theatre," said Nguyễn Anh Minh, director of the museum, at the opening ceremony.

"For fine art, the country is a sacred calling, an endless source of emotions that each artist wants to express his patriotism with all his affection and talent."

Through the true lens of the artists with rich and vivid visual language, the beautiful typical sceneries of all regions of the country have been successfully expressed.

Coming to the exhibition, visitors can see popular destinations like Hạ Long Bay, Đà Lạt in the Central Highlands, Đồng Văn in the northern province of Hà Giang and Hương River or familiar sceneries such as an old street, a duckweed pond, a coconut grove, and a village road. 

From the mountainous areas with famous historical sites, including Bản Giốc, Pắc Bó, Côn Sơn, and the midlands with the Hùng Kings Temple to coastal areas like Nha Trang and Phú Quốc in the South, all are poetically portrayed in these works showing the love for the homeland of the artists.

Each work is presented in a different style and penmanship, but all are imbued with the love of the artist's homeland.

Artist Đỗ Đức is among few living artists to have paintings displayed at the exhibition. He is moved to see his painting after nearly 40 years. He made the painting entitled Mountainous Landscape in 1985 with Chinese ink on xuyến chỉ (shuen) paper. The museum bought it in 1986 at a national fine arts exhibition.

"Most of the paintings at the exhibition were made in a different time," said Đức. "I remember my colleagues who passed away. Today is special for people to see the paintings that were made in wartime by patriotic artists."

This is the first time that the museum has displayed original paintings in combination with digital projection with motion graphic technology.

The museum hopes that the public have an experience of seeing the artworks with technology. It will be a new way to display the artworks of the museum, which will not be limited by time and space, according to Minh.

The exhibition runs until September 10 at 66 Nguyễn Thái Học Street.

Osaka, Đông Á University agree to supply nursing workforce

Osaka Prefecture in Japan has signed a comprehensive agreement on human resources supply and internship programmes in the nursing industry with Đà Nẵng City’s Đông Á University, offering job opportunities in Osaka for Vietnamese students from central Việt Nam.

The agreement will facilitate Vietnamese students from the Đà Nẵng-based university’s nursing faculty working and studying in the healthcare sector in Osaka from 2024.

Vietnamese students will be joining practical job and Japanese language courses from nine months to one year in preparation for working at hospitals and nursing centres in Japan or Việt Nam after graduation at the university.

Yoshida Shinji, director of the welfare department of Osaka Prefecture, said the internship programme would not only fill up the human resources shortage in the nursing industry in Japan, but would also benefit Việt Nam in the future.

“Japan has been facing a low birth-giving rate and an increase in its ageing population recently. This results in a high demand for nursing manpower at elderly welfare centres in Japan. I expect that Vietnamese students from Đà Nẵng City’s Đông Á University will attain skills, techniques and knowledge during their studies in Osaka – where there is a high-tech nursing centre – and serve as high-quality human resources at home,” he said at the virtual agreement signing ceremony.

He said Osaka would be strengthening the co-operation with the university in the coming years.

Osaka was the first locality in Japan to host students from central Việt Nam for one-year at-work training and internship courses at hospitals after the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022.

Rector of Đông Á University Nguyễn Thị Anh Đào said the nursing manpower supply agreement was a strategic plan in education and supplying high-quality manpower for the Japanese market as part of the university’s 100-partner network over past decades.

She said co-operation in education and practical job programmes with more than 100 Japanese partners had helped create a high-quality labour force for both Japan and Việt Nam in various industries.

“Japanese partners support Vietnamese students in language and job training as well as culture and basic skills through internship programmes. We expect to send from 300 to 500 students to Japan annually, targeting to increase that to 700 to 1,000 students in 2025.”

More than 300 students from the Đà Nẵng-based private university have been working for Japanese companies in hospitality, nursery and shopping centres in Japan since 2017.

Eight cities in Japan, including Fukuoka, Yokohama, Maebashi, Chiba, Shizuoka, Tokyo, Tottori and Nagasaki, and 82 Japanese businesses have inked co-operation deals for student human resources training and employment from central Việt Nam.

The first Japanese language studies and culture research faculty, established at Đông Á university in 2020, has taught 2,000 students Japanese. The university is the only education centre in central Việt Nam supplying human resources for the Japanese labour market.

Đông Á University, the first private university in the central region of Việt Nam, officially opened a representative office in Tokyo, Japan, to boost high-quality human resources and education cooperation between Việt Nam and Japan.

Source: VNA/SGT/VNS/VOV/Dtinews/SGGP/VGP/Hanoitimes