The Vietnamese Embassy in Italy organised an online draw on December 6 to present Vietnam Airlines’ round-trip tickets from France to Vietnam to three luckiest people.

This is part of the activities under a programme on the promotion of Vietnam’s images in Milan city – the capital of Lombardy region and the largest economic hub in Italy, launched on November 24.

Winners of the lucky draw expressed their delight to receive the free tickets, saying they have had plans to visit Vietnam to discover the country’s stunning landscapes, and treasure trove of cultural heritage of the 54 ethnic groups.

Earlier, the country’s images were promoted in Milan’s public spaces under a programme jointly held by the Vietnamese Embassy, SEA Milan Airports, the authority of Milan city, and the Italy-Vietnam Chamber of Commerce.

The tourism promotion programme is expected to contribute to strengthening tourism cooperation and people-to-people exchange between the two countries.

More charter flights to be launched to bring Vietnamese home from Myanmar

Six more flights were launched over the past couple of days to repatriate Vietnamese citizens from Myanmar.

The repatriation effort was a collaborative undertaking between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), the Ministry of Public Security, and representative offices of Vietnam in Myanmar, according to MoFA.

So far, 1,020 Vietnamese citizens have been brought home on nine flights from northern Shan state of Myanmar, with the entire cost of repatriation covered by the Government.

With the spirit of international solidarity, Vietnam has also supported Egypt, Malaysia, and Singapore to evacuate their citizens from Myanmar to safe places.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Myanmar said there are still a number of individuals believed to be Vietnamese citizens stranded in northern Myanmar due to the armed conflict there.

The foreign ministry and embassy will continue their coordination with competent agencies at home and other countries in the region to quickly verify and fly home Vietnamese citizens as soon as possible, ensuring their life and health, as well as their legal rights and interests.

It warned again that Vietnamese citizens should be cautious to job scams in which swindlers promise them a “well-paid but easy job” in foreign countries. 

In case of emergency, Vietnamese citizens in Myanmar can phone the Vietnamese Embassy in Myanmar via its citizen protection hotline + 959660888998; or the MoFA’s Consular Department via the citizen protection switchboard + 84 981 84 84 84, + 84 965 41 11 18, or email baohocongdan@gmail.com.

Southeast Asian universities promote int'l cooperation in training, research

An international conference of the Association of Southeast Asian Institutions of Higher Learning (ASAIHL) is being held in Hanoi from December 7-9 under the theme of “International Cooperation towards Excellence in Training and Research”.

The conference hosted by the University of Science and Technology of Hanoi (USTH) is an opportunity for countries in the region, ASAIHL member universities and international experts to share experience in building and implementing cooperative training and scientific research programmes. These are not only within regional education institutions but also with their partners from the EU, the US, Japan and the Republic of Korea. Ensuring training quality to develop student exchange programmes is one of the priorities for discussion at the conference.

ASAIHL Secretary-General Ninnat Olanvoravuth said that at the conference, universities are expected to exchange initiatives, share success stories, and insights into international cooperation in the context of many challenges to improve the quality of training and research.

In the current development stage of Southeast Asia, with limited resources, international cooperation is considered an effective way to achieve better training and research quality.

The Principal Rector of USTH, Professor Jean-Marc Lavest, said that like many developing countries, it will be difficult for Vietnam to make sustainable progress without investing in science and technology development.

High-level training in research and training of leaders in private and state-owned enterprises is an essential premise for Vietnam's development, he said, adding that without research, innovation, and investment, there will be no change in the rankings of developed countries, especially in Southeast Asia.

ASAIHL was founded in 1956 as a non-governmental organisation at a meeting in Bangkok of the heads of eight state universities in Southeast Asia.

ASAIHL’s purpose is to assist member institutions to strengthen themselves through mutual self-help and to achieve international distinction in teaching, research, and public services. The association has 245 member universities from 25 countries around the world.

Vietnamese, Chinese border guards join hands in building border of peace, stability

Border guards in Vietnam's Lao Cai province and their counterparts from Mengzi of China’s Yunnan province on December 7 held a meeting to review their bilateral patrols that have been resumed since November this year.

Lao Cai is the first locality on the Vietnam-China land border to resume joint patrols with the Chinese People's Liberation Army since COVID-19 control measures were eased.

In the fourth quarter of 2023, the border guard forces of the two sides conducted three joint patrols. In each patrol, each side sent three patrol teams consisting of 30 officers and soldiers to participate. 

In the coming time, the two sides will continue to maintain bilateral patrols, enhance friendship exchanges, raise legal awareness for people on both sides of the border, and promptly handle incidents. They will also keep protecting the system of border markers and border signs and building a border of peace, friendship, stability, and development.

At the end of the meeting, the patrol commanders of both sides signed a bilateral patrol record in 2023. The patrol in the first quarter of 2024 will be chaired by the Chinese side.

Russian oil and gas company hailed for contributions to Vietnam-Russia ties

Russian oil and gas company Zarubezhneft JSC's cooperation and business projects in the fields of oil and gas, energy in Vietnam have made positive contributions to the special friendship and cooperative ties between Vietnam and Russia, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has said.

Receiving the company’s General Director Sergey Kudryashov in Hanoi on December 7, Ha affirmed that Vietnam has always attached importance to its traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia.

He hoped that in the coming time, with experience and technological advantages, Zarubezhneft will join hands with Vietnamese partners and businesses to deploy new oil and gas, and energy projects to boost economic cooperation between the two countries.

The Deputy PM said he will direct ministries, agencies, and localities to remove difficulties and obstacles to facilitate projects between the Russian company and its Vietnamese partners.

For his part, Kudryashov informed the Deputy PM about impressive results of cooperation projects between Zarubezhneft and the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (Petrovietnam). Currently, Zarubezhneft is urgently completing procedures and plans to carry out new oil and gas, and energy projects in Vietnam, he said.

The General Director expressed his desire to participate in important energy and electricity projects in Vietnam.

On the same day, Deputy PM Tran Hong Ha also received former Environment Minister of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Lee Chi-beom.

At the reception, Ha applauded the Korean guest for his contributions and initiatives to boost Vietnam-RoK cooperative relations.

Ha said Vietnam has incentives to attract investors into the fields of environmental protection, renewable energy, green transition, and digital transformation.

Lee said that Korean businesses have plans to invest in environmentally-friendly smart industrial zones and clusters in Vietnam to serve high-tech manufacturing industries, form a complete ecosystem, and participate in the global value chain.

PM presides over conference on Red River Delta master plan

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who is Chairman of the Coordinating Council for Red River Delta Region, presided over the council's second conference in Hanoi on December 7 to give opinions on the building of the region's master plan for the 2021-2030 period with a vision to 2050. 

The Red River Delta, encompassing 11 provinces and centrally-run cities, namely Hanoi, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Vinh Phuc, Bac Ninh, Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Thai Binh, Ha Nam, Nam Dinh, and Ninh Binh, is the focus of the Politburo’s Resolution 30. The resolution sets a vision for 2045, envisioning the Red River Delta as a modern, civilised and ecologically sustainable development area, a major economic and financial hub with global and regional stature. 

Speaking at the event, PM Chinh said the draft masterplan has not fully identified the potential of the region, which together with the southeast region contributes over 50% of the national GDP. He also noted that the role of the region as the gateway from ASEAN to China has not been sufficient mentioned in the draft. 

He also underlined the need to include the revival of rivers in the region, which are currently depleted of resources and encroached upon due to human activities.

There should be solutions, projects, resources, mechanisms and policies to tackle issues such as waste and pollution, he said, adding that human resources training should not only serve the development of the region but also coordinate workforce on a national scale. "We have to address the limitations, shortcomings and contradictions of the region, which has a small area but a large population, prompting the need to urbanisation," the PM said, stressing the development of overhead and underground space.  

At the same time, he reiterated the viewpoint of not sacrificing social progress and equity for economic growth. Therefore, solutions and resources are needed to handle the problems of waste and pollution in the region. 

Highlighting innovation and sci-tech as new drivers of regional development, he called for more attention to digital transformation, energy transition, and the development of renewable energy industries as well as agricultural economy and development of key industries. 

The PM also required that the masterplan should include the building of links with other regions, the entire country, and the world.

In conclusion, he asked ministries, agencies and localities to continue collecting opinions of experts, scientists and the public on the master plan.

Entire political system joins hands in childcare activities: Vice President

Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan on December 7 emphasised that the entire political system, organisations and individuals have joined hands in childcare activities when she chaired a meeting of the National Fund for Vietnamese Children (NFVC) Sponsorship Council.

Xuan, who is also president of the council, said that NFVC’s activities have received attention and support from ministries, agencies, localities, and donors.

The Vice President asked the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to provide orientations for the operation of the fund and beneficiaries to get the fund’s support so that the NFVC can continue to promote its strengths and have more new effective activities.

She asked the NFVC to coordinate with other funds, associations, and organisations at home and abroad to implement practical activities for children.

Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung said, in 2024, the NFVC will strive to mobilise 110 billion VND (4.53 million USD) to provide assistance to 110,000 children.

As of December 5, 2023, it had mobilised over 77 billion VND and expects to raise total funds of about 111.56 billion VND this year. More than 113,800 children have received support worth nearly 89.7 billion VND since the beginning of this year.

Vietnam attends 8th MLC Foreign Ministers' Meeting in China

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son led a Vietnamese delegation to attend the 8th Mekong - Lancang Cooperation (MLC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting that opened in Beijing, China, on December 7.

Addressing the event, Son affirmed that Vietnam treasures and continues actively contributing to cooperation among the six MLC countries.

With the goal of building a better future for their people, he put forth four priority areas of cooperation in the coming time, including advancing foundational industries by gradually transforming from processing and assembly to research, design, and manufacturing; and fostering innovation, technology application and transfer.

The second suggestion was accelerating digital transformation through policy dialogues on digital economy and cybersecurity. This entails collaboration in developing digital workforce, smart cities, digitising micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), and encouraging the establishment of digital infrastructure and application of new-generation technologies into the manufacturing industry.

He also called for greater efforts to promote environmental protection and green growth by strengthening cooperation in developing a green circular bio-economy, clean and renewable energy, smart agriculture; and expediting the completion and implementation of the MLC Water Resources Cooperation Action Plan for 2023-2027. The scope of data sharing on meteorology, hydrology, and dam operation should be expanded while closer coordination between the MLC and the Mekong River Commission should be enhanced, Son said.

In his view, promoting trade cooperation, establishing intelligent supply chains, facilitating connections between MSMEs and multinational corporations, and reforming the investment environment are also key components of this collaborative effort.

The Vietnamese minister's speech was welcomed and highly evaluated by the participating member countries.

Ministers hailed the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Special Fund for assisting member countries in carrying out over 700 small and medium-sized projects across various sectors such as trade, agriculture, tourism, water resource management, environment, health, poverty reduction, and women's empowerment.

Building upon the past achievements, they agreed to step up the MLC cooperation with a priority given to innovation, assisting the modernisation of countries and creating new momentum for sub-regional cooperation. They concurred to explore the possibility of establishing the Mekong-Lancang Innovation Corridor with people being put at the centre, and developing the Mekong-Lancang Economic Belt. This initiative aims to enhance the application of advanced technologies in economic development, boost infrastructure connectivity, facilitate trade and investment, support the transition to clean energy and promote green growth.

They reaffirmed their commitment to prioritising water management in the Mekong-Lancang region, expediting the completion of the Action Plan for MLC Water Resources Cooperation for the 2023-2027 period. They expressed their support for Vietnam's hosting of the second MLC Ministerial Meeting on Water Resources in 2024.

The meeting also vowed to increase people-to-people exchanges as well as education and tourism collaboration.

Hanoi and Minsk ink cooperation document

The capital of Hanoi (Vietnam) and the capital of Minsk (Belarus) signed a cooperation programme to effectively implement the 2004 agreement on friendship and cooperation between the two cities for 2024-2026.

The document was signed after a meeting on December 7 between Hanoi leader Tran Sy Thanh and Belarus Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko who is in Hanoi for an official visit to Vietnam.
  
Under the signed document, the two cities will continue to facilitate bilateral economic and trade development, carry out trade promotion forums, and regularly exchange information about the investment environment and promising investment projects of each side.

They will also cooperate in promoting bilateral tourist exchanges, and support the establishment and development of professional training institutions at all education levels.

During their meeting, both host and guest agreed that cooperation between Hanoi and Minsk is considered a bright spot in Vietnam – Belarus relations.

Prime Minister Golovchenko proposed that the two cities increase visit exchanges; concretise their cooperation agreement by outlining specific areas of cooperation; enhance education-cultural exchanges, including organizing the Hanoi Culture Day in Minsk and vice versa; and organize economic-trade forums in each side.

The PM also proposed that the two sides further promote cooperation in areas of their strength.

Belarus wants to build waste treatment and recycling plants, and expand exports of agricultural and dairy products to the Vietnamese market, he said.

Hanoi Mayor Tran Sy Thanh for his part welcomed the Belarus PM’s proposals and said Hanoi would outline annual plans to concretise the cooperation agreement with Minsk. He also assured his guest that Hanoi would soon send a delegation to Belarus to share experience and learn about its education experience.

He especially appreciated his guest’s proposal regarding cooperation in the fields of public transportation, waste treatment and recycling, saying these are Hanoi’s prioritized areas. He proposed that Belarus join the bus and car supply chain with partners in Vietnam. he also affirmed that Hanoi is ready to receive high quality products from Belarus.

Belarus Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko arrived in Hanoi on December 6 for a four-day official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

Vietnam and Switzerland increase health cooperation

Vietnam wishes to increase cooperation with Switzerland in the fields of pharmaceuticals manufacturing and technology transfer, health Minister Dao Hong Lan told Swiss Ambsssador Thomas Gass at a reception in Hanoi on December 7.

Receiving the diplomat, Lan lauded the effective cooperation between the two countries in various areas, including health care. Notably, Switzerland provided Vietnam with emergency aid, comprising 30 oxygen ventilators, 500,000 antigen test kits and 300,000 respiratory masks totaling CHF4.66 million during the height of the pandemic.
  
As the potential for medical cooperation remains huge, the Health Minister proposed that Swiss pharmaceutical firms transfer technology to produce patented drugs, vaccines and biological products that Vietnam cannot yet produce. She also proposed that the Swiss side support the Drug Administration of Vietnam in the form of training and strengthen the capacity of GMP (good manufacturing practices) inspectors.

Lan said Vietnam is amending the Pharmacy Law and it is encouraging foreign businesses, including Swiss firms, to give opinions regarding their engagement in drug distribution, drug registration and drug registration licensing, among other issues of their concern.

She expressed her belief that future cooperation between Vietnam and Switzerland would continue to reap substantial results, contributing to the development of bilateral relations, especially in the fields of health, and protection and care of people’s health.

Ambassador Gass for his part said he would personally urge pharmaceutical firms to give their opinions on issues of major concern. He also affirmed that he would make efforts to promote the cooperative relationship between the two sides in general and the health sector in particular.

Ha Long Bay among world’s top 10 most-visited natural wonders

Ha Long Bay in the northern province of Quang Ninh has been named among the top 10 most-visited natural wonders of the world, by magazine The Travel of the United States.

The Travel shared that Vietnam is a distinctive country that is blessed with numerous beautiful natural attractions, including Ha Long Bay. With its emerald waters and nearly 2000 limestone islands and islets, the Bay typically receives 2.6 million visitors annually.

“The site also attracts hikers, swimmers, divers, and rock climbers,” the magazine added.

The Travel suggested that the best time to visit Ha Long Bay is in March, April, September, and October.

Located just a two-hour drive from Hanoi, the popular travel destination was recognised for its outstanding geological and geomorphological value by the World Heritage Committee in 2000.

A number of other prestigious foreign magazines and websites have also hailed the magnificent bay.

Fodor’s Travel, a trusted resource offering expert travel advice for every stage of a traveler’s trip for nearly eight decades, also listed the destination among the top 25 natural wonders throughout Southeast Asia.

Meanwhile, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) of Hong Kong (China) named Ha Long Bay among the most popular attractions throughout Asia.

Furthermore, the UNESCO heritage site was viewed as one of the most beautiful places in the world to add to any traveler’s bucket list in 2022, according to Canadian travel publication The Travel.

It also was named amongst the 50 most beautiful natural wonders on Earth, as selected by US-based magazine Insider, while CNN Travel included the site on its list of the top 25 most beautiful places worldwide.

Other destinations included on the list of the top 10 most-visited natural wonders were the Grand Canyon of Arizona (USA), Table Mountain (South Africa), Moraine Lake (Canada), the Matterhorn (Switzerland and Italy), the Great Barrier Reef (Australia), Arches National Park (USA), the Cliffs of Moher (Ireland), Iguazu Falls (Argentina and Brazil), and Guanabara Bay (Brazil).

HCMC to exploit social media platform to listen to residents' concerns

Ho Chi Minh City is going to exploit an AI-powered social media platform to record residents' opinions and solve the problems that residents are most concerned about every day and every week.

This information was stated by Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Information and Communications Lam Dinh Thang at the 13th session of the tenth tenure Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council on December 7.

Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee and Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council Nguyen Thi Le, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council Pham Thanh Kien chaired the conference.

With delegates’ petitions related to digital transformation, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Information and Communications Lam Dinh Thang answered that digital transformation is the process of comprehensive change of organizations by the adoption of technology and data.

Currently, HCMC has 14 large platforms. For example, the hotline 1022 specializes in receiving the questions of people about issues and hot spots, thereby helping HCMC’s functional agencies promptly tackle them.

In the upcoming time, Ho Chi Minh City will exploit the AI-powered social media listening platform to solve problems that residents are most concerned about every day and every week.

Currently, Ho Chi Minh City ranks second among 63 provinces and cities in the country in the digital transformation index, including the first position in digital institutions and digital infrastructure.

The Ho Chi Minh City public service portal is ranked fourth out of 63 provinces and cities, level A.

Recently, the ASOCIO Awards Council has just selected the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to grant the award for the category of Excellent Digital Government in 2023. 

According to Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Information and Communications Lam Dinh Thang, digital transformation is identified as the city’s theme in 2024.

Despite many huge challenges, the entire city's political system, government agencies at all levels and sectors will determine to complete the city's digital transformation target.

To achieve the above goal, HCMC will focus on equipment investment for digital infrastructure development in synchronization from the city to wards, communes and towns.

Besides, to overcome difficulties in human resources, the city will establish a digital transformation center to support units, apply the form of hiring services, on-site staff training and so on.

18 flights unable to take off, land at Noi Bai Airport due to dense fog

Defense fog affected the visibility and flight schedules at Noi Bai International Airport on December 7.

Particularly, seven flights scheduled to land at Noi Bai airport were forced to divert to another airport. Besides, 11 domestic flights departing from Noi Bai airport were also delayed.

From 7:55 a.m. on December 7, flights can take off and land normally as fog has mostly cleared. However, other flights during the day are likely to be delayed due to adjustment of flight times.

A representative of Noi Bai International Airport said that flights were delayed owing to dense fog, aiming to ensure absolute safety for flights.

Over US$25 mln dedicated to community, anti-natural disaster projects

After 15 years of operation, the Fund for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control has mobilized nearly US$25 million for community and anti-natural disaster projects.

Representatives of the Fund for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control honorably receive the certificate of merit of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

In addition, thousands of programs and projects have helped people nationwide perform natural disaster prevention and control together with implementing daily life stabilization.

The information was released at a ceremony celebrating the 15-year establishment of the Fund for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control on December 7 morning.

On the occasion, the collective of the Fund for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control honorably received the certificate of merit of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Chairman of the Fund Management Board Phan Dien informed that people nationwide are concerned about sharing and always desire to help those people in natural disaster-hit areas reduce difficulties.

By the end of 2023, the Fund for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control has mobilized over VND600 billion (nearly US$25 million) and implemented nearly 2,000 works and projects for natural disasters prevention and control in 55 provinces and cities in the country.

In addition, the fund has called for construction sponsorship for over 122 community projects against natural disasters, comprising 88 classrooms and schools, 20 medical centers and 14 community houses which both serve socio-economic development and provide safe shelters for affected residents.

On the other hand, the Program for Green Future and the teaching equipment support project have also awarded more than VND27 billion (US$1.1 million) in scholarships to more than 1,000 students in difficulties, renovate nearly 250 schools across the country.

Moreover, 142 swimming pools have been built in schools in 36 provinces and cities nationwide.

Road to Cat Lai port to be expanded to 30 meters

HCMC plans to expand Nguyen Thi Dinh Street from its current six-meter width to 30 meters to reduce traffic congestion along the key route to Cat Lai port, the country’s busiest container terminal with annual throughput amounting to 5.5 million TEUs.

The project, which needs an estimated VND2,000 billion, will upgrade and widen a two-kilometer section of the street from Giong Ong To bridge to the My Thuy bridge.

The investment policy for this road expansion was approved in 2015, but the project faced repeated delays due to site clearance problems. Originally, the project was planned for completion in 2020 with a total cost of VND295 billion.

According to a proposal sent to the 13th session of the 10th-tenure HCMC People’s Council, the HCMC People’s Committee said it could not be completed until 2026.

Compensation, support, resettlement and site clearance costs have risen to VND1,800 billion.

The increase in costs is attributed to the extended compensation and support for resettlement, leading to adjustments in the land price coefficient, as well as the incorporation of two new locations within the project.

Cat Lai port now handles around 19,000 container trucks a day.

In conjunction with the Nguyen Thi Dinh road expansion, the city has also initiated the first phase of the My Thuy intersection development and the widening of Dong Van Cong Street, all of which contribute to improving traffic flow in the area.

Deputy PM urges faster work on Nha Trang-Lien Khuong expressway

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has called on local authorities to swiftly propose an investment plan for the Nha Trang-Lien Khuong expressway project, which spans the provinces of Khanh Hoa and Lam Dong.

Originally planned for investment after 2030, the Nha Trang-Lien Khuong Expressway will now be considered for earlier construction in response to this request.

In September of this year, the local construction firm Son Hai Group submitted a proposal to develop the Nha Trang-Lien Khuong expressway project. This proposed expressway would stretch over 103 kilometers and measure 17 meters in width.

It would feature four lanes, including an emergency lane, and have speed limits ranging from 80 to 100 kilometers per hour.

Of the total length, 48 kilometers would traverse Khanh Hoa Province, while the remaining portion would pass through Lam Dong. The estimated total investment for the project is around VND36 trillion.

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