The directive underscored the critical role of level-based information system security, emphasising its alignment with the existing Law on Cybersecurity.

The PM asked ministers, heads of ministerial-level and Government agencies, Chairpersons of the centrally-run municipal and provincial People's Committees, Chairs of the Boards of Directors and Members’ Councils, General Directors of State-owned corporations, groups, commercial State-owned banks, the Vietnam Development Bank, the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies, the Cooperative Bank of Vietnam and other State-owned credit and financial institutions nationwide to take direct responsibility for information security in their respective agencies or localities.

They must hold accountable to the PM and the law should any breaches or security incidents occur within their purview.

Under the directive, they were assigned to ensure that all operational information systems, ranging from level 1 to level 5, receive proper security clearance no later than this September.

The Ministry of Information and Communications was tasked with issuing and disseminating a handbook on compliance with legal regulations and strengthening information system security according to the level. At the same time, it must strengthen inspection and examine the compliance with information security regulations.

Other specific tasks were also assigned to IT security companies, telecom and Internet providers.

Vietnam library inaugurated in Moscow research institute

The Institute of China and Contemporary Asia (ICCA) under the Russian Academy of Sciences inaugurated a Vietnam library in Moscow on February 22.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, ICCA Director Kirill Vladimirovich Babaev said the inauguration of the library opens up a new period in the history of scientific and cultural relations between Russia and Vietnam.

According to Babaev, the fact that the library is located in the ICCA, which gathers leading experts on Vietnamese studies in Russia, will help promote the research of the Vietnamese culture as well as understanding of Vietnam.

He expressed his hope that the Vietnam library will become a starting point for many quality scientific articles, new books, research projects, as well as new breakthrough ideas. Babaev also thanked the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia and the "Tradition and Friendship" fund for supporting the initiative.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi said that the library will provide useful information for readers and researchers who want to learn about the country and people of Vietnam. It is also a venue to host cultural events and exchanges, thereby contributing to fostering Vietnam - Russia relations, especially in research collaboration and knowledge sharing in the field of social sciences.

On this occasion, the ambassador presented the book “Building and developing a comprehensive, modern Vietnamese foreign policy and diplomacy, imbued with the identity of "Vietnamese bamboo" by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to the institute.

More conditions proposed for setting up satellite internet in Vietnam

The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) has proposed that foreign businesses which want to provide domestic satellite telecommunications services must have a gateway station located in Vietnam.

The information is stated in a draft decree detailing articles and measures to implement the Law on Telecommunications 2023, which is being consulted by the MIC.

In the section on providing telecommunications services, the draft paper provides a number of provisions for cross-border services to Vietnamese users.

Under the draft decree, the supplier must have a commercial agreement with a licensed domestic telecommunications enterprise.

The domestic enterprise will then have to set up a technical plan to ensure information security, perform emergency prevention, and stop providing services at the request of competent state agencies.

In case of providing satellite telecommunications services, the supplier must have a plan in which all traffic generated by satellite subscriber terminals in the territory of Vietnam must pass through the ground gateway station located in Vietnam and connected to the public telecommunications network, according to the draft decree.

This is a new point compared to the decree guiding the Law on Telecommunications 2009.

In addition, the establishment of fixed satellite and mobile telecommunications networks must also meet capital and investment conditions, such as contributed charter capital must be at least 30 billion VND (1.2 million USD); and total investment capital in the network must be at least 100 billion VND (4.1 million USD) in the first three years.

During the process of developing the new Telecommunications Law, the MIC evaluated that satellite services with very large coverage areas can operate and provide services without either a technical or commercial presence in the host country, which means they are providing cross-border services.

In the context of satellite technology increasingly expanding, they pose a number of potential risks, such as data of users in Vietnam going directly abroad and being collected and used illegally, the risks of data loss affecting the service users’ rights, and network and information insecurity.

Therefore, satellite information services development must ensure sustainable market growth and the users’ rights, protecting personal information, and ensuring information safety and security.

In Vietnam, the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) is the only unit that owns a satellite information network.

This form of connection uses VSAT (very small aperture terminal) with antenna diameters of 1.2-3m and the Vinasat broadband satellite information system to provide services. However, this method has low speed and high cost.

The current trend in the world is to transmit satellite internet using low earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations, like SpaceX is doing with Starlink.

Last year, some of this company's devices were brought to test demonstrations at an event in Hanoi with transmission speeds of 150-200 Mbps.

The solution is expected to help provide internet to remote areas that are difficult to reach with conventional cables.

The draft decree is open for comments until early April.

The new Law on Telecommunications will take effect from July 1.

Economic diplomacy should become a strong driving force: Minister

Consolidating traditional growth engines while optimising new ones is among the key tasks set out by Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son at a conference on the 2024 economic diplomacy in Hanoi on February 22.

Others include promoting innovations in the research, consultancy and forecasting work, and raising the efficiency of economic diplomacy as well as the coordinating role of the Steering Committee for Economic Diplomacy, Son said while chairing the conference.

To complete these tasks, the minister suggested further utilising traditional driving forces to expand export opportunities and attract high-quality investments; reviewing and materialising international commitments and agreements in foreign affairs; keeping a close watch on the international economic situation; and integrating economic diplomacy activities into the development of localities and businesses, among other measures.

It requires innovations and changes in both mindset and action to fulfill the tasks the Party, State, and Government assigned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Son stressed.

Reviewing external relations and economic diplomacy last year, the minister said they helped generate new development opportunities and advance the country’s position and reputation.

He also highlighted the successful trip by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to Davos, Switzerland, for the 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF-54) and his official visits to Hungary and Romania in January 2024.

The same month, Vietnam welcomed high-ranking delegations from Germany, Indonesia, the Philippines, Laos, and Bulgaria, with many important agreements signed, the official continued.

He asked heads of agencies at home and Vietnamese representative offices abroad to closely follow the Government’s instructions on socio-economic development, and the reality in sectors, localities and enterprises in order to mobilise resources for strategic breakthroughs, making economic diplomacy truly a strong driving force for national rapid and sustainable development.

Rare golden monkey released into forest in Ha Giang

A golden monkey (Macaca mulatta), which is in the list of primates needed to be protected, was released into the Chi San Nature Reserve in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang.

The animal was discovered by a resident in Ha Sua hamlet, Ta Lung commune, Meo Vac district in his family's garden before the Lunar New Year.

After a period of nurturing, the golden monkey grew bigger and stronger, and the family handed it over to the forest ranger force.

In recent times, the force has released numerous rare animals into forest, contributing to protecting those at risk of extinction, enriching the natural environment for primeval forests.

This work also helps to further enhance the community's awareness and social responsibility about the mission of protecting forest animals at risk of threat and extinction.

Vietnam verifying information on migrants in UK town

The Vietnamese Embassy in the UK is working closely with competent authorities in the UK to fact-check the case that seven allegedly Vietnamese migrants were detected at Newhaven port in Lewes district of East Sussex county.

Right after getting the information by several newspapers, including BBC News, Guardian, Daily Mail and Mirror, the embassy contacted the UK Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office, Home Office, Metropolitan Police, and Mayor of Newhaven, among others, asking them to provide further information.

The Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs directed the embassy to take necessary citizen protection measures to ensure that the immigrants are treated humanely and in line with laws.

According to the UK press, seven migrants, believed to be Vietnamese, were found in the back of a lorry at Newhaven port on February 16.

Ferry operator DFDS, which runs services between Newhaven and Dieppe in Normandy, northern France, confirmed that the migrants were found on board the Seven Sisters vessel, adding immediate medical attention was provided.

Anas Al Mustafa, 42, from Wales’s Swansea city and accused of assisting the unlawful entry to the UK, appeared at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on February 19. He was remanded into custody and will appear at Lewes Crown Court on March 18.

French deluxe liner visits Phu Quoc Island

French luxury cruise ship Le Jacques Cartier, carrying 150 passengers from France, the US, the UK and some European countries, visited Phu Quoc island in Kien Giang province on February 22.

The vessel departed from Sihanoukville in Cambodia to Phu Quoc and then headed to Con Dao Island and Ho Chi Minh City before returning to France.

Passengers visited Ham Ninh fishing village, Phu Quoc prison, Ho Quoc temple, and other sites of interest.

According to Chairman of Phu Quoc People’s Committee Huynh Quang Hung, Phu Quoc also expects to receive more cruise passengers from such markets as Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Europe in 2024.

Kien Giang welcomed over 21,000 French visitors in 2023 who ranked ninth among international visitors to the province.

Vietnamese family initiative strengthens ties with Lao, Cambodian students

A programme connecting Lao and Cambodian students with their Vietnamese foster families has proven effective, contributing to consolidating friendship between the people of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

It was highlighted at a meeting held by the Ho Chi Minh City chapter of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) on February 23, which reviewed the city's people-to-people and overseas Vietnamese (OV) diplomacy work.

Vice Chairman of the VFF’s municipal chapter Ngo Thanh Son reported that last year, the programme successfully matched 67 Vietnamese families with 91 Lao and 14 Cambodian students.

The chapter also held exchanges between the families of Lao and Cambodian students and their foster families, and advocated for financial support from the municipal Party Committee to aid 67 foster families, totaling 470 million VND (19,580 USD).

The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union organised the Vietnam - Laos - Cambodia family festival while the municipal Women's Union arranged trips to local relic sites and tourist landmarks for families of Lao and Cambodian students, along with presenting 70 traditional dresses to female students from both countries.

The meeting concluded with the municipal VFF chapter awarding certificates of merit to collectives who made outstanding contributions to people-to-people and OV diplomacy, particularly in the successful implementation of the programme in 2023.

HCM City always pays attention to promoting cooperation with Kuwait: Official

Ho Chi Minh City always pays attention to promoting cooperation with Kuwait, thus helping  to develop Vietnam-Kuwait relations in a comprehensive and practical way and in line with the needs and potential of both sides, said Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Vo Van Hoan.

Speaking at a ceremony held by the Kuwaiti Consulate General in HCM City on February 23 to celebrate the 63rd anniversary of Kuwait's Independence Day and the 33rd anniversary of Liberation Day, Hoan said that Vietnamese people, including HCM City's residents, are happy to see achievements that the Kuwaiti Government and people have made during the past time.

According to the official, the mutual understanding and shared desire for independence, freedom, peace and the will to thrive have been the foundation for the strong friendship between the Vietnamese and Kuwaiti peoples for nearly half a century since the two countries officially established diplomatic relations on January 10, 1976. 

Vietnam always considers Kuwait as one of the most important partners in the Middle East in general and the Gulf region in particular, he said, adding that it is proved by Vietnam’s selection of Kuwait as the first country in the Gulf to open its embassy in 2023, which creates the foundation for future development.

Hoan emphasised that based on the good relations between the two countries, HCM City wants to further strengthen cooperation with Kuwait in the fields of trade, commerce, health care, education, tourism, heritage preservation, and the Halal industry. 

For his part, Kuwaiti Consul General in HCM City Talal Alhazza emphasised that Kuwait – Vietnam relations have always been built based on friendship, mutual respect and understanding, and solidarity between the two peoples. The good relationship between the two countries has always been strengthened through mutual visits at all levels and bilateral cooperation agreements in many fields.

Over the past years, the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) has played an active role in strengthening the bilateral relations between Kuwait and Vietnam by providing loans for infrastructure development projects in many rural and mountainous areas in Vietnam. 

In addition, investment cooperation, trade promotion, and tourism activities promoted by the two countries’ agencies have opened up opportunities for cooperation between their businesses in the future. Kuwait has remained Vietnam's largest trading partner in the Middle East, and one of Vietnam's leading trading partners with two-way trade turnover reaching nearly 6 billion USD in 2023. 

On this occasion, the Consul General called on Vietnamese entrepreneurs and businesses to continue investing in development projects in Kuwait, helping to promote bilateral trade and strengthen trade and investment relations between Kuwait and Vietnam.

Da Nang, RoK join hands to nurture tech talents

Da Nang-based Dong A University has joined hands with prestigious Korean institutions namely Gyeongsan Institute of Science and Technology, Jeju National University, Daegu Catholic University, and Da Nang Software Entrepreneurs' Club (DSEC) to develop manpower in the fields of semiconductor, robotics, and information and communication technology (ICT).

Under a cooperation agreement signed in the central city of Da Nang on February 23, they will collaborate to train highly-skilled professionals and seek jobs for them in the Republic of Korea (RoK)'s Gyeongsangbuk province, ensuring that qualified graduates have access to promising employment opportunities.

Mutual support in R&D activities will be facilitated, including national and non-R&D projects fostering deeper collaboration between the RoK and Vietnam.

They will also hold business forums and networking activities focusing on the targeted sectors to strengthen cooperation between universities and enterprises.

Dong A students will gain invaluable exposure through joint training programmes with Korean companies, long-term internships at partner universities or businesses, and even the chance to pursue postgraduate studies in the RoK upon completing the global corporate partnership projects.

Luong Minh Sam, Chairman of the Dong A University Council, said the university is building a project to teach IT to students majoring in the Korean language or to teach Korean to IT students.

Prof. Bong-hwan Kim, Dean of the Semiconductor Department at the Daegu Catholic University, shared information about the model of a university's training institute located in a business. He said the university is ready to offer free training courses for the Dong A University's lecturers and students in the semiconductor field.

Sub-committee on 14th National Party Congress documents convenes first meeting

The sub-committee in charge of documents for the 14th National Party Congress held its first meeting in Hanoi on February 23 under the chair of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, who is head of the sub-committee.

The 14th National Party Congress is scheduled to take place in January 2026. To prepare for the congress, the 13th Party Central Committee has decided to establish five sub-committees in charge of different works.

The Sub-Committee for documents is tasked to draft a political report and a report summarising the 40-year implementation of “Doi Moi” (Renewal) for the congress.

Party General Secretary Trong underlined that the Party's national congress is an extremely important political event of the country. The 14th congress will review the implementation of the resolution of the 13th National Party Congress and the 40-year Doi Moi cause, and drawing important lessons, while sketching out orientations, targets and tasks of the whole Party, people and armed forces in the 2026-2030 period, thus continuing to successfully realising the socio-economic development strategy in the 2021-2030 period.
  
He emphasised that the preparation of documents for the 14th National Party Congress, especially the political report, must be carried out in a scientific, serious and innovated manner, ensuring the quality of the documents. This work is important to ensure the success of the congress, he said.

The Party leader asked members of the sub-committee, especially members of the document drafting team, to reach high consensus on ideological orientations and methods to achieve highest working efficiency, while closely combining theory research with reality summarisation in all fields.

He stressed that the congress’ documents, including the political report, are works of the entire Party, people and armed forces, so they must be compiled with idea contributions from agencies, ministers, sectors, localities, socio-political organisations and the people.

Vietnam, Parliamentary Assembly of Francophonie step up cooperation

Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations (UN), had a working session with President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (APF) Francis Drouin at the UN headquarters on February 22.

Speaking highly of the cooperation between the Vietnamese National Assembly and the APF over the past time, Giang expressed his hope that both sides will enhance exchanges and multilateral collaboration in areas of mutual concerns.

The Vietnamese diplomat held that the cooperation and dialogue partnership between the UN and the Francophonie organisation will help the latter have opportunities to better engage in the UN’s activities, contributing to the efforts seeking solutions to global challenges towards peace, stability, and cooperation for development.

Francis Drouin, for his part, hailed the Vietnamese parliament’s active participation in and contributions to the APF by undertaking various roles, including APF Vice President for Asia-Pacific and member of the executive council of the APF Network of Women Parliamentarians since 2015.

He said he hopes for further support and close cooperation from Vietnam while conducting the APF’s activities in the coming time.

The APF comprises 88 parliaments (sub-committees) from all over the world. Vietnam became an APF member in 1991.

Seven fishermen in distress saved off Quang Nam’s coast

The High Command of Coast Guard Region 2 on February 22 saved seven fishermen in distress off the coast of the central province of Quang Nam.

It said on February 23 that at around 3:30pm on February 22, it received a notification from the Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre Region 2 about a vessel from central Quang Ngai province sinking in rough seas about five nautical miles from Ky Ha port of Quang Nam province.

The seven fishermen on board clung to drifting objects at sea to survive after their vessel sank.

Two high-speed canoes of the coast guard force were immediately deployed to search for the fishermen, who were found at about 5:30pm and given first aid. Their health is now in stable condition, the High Command said.

It later handed over the fishermen to the Quang Ngai border guard force and the local administration.

Quang Binh to plant 50,000 indigenous trees in local natural reserve

The central province of Quang Binh will plant 50,000 indigenous trees to restore the ecological landscape at Dong Chau-Khe Nuoc Trong Natural Reserve under a project sponsored by Earthworm Foundation, a non-profit organisation which supports global business, farmers and communities to tackle environmental and social challenges around the world.

Accordingly, native species will be selected to replace hybrid acacia (a combination between Acacia mangium and Acacia auriculiformisforest) to increase biodiversity value in the reserve. Project activities include planting additional native trees, and monitor and reporting the survival rate and growth of planted forests after one year and three years. The project will be completed by the end of March.

Dong Chau-Khe Nuoc Trong Natural Reserve’s Management Board said that in recent years, thanks to afforestation and forest protection, the biodiversity value of the reserve has been properly preserved and increased. It has received support and investment from organisations around the world in this regard.

In the past four years, over 200,000 valuable native trees such as lim (Erythrophleum fordii) and doi (Michelia tonkinensis A. Chev) have been planted with funding from the local budget.

Covering over 14,000 ha, Dong Chau-Khe Nuoc Trong Natural Reserve is home to many rare animal and plant species at risk of extinction that need to be preserved, such as Sao la (scientifically known as Pseudoryx nghetinhensis) and Cha va chan nau (Pygathrix nemaeus).

There are also rare wood species including Lim xanh (Erythrophleum fordii Oliver) and Gu lau (Sindora tonkinensi) in the area.

Dong Chau-Khe Nuoc Trong was also recognised by the BirdLife International as one of 62 important bird areas and in the lowland endemic bird areas of Vietnam.

Sub-committee discusses documentary preparations for coming Party Congress

A sub-committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam held a meeting in Hanoi on February 23 to examine documentary preparations for the coming 14th National Party Congress.

In his speech at the meeting, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong highlighted the importance of the 14th Party Congress that will review 40 years of implementing the Doi Moi (Renewal) process, 35 years of implementing the 1991 Platform of national construction in transition to socialism, and five years of implementing the Resolution of the 13th Party Congress.

The congress, he said, will also examine lessons to be drawn, and set out development directions, goals, and tasks of Vietnam in the following five years, as well as continuing to successfully implement the 2021-2030 socio-economic development strategy.

The preparation of documents for the 14th Congress, especially the political report, must be conducted seriously, qualitatively and scientifically, to ensure they fully reflect the country’s new reality, said Trong who is also head of the sub-committee on documents.      
Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong emphasizes the importance of document drafting for the coming 14th Party Congress
He noted that the drafting of documents requires close connection between theoretical research and a review of practical development in all fields, with a primary focus on firmly building the Party and political system, and forming synchronous institutions for rapid and sustainable development of the country based on the socialist-oriented market economy, the law-governed socialist State, and socialist democracy.

It's important to clarify what guidelines and policies have been confirmed to be correct and appropriate in reality and which ones need to be supplemented and developed, stressed the Party leader.

He asked members of the sub-committee and especially the drafting board to make all-out efforts to complete work with high quality and on schedule.

The Communist Party of Vietnam is scheduled to hold the 14th congress in January 2026. Five sub-committees have been formed to make preparations for the congress.

Vietnam confident of malaria elimination by 2030: Deputy Health Minister

Vietnam is confident in realising the goal of eliminating malaria by 2030, said Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Lien Huong.

Addressing a ceremony marking Vietnamese Doctors' Day (February 27) and presenting awards of a competition on the life and scientific career of the late Prof. Dang Van Ngu, held by the National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology (NIMPE) in Hanoi on February 22, Huong noted that Vietnam has emerged as a beacon in the regional and global fight against malaria.

She commended NIMPE for its pivotal role in reducing malaria cases, deaths and outbreaks. As of the end of 2023, 46 provinces had achieved malaria-free status, a dramatic turnaround from 1991 when over 1 million cases and 4,646 deaths were reported annually. In 2022, only 455 cases and one death were recorded, with no major outbreaks.

Part of this success, Huong noted, stems from the pioneering work of Prof. Ngu, a renowned Vietnamese parasitologist.

Looking ahead, she urged NIMPE leaders and staff to build on their past achievements, uphold solidarity, and fulfill assigned tasks to combat insect-borne and parasitic diseases, ultimately striving for their elimination.

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