A delegation of the Vietnamese Embassy in Qatar led by Ambassador Tran Duc Hung visited and offered encouragement to Vietnamese footballers on January 12, two days ahead of the team’s first match at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup finals.

Hung said the players’ presence in the biggest football event of Asia is a source of pride for Vietnam, and that not only fans in the homeland but also the Vietnamese community in Qatar are eager to give the best support to and infuse their enthusiasm into the team.

He voiced his hope that the team will uphold strong mettle, solidarity, and the Vietnamese spirit in every game to obtain the best possible results and reach the set target.

Appreciating the embassy’s support, head coach Philippe Troussier presented the embassy with the team’s jersey and pledged all-out efforts to surmount all challenges at the tournament.

After the training session on January 11 evening, Troussier announced the official list of 26 players for the finals.

The 2023 AFC Asian Cup finals will officially kick off at Lusail Stadium in Doha on January 12 evening.

In Group D, Vietnam will face Japan in its first match at Al Thumama Stadium at 2:30pm (local time, or 6:30pm in Vietnam time) on January 14. The team will encounter Indonesia on January 19 and then Iraq on January 24.

PM to highlight Vietnam’s ideas, commitments in sustainable development at WEF-54: Ambassador

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s participation at the 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF-54) in Davos, Switzerland from January 16-18 will provide a chance for Vietnam to highlight ideas, commitment and solutions to realise the country’s strategy on sustainable socio-economic development and international integration, according to Ambassador Le Thi Tuyet Mai, head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the United Nations, WTO and other international organisations in Geneva.

The Vietnamese Government leader will share Vietnam’s visions at the forum's main sessions, including a WEF Country Strategic Dialogue on Vietnam, a policy dialogue of Vietnam and a discussion with some ASEAN countries on promoting the role of global cooperation in ASEAN, the diplomat told Vietnam News Agency (VNA)’s correspondent in Geneva.   

She said that PM Chinh will also join leaders of countries, international organisation and multi-national businesses at a WEF session on recovering confidence on the global system.   
         
The Vietnamese leader will address some other events, including a seminar on attracting investment in semiconductor industry, and another on experience and development models of international financial centres with the participation of leading Swiss financial groups, Ambassador Mai said.

PM Chinh will hold bilateral meetings with leaders of some countries and international organisations to discuss regional and international issues of shared concern, and strengthen connectivity with partners.

The diplomat stressed that the Vietnamese Government leader will directly tell leaders of states, international organisations and multi-national enterprises about Vietnam’s efforts to renovate the growth model, promote green economy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, speed up innovation and digital transformation on an equal and inclusive principle and enhance capacity to deal with climate change, showing the country’s determination and attempts to deliver on the commitment it had made at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) to achieve net-zero emission by 2050.

The Vietnamese PM will have a meeting with WEF Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab, during which they will witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between Vietnam’s Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and WEF on developing innovation and green transition skills, and a deal between the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City and WEF on collaboration in establishing a Fourth Industrial Revolution Centre, Ambassador Mai revealed.

She underlined that these activities demonstrate Vietnam and WEF’s great attention to bilateral relations. Vietnam has highly valued the WEF’s role in the world and Vietnam, and stayed ready to promote ties with the forum. Meanwhile, WEF leaders have hailed Vietnam’s role and contributions in promoting multilateral cooperation, as well as the country’s efforts to join hands with the international community in dealing with global challenges, she noted.

Ambassador Mai said that the activities will also provide opportunities for Vietnam to prove its role as an active partner of the international community and its willingness to make contributions to the settlement of global issues, as well as efforts to shape the future by putting forth ideas and implementing policies to boost socio-economic development and improve people’s living conditions in the current important period.

The PM’s participation at the event will affirm the role, position and reputation of Vietnam in the world arena, the diplomat underlined.

Themed “Rebuilding Trust,” the WEF-54 will focus on four major issues – building economic policies to suit the new era, long-term strategy on climate, nature and energy, artificial intelligence as a motivation for socio-economic development, and security and cooperation in a divided world.

China supports Vietnam’s development of green economy, people-to-people diplomacy: Ambassador

China supports Vietnam's efforts toward industrialisation and modernisation, particularly in such key areas as green economy, digital economy, and energy transition, Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Xiong Bo has affirmed.

The diplomat told the local press in a recent interview that the potential for bilateral cooperation in these sectors is substantial, as the two nations are each other’s important economic, trade, and investment partners.

According to him, their synergy in trade-investment collaboration is conducive to the establishment of stable and sustainable supply chains. Furthermore, their status of being newly emerging economies with rapid and robust development rates further amplifies the significant contributions of their bilateral cooperation in maintaining regional and global peace, stability, and development.

The ambassador disclosed that Vietnam and China are intensifying efforts to promote the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong railway project connecting Yunnan in China to Vietnam's border, which is currently in the stage of feasibility study report.

He stated China is ready to meet Vietnam's requirements and utilise preferential funding to help it plan the upgrade and rebuilding of the Bac Giang-Dong Dang-Hanoi railway line, as well as carry out the next phase of planning for the Mong Cai-Quang Ninh-Hai Phong railway.

Upon completion and becoming operational, these railway lines are expected to significantly enhance the efficiency of cargo transport between the two countries, reducing border gate congestion, he said. Additionally, both countries are implementing a pilot smart-customs programme at the Huu Nghi border gate, aiming for around-the-clock efficient automated customs procedures. These railways, when completed, will open economic corridors linking Vietnam to Central Asia, and even Europe via China, shortening the distance between Vietnam and Central Asia and turning the northern border provinces of Vietnam into a gateway to the north.

On people-to-people diplomacy, Xiong emphasised the importance of enhancing the two peoples' mutual understanding, support, and deep engagement in the nations' cooperation. He noted that the scale of mutual visits between Vietnamese and Chinese citizens remains modest compared to their populations.

Top leaders of both Parties have been highly valuing the strengthening of people-to-people exchanges and underscoring the need to enhance the bilateral friendship, the ambassador stated.

Xiong suggested that cultural and artistic activities also serve as effective bridges to enhance mutual understanding between Vietnamese and Chinese peoples, particularly the younger generations. In fact, Vietnamese youth enjoy Chinese films, television programmes, while Vietnamese artists taking part in popular Chinese shows are a favour of young Chinese, having millions of fans in China.

He expressed his hope that the media of both countries will continue to positively and comprehensively popularise the exchanges and friendly cooperation between the sides’ sectors and localities, as well as the significant achievements they have attained. This, he believed, will further deepen the understanding between the two peoples.

Int’l cruise ships to bring 80,000 visitors to Quang Ninh

Sixty international cruise ships with a total of some 80,000 passengers aboard have registered to dock at Ha Long International Port in the northeastern province of Quang Ninh this year, according to the provincial Department of Tourism.

Renowned names include Mein Schiff 6 & 5, Celebrity Solstice, Noordam, MSC Spendida, and Westerdam.

Earlier, Portuguese-flagged cruise liner Vasco Da Gama carrying 650 German tourists, and Celebrity Solstice of Malta nationality with 3,000 European and American passengers made port call in the locality on the last day of 2023 to welcome New Year’s Eve.

Other two cruise ships, Zhao Shang Yi Dun from China and Westerdam from the Netherlands, brought nearly 2,200 Chinese, European, and American visitors to Ha Long city on January 4.

Those marked the post-pandemic recovery of the cruise tourism sector.

The cruise tourism season usually starts in October and ends in April. In the last three months of 2023, Quang Ninh welcomed 23 cruise liners with 23,000 tourists.

Meanwhile, 13 cruise ships carrying nearly 20,000 foreign passengers on board have registered to add Ha Long as a port of call in January this year. Notably, Celebrity Solstice has marked its return in Ha Long for the eighth time since October, and Zhao Shang Yi Dun the eighth time since November 2023.

The international cruise liners will diversify tourist resources in Quang Ninh province and Vietnam as a whole, especially in low travel season.

Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Tourism Nguyen Huyen Anh said the office has joined hands with others to facilitate immigration procedures and offer the best services to foreign visitors.

With a view to luring more cruise tourists, Quang Ninh will roll out new products such as an exhibition space that spotlights the culture of Dao Thanh Y ethnic minority group in Uong Bi city, Ha Long City Tour, and a tour to discover coal mining sites.

Besides, the department has ordered relevant quarters to pay due attention to developing tourism infrastructure, expanding market, introducing local immigration policy, while launching new offerings to lengthen visitors’ stay and increase their spending.

Endowed with natural advantages for marine tourism, Quang Ninh boasts a coastline of over 250 kilometres and more than 2,000 islands of various sizes that account for two-thirds of the total in Vietnam.

In particular, Ha Long Bay, literally “the bay of descending dragons”, is recognised as a world natural heritage site by UNESCO twice, in 1994 for its globally outstanding aesthetic merit and in 2000 for its geological - geomorphological value.

Only 1.5% of population voluntarily donate blood: conference

More than 1.5 million units of blood were donated nationwide in 2023, with 99% of which came from voluntary blood givers who account for 1.5% of the total population, heard a conference to review the voluntary blood donation work in Hanoi on January 12.

According to reports presented at the event, which was held by the National Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation, the repeat blood donation ratio reached over 60%, while the proportion of blood units with a volume of 350ml or more reached 61%.

Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan, who is also head of the National Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation, said several large-scale blood donation campaigns were organised effectively, attracting millions of donors.

The collection of blood has met the blood demand for medical emergencies and treatment, she said.

As many as 4,530 clubs of voluntary blood donation have been set up nationwide so far, attracting the participation of over 153,000 members.

Notably, activities to mobilise voluntary blood donation have been strengthened through information technology. Attention has also been paid to managing and taking care of voluntary blood donors.

Nearly 5,600 events campaining for blood donation have been organised, attracting over 1.4 million participants.  Meanwhile, more than 13,500 staff, red cross members, and volunteers have been trained in mobilising resources for humanitarian blood donation activities.

The National Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation took the occasion to present certificates of merit to 45 organisations in recognition of their outstanding achievements in voluntary blood donation movements in 2023.

At the event, the Ministry of Health, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRCS) and the Vietnam association for organ and tissue donation signed an agreement on cooperation in mobilising organ and tissue donation in the 2024-2027 period.

Vietnam strengthens ties with India’s Gujarat state

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang on January 11 received Chief Minister of India’s Gujarat state Bhupendra Patel, on the occasion of his attendance at the 10th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit held from January 9-12.

Quang stressed that cooperation opportunities between Vietnam and Gujarat are being opened up, especially since the launch of direct flights between the state and Vietnam’s two major cities of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi in November 2022, with a frequency of 14 flights a week; and as many Gujarat-based corporations plan to invest in the Southeast Asian country.

He proposed the chief minister continue paying attention to boosting the two sides’ cooperation, including stepping up delegation exchanges, increasing the efficiency of economic, trade and investment ties, speeding up negotiations to raise flight frequency, and strengthening collaboration between the two countries’ localities.

Bhupendra Patel expressed heed to information shared by Quang about the Vietnamese situation, particularly its mechanisms and policies to create favourable conditions for foreign investors, including those from India, in the fields it has needs such as energy, infrastructure, seaport, oil and gas, innovation, green economy, and digital transformation.

According to him, there is huge potential for cooperation and investment for Vietnamese businesses in Gujarat, as the state is located in an important geographical location in the Asian - Middle East – European infrastructure connectivity.

Quang took the occasion to invite Bhupendra Patel to visit Vietnam to seek collaboration potential and opportunities, and the latter accepted the invitation.

OVs in China join get-together in celebration of Lunar New Year

The Vietnamese Embassy in China held a get-together on January 12 for overseas Vietnamese living, working and studying in China ahead of the Lunar New Year (Tet) Festival, which falls on February 10 this year.

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to China Pham Sao Mai informed participants about Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements, and the development of Vietnam-China relations, especially the practical and diverse results of visits by Party and State leaders of the two countries in 2023.

Mai affirmed that the Party and State of Vietnam always consider the Vietnamese community abroad as an inseparable part of the nation.

He believed that promoting overseas Vietnamese resources, especially intellectual resources, is one of the important tasks that not only contributes to the country's socio-economic development but also strengthens the great national unity bloc in the new situation.

Mai highly appreciated the solidarity and mutual support among overseas Vietnamese in China as well as their love for the homeland.

The ambassador expressed his hope that in the coming time, the Vietnamese community in China will continue to promote solidarity, preserve national identity, actively contribute to the process of national protection and construction, and serve as a bridge to promote the friendly neighbourliness and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and China.

At the gathering, the embassy staff and overseas Vietnamese extended New Year greetings to each other and enjoyed cultural performances, and traditional foods to welcome the Year of the Dragon.

Vietnam, Japan hold environmental policy dialogue

The eighth Vietnam - Japan environmental policy dialogue was held on January 12 in a hybrid format. It was co-chaired by Japan’s State Minister of the Environment Yagi Tetsuya, and Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Le Cong Thanh.

Deputy Minister Thanh highlighted the event's importance as the memorandum of understanding for cooperation that the two ministries signed in 2020 expired, saying that this is an opportunity for the two ministries to discuss to open up a new phase of cooperation in the environment, climate change, and plastic waste reduction.

Japanese State Minister Yagi said that the cooperation between the two ministries has achieved specific and practical results, especially in the field of environment and climate change adaptation.

Vietnam participated in the Joint Credit Mechanism proposed by the Japanese Government to implement bilateral cooperation with developing countries. To date, more than 40 projects related to the mechanism have been carried out in Vietnam, helping Vietnam raise its capacity to implement Article 6 of the Paris Agreement while promoting the process of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

On collaboration in natural disaster mitigation, Deputy Minister Thanh said Vietnam is interested in devising solutions to a natural disaster early warning system, including a network of hydrometeorological monitoring stations. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has encouraged Japanese businesses to join the hydrometeorological service market in Vietnam, Thanh said, adding that his ministry supports initiatives on early warning system of the Japanese environment ministry. 

Minister Yagi said his ministry is making efforts to apply measures on early warning in countries in the Asia-Pacific region via the public-private partnership.

In addition to cooperation in mitigating impacts of climate change, Vietnam is seeking Japan’s support in tackling pollution, particularly ocean plastic waste, electronic waste, expired solar panels, solid waste, and waste water, along with air and water environment control. 

Yagi affirmed that the Japanese Ministry of the Environment always stands ready to cooperate and accompany the Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to carry out activities on environmental protection and climate change adaptation.

Communist Parties of Vietnam, China hold 18th theoretical workshop

The 18th theoretical workshop between the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and the Communist Party of China (CPC) was held in Ho Chi Minh City on January 12, with a focus on experiences in and solutions to enhancing the protection of the ecological environment during the process of national construction and modernisation.

The CPV delegation was led by Nguyen Xuan Thang, Politburo member, Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council, and President of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics. Meanwhile, the CPC delegation was led by Li Shulei, Politburo member, Secretary of the CPC Central Committee’s Secretariat, and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee.

Stressing the urgency of environmental degradation, natural resource exhaustion, and climate change, Thang said the Party and State of Vietnam identified consistent and critically important targets, viewpoints, and measures for promoting green growth to achieve economic prosperity, environmental sustainability, and social equality while practically contributing to the international community’s efforts to protect the ecological environment and respond to climate change.

For his part, Li said the protection of the ecological environment and civilisation holds special importance in China’s efforts to realise the Second Centenary Goal. He also introduced China's general target on environmental protection set at the 20th National Congress of the CPC, which is pursuing green development and promoting harmony between humanity and nature, results obtained so far, experiences, and effective measures.

Both officials affirmed the importance of increasing theoretical discussions between the two Parties in the new context, saying those events are occasions for the two sides to share the CPV and CPC’s theoretical achievements and practical experiences in leading and organising the implementation of guidelines and policies on the protection of the ecological environmental and civilisation, particularly during the process of national modernisation and development in each country.

The same day, Thang and Nguyen Van Nen, Politburo member and Secretary of the HCM City Party Committee, had separate meetings with Li and the CPC delegation.

Ensuring absolute aviation security, safety - a top priority task: Deputy PM

Ensuring absolute aviation security and safety is among the top prority tasks, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang said while chairing a conference in Hanoi on January 12 to review performance in 2023 and implement tasks for 2024 of the National Civil Aviation Security Committee.

Quang, who is also chairman of the committee, asked ministries, agencies, and localities to concertedly implement measures to ensure aviation security and safety.

Besides measures to strengthen inspection and supervision, it is necessary to review and promptly deal with risks and possibilities of incidents.

Quang emphasised the need for regular training and drills, the application of information technology, and digital transformation in the aviation industry to ensure the security and safety of the flight operating system.

He also asked aviation operating units and businesses to focus on ensuring aviation security while closely coordinating with competent forces in handling incidents and communicating knowledge for airline workers and passengers.

Ministries, agencies, and localities were called on to invest more in equipment and techniques to ensure aviation security and safety, and promote the role and operation of provincial steering committees on terrorism prevention and control.

In 2023, airlines served about 74 million passengers, an increase of 34.5% from 2022. Of that, the number of international passengers reached 32 million, up 1.7 times.

Solutions to be rolled out to promote resources from OVs: Official

Overseas Vietnamese (OV) affairs in 2024 will focus on two orientations of strengthening the great solidarity of the Vietnamese community abroad and promoting resources from the community, which will be implemented with seven major solutions, stated Vice Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs Nguyen Manh Dong at a press conference in Hanoi on January 11.

The solutions include strengthening policy research and recommendation, and diversifying measures to encourage OVs, especially youngsters and reputable people, to make contributions to the homeland, Dong said.

At the same time, the committee will support the community in enhancing their legal status and settling down, especially in difficult areas, while assisting Vietnamese associations to complete their organisation and enhance operational efficiency.

More solutions will be rolled out to attract resources from OVs, while legal regulations, policies and mechanisms related to OVs will continue to be perfected, and connectivity among Vietnamese businesses and intellectuals abroad fostered, he said.

The official stated that a plan to organise the day to honour the Vietnamese language abroad in 2024 will be implemented, along with solutions to renovate contents and methods of teaching and learning it, thus maintaining the national cultural identity.

Dong underlined that methods to provide information to OVs will also be diversified. Alongside, coordination among agencies in OV affairs will be improved, together with the strengthening of the training of officials for the work, he added.

The official noted that last year, amid challenging global economic situation, the Vietnamese community abroad still made great contributions to the homeland.

Notably, the amount of remittances sent to Ho Chi Minh City in the year rose 35% year on year to about 8.92 billion USD, the highest level ever.

The State Bank of Vietnam estimated that the total amount of remittances to Vietnam in 2023 increased 25-30% year on year.

The official underlined that the soft power from the 6 million Vietnamese people in 130 countries and territories has been increasingly promoted, contributing to strengthening Vietnam’s relations with other countries.
 
Affirming the Party and State’s great attention to OV affairs, Dong said that many projects to implement the Politburo’s conclusion regarding OV affairs in the new situation have been carried out, including one to optimise resources from OVs serving the country’s development in the new situation, which was approved by the Prime Minister in November 2023.

The project focuses on providing the Vietnamese community abroad with more favourable positions and conditions to develop and make more contributions to the homeland, stated Dong.

Indonesian famtrip delegation explores Da Nang

An Indonesian famtrip delegation comprising of 35 travel firms conducted a survey to famous destinations throughout the central coastal city of Da Nang from January 8 to January 12.      

The group took time to explore a number of popular destinations in Da Nang, including Ba Na Hills, Marble Mountains, Cham Museum, and Hoi An Ancient Town in the central province of Quang Nam.

As part of the occasion, the Da Nang Department of Tourism organised a talk to seek solutions aimed at attracting more Indonesian tourists and accelerating the launch of flights from Indonesia to Da Nang.

At the event, representatives of the Department of Tourism, local airlines, and businesses provided Indonesian firms with typical tourism products and services.

Furthermore, representatives of the Indonesian firms also gave information on the Indonesian tourism market and co-operative opportunities that exist in terms of transporting tourists.

Participants also discussed solutions aimed at effectively exploiting flights from Indonesia, including charter and connecting flights, whilst also promoting the opening of direct flights from Indonesia to Da Nang.

Indonesia is viewed as a potentially lucrative market as it boasts the fourth largest population in the world and the largest population in Southeast Asia with more than 280 million people, mainly Muslims.

Since 2023, Da Nang International Airport has put into use a prayer room to serve Muslim passengers, while several accommodation facilities in the city have also set up prayer rooms and introduced Muslim-friendly services.

In 2023, as many as 26,000 Indonesian tourists arrived in Da Nang, accounting for about 25% of the total number of Indonesian visitors to Vietnam.

Nguyen Thi Hoai An, deputy director of the Department of Tourism of Da Nang, said the city’s tourism industry is striving to launch charter flights to the most populous Muslim country in Asia and to receive the influx of these tourists in the future, she noted.

HCM City strives for better care for ethnic people

HCM City will continue to pay attention to improving the spiritual and material lives of ethnic minorities in the city, vice chairman of the municipal People's Committee Ngô Minh Châu said at a conference on Wednesday (January 10).

The conference was organised by the municipal People's Committee to review the work of ethnic minority affairs in 2023 and deploy new tasks for 2024.

Ngô Minh Châu called on the city’s Ethnic Minorities Committee and people's committees of Thủ Đức city and districts to focus on taking care of ethnic people during the traditional festivals of ethnic minorities and the upcoming Tết (Lunar New Year).

“The 2024 ethnic programmes focus on the effective implementation of ethnic policies in ensuring social security, and preserving and promoting the traditional cultural identities of ethnic minorities,” he said.

He also acknowledged and appreciated the efforts of the city’s Ethnic Minorities Committee, and local authorities and relevant departments and agencies for the good results of programmes and policies for ethnic people in 2023.

More than 450,000 people of various ethnic minorities live in the city, or about 5.7 per cent of its population, with the Hoa, Khmer and Chăm accounting for the largest numbers.

“The material and spiritual lives of ethnic minorities in the city have been improved, contributing to strengthening the trust of ethnic minorities in the Party and State,” he said.

Tăng Phước Lộc, deputy head of the city’s Ethnic Minorities Committee, said the city’s ethnic affairs have seen many positive changes, with many works carried out in diverse forms with rich content.

“The works help maintain political stability, ensuring security and order, and strengthen solidarity among ethnic minority groups,” he said.

Last year, the city spent more than VNĐ13 billion (US$530,115) to implement activities to celebrate the Lunar New Year, and about VNĐ2 billion ($81,555) for traditional festivals of ethnic minorities.

It provided financial support to 50 ethnic minority teachers teaching ethnic languages with a total cost of VNĐ500 million ($20,390), and to more than 2,800 ethnic students for tuition fees with a total cost of nearly VNĐ3 billion ($122,335).

Local authorities issued nearly 11,000 health insurance cards to ethnic minority people, built 72 houses for poor ethnic minority households, presented scholarships to more than 2,000 disadvantaged ethnic minority students, and provided soft loans to 615 ethnic minority households with an amount of nearly VNĐ28.4 billion ($1.2 million).

Several cultural and artistic activities, culinary exchanges, and performances of traditional national costumes of ethnic minorities were organsied to create spaces for exchanging and preserving traditional ethnic cultures and customs in the city.

At the conference, the city’s Ethnic Minorities Committee honoured nine outstanding collectives and eight individuals for their contributions in the implementation of the city’s ethnic minority policies in 2023. 

Coast Guard Region 3 appreciates close ties with media

The Coast Guard Region No 3 Command on Tuesday (January 9) signed agreements with 16 central and local media agencies for closer co-ordination in disseminating information about maritime law enforcement.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Colonel Lê Văn Tú, secretary of the Party Committee and Political Commissar of the Coast Guard Region No 3 Command, acknowledged and thanked journalists and editors for their close co-ordination with and contributions to the achievements of the Coast Guard Region No 3 Command last year.

Last year the Coast Guard Region No 3 Command co-ordinated with 54 press agencies to publish or broadcast more than 700 news articles, reports and columns about its activities, he said.

“That has made an important contribution to spreading the image and information about the performance of the Coast Guard among local people and overseas Vietnamese.”

He hoped the media would continue to co-ordinate closely with the Coast Guard Region No 3 Command to disseminate information about the Coast Guard’s programmes and movements to combat illegal, unreported, unregulated (IUU) fishing, assist fishermen and develop a “people-based” maritime security policy.

The effective implementation of these programmes and movements is raising public awareness of the Party’s guidelines, State’s policies, and the Việt Nam Coast Guard’s mass mobilisation movement, he said.

“This has helped people better understand the Coast Guard’s role.”

In the last two years the Coast Guard Region No 3 Command, in collaboration with Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu, Bình Thuận, Khánh Hòa provinces, organised 36 sessions for disseminating laws to more than 12,000 fishermen and others, and the contest "I love my homeland's islands and seas” for more than 40,000 students.

It also offered more than gifts to 3,950 local people and gifted 125 bicycles and scholarships to students; 4,800 national flags and 50 medicine bags and cabinets to fishermen and free check-ups, consultations and medicine for more than 1,200 people.

On the occasion, the Coast Guard Region No 3 Command presented certificates of merit to 28 outstanding collectives and 50 individuals from press agencies for their contributions in 2023. 

Việt Nam top podium in 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team

Việt Nam won their first gold medal at the Asian Rifle/Pistol Championship on January 9 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Duo Phạm Quang Huy and Trịnh Thu Vinh topped the podium of the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team after defeating Indian rivals, Arjun Cheema and Rhythm Sangwan, 17-11 in the final.

Pakistan and South Korea shared third place.

Another pair of Việt Nam, Lại Công Minh and Nguyễn Thùy Trang, failing to make the cut.

"I am happy and proud with this Asian championship gold medal," said Vinh.

"It is a good beginning for me and the team. Hope that we will earn many more medals in the future."

Coach Phạm Cao Sơn, who is also Huy's father, said the pair performed really well and their points tally was a new record of the team. 

Vietnamese shooters will continue with other events at the championship in the hope of securing Olympic qualification.

The team are seeking the second Olympic slot. Currently, only Vinh has qualified for the Paris Games after her fifth place at the world championship last year. 

HCM City Marathon to welcome 11,000 runners in its 11th season

The southern city's year in sports will begin with the 11th edition of the HCM City Marathon this weekend.

The event will feature more than 11,000 elite and amateur athletes, including 1,300 foreigners from 60 countries and regions, competing on new routes that link the local best landmarks and historical venues.

As one of the most watched marathons in Việt Nam, it attracts thousands of participants every year and has the largest number of followers on social networks in the country.

Since opening for registration, all slots were sold out within a month and a half because of the huge number of applications.

The demand to participate in the tournament was still high as many people expressed their desire to join the race. Despite having over 1,000 people on the waiting list, the organising committee decided not to open additional registrations, to ensure plans to bring the best experience to athletes.

All four categories of 42km, 21km, 10km and 5km start and finish at the April 30 Park in District 1, a totally new track compared to the previous races.

The number of runners in the marathon and half marathon categories accounts for 49 per cent of the total number of participants, three times more than it was in 2017 when these two distances were first held.

Elite runners include former SEA Games marathon bronze medallist Hoàng Thị Ngọc Hoa and SEA Games 10,000m silver medallist Phạm Thị Hồng Lệ on the women's side, along with SEA Games bronze medallist Hoàng Nguyên Thanh and well known veteran runner Lê Văn Tuấn, top candidates in the men's.

They will be against powerful rivals such as Stephen Mungathia Mugambi and Cheptoeck Careen Mwetich, from the world marathon hub of Kenya. They are considered title favourites as their results are less than 2.25hr, the best among registered competitors.

In addition to categories for individual runners, the organisers also hold classes for groups and enterprises. Nearly 3,600 runners of 60 clubs will vie for top rankings.

Organisers also open the door for children of the Elite Orphans Club take part in the 5km. It is to encourage them to integrate into community lifestyle and also support those with athletic talent to become professional athletes in the future.

The total award of VNĐ800 million (US$32,800) is up for grabs, in which the overall winner will walk away with VNĐ60 million.

A special bonus of three diamonds at a cost of VNĐ60 million will be given to winners of men's and women's full marathon classes and a Vietnamese runner with the best result in 42km.

On their route, athletes will pass by Ba Son Bridge, HCM City Opera House, Bến Thành Market and Bạch Đằng Wharf.

Starting early in the morning, marathoners will enjoy the city at dawn and running in the midst of the usual bustling city under the cool weather.

The event will be over three days starting from January 12 and with the final race day on January 14.

Through these days, runners and tourists will have opportunities to visit booths of sponsors and enterprises with many activities and promotions.

The marathon, with the support of the municipal People's Committee, was first organised in 2013 by the HCM City Athletics Federation and Pulse Active Company.

After a decade, organisers hope that the 2024 season will open a new chapter, continuing to entertain runners and change people's lifestyles toward strong health and healthy habits.

It is also expected to push the development of running in particular and sport in general in the city and across Việt Nam.

In addition to the races, the +Positive campaign is also organised to urge people to minimise the event's impact on the environment, keeping the city clean and beautiful for everyone. 

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