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10/07/2023 11:00 (GMT+07:00)

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES JULY 10/2023

New experiencing route in Non Nuoc Cao Bang Geopark launched

The UNESCO-recognised Non Nuoc Cao Bang Global Geopark in the northern mountainous province of Cao Bang. (Photo: VNA)

A new experiencing route in the UNESCO-recognised Non Nuoc Cao Bang Global Geopark in the northern mountainous province of Cao Bang is introduced to visitors this month.

The route, the fourth of its kind, runs from Cao Bang city via Thach An district to Quang Hoa district where archaeologists have found traces of river, lake and swamp environment with diverse flora and fauna that dated back 28-38 million years ago.

Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Truong The Vinh said the new route integrates heritage sites, connecting Cao Bang city to other tourism routes both in and outside the province.

The route helps to effectively exploit national highway No. 4A, which links Cao Bang with Quang Ninh province and Hai Phong city, as well as the special national monument of the 1950 border victory.

The latest route is associated with the legend of the No. 4 road, and the heroism of the Vietnamese army and people in the victory of border campaign in 1950.

It also includes a cluster of relics of the border victory - an evidence for the genius leaderships of President Ho Chi Minh and General Vo Nguyen Giap in the resistance war against the French colonialism.

The geopark offers insights into the history of the planet across more than 500 million years through protected sites. Fossils, marine sediment, volcanic and plutonic rocks and minerals are witness to the remarkable evolution and changes of the planet, and they constitute an exceptional geological heritage.

It is also a land of tangible and intangible cultural heritage sites and special historical monuments. The area is also well-known for its high biological diversity with abundant endemic plant and animal species and ecosystems.

Minister of Transport issues urgent directive for air traffic safety

Minister of Transport Nguyễn Văn Thắng has issued a letter requesting concerned organisations to strengthen aviation safety after a number of air traffic incidents and require all airports to report issues before July 15.

In the first six months this year, Việt Nam saw 41 air traffic incidents including one accident, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Việt Nam (CAAV).

Although the number decreased by 18 per cent compared with the same period last year, on June 24, a serious air traffic incident occurred.

The incident was caused by a violation of the minimum distance during the take-off period at the Nội Bài International Airport.

In addition, many cases in which aircraft tires being cut by objects like nails, leading to plane damage, have emerged.

The Ministry of Transport (MoT) said that those serious aviation incidents directly threatened the safety of flight operations in all fields, including aircraft operation, flight management and airport management.

To improve the safety index and avoid unfortunate incidents, the MoT requested the CAAV to urgently investigate, determine the cause, and classify the incidents based on regulations.

The CAAV should make safety recommendations to relevant units and strictly handle organisations and individuals that commit violations.

The CAAV must strengthen the supervision of agencies and service providers at airports, and monitor runways to detect and promptly handle foreign objects that pose a threat to flight safety.

The director of the CAAV is fully responsible for ensuring security and safety at airports.

Vietnamese, Indian educational institutions strengthen collaboration

A delegation of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV) had a working session with representatives from Jindal Global University in India’s Haryana state on July 7 to promote international cooperation and improve the quality of human resources training in the field of foreign affairs.

Speaking at the meeting, Principal Director of the Jindal Institute of Behavioural Sciences Sanjeev P.Sahni gave the DAV delegation an overview of Jindal Global University, which is considered India’s leading private university.

Meanwhile, Dr. Vu Tuan Anh, dean of the DAV Faculty of International Communication and Culture, briefed the host on the main features of his faculty as well as development opportunities of the faculty in particular and the academy in general.

The two sides discussed specific plans on student exchange, scholarship granting as well as the addition of new, highly practical subjects amid the booming of science, technology and artificial intelligence (AI).

Jindal Global University committed to awarding 100 scholarships to DAV students under short-term student exchange courses.

In addition, the two educational institutions will also have plans to exchange researchers and lecturers in a number of strong research fields such as international relations, international law and international communication.

Taste France 2023 embraces French gastronomy

A food tasting programme, Taste France 2023, has been launched recently at MM Mega Market Thang Long as part of celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of France-Vietnam diplomatic relations and 10 years of strategic partnership between two countries.

Nicolas Warnery, French ambassador to Vietnam, and Marion Chaminade, counselor of Agriculture, alongside a representative from Business France, were presented at the event.

Following the success of Taste of Country 2022, this year MM Mega Market will embrace the deep-rooted characteristics of French gastronomy and present the French cuisine experience to Vietnamese customers.

During the event, customers have the opportunity to discover French flavours through exciting activities, including sampling French food, shopping with attractive discounts, and enjoying French cuisine made by MM's professional chefs.

At Taste France 2023, MM Mega Market has introduced more than 100 French products with attractive offers on baguettes, cheeses, jams, biscuits, and wines from famous brands such as Bel, Paysan Breton, Casino, Elle et Vire, Anchos, Pate Royal, and Evian.

“Taste France 2023 brings the best quality imported French products to Vietnamese customers and foreigners living in Vietnam. It is an excellent opportunity to enjoy the French lifestyle with exquisite tastes just like in the home country,” Bruno Jousselin, Managing Director of MM Mega Market said at the opening ceremony.

“We aim to enhance our imported product portfolio and create an opportunity to build a bridge to Vietnamese consumers so they can explore unique culinary cultures from around the world,” he added.

French cuisine is renowned worldwide, particularly in Vietnam. From rustic countryside dishes to refined haute cuisine, French gastronomy is a culinary treasure that continues to captivate the world with its flavours, artistry, and cultural significance.

“French food not only focuses on refined haute cuisine and fine dining but also has high-quality products that Vietnamese people can enjoy in their everyday lives,” French Ambassador Warnery said at the event.

Taste France 2023 will last through to July 19 at 12 nationwide centres of MM Mega Market.

NA allocates capital for national programmes

The National Assembly Chairman Vương Đình Huệ recently issued a resolution of allocating capital aimed at rebuilding the economy post-pandemic.

Accordingly, VNĐ13.369 trillion (US$564.2 million) of the remaining capital of the Government's Socio-Economic Recovery and Development Programme will be allocated to ministries and local agencies to implement projects that have reported readiness to the National Assembly (NA)’s fifth session.

The Prime Minister has been assigned to direct the allocation of capital for projects in accordance with the provisions of Resolution No. 43/2022/QH15 and the Law on Public Investment.

The amount of VNĐ444.4 billion ($187.6 million) will be allocated to the Ministry of Education and Training. This is part of the medium-term public investment plan of the central budget for the 2021-25 period for the National Target Programme for Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas.

Ministries and central and local agencies will receive more than VNĐ25.995 trillion ($1.08 billion) of the remaining capital of the budget.

So far, ministries and central and local agencies have been allocated VNĐ62.364 trillion ($2.6 billion).

Under the resolution, the NA will cut VNĐ24.594 trillion ($1.03 billion) of the medium-term public investment plan of the central budget in the 2021-25 period which was allocated to the Ministry of Transport to give provinces of Khánh Hòa, Đắk Lắk, Đồng Nai, Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu, Tiền Giang, Cần Thơ, Hậu Giang, Sóc Trăng, An Giang and Đồng Tháp.

The NA will allocate VNĐ1.208 trillion ($51 million) from the central budget of 2023 for the national target programmes on Socio-Economic Development in the Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas, as well as on New Rural Development, and Grass-Roots Healthcare Network Development in Difficult Areas.

The Government is responsible for issuing documents guiding the implementation of the three national target programmes.

The Government also directs the capital allocation plans of the Socio-Economic Recovery and Development Programme, Medium-term Public Investment Plan from the central budget of 2021-25 period as per Law on Public Investment and the NA’s resolutions.

The People’s Committee of Ninh Thuận Province was asked to complete investment procedures of infrastructure projects in Phước Dinh Commune of Thuận Nam District and Vĩnh Hải Commune of Ninh Hải District with capital of VNĐ273 billion ($11.5 million) from the Socio-Economic Recovery and Development Programme under the NA’s Resolution 43/2022/QH15.

The Ministry of Transport has to urgently complete the investment procedures for the railway connection project between Lào Cai station and northern Hà Khẩu Station with a capital of VNĐ700 billion ($29.5 million).

The Government and the Prime Minister shall direct ministries, central and local agencies to strengthen financial and budgetary discipline and draw experience in the implementation of the NA’s resolutions as well as review and clarify responsibilities of organisations and individuals involved in the delay in completing investment procedures leading to late reporting to the NA Standing Committee.

The Government and relevant agencies must accelerate the disbursement of capital sources and ensure the management and use of capital sources in accordance with the law, for the right purposes.

The resolution implementation will be supervised by the NA’s Committee on Finance and Budget, Council for Ethnic Minority Affairs and other committees, NA deputies, the Việt Nam Fatherland Front, People's councils of cities and provinces, and the State Audit Office.

Cao Bang border guards detect foreigners with illegal entry

Border guards of the northern province of Cao Bang have caught a man red-handed for arranging illegal entry into Vietnam for four Chinese nationals.

The Ngoc Con border guard post said that on July 7 morning, while its soldiers were patrolling the area of Dong Luong and Chi Choi hamlets of Dinh Phong commune, Trung Khanh district, they detected suspicious signs from a car stopping on Provincial Road 213 to pick up four men and preparing to move towards Trung Khanh township.

Examining the car, they found a 33-year-old Vietnamese driver from the northern province of Vinh Phuc and four Chinese men who failed to show personal papers.

The driver admitted that a person he had got acquainted via Facebook hired him to go from Vinh Phuc to Trung Khanh district of Cao Bang to illegally carry the Chinese nationals to Hanoi.

The Chinese men said they entered Vietnam to move to Thailand to seek jobs.

An investigation into the case of illegal entry arrangement was launched, with the persons involved and the seized objects handed over to the investigation security agency of the Cao Bang Department of Public Security.

ASEAN exerting efforts to maintain peace, stability, prosperity: Vietnamese diplomat

The upcoming 56th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM-56) and related meetings will discuss all issues related to peace, stability and common prosperity of the whole region, not only Southeast Asia but also Asia and the Indo-Pacific region, according to Ambassador Vu Ho, acting head of the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) delegation of Vietnam.

This meeting, to be held in Jakarta, Indonesia from July 10-14 with 17 meetings between ASEAN foreign ministers and between foreign ministers of ASEAN member states and their partners, is the next step in implementing priorities and initiatives of Indonesia's 2023 Chairmanship with the theme “ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth”, said Ho.

This will summarise all achievements gained or problems still existing in the first six months of this year, thereby outlining directions for ASEAN cooperation from now until the end of the year, as well as discussing international and regional issues. Those discussed at the meeting will all be hot issues related to peace, stability and development of the region.

The ambassador emphasised that Vietnam, since joining ASEAN, has always participated in the bloc's activities in a proactive, positive and responsible manner, and considers ASEAN an integral part in its foreign policy. The core task of the Vietnamese delegation at this meeting is to contribute to the common consensus of ASEAN, and ensure harmony in all initiatives and interests of countries, as well as rationality in dealing with all issues.

Its another important task is to support initiatives and priorities of the ASEAN Chair this year, thus making concrete and practical contributions to maintaining peace, stability and the common development of the region, he added.

Lượng wins Lion Championship in blazing battle

Trần Ngọc Lượng secured his third win at the national MMA series, the Lion Championship 7 (LC7), which received high praise from international onlookers.

Lượng of Saigon Sports Club defeated Trần Minh Nhựt of Liên Phong Dojo in the men's 60kg class - is the key fight of the LC7's Class A on July 8 night in HCM City.

It was a match of two different styles. While national jujitsu champion Lượng was a master in grappling, Nhựt was superior in striking. Nhựt has been competing in the LC event since the first season.

Lượng took Nhựt to the floor several times but the latter successfully escaped and fought back with powerful jabs, uppercuts, and fierce kicks.

In the end, Lượng impressed the judges more than his rival and was announced the winner of the match.

The win will help Lượng up his current tenth place in his weight category and get closer to the MMA Lion Championship's title match against reigning champion Nguyễn Trần Duy Nhất who is set to defend his belt at the end of the year.

"All matches of the LC7 have been good quality and really competitive," said Eduard Ayangwa Folayang, a famous mixed martial artist, Muay Thai, and wushu practitioner.

The Filipino was the two-time ONE Championship's lightweight world champion, Universal Reality Combat Championship welterweight champion, and three-time SEA Games wushu winner.

"MMA in Việt Nam is developing quickly. However, Filipino athletes are still better in quality because we have practised MMA for a longer time.

"Vietnamese athletes still have much work to do to lift MMA up and more effort is needed to confirm the country's place in world competitions," said the 29-year-old who runs a dojo in his hometown.

Coming to see fights at the Rạch Miễu Gymnasium was part of his plan to bring his athletes to compete in Việt Nam in the near future.

"It is great to fight in Việt Nam. We want to improve and we know that there are many talented athletes in Southeast Asia. I will take my athletes to Việt Nam for competitions."

American fighter Beneil Dariush was also impressed by the fight of the women.

"The fights were very interesting, especially the women's one. Vietnamese fighters are good at striking but still need to improve their grappling technique, said Dariush, the former world jujitsu champion.

Dariush placed fourth in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) world lightweight rankings last October with a remarkable record of 22 wins, 5 draws, and 1 loss.

The women's match that he mentioned was between Lê Thị Thúy Vy of Liên Phong Dojo and Hồ Thị Ngọc Bích of Rockbox Club. After three rounds of the women's 52kg, Bích won by points.

The 'fight of the night' was between Đỗ Phúc Hậu of MMA Fight Academy and Nguyễn Huy Sắc from California Fitness & Yoga Centre.

Hậu won by technical knockout (TKO) in the second round of the men's 65kg bout.

For winning the title, each fighter received a VNĐ10 million bonus.

In other matches, Huỳnh Nguyễn Quốc Bảo of Power Strength Club took his win against Đặng Thắng Nguyên of Nha Trang Sport Unite.

Lưu Nhân Nghĩa of Silver Back MMA won a TKO against Đặng Hoàng Minh of Tank Club. Minh suffered a tear in his eyelid and could not compete in the men's 77kg.

Huỳnh Công Quốc Hòa of VTTH Long Xuyên Fight Club secured a TKO against Nguyễn Nguyên Chương of MMA Fight Academy by a ground and pound in the first round of the men's 65kg.

Hà Long Sơn of MMA Black Mamba scored a submission win over Bùi Xuân Nguyên of Liên Phong Dojo in the men's 56kg.

Vietnam seeks stronger green finance ties with Luxembourg

A delegation of the Ministry of Finance (MoF) led by Minister Ho Duc Phoc paid a working visit to Luxembourg from July 5 to 8.

The trip aimed to implement the outcomes of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s official visit to the European country in December 2022 and the official visit to the Southeast Asian nation by Luxembourg PM Xavier Bettel last May.

Meeting with Luxembourg Finance Minister Yuriko Backes on July 7, Phoc highlighted the Vietnamese Government’s moves to handle green growth, climate change, and sustainable development issues, noting that the financial sector has taken active steps to boost the access to green finance in order to facilitate sustainable and environmentally friendly production and business activities.

Via the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), the MoF and the Luxembourg Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development signed a memorandum of understanding on green finance cooperation for 2020-2025.

He said that the MoF hopes to continue receiving cooperation from the Luxembourg Government and Finance Ministry to promote the development of green bonds in Vietnam, hold conferences and workshops to popularise green finance, and train manpower in this regard. He also called for assistance in the formation of a carbon market as Vietnam is working to build a plan on the establishment of this market.

Minister Backes noted Vietnam is a developing economy that needs considerable investment to conduct green transition. As a leading centre of sustainable finance in the world, Luxembourg is well equipped to support green growth.

Thanks to unceasing efforts in knowledge transfer and capacity building in Vietnam, Luxembourg has gained solid grounds to help Vietnam connect more effectively with the international capital market, she said.

Visiting the Luxembourg Stock Exchange (LuxSE), the MoF delegation had a meeting with its CEO Julie Becker and other leaders.

Minister Phoc affirmed that Vietnam is implementing action plans to develop green finance and has reaped certain achievements.

Becker spoke highly of the country’s achievements in developing its stock market and informed her guest about LuxSE’s close ties and fruitful cooperation with the State Securities Commission and stock exchanges of Vietnam.

Both sides affirmed that they will enhance substantive cooperation so that Luxembourg’s assistance will generate better results, particularly in term of managing and supervising the stock market, sharing experience in IT application, and improving manpower.

During PM Chinh’s visit last December, LuxSE and the Vietnam Stock Exchange inked a cooperation deal, Phoc said, asking the two sides to build a detailed implementation plan, especially in terms of sharing experience in organising transactions of green financial products in the stock market.

Vietnam also wishes to expand partnerships with Luxembourg to upgrade its stock market from a frontier market into an emerging one. It hopes for the latter’s help with institutional building; technology for digital transformation; transparent, safe, healthy and sustainable operation of the stock market; and development of high-quality human resources, the official went on.

At LuxSE, Minister Phoc chaired a roundtable workshop on connecting the two countries in building a green capital market. The event attracted representatives of Luxembourg authorities along with investment funds, businesses, and major investors from Luxembourg and some neighbouring countries.

In addition, Phoc had a working session with Vice President of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Kris Peeters to discuss the EIB loan of 500 million EUR (548.5 million USD) for Vietnam to carry out energy transition. He also called for the bank’s promotion of financial support for environmental and urban transport projects in the country.

During the trip, the MoF delegation also visited the Luxembourg House of Financial Technology (LHoFT).

Vietnamese, Indian educational institutions strengthen collaboration

Meanwhile, Dr. Vu Tuan Anh, Dean of the DAV Faculty of International Communication and Culture, briefed the host on the main features of his faculty as well as development opportunities of the faculty in particular and the academy in general.

Jindal Global University committed to awarding 100 scholarships to DAV students under short-term student exchange courses.

Indian state wishes to enhance ties with Vietnamese localities: chief minister

Southern India's Kerala state wants to strengthen cooperation with Vietnamese localities, especially in the fields of agriculture, fisheries, tourism, information technology, start-ups, and education, its Chief Minister Sri. Pinarayi Vijayan has affirmed.

He made the statement while hosting Vietnamese Ambassador to India Nguyen Thanh Hai, who paid a working visit to the state from July 4-6.

Hai told the Chief Minister that Vietnam’s new-generation carrier Vietjet will launch a direct air route linking the coastal state’s Kochi city with Ho Chi Minh City – Vietnam’s largest economic hub – from August 12 with four flights a week.

This move will create a breakthrough contributing to further strengthening collaboration between Kerala and Vietnam, he added.

The Vietnamese diplomat also worked with Kerala’s Chief Secretary V. Venu and secretaries in charge of agriculture, fisheries, tourism, electronics and information technology.

On this occasion, Ambassador Hai visited Technopark Trivandrum to seek cooperation opportunities. At present, several companies from this park are cooperating with Vietnamese partners to provide technology solutions in some fields, including electric vehicles.

He also attended an event in Thiruvananthapuram city, the capital of Kerala state, to introduce Vietnam’s education to Indian medical students. This is a potential field in cooperation between Vietnam and Kerela in particular and India in general. In 2022, more than 100 Indian students came to study at medical universities in Vietnam. This figure is expected to surge in 2023 and the coming years, especially when there are more and more direct flights between the two countries.

Deputy PM Tran Hong Ha receives Australian Ambassador

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha received Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski in Hanoi on July 7.

Regarding Vietnam’s roadmap for implementing the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), Ha expressed his wish that Australia will participate in building a mechanism for coordination and join hands with developed and developing countries to achieve the net-zero target.

The Deputy PM proposed Australia share its experience and collaborate with Vietnam in research and technology transfer involving the production of green hydrogen and green ammonia from renewable energy at appropriate costs; the management of smart grids and energy transmission systems; and settlement of the financial resource challenge for transition from fossil energy to renewables, among many others.

With their similarities in climate change adaptation, water resource management, and desertification prevention, Ha believed that both sides could study and select specific projects to exchange, share experiences, transfer technology, and improve related legal frameworks.

Vietnam hopes that Australia, with its experience in building green financial mechanisms for climate change adaptation and environmental protection, can provide advice and assistance in developing a carbon credit market for the Southeast Asian country, Ha said.

He highly appreciated the support from Australian organisations and partners for building policies and regulations on geology, minerals, and energy transition in Vietnam so far.

For his part, Goledzinowski affirmed that the Australian Government highly valued Vietnam's commitments and was ready to assist the nation’s roadmap for energy transition and achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

He told his host that Australian businesses are very interested in the orientation of renewable energy development in Vietnam’s national power development plan for 2021-2030 with a vision until 2050, as well as the application of advanced and modern technologies in the exploration, reserves assessment, exploitation, and processing of valuable minerals in Vietnam.

Front Central Committee discusses enhancement of religious solidarity

The Standing Board of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee held a meeting in Hanoi on July 7 to look into religious solidarity affairs during the first half of 2023.

The meeting was an open forum for relevant agencies to share information about the religious situation and the reinforcement of religious solidarity; draw lessons from the reality; and boost coordination to improve the implementation of religion-related tasks, attract religions’ resources for national development, and build up the great national solidarity.

Nguyen Van Thanh, head of the VFF Central Committee’s board for religious affairs, reported that in the first half of 2023, the religious situation was basically stable. Religious activities complied with the charters and statutes of their religions as well as legal regulations. The VFF committees and administrations at all levels actively coordinated with and assisted religious organisations to successfully hold many major religious events, attracting a large number of both followers and secular people.

Subsidiary organisations of the VFF Central Committee stepped up the communications work, paid attention to the material and spiritual lives of their religious members, and worked with authorities to implement programmes on economic, cultural and social development, new-style countryside building, and sustainable poverty reduction for religious communities, he went on.

Vice President of the VFF Central Committee Hoang Cong Thuy spoke highly of religious organisations’ contributions to the great national solidarity, noting that they have actively engaged in environmental protection, climate change response, health care, education, humanitarian activities, and traffic safety ensuring.

In particular, he noted, at the ceremony calling for donations to the construction of houses for the poor in Dien Bien and other northwestern provinces on May 13, 12 religious organisations, dignitaries, and businesses linked with religions donated tens of billions of VND to the drive.

Thuy held that in the coming time, it is necessary to press on with the communications about religious and belief affairs while fully and properly carrying out relevant policies and legal regulations to ensure their efficiency and consistency nationwide.

India an important partner, trusted friend: Official

President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) Nguyen Phuong Nga received a delegation from the Indian Society for Cultural Co-operation and Friendship (ISCUF) led by its deputy head Mohanty Bijay in Hanoi on July 7.

Nga said that Vietnam always considers India a leading important partner and a trusted friend, and attaches great importance to developing its comprehensive strategic partnership with India.

The memorandum of understanding on cooperation signed by the two sides is a premise for them to organise joint activities and programmes, including delegation and cultural exchanges.

The VUFO wishes to coordinate with the ISCUF in promoting activities to strengthen solidarity, friendship and cooperation between the two peoples, and continue welcoming the society’s delegations to visit and work in Vietnam in the near future, she stated.

Mohanty Bijay expressed his belief that his delegation’s visit will help ISCUF members understand more about Vietnam’s land and people, and contribute to strengthening the two countries’ multi-faceted cooperation, and cultural exchanges.

Vietnamese, Singaporean State Audit agencies strengthen cooperation

A delegation from the State Audit Office of Vietnam (SAV), led by Deputy Auditor General Dang The Vinh, paid a working visit to the Auditor-General's Office of Singapore (AGO) on July 7 to promote cooperation and experience exchange between the two agencies.

At a meeting with AGO leaders, Vinh highly appreciated the collaboration between the two countries' audit agencies over the past time. He affirmed that the SAV wishes to continue experience exchange and further promote cooperation with AGO, especially in the application of information technology and digitisation in the field of auditing.

On behalf of the AGO, Deputy Auditor General of Singapore Rina Chua expressed her hope that the two sides could open up new opportunities to further strengthen cooperation between the two audit agencies in the coming times.

At the session, they discussed the organisational model, functions, tasks and areas of operation of the two audit agencies, the process and experience of digital transformation, and the application of information technology in auditing activities.

SEA Games success reviewed, athletes and coaches honoured

The success of the Vietnam sport delegation at the 32nd SEA Games, held in Cambodia in May, was honoured at a ceremony by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on July 6 in Hanoi.

The Cambodian regional sport meet saw Vietnam’s best ever achievement when competing away from home.

At the May 5-17 event, 1,003 Vietnamese athletes took part in 30 among 36 sports. They competed in 444 events and won 136 golds, 105 silvers and 118 bronzes. The team set 16 records and placed at the top position in the medal tally.

Notably, the women's football team won the title for the fourth time in a row. The golf and basketball squads secured their first ever gold medals in history.

Many athletes made outstanding performances, impressing all supporters at the Games.

Runner Nguyen Thi Oanh pocketed four golds; swimmer Pham Thanh Bao took two golds and made two records; swimmers Tran Hung Nguyen and Nguyen Huy Hoang topped the podium three times; weightlifter Nguyen Quoc Toan earned one gold and made three records; and teenage golfer Le Khanh Hung claimed one gold and one silver.

At the review, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung praised the delegation's success.

“Athletes brought to play their strong mind, confidence, determination, technique and desire for the pride of the nation," said Hung.

"At the SEA Games, each of our players was not only an athlete but also a culture ambassador. Our competitors created impressive remarks and received strong support from international friends, spreading love and beautiful feelings around the community."

He asked all concerned parties to promote these good results and prepare carefully for the 33rd SEA Games to achieve better achievements.

The athletes' efforts and achievements were recognised right after their return home. President Vo Van Thuong met with them and delivered bonuses and certificates of merit.

The SEA Games victory was mentioned as one of the impressive marks of the country in the government's report of activities in the first six months of 2023.

Recognising their great efforts, Hung, on behalf of the government, presented one second-class Labour Order to the Vietnam delegation, 37 third-class Labour Orders and 196 Prime Minister's Certificate of Merits to teams and individuals.

Joint efforts made to put in place specific mechanisms, policies for HCM City

Permanent Cabinet members and representatives from Ho Chi Minh City looked into tasks during the implementation of the National Assembly (NA)’s Resolution No. 98/2023/QH15 on piloting some specific mechanisms and policies for the development of HCM City at a hybrid working session on July 7.

The resolution was adopted at the fifth session of the 15th legislature, and will take effect from August 1.

At the meeting, Deputy PMs, and leaders of ministries, agencies and HCM City proposed devising decrees or circulars, and establishing a steering board for the enforcement of the resolution.

In his closing remarks, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that the building and materialisation of specific mechanisms and policies for the development of HCM City are the common task.

He, therefore, asked ministries, agencies and localities to take drastic actions to put the document in place, and agreed with the proposal to establish a steering board, which will be headed by the PM himself.

He also ordered promptly issuing an action plan of the Government, which should be done within next week, stressing relevant documents must be issued before August 15.

The Ministry of Construction was asked to coordinate with other ministries, agencies and HCM City to quickly draft a resolution of the PM on regulations on decentralisation, and submit it to the Government leader within this month.

Chinh said supervisions should be maintained during the implementation, noting more guideline documents would be issued in response to emerging difficulties and obstacles.

According to the resolution, the Government will be in charge of issuing a decree detailing loan interests and payment methods for the implementation of BT (built-transfer) projects, corporate tax and personal income tax exemption relating to innovation and startup in priority areas in HCM City, and personnel issues in communes, wards and towns.

The Government will also review the implementation of the resolution in 2026 and 2028, and instruct relevant agencies to coordinate with HCM City in administrative reform.

Solutions sought to maintain security, socio-economic development in Central Highlands

Participants at a conference in Hanoi on July 7 proposed solutions to contribute to maintaining stability, security and order, and socio-economic development in the Central Highlands.

The conference was jointly held by the Central Public Security Party Committee, the Ministry of Public Security, other relevant ministries and agencies, and the five Central Highlands provinces of Dak Nong, Dak Lak, Gia Lai, Kon Tum and Lam Dong.

It reviewed the implementation of the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies and laws relating to the region, and looked into the incident which occurred in Dak Lak province on June 11, causing public disorder.

The participants shared the view that the region holds strategic position in terms of national defence and security, and potential risks remain to security and order there.

In her remarks, Politburo member, permanent member of the Party Central Committee's Secretariat and head of the Party Central Committee's Organisation Commission Truong Thi Mai called the case in Dak Lak a terrorist attack aimed at opposing the people’s administration, causing serious consequences.

Party and State leaders have paid due attention to socio-economic development and national defence and security in the Central Highlands, she stressed, lauding coordination between relevant forces in handling the case, quickly stabilising the situation in the locality.

The conspiracy of reactionary organisations remains unchanged, she said, reiterating the target set by the Ministry of Public Security of not letting similar cases occur.

Mai urged ministries, agencies and the Central Highlands provinces to pay more heed to socio-economic development, the enforcement of policies on religions and ethnic groups, grassroots political system building, developing a contingent of officials who belong to ethnic minority groups, ensuring national defence and security, and maintaining political stability in the region.

Minister of Public Security General To Lam, who is also Secretary of the Central Public Security Party Committee, suggested ministries, agencies and the five localities improve the operational quality and efficiency of the grassroots political system, better the mass communication work, address causes behind public disorder, and focus on building the public security force at the communal level.

The Ministry of Public Security will continue with its instructions over the investigation into the case of "terrorism aimed at opposing the people's administration" in Dak Lak in order to soon bring those associated with the incident to light, he said.

Vietnam, Egypt aim to raise two-way trade to 1 billion USD

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son hosted a reception for Egyptian Ambassador to Vietnam Amal Abdel Kader Elmorsi Salama in Hanoi on July 7, during which the guest affirmed to do her utmost to create a breakthrough for the two countries' ties in order to raise bilateral trade to 1 billion USD as set by the nations' leaders.

At the meeting, Son stated that Vietnam attaches importance to traditional friendship and cooperation with Egypt, one of the first states in the Middle East and Africa to establish diplomatic ties with the Southeast Asian country.

He expressed his delight at the positive developments in relations between the two countries in recent times. Egypt is currently Vietnam's leading trading partner in North Africa, with trade turnover increasing year by year and hitting almost 600 million USD last year.

The FM suggested that the diplomat promote her experience and make contributions to further strengthening their bilateral ties, especially in such fields as policy-diplomacy, trade-investment, Halal, and response to climate change.

For her part, the Egyptian ambassador affirmed that ample room remains for both nations to promote cooperation, and promised that she will do her utmost to create a breakthrough for bilateral relations in the coming time, in order to raise bilateral trade to 1 billion USD as set by the two countries' leaders.

On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries (1963 - 2023), both host and guest agreed to closely coordinate to promote the exchange of delegations and effectively implement bilateral cooperation mechanisms, such as the organisation of the sixth session of the Vietnamese – Egyptian Joint Committee.

They also pledged to enhance cooperation between the localities of the two countries, coordinate to hold cultural and artistic exchange activities to increase mutual understanding between the two countries' people and promote the negotiation and signing of cooperation agreements in aviation and double taxation avoidance.

Siblings jailed for organising illegal emigration to Canada

A man from the central province of Ha Tinh and his younger brother have been sentenced to 36 months and 30 months in prison, respectively, for “organising others to flee abroad.”

The Hanoi People’s Court on July 7 opened the first-instance trial for 40-year-old Nguyen Vuong Cuong and 32-year-old Nguyen Van Tai, and Nguyen Thi Nhan, 32, from the northern province of Phu Tho, who received an 18-month suspended sentence for “coercing other persons to flee abroad.”

According to the indictment, in June 2021, Cuong and Tai used their Facebook accounts to post advertisements offering visa services and promising to send people abroad, which received response from Nhan and Vo Thi T from the central province of Nghe An.

Tai learned that T and her husband wanted to work in Canada, but were ineligible for visas due to their age and financial status.

After discussing with Tai, Cuong advised the couple to get tourist visas to Canada, and then seize the opportunity to stay and work there, offering a price of 15,000 USD per person for the trip to the country.

On January 14, 2022, the couple received their visas, and asked Cuong and Tai to seek a visa for their 19-year-old daughter.

As of April 9, 2022, Tai received a total of 432 million VND (18,266 USD) from T and her husband.

However, at the airport on April 9, 2022, the couple were not allowed to fly due to COVID-19 vaccine-related problems.

Meanwhile, Nhan used her Facebook account of “Hoang My” to contact Tai in December 2021, asking him to bring a man to Canada with a price of 23,000 USD, excluding air ticket fees, of which she kept 8,000 USD.

Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre a symbol of bilateral relationship

Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien on July 6 paid a courtesy visit to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko as part of the Vietnamese officer’s trip to the country.

Chien emphasised that the Vietnamese State and Government always attach great importance to consolidating and developing the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia, with defence cooperation being a pillar of the bilateral relationship.

Notably, cooperation within the framework of the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre has been seen as a symbol of the relationship, he continued.

For his part, Chernyshenko affirmed that Vietnam is a long-term and reliable partner of Russia, saying the relationship is built on the solid foundation of friendship and mutually beneficial traditional cooperation.

Russia is interested in promoting cooperation in various fields, especially in trade-investment, science-technology, education, and culture, the Deputy PM said.

He hailed activities of the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre, and expressed his belief that with its achievements and breakthroughs in scientific research, it will become a leading scientific research centre in the region and the world.

On July 7, Chien, in his capacity as Chairman of the Vietnamese Sub-Committee of the Inter-Governmental Joint Commission on the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre, and Russian Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Konstantin Mogilevsky, Chairman of the Russian Sub-Committee, co-chaired a regular session of the commission.

On behalf of the Vietnamese President, Chien presented the Friendship Order to Aleksey Svichit, deputy director general on the Russian side of the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre.

Vietnam attends NAM ministerial meeting in Baku

A Vietnamese delegation led by Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet attended the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Foreign Ministers' Meeting on July 5-6, in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.

Entitled “Non-Aligned Movement: united and steadfast in confronting emerging challenges", the event drew the participation of more than 80 representatives of NAM member countries, regional and international organisations which are observers of the movement.

The conference focused on exchanging and approving the final document of NAM ministers on important regional and international issues, as well as the preparation for the 19th NAM Summit to be held in Kampala, Uganda in January 2024.

In his remarks at the meeting, the Vietnamese official affirmed the historical role of NAM in the cause of national liberation and in ending colonialism in the context of the Cold War.

Now as the world is divided by geopolitical competition, division and confrontation, it is necessary for NAM to uphold its fundamental values and principles, and resolutely fight against manifestations of power politics, forms of unilateral coercion against its member countries and stay united to solve global challenges, Viet went on.

He pointed out that small and medium countries, like NAM member countries, need to be autonomous in diplomatic, political and economic strategies and policies.

"Vietnam persists in the foreign policy of independence and self-reliance to maximise national interests," the deputy FM noted.

On this occasion, Viet updated participants on the situation in the East Sea and called on NAM member countries to support the position of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on this issue.

On the sidelines of the event, he held bilateral meetings with heads of delegations from Cuba, Ethiopia, Maldives, Yemen and Nepal. He also met with his counterpart from Azerbaijan to promote measures to boost bilateral cooperation, consultation and mutual support at the United Nations and other multilateral forums.

Vietnamese, Chinese border stations conduct joint border line patrol

Border guard units from the northern Vietnamese province of Dien Bien and the Chinese province of Yunnan carried out a joint patrol on July 7 to promote coordination in border management and protection, maintaining security and order in border areas.

The two sides patrolled the Vietnam - China border line from border markers 2 to 3 with a total length of over 3km. This is their regular activity to maintain stability and order in the border area of Muong Nhe district in Vietnam's Dien Bien province and Jiangcheng district of China's Yunnan province.

During the patrol, they reviewed the system of border markers as well as exchanging information related to border management and protection.

At the end of the patrol, they agreed to continue similar activities to guarantee border security.

Vietnam supports int’l efforts to boost drug prevention and control

Vietnam supports international efforts to mobilize more resources for drug prevention and control at the national, regional and international levels.

Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son was speaking at a virtual ministerial meeting to launch the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drugs hosted by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on July 7.

Addressing representatives from 70 countries and international organisations, Son shared concerns about the threat posed by synthetic drugs, and emphasized the need to strengthen international cooperation with holistic measures and comprehensive approach to deal with issues related to supply and demand of drugs.

He called for joint international efforts to support the implementation of UN conventions on drug prevention and control, and help strengthen the role of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND).

The minister suggested that developing countries need increased international support in sharing information and improving capacity, resources, and technology.

To solve the problem in a sustainable way, it is necessary to strengthen measures to eliminate hunger, reduce poverty, improve education and create jobs, especially for young people, he stressed.

The minister also shared the efforts Vietnam and ASEAN have made to strive for a drug-free environment.

In his remarks, Secretary Blinken affirmed that the Biden administration gives high priority to combating drugs, by adopting number of powerful measures, including the newly enacted National Drug Control Strategy 2020.

However, Blinken admitted that drugs are always a serious challenge to global security and health that no country can solve on its own.

To this end, he said the US has proposed forming a global coalition to address synthetic drugs with priorities and measures to be discussed and shared by members.

Blinken also highlighted the role of businesses, hospitals, the pharmaceutical industry, local communities and social organizations in drug prevention and control.

Participating delegates affirmed that they would coordinate actions on drug prevention and control at the national, regional and international levels, taking into account the reasonable balance between supply and demand reduction strategies and training programmes, technical support and information sharing.

They also highly appreciated the role and ability to provide technical assistance and expert experience of existing international drug control mechanisms such as the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB).

Kon Tum hit by 12 earthquakes in single day

A total of 12 tremors, with magnitudes of up to 4.2, vibrated Kon Plong, a mountainous district of Kon Tum province in the Central Highlands on July 7, the Institute of Geophysics has reported.

The first quake occurred in the early morning with magnitudes of 3.9 at a depth of around 8.1 kilometres. Meanwhile, the latest magnitude 2.5 quake was recorded at 19.56 at a focal depth of approximately 8.1 kilometres underground.

These earthquakes did not pose any risk of disaster, the centre said, adding that it was continuing to observe related developments.

Since the beginning of the year, Kon Plong has experienced dozens of quakes with magnitudes ranging from 2.4 to 4.2 on the Richter scale, all of which have been weak and moderate and causing no danger.

The same situation could be seen last year when a series of tremors with magnitudes below 4.0 hit the area.

The earthquake with the biggest scale was the one with a magnitude of 4.7 on the afternoon of August 23, 2022, followed by another one measuring 4.5 at noon on April 18, 2022.

Kon Tum moves to awaken community-based tourism potential

Blessed with many beautiful landscapes, special cultures of ethnic minorities and a long history, the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum is believed to boast huge potential for developing community-based tourism.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung said Kon Tum province and the Central Highlands at large are home to beautiful natural landscapes and extremely special cultural resources, both of which are favourable for tourism development.

Not only the space of the gong culture, inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, but the cultural diversity of the 43 ethnic groups here will also become a particular identity of Kon Tum if the province can make use of local culture to boost tourism, he noted.

A favourable condition for community-based tourism is that residents in the Central Highlands in general and Kon Tum in particular are greatly united, sincere, and hospitable. They are the persons creating and maintaining traditional cultural values, and also the ones directly engaging in community-based tourism projects, according to the minister.

Across Kon Tum, many villages have been assisted by authorities to preserve and bring into play traditional cultural heritage to develop community-based tourism such as Kon Ktu in Dak Ro Wa commune, Kon Tum city; Bar Goc in Sa Son commune, Sa Thay district; Kon Bring in Dak Long commune, Kon Plong district; Kon Trang Long Loi in Dak Ha township, Dak Ha district; and Dak Rang in Dak Xu commune, Ngoc Hoi district.

These villages have still maintained gong playing teams, brocade weaving, the production of “ruou can” (wine drunk out of a jar through pipes), and traditional rituals. Locals have also gradually got used to welcoming tourists to their hometowns.

However, Kon Tum is also facing many difficulties in developing community-based tourism, including underdeveloped tourism infrastructure, undiversified tourism products, and a shortage of professional tourism personnel.

To address those problems and turn tourism into a key economic sector, Minister Hung held that aside from enhancing coordination among the parties concerned, it is necessary to shore up tourism in line with the Government’s resolution on economic recovery.

He recommended local authorities re-zone local tourist destinations and connect them with others across Vietnam in order to make investment for sustainable development.

Nguyen Van Binh, Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said community-based tourism has helped give a facelift to many villages of ethnic minority groups and improve their living standards while considerably contributing to the preservation and promotion of the cultural values of local minorities.

In the coming time, Kon Tum will step up communications, especially among the young, to raise public awareness of the values of each ethnic group’s cultural identities as well as the importance of cultural preservation. It will also work to engage the entire community in the management, preservation, and promotion of traditional cultural values in tandem with tourism development, thereby helping with sustainable socio-economic development, national defence, and security safeguarding, he added.

HCM City Party Committee convenes 21st conference

The Party Committee of Ho Chi Minh City held the 21st conference in its 11th tenure on July 8 to review the socio-economic development in the city in the first six months of the year, and set out key tasks for the second half.

The conference is expected to give opinions on the draft Directive of the municipal Party Committee on leading and organising the implementation of Resolution 98/2023/QH15 of the National Assembly on piloting some specific mechanisms and policies for the development of the city.

Politburo member and Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen said HCM City recorded positive results in economic development in the first half, including a year-on-year growth rate of 3.55% in gross regional domestic product (GRDP).

He stressed that the NA’s approval of Resolution 98 opens up great opportunities for HCM City to remove the "bottlenecks" in development, mobilise resources for investment and development and effectively exploit its potential, advantages and strategic location to promote rapid and sustainable development.

Nen asked delegates to pool their ideas to find out sound solutions to further enhancing effectiveness of the leadership and administration work in the coming time.

Prime Minister meets voters in Can Tho city

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and the delegation of National Assembly (NA) deputies of Can Tho met with more than 300 voters in the Mekong Delta city on July 8 to inform them on the outcomes of the 15th NA's fifth sitting and listen to their opinions and aspirations.

Local voters expressed their confidence in the leadership and management of the Party, State and Government in the context of numerous difficulties and challenges both inside and outside the country.

They took note of the construction of many infrastructure works in the recent past in the region, opening new development spaces and opportunities for the whole region, including Can Tho city.

Voters also lauded the efforts of the Government, the PM's and the NA deputy of Can Tho in responding to voters' requests and opinions.

Speaking at the meeting, PM Chinh highlighted a number of outcomes of the NA's fifth session and the socio-economic situation in the first half of this year.

He said that amid the difficult domestic and world situation, Vietnam has managed to maintain socio-economic development, with ensured macro-economy, controlled inflation, positive growth, well managed public debts and recovered import-exported activities.

Meanwhile, the living conditions of the people have been improved, along with stable socio-political, defence and security situation, he said, adding that the fight against corruption has been strengthened, and the country’s international integration has been deepened.

However, he underlined that there are many difficulties and challenges ahead, adding that the Government has directed ministries, sectors and localities to roll out socio-economic development solutions, focusing on removing difficulties for production and business activities in parallel with ensuring macro-economic stability and improving people's living conditions.

For Can Tho, the Government leader stressed the need to promptly complete its planning, speed up public investment disbursement and administrative reform, hasten the progress of industrial, construction, real estate and trade projects, and design measures to support local firms and labourers.

Can Tho should focus on completing its socio-economic infrastructure system and prepare necessary conditions to become a new growth motivation of the country, he said.

The PM also answered questions raised by local voters in various issues, including scams on cyberspace, health insurance policies, solutions to shortage of medicines and medical equipment, policies to stabilise prices of commodities, especially petrol and fertilizers, measures to expand markets for farm produce, and ways to promote logistics development in Can Tho and the whole region, among others.

He addressed the concerns of voters on the development of human resources for the agricultural sector; orientations for agricultural development in the Mekong Delta region; and the expansion of the market for farm produce.

Foreign Minister attends online conference on responding to synthetic drug

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son joined representatives of 70 countries and relevant international organisations at the Virtual Ministerial Meeting to Launch the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug on July 7 under an initiative of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

In his speech at the meeting, FM Son shared the global concerns about the threat posed by synthetic drugs, and emphasised the need to promote international cooperation in the spirit of respecting the sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference in internal affairs of countries, with holistic measures and a comprehensive approach, to deal with issues related to drug supply and demand.

He also stressed that joint efforts of the international community to address relevant issues should support the implementation of the three basic conventions on drugs and help further strengthen the role of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND).

The Vietnamese official suggested that international attention should be paid to enhancing support for developing countries in sharing information, improving capacity, resources and technology, saying that in order to solve the drug problem in a sustainable way, it is necessary to strengthen measures to eliminate hunger, reduce poverty, promote education and create jobs, especially for young people.

Son also talked about the efforts of Vietnam and ASEAN to strive for a drug-free environment, and affirmed Vietnam’s support for international efforts to create more motivation and mobilise more resources for the fight against drug at the national, regional and international levels.

Delegates expressed their deep concern about criminal activities related to the production, transportation and trafficking of drugs, and the negative effects of drug active ingredients on public health and social security.

Challenges that the synthetic drug problem poses to sustainable development such as poverty reduction, education and employment security were also put on the table.

Delegates pledged to coordinate actions at the national, regional and international levels in drug prevention and control, based on science and transparent information, and a comprehensive and balanced approach.

Countries also highly valued the role and ability to provide technical assistance and expert experience of existing international drug control mechanisms such as CND, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB).

This is the first conference held under the initiative of the US Secretary of State to promote discussion, information sharing and cooperation and action coordination in response to the threat posed by synthetic drugs, which are emerging in many parts of the world.