The Government decided that the central budget will continue allocating money for the Ministry of Health to buy expanded vaccination vaccines for all localities nationwide in 2023.

The Government has issued Resolution 98/NQ-CP on allocating the 2023 central budget for the Ministry of Health’s purchase of vaccines for the Expanded Program on Immunization.

The Government assigned the Ministry of Health to guide localities in planning and determining vaccine demand according to each type, necessary vaccine structure, list, and roadmap for receiving each vaccine to ensure an increase om the number of vaccines in the expanded program on immunization throughout the country which will serve as a basis for determining needs and allocating funding for the purchase of vaccines according to the present regulations.

Based on the plan and demand for vaccines in the expanded program on immunization in 2023 and the first 6 months of 2024 of people's committees in cities and provinces, the Ministry of Health will develop a budget estimate to ensure the supply and storage of vaccines for the country’s program in 2023.

The Ministry’s estimate will be sent to the Ministry of Finance before July 15 for submission to competent authorities that will provide additional financial resources from the central budget reserve in 2023 for the Ministry of Health’s implementation.

In July, the Ministry of Health submitted to the Government for promulgation a decree amending Decree No. 104/2016/ND-CP stipulating vaccination activities according to simplified order and procedures.

The Government assigned people's committees in provinces and cities to review and report their needs for many kinds of vaccines in 2023 in the national expanded program on immunization based on the guidance of the Ministry of Health.

Municipal and provincial people’s committees should send their reports to the Ministry of Health before July 12 for synthesis.

Upon the Government's resolution, the Ministry of Health should report on the funding for the purchase of vaccine in the country’s expanded program on immunization in 2023 and the first 6 months of 2024, while the Ministry of Finance will synthesize and submits to the Prime Minister no later than July 20.

Large fire occurs in Nghe An pine forest

As many as 500 people have been mobilised to put out a large fire that broke out at a pine forest in the northern central province of Nghe An on July 12. 

Chairman of Nam Dan District People's Committee, Nguyen Hong Son, said the fire started at 9.30 am on July 12 at the pine forest in Thuong Tan Loc Commune.

"Hundreds of soldiers were sent to work with forest rangers and local police to put out the fire and they managed to bring it under control by 5 pm," the official said. "However, due to the prolonged dry weather, the fire broke out again in the evening and more forces had to be sent."

According to local fire services, despite nearly 500 people being involved in firefighting efforts, they failed to prevent the spreading flames from rising between 5-7 metres high.

"The fire was finally controlled around 3 am this morning, July 13, but all the pine forest spanning nearly 20 hectares had been burnt down," local fire police said.

Nghe An has been facing severe heat waves recently, posing major threats of forest fires.

Vietnam-Israel diplomatic ties anniversary marked in Ashdod city

A plate marking the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-Israel diplomatic relations (July 12, 1993-2023) was installed in the Middle Eastern country’s Ashdod city on July 12.

Alexander Oberfeld, member of the city Council who initiated the idea, said that promoting the exchange between localities of Israel and Vietnam contributes to bringing the bilateral relationship into reality. Businesses of the city and Vietnam, if connected and cooperating on the basis of each side's strengths, will contribute to promoting two-way trade in the coming time.

The Vietnam-Israel two-way trade hit 2.2 billion USD last year.

Dak Lak terrorist attacks directed by overseas organisations

The recent terrorist attacks on two commune offices in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak were instructed from overseas, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

Addressing a NA meeting on July 12, Deputy Minister of Public Security, Le Quoc Hung, said the attacks were "terrorist acts that aimed at the people’s authorities" and had the "instruction and support from hostile parties abroad."

"The ministry had arrested over 90 suspects for investigation on multiple charges including terrorism Hung said. "We've also put five other suspects on the special wanted list and tried to seize all weapons involved in the attacks."

The official said that the situation in the area had been brought under control and normal life had resumed there.

Speaking at the meeting, head of the People’s Aspirations Committee, Duong Thanh Binh, said the attacks had made people worried about the area's security.

Binh called for solutions to stabilise the situation and reassure the public that security and order in Dak Lak and the whole Central Highlands would be maintained.

Earlier on June 11, two groups of armed persons attacked the headquarters of the people's committees of Ea Tieu and Ea Ktur communes, including communal police offices, in Cu Kuin District, killing nine and injuring two.

“A Year of Robotics 2024” programme, national robotics competition launched

“A Year of Robotics 2024” Programme and the Vietnam VEX Robotics National Championship 2024 were launched in Hanoi on July 12, aiming to popularising robotics education among Vietnamese students, selecting talents for international competitions, and updating robotics knowledge for teachers nationwide.

Within the framework of the programme, the organising board, comprising the STEAM for Vietnam Foundation, the American Centre and the Hanoi University of Science and Technology, said an intensive training programme will be held for teachers across the nation.

Other activities include the launch of an online library of teaching materials for teachers, and STEAMese Festival slated for August. Meanwhile, a robotics training course for high school students will be opened in autumn.

At the same time, the championship, a playground for all students who love robotics that will be organised to the Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation’s standards, will receive registrations from July and officially open in September. The competition is to select 40 teams for the world largest robotics competition – the VEX Robotics World Championship 2024. 

The organising board hopes to draw more than 300 teams of students from primary and secondary schools, and 50 others from high schools. They will compete in various contents of Teamwork Challenge, Driving Skills Challenge, and Programming Skills Challenge.

The STEAM for Vietnam Foundation will build a library to provide training documents from VEX Robotics and organise a series of conferences to connect robotics experts and participating teams, helping the teams enhance their capacity. It will also give instructions to schools to organise friendly competitions to REC Foundation’s standards.

Last year's edition of the programme provided free robotics training to more than 2,000 students, 500 teachers from 150 schools nationwide. Meanwhile, the VEX IQ Championship 2023 drew more than 150 teams from 30 cities and provinces nationwide.

In May 2023, Vietnam sent 19 robotics teams to the VEX Robotics World Championship 2023 in Texas, the US, ranking fifth in the number of teams, and bringing home five prizes.

Hai Duong native crowned Miss Tourism Business Vietnam 2023

Vu Thuc Hien, 41, won Miss Tourism Business Vietnam 2023 in the grand final of the beauty pageant held on July 11 in Da Nang.

Contestants completed several rounds of the competition, including an Ao Dai (Vietnamese traditional long dress) performance and evening gown segments, with the top seven contestants then entering the Q&A competition to choose the top three.

Vu Thuc Hien, an editor and a director of a media company, successfully surpassed 21 finalists to become the winner of the beauty pageant.

The pageant’s organisers also awarded the first runner-up title to businesswoman Phan Thi Thanh, with the second and third runners-up spots being given to five other businesswomen from across the country.

The first ever Miss Tourism Business Vietnam is a prestigious beauty contest dedicated to successful businesswomen living and working in Vietnam aged between 25 and 55.

The winners will help to promote the images of the country’s landscape, culture, and cuisine to international friends in order to contribute to the overall development of the Vietnamese tourism industry.

ASEAN bolsters development of smart, sustainable cities

The Sixth Annual Meeting of the ASEAN Smart Cities Network (ASCN) opened in Bali, Indonesia, on July 12 with the participation of representatives of national and local governments across the region.

Representatives from Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism; the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport; and the Seoul National University attended the meeting to exchange views on how to enhance existing cooperation and catalyse new partnerships.

Opening the event, Indonesian Minister of Home Affairs Muhammad Tito Karnavian mentioned that the governments need to continue pushing the implementation of Smart Cities by building a strong foundation to face the urbanisation challenges, and capacity to adapt to the industrial revolution.

In his pre-recorded speech, Secretary-General of ASEAN Dr Kao Kim Hourn commended Indonesia’s unwavering commitment to the development of smart and sustainable cities in the region.

He highlighted three key points to further ASEAN’s efforts in promoting smart and sustainable cities, namely sharing knowledge and learnings within and between cities and with national governments, strengthening cooperation in evidence-based city planning and management to realise a more liveable urban environment in ASEAN, and promoting more public-private-people partnerships to seize smart city opportunities.
         
Dr. Safrizal ZA, Director General of Regional Administration of Indonesia’s Ministry of Home Affairs, held that collaboration in the ASEAN Smart Cities Network can address the pressing challenges faced by cities and explore innovative solutions to foster sustainable urban development.

At the two-day meetings, participants have discussed the implementation of ASCN smart city projects, development of ASEAN smart city investment toolkit, and expansion of ASCN membership.

PM underlines four priorities in digital transformation

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has called for raising public awareness of digital transformation, with priority given to developing databases, promoting online public services, developing infrastructure and digital platforms, and ensuring cyber security and information safety.

Chairing the 6th meeting of the National Committee on Digital Transformation and a teleconference on digital transformation tasks and a project on population database, e-identification and e-authentication for national digital transformation for the 2022-2025 period (Project 06) with a vision towards 2030 in Hanoi on July 12, PM Chinh, who is head of the national committee, hailed positive progress in digital transformation and Project 06 since early this year.

To push forward the above priorities, he underlined the need to mobilise the involvement of the entire political system, people and businesses in a systematic, flexible and drastic manner.

Ministers, heads of sectors, secretaries of Party Committees and chairpersons of People’s Committees at all levels must give drastic directions and reach consensus on awareness and action to pool the collective power of the political system in the effort, the PM noted.

Apart from fine-tuning policies and mechanisms for national digital transformation and Project 06, ministries, agencies and localities must simplify regulations and administrative procedures related to investment, business activities, and people's lives, ensuring a reduction of at least 20% in the number of regulations and a decrease of at least 20% in compliance costs, as directed by the Government, he stressed.

The Government leader also directed continuing to improve the efficiency of online public services to offer the utmost convenience for citizens and businesses. Urgent requirements were given to expedite the completion of providing 28 key online public services on the National Public Service Portal, he said.

PM Chinh urged efforts to have at least 20 million citizens use the e-identification platform VNeID with a minimum of 10 applications by the end of this year.

In conclusion, he requested ensuring the security and safety of information systems, databases, and personal data protection; strengthening international cooperation via gradually connecting with the citizen information systems of ASEAN countries and some other nations, and fostering social consensus on the digital transformation process.

Russian Culture Days held in Ha Long

Various activities have been held within the framework of the Russian Culture Days in Ha Long city in the northern province of Quang Ninh from July 11-13.

They include a photo exhibition featuring Russia’s nature, land and people; art performances; and a trade fair, and tours to Ha Long Bay – UNESCO-recognised World Heritage Site.

The “Russian Dulture Days" in Vietnam are taking place in Hanoi capital city and Ha Long from July 10-14.

The introduction of Russia’s cultural and artistic features in Vietnam through art performances and exhibitions is expected to actively contribute to the development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

Vietnam, Ireland boost education, sci-tech cooperation

The Vietnamese Embassy in the UK had a working session with the Irish Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS) in Dublin on July 10 in a bid to step up the two countries' cooperation in education, science, and technology.

Deputy Ambassador To Minh Thu lauded the results of recent cooperation agreements sealed between the countries in the field of higher education, especially university and postgraduate scholarships provided by Ireland to Vietnamese students. Currently, there are about 150 Vietnamese students studying in Ireland.

Thu proposed both sides continue to collaborate in research and student exchange; further promote the implementation of Vietnam's Project 89 to Irish universities, and promote Ireland as a destination for Vietnamese researchers.

Additionally, she suggested seeking new scholarship programmes to replace the Irish Development Experience and Sharing (IDEAS) programme, which ended in 2021.

The diplomat proposed the DFHERIS engage in sci-tech exchanges between Ireland and Vietnam to step up the bilateral collaboration in specific areas of mutual priority.

Ian McKenna, head of the DFHERIS’s international cooperation division, highly evaluated the two countries’ cooperation in recent times and stated that educational collaboration is one of the prominent areas in their bilateral relationship. Currently, Ireland is reviewing and evaluating the results of its education cooperation policy with Vietnam and is seeking potential partners for the issuance of its new cooperation policies expected to be released later this year, with Vietnam being a targeted partner.

Taking into account the proposals from the Vietnamese side, McKenna expressed his wish to gain more information about Vietnam's science, technology, and innovation development strategy until 2030, as well as the country's priority areas and strengths, which would serve as a basis for future cooperation.

Vietnam and Ireland signed memoranda of understanding on education cooperation in 2011 and 2016. Ireland has provided approximately 185 scholarships to Vietnam through the IDEAS1 and IDEAS2 programmes. The two sides also established an expert group on education cooperation in September 2017.

11th Ocean Dialogue talks hybrid, grey zone activities

The 11th Ocean Dialogue, themed “Hybrid Activities: Helping or Hindering Order at Sea”, took place in the northern port city of Hải Phòng on Tuesday.

The event, held by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV), the UK Embassy in Việt Nam, and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) foundation’s Việt Nam Office, attracted more than 100 delegates attending in person and over 50 others via videoconference, including 20 experts from 14 countries.

Participants discussed the trend of using hybrid activities by many countries in the region and the world, including grey zone activities in the East Sea. They shared viewpoints on hybrid activities and countries’ experience in responding to grey zone activities, and looked to debate and make policy and legal proposals for managing activities to ensure order at sea.

In his opening remarks, DAV Deputy Director Dr Nguyễn Hùng Sơn said that hybrid activities are not a new phenomenon. Many grey zone activities haven’t been fully identified or assessed on the basis of international law. The dialogue aimed to scrutinise the nature of those activities, the lack of goodwill in applying and interpreting international law, or taking advantage of the unclear regulations of international law to weaken international law, thereby devising more effective response to this strategy.

Speakers at the event discussed hybrid and grey zone activities in the region, including the East Sea. They pointed out that hybrid activities combine traditional and non-traditional, military and non-military measures; are often conducted by non-state entities but supported by states; keep the situation below the red line of war; and often take place in transition zones between different spaces, entities, or rules.

They said grey zone and hybrid activities are posing legal challenges and affecting the international order. In particular, the development of technology has been making challenges from those activities clearer. Besides, grey zone activities occur not only in the field but also other aspects such as economy (sanctions, embargoes, trade restrictions) and information (intentional misinformation).

Suggesting some initiatives for countries in and outside the region to better manage hybrid activities and effectively respond to grey zone activities, the dialogue said countries should enhance the coordination of actions among relevant agencies; and improve the capacity of identifying grey zone challenges, and differentiating hybrid activities with legal purposes from grey zone activities with illegal intentions.

Countries and international organisations should perfect the legal frameworks on hybrid activities. Besides, international cooperation is also the key for countries to coordinate actions to better manage hybrid activities, delegates noted.

The Ocean Dialogue, initiated by the DAV, aims to connect scientists to discuss marine science, policies, and legal frameworks towards sustainable ocean governance.

PM receives President of International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on July 12 received President of the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA) Ivan Petrov, who is visiting Vietnam to attend FIATA’s 2023 Asia-Pacific Regional Annual Meeting, which will take place in the central city of Da Nang from July 13 to 15.

PM Chinh took this occasion to express his gratitude for the federation’s contributions to promoting cooperation between the Vietnamese logistics service business community and their peers worldwide as well as its support for the Vietnam Logistics Business Association (VLA)’s hosting of the FIATA World Congress in Hanoi in 2025

He proposed FIATA to further assist and closely cooperate with Vietnamese agencies serving the successful organisation of the important event.

The Government leader suggested the federation enhance cooperation with Vietnam, and support the development of the nation’s logistics service strategy until 2035 with a vision to 2045.

He also called for policy consultancy, experiences sharing, international cooperation, investment in major seaports, and assistance in human resources training, technology, management, and planning toward further enhancing Vietnam's competitiveness and the quality of its logistics services in line with digital transformation, green transformation, circular economy, and advanced regional and global standards.

The Government of Vietnam is committed to accompanying domestic and international partners and facilitating economic, investment, trade, and service cooperation activities, including those serving logistics development, the PM affirmed.

Petrov expressed his impression of Hai Phong port city and appreciation for the Vietnamese logistic sector's rapid development. The Vietnamese Government’s visions and goals in this field have similarities with FIATA's vision and the federation wants to strengthen cooperation with and support for Vietnam, he stated.

Assessing Vietnam as a safe and potential investment destination, he believed that the hosting of the FIATA World Congress and the federation's enhanced cooperation with Vietnamese agencies would contribute to the development, digitalisation, and greening of the Southeast Asian country’s logistics sector, helping Vietnam become a larger centre for logistics and intermodal transport.

AMM-56: Vietnamese FM meets Indian, Australian counterparts

Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son had separate meetings with Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong on the occasion of their attendance at the 56th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM-56) in Jakarta, Indonesia on July 12.

Meeting Minister Jaishankar, Son hailed India for supporting ASEAN in maintaining its solidarity and central role

The two ministers spoke highly of the strong developments in the bilateral traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership, especially in economy-trade. They agreed to thoroughly prepare for the exchange of delegations at high level and effectively deploy existing cooperation mechanisms such as the 18th Joint Committee Meeting.

In order to further reinforce economic and trade collaboration, they pledged to work with ASEAN member states to review the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA).

On the occasion, Son suggested that both countries consider advancing bilateral economic and trade agreement negotiations. He also proposed India encourage big corporations to increase investments and expand operations in Vietnam, particularly in high-quality infrastructure development, petroleum and renewable energy.

At their meeting, Minister Son and Australian Minister Wong promised to make thorough preparations for mutual high-level visits.

The Vietnamese minister thanked the Australian Government for increasing official development assistance (ODA) to Vietnam to 95.1 million AUD for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

Wong agreed to step up joint projects, including improving the capacity of Vietnam's foreign affairs officials.

On global and regional issues, Wong reiterated Australia's support for ASEAN's solidarity and central role in regional stability, as well as ASEAN's common stance on the East Sea issue.

Son took the occasion to invite Wong to visit Vietnam again soon and co-chair the fifth Vietnam-Australia Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

Overseas Vietnamese writer promotes Bulgaria with books

Overseas Vietnamese Tina Yuan has released a new book entitled Co hen voi Bulgaria (Dating with Bulgaria) to share her experiences in the so-called "Kingdom of Roses".

It's a chronicle of Tinay Yuan during her trip to explore Bulgaria. Her book describes the landscape, architecture, culture, gastronomy, and lifestyle of the local people.

She loves to travel and explore the world. Fluent in four languages, Tina has traveled to over 100 countries and territories. This is her second book after the first one about Paris, France.

So she wrote the book intending to inspire people to travel to new places and expected that readers would find her itinerary interesting so that they feel inspired to know more about Bulgaria.

With her experience as a tourist, the author offers readers her itineraries when exploring Bulgaria.

To come to Bulgaria, Tina Yuan crossed to Germany, where she had an unforgettable experience visiting ancient cities and enjoying many typical dishes such as veal, bacon, and sauerkraut.

In Bulgaria, Tina Yuan went to many attractive cultural and culinary addresses and destinations. It is Veliko Tarnovo - a province in the central north of Bulgaria, bordering Romania, once the capital of Bulgaria, attracting tourists with ancient monuments and architecture such as Tsarevets Fortress. It is Melnik - Bulgaria's smallest town - which attracts tourists with its ancient houses and wine-producing vineyards. Tina recommended visitors to Melnik to climb the mountain and explore the sandstone pyramid.

Beef stomach soup and salted figs served with yogurt are some of the Bulgarian gastronomic tips she gave in her book.
For Tina Yuan, each country left her with many unforgettable impressions, but it was in Bulgaria that she found the warmth of a family. The kind people here make her journey in a strange country no longer boring and alone. She also found her fiancé in Bulgaria.

At the book launch on July 8 in Hanoi, poet Duong Ky Anh, former editor-in-chief of Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper, remarked that Tina wrote the book with a novel style of the generation of young writers.

Poet Duong Ky Anh paid many compliments to Tina Yuan and affirmed that the book inspires young Vietnamese readers to travel, experience, and learn.

Tinay Yuan currently lives in Singapore. She is a writer, teacher, and businesswoman. She has taught free English classes to overseas Vietnamese.

Individuals commended for preserving Vietnamese language in Czech Republic

The Vietnamese Embassy in the Czech Republic held a ceremony on July 11 to present certificates of merit to Vietnamese individuals who have made great contributions to community affairs and outstanding achievements in study and scientific research.

The awardees included Le Hong Nhung, a member of the Vietnamese Association in the Czech Republic, and Nguyen Van Son, Director of the Vietnamese Language Centre in Prague. They are teachers who have made many contributions for many years to maintaining Vietnamese language classes in the Central European nation. Nhung and Son were bestowed certificates of merit by the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Thuy Linh received a certificate of merit from the embassy for her outstanding achievements in study and scientific research. She excellently defended a PhD thesis in pharmaceuticals. 

Speaking at the event, Ambassador Thai Xuan Dung expressed his hope that the next generations of Vietnamese people will make more efforts to achieve more achievements in study and scientific research.

Son showed his desire to attract more young people to join the teaching and learning programmes in the community in the Czech Republic, contributing to preserving the Vietnamese culture and language.

Vietnam-Israel relations develop continuously over past three decades: Ambassador

Looking back on the 30-year journey of diplomatic relations, Vietnam and Israel, with mutual respect and trust, have achieved prideworthy cooperation achievements in the fields of politics, economy, trade and investment, making the two nations become each other's leading partner in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

The statement was made by Vietnamese Ambassador to Israel Ly Duc Trung in his interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s resident correspondents in Tel Aviv, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties (July 12, 1993-2023).

Trung said that over the past three decades, the Vietnam-Israel relationship has experienced important development milestones. In 1993, Israel opened its embassy in Hanoi, and in 2009, Vietnam inaugurated its embassy in Tel Aviv. The moves did not only mark a dramatic change in political relations, but also haold great significance in promoting bilateral cooperation in other fields.

The two sides have maintained and stepped up the exchange of all-level delegations  since 1996, and are preparing for an Israel visit by a Vietnamese high-ranking leader on the occasion of the 30th founding anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties.

The two countries signed many cooperation agreements in different fields, including the Framework Agreement on Economic, Scientific, Technical, Agricultural and Trade Cooperation (1996); the Financial Cooperation Protocol (2007), the Visa Waiver Agreement for holders of diplomatic passports (2009), the agreement on double taxation avoidance and prevention of tax evasion on income and property taxes, and the Air Transport Agreement (2020). They are also aiming to sign the Vietnam-Israel Free Trade Agreement (VIFTA) as they have just completed negotiations on this deal after seven years.

The diplomat considered science and technology as a priority and one of pillars in the bilateral cooperation in the coming time, especially in areas related to new economic trends and in line with Vietnam’s development strategy, including sustainable development, digital transformation, green economy, and circular economy.

Traffic accidents fall in H1 of 2023

As many as 4,970 traffic accidents occurred nationwide, claiming 2,865 lives and injuring 3,471 others during the first six months of the year.

According to the National Committee for Traffic Safety, the number of accidents, fatalities, and injuries dropped by 762 cases, 484 deaths, and 214 injuries, respectively, compared to the same period from last year.

On national roads, 4,906 accidents claimed 2,821 lives and left 3,458 others injured, representing respective decreases of 13.41%, 13.84%, and 5.8%.

Meanwhile, 48 railway accidents killed 34 people and injured 13 others, representing year-on-year rises of 14.29%, 13.33%, and 18.18%, respectively.

A total of 12 accidents happened on waterways, down eight cases, and four accidents occurred on marine routes, taking two lives.

In the first half of the year the traffic police handled more than 1.6 million cases of traffic violations nationwide, with a total administrative fine of over VND3 trillion. These figures mark increases of 22.2% and 98.9%, respectively compared to the same period from 2022.

Moreover, up to 373,931 cases of drink driving were fined throughout the reviewed period, accounting for 22.6% of total violations.

11th Ocean Dialogue talks hybrid, grey zone activities

The 11th Ocean Dialogue, themed “Hybrid Activities: Helping or Hindering Order at Sea”, took place in the northern port city of Hai Phong on July 11.

The event, held by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV), the UK Embassy in Vietnam, and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) foundation’s Vietnam Office, attracted more than 100 delegates attending in person and over 50 others via videoconference, including 20 experts from 14 countries.

Participants discussed the trend of using hybrid activities by many countries in the region and the world, including grey zone activities in the East Sea. They shared viewpoints on hybrid activities and countries’ experience in responding to grey zone activities, and looked to debate and make policy and legal proposals for managing activities to ensure order at sea.

In his opening remarks, DAV Deputy Director Dr Nguyen Hung Son said that hybrid activities are not a new phenomenon in the world. Many grey zone activities haven’t been fully identified or assessed on the basis of international law. The dialogue aimed to scrutinise the nature of those activities, the lack of goodwill in applying and interpreting international law, or the taking advantage of the unclear regulations of international law to weaken international law, thereby devising more effective response to this strategy.

Speakers at the event discussed hybrid and grey zone activities in the region, including the East Sea. They pointed out that hybrid activities combine traditional and non-traditional, military and non-military measures; are often conducted by non-state entities but supported by states; keep the situation below the red line of war; and often take place in transition zones between different spaces, entities, or rules.

They said grey zone and hybrid activities are posing legal challenges and affecting the international order. In particular, the development of technology has been making challenges from those activities clearer. Besides, grey zone activities occur not only in the field but also other aspects such as economy (sanctions, embargoes, trade restrictions) and information (intentional misinformation).

Suggesting some initiatives for countries in and outside the region to better manage hybrid activities and effectively respond to grey zone activities, the dialogue said countries should enhance the coordination of actions among relevant agencies; and improve the capacity of identifying grey zone challenges, and differentiating hybrid activities with legal purposes from grey zone activities with illegal intentions.

Countries and international organisations should perfect the legal frameworks on hybrid activities. Besides, international cooperation is also the key for countries to coordinate actions to better manage hybrid activities, delegates noted.

The Ocean Dialogue, initiated by the DAV, aims to connect scientists to discuss marine science, policies, and legal frameworks towards sustainable ocean governance.

Vietnam ranks sixth at 2023 Int’l Mathematical Olympiad

All the six Vietnamese high school students competing in the 2023 International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) brought home medals, with two golds, two silvers and two bronzes, according to the Ministry of Education and Training.

The results placed Vietnam in the sixth position out of the 112 participating teams.

Gold medalists were Pham Viet Hung, a 12th grader from High School for Gifted Students of the University of Natural Sciences under the Vietnam National University, Hanoi, and Nguyen An Thinh, a 12th grader from Tran Phu High School for the Gifted in Hai Phong city.

The silver medalists were Hoang Tuan Dung, a 12th grader from High School for Gifted Students of the Hanoi National University of Education, and Nguyen Dinh Kien, an 11th grader from Tran Phu High School for the Gifted in Hai Phong city.

The bronze medals went to Khuc Dinh Toan, a 12th grader from Bac Ninh High School for the Gifted Students, and Nguyen Thanh Danh, a 12 grader from High School for the Gifted, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City.

IMO 2023 was held in Japan from July 2-12, with the participation of 625 contestants from 112 countries and territories worldwide.

Vietnamese-language course opens in Vientiane

A ceremony was held at Phat Tich Pagoda in Vientiane on July 11 to launch a Vietnamese-language course and a Vietnamese bookcase for the Vietnamese community in Laos, aiming to meet the community’s demand to learn the language and promote the nation's cultural identity in the neighbouring country.

Addressing the event, Phan Minh Chien, Counsellor at the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos, said that over the years, many such courses have been held at a hope to keep the mother tongue of the Vietnamese community in Laos and maintain the national cultural identity.

He hailed the organising board’s efforts to resume the course after a period of interruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic, asking teachers to promote their enthusiasms in teaching activities and giving students a better insight to the culture and traditional customs of Vietnam.

Dinh Thi Phuong Loan, an overseas Vietnamese in Vientiane who serves as a volunteer teacher of the course, said she hopes that through the three-month course, children from Vietnamese families in Laos can communicate in their mother tongue and understand more about the Vietnamese traditional culture.

Xukanya, a sixth grader, said that she is excited to learn the language and hopes to study at a university in Vietnam.

At the ceremony, the Vietnamese bookcase was launched at Phat Tich Pagoda to serve Vietnamese and Lao readers. It includes Vietnamese-Lao bilingual books featuring the great friendship, special solidarity and the comprehensive partnership between the two countries.

Binh Dinh to host final round of Miss World Vietnam 2023

The organising committee of the Miss World Vietnam 2023 held a ceremony in the central province of Binh Dinh’s Quy Nhon city on July 10 to announce the national final round and schedule of related events.

Speaking at the ceremony, Director of the provincial Department of Culture and Sports Ta Xuan Chanh stressed the contest’s meaning in popularising the image of Binh Dinh and its tourism.

The local authorities are committed to accompanying and creating all favorable conditions for the contest to be successful, he affirmed.

As heard at the event, the final night featuring 40 best contestants will take place at MerryLand Quy Nhon on July 22.

Many interesting activities will be held as part of the final round such as a sports beauty competition, a Vietnam beauty fashion fest, and a programme that promotes Binh Dinh tourism.

Shortcomings of provincial public service portals identified

The percentage of Vietnamese using online public services only reached 18% in the first seven months of 2022, according to a report from the National Committee on Digital Transformation.

The information was revealed at a thematic discussion held in Hanoi on July 11 to review the accessibility and user-friendliness of 63 provincial e-service portals in 2023.

A survey of the Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI) showed that only 3.05% of the interviewees said they had created user profiles on the National Public Service Portal and more than 1% used the public service portal to conduct administrative procedures.

Experts attributed the limited usage to the incomplete implementation of online public services, saying that the service delivery functions have not yet been completed and the interface is not easy to use.

A research team of the Institute for Policy Studies and Media Development and the United Nations Development Programme Vietnam has pointed out five main shortcomings of provincial public services portals.

They said the functions on the portals are not working smoothly and the process of conducting electronic administrative procedures has not been optimised for users.

It is difficult for the blind and ethnic minorities to access public services portals, the team said, adding that that due attention has not been paid to protecting personal data and ensuring information security.

The team also mentioned inadequacies in connection of data, accounts and interfaces between online service systems of the central and localities.

The implementation of online public services still has many technical, human and process problems.

The team suggested that online public services need to be more friendly to people with disability. Specifically, the accessibility for these people should be improved by using reading software programmes and they should join in the assessment.

It is essential to strengthen the data connection between the National Public Service Portal and the provincial online service portals as well as devise regulations on technical standards for connection between online public service supply systems.

Ngo Hai Phan, Director-General of the Government Office's Administrative Procedure Control Department affirmed that the government always puts people at the centre and assess the service quality of state agencies on their satisfaction.

The Government, ministries and agencies are focusing on promoting reform and restructuring processes to further improve publicity and transparency levels, along with improving the handling of administrative procedures, thereby helping people access them more easily, especially the disadvantaged ones, he said.

HCM City cooperates with Samsung Engineering in wastewater treatment

Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Bui Xuan Cuong on July 11 received Executive Vice President of Samsung Engineering Han Sang Deog to exchange measures to boost cooperation in wastewater treatment and environmental protection.

Welcoming Samsung Engineering’s opening of its representative office in the city, Cuong said that the company’s concern to boost bilateral cooperation suits the city’s demand in the fields of environmental protection, green economy and circular economy.

The city appreciates the company’s hope to participate in environmental protection projects, and is willing to strengthen connectivity and exchange information to seek cooperation opportunities in carrying out projects related to waste and wastewater treatment, and share experience in seeking financial solutions to environmental protection projects, he stated.

Han affirmed that with its experience in doing investment in the city, the company will help the city develop wastewater treatment projects to bring about a green and clean environment and improve people’s quality of life.

Samsung Engineering will provide a general solution to environmental protection from collection, treatment and reuse of wastewater after treatment as well as green energy projects, and the social environment improvement, he added.

New vaccines to be added to expanded programme on immunisation

Many new kinds of vaccines will be included in the national expanded programme on immunisation (EPI) in the coming time, said Dr. Dang Thanh Huyen, deputy head of the EPI Office under the Ministry of Health, on July 10.

Huyen said that according to the roadmap, the vaccine against Rotavirus will be provided in a number of localities in 2023 and the whole nation in 2024.

Meanwhile, vaccines against pneumococcal disease, cervical cancer, and seasonal flu will be introduced from 2025, 2026 and 2030, respectively, said the official.

Associate Prof. Le Viet Dung, Vice Director of the Drug Administration of Vietnam, said the administration has received registration from several units to provide vaccines against the hand-foot-mouth disease. The vaccines have been classified as prioritised for consideration to grant circulation permit.

The EPI of Vietnam, which was launched in 1981, is providing immunisation to 12 vaccine preventable diseases of Tuberculosis, Hepatitis B, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Polio, Hib, Measles, Rubella, Japanese Encephalitis, Cholera (in high-risk areas), and Typhoid (in high-risk areas).

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), in Vietnam, it is estimated that EPI has saved 42,000 lives and prevented more than 6.7 million childhood diseases like polio, tetanus, diphtheria, measles and pertussis with high vaccine coverage. Official 2017 data indicated a coverage of 97% for Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG), 97% for measles-containing vaccine (MCV) first dose, and 93% for MCV second dose.

Vietnam keeps cooperating with WIPO in building global IP ecosystem: official

A Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Hoang Giang is attending the 64th series of meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in Geneva from July 10 to 13.

Addressing a session on IP and development on July 11, Giang pointed out that the challenges facing the world like epidemics, climate change, and food insecurity have been impacting economies and the life of millions of people around the globe. To solve those problems, it is necessary to continue boosting multilateral cooperation, realising the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and encouraging the development of science, technology and innovation, which of IP is a key tool.

He highly valued the WIPO initiatives to assist member states, especially those targeting priority groups such as small- and medium-sized enterprises, women, and the young in the use of IP rights as a tool to fuel economic growth, attract investment, create jobs, and improve the community’s life quality.

Vietnam will keep cooperating with WIPO in developing an inclusive, balanced, and effective global IP ecosystem that enables innovation for the sake of all, the official stressed.

At a meeting with WIPO Director General Daren Tang on July 11, Giang expressed his delight at the reinforced cooperation between Vietnam and WIPO, which reflects the Vietnamese Party, State, and Government leaders’ attention to science, technology and innovation, of which IP is an important factor.

He also applauded the two sides’ close and fruitful ties in implementing technical cooperation activities such as in the National IP Strategy, the Global Innovation Index, and the Provincial Innovation Index.

The official also witnessed the signing of a cooperation deal between WIPO and the IP Office of Vietnam on a research, training, support, and advisory centre to help Vietnamese experts, businesses, and civil servants improve their skills and knowledge.

Summer camp for overseas young people kicks off in HCM City

Sixty overseas Vietnamese young people from 14 foreign countries and territories have joined local youths in an annual summer camp which kicked off in Ho Chi Minh City on July 11.

The event, the 16th of its kind, is co-organised by the municipal Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs and the city’s Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union. It will last until July 15.

The programme features a city tour, voluntary youth programmes to visit and present gifts to impoverished students in Can Gio district and Binh Thuan province; a trip to beautiful beaches in the southern coast city of Phan Thiet in Binh Thuan province and exchanges with local youths there.

In Binh Thuan, they are also scheduled to visit Duc Thanh school where Uncle Ho taught before he left the country to seek ways for national salvation, and learn about culture and architecture works of Cham ethnic people at Poshanu tower.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Dinh Thi Phuong Thao, Vice Chairwoman of the municipal Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs and head of the summer camp organising committee, said the camp is an opportunity to connect Vietnamese young people from different parts of the world while fostering feelings of national pride that overseas youths have for their home country.

This year, participants came from the US, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, Taiwan (China).

Project launched to promote innovation, entrepreneuship in ecotourism

ECOViP, a project financed by the European Commission and coordinated by Nha Trang University, was launched on July 11, aiming to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in ecotourism, promoting sustainable development in Vietnam and the Philippines.

Trang Si Trung, Rector of Nha Trang University, said the project intends to develop entrepreneurial and innovation capacities for sustainable development in tourism in Vietnam and the Philippines. It will devise a roadmap for the improvement of tourism-related training programmes in collaboration with the business sector to increase the employability of students after graduating, he said, adding that ECOViP offers an opportunity for the university to gradually establish cooperative relationships with partners around the world.

Through the project, the partners hope to contribute to the development of the Vietnam – Philippines sustainable tourism industry as well as the conservation of the natural environment.

It will be carried out from May 2023 to May 2026, targeting specific goals such as setting up six ecotourism spaces in Vietnam and the Philippines to develop students’ initiatives to promote ecotourism and intersector start-up projects.

Up to 400 students, 200 lecturers, 150 officials, and 30 leaders and managers will be trained in entrepreneurship and ecotourism.

Three competitions and seminars on tourism startups will be held in both countries. An overview report on ecotourism situation in Vietnam and the Philippines, along with recommendations on ecotourism policy will also be published.

'Cải lương' guru returns home to hold mini show

Vietnamese-American theatre actor Minh Cảnh, a guru of cải lương (reformed opera), will perform in a mini show in HCM City after 13 years away from home.

The show is part of Tài Danh Đất Việt (Vietnamese Gurus of Theatre), a long-term project that includes performances and shows of vọng cổ (nostalgic tunes), cải lương, and tuồng (classical drama), traditional theatre genres in the southern and central regions.  

Cảnh has more than 60 years in the theatre. He was called the “King of Vọng Cổ” by his fans in the 1960s-70s. 

He will stage extracts from plays featuring Vietnamese historical events and heroes. 

He will perform with his peer, People’s Artist Minh Vương, who has played an important role in the 100-year-old development of cải lương. 

His younger colleagues, such as Meritorious Artist Kim Tử Long and Phượng Loan, are also featured. 

"I will offer a beautiful and original style of cải lương. I hope my show will help my fans improve their love for the traditional theatre," said Cảnh, who lives in the US.

Cảnh began his career in 1960 in Sài Gòn (now HCM City). He worked for Kim Chung Troupe, one of the region’s leading cải lương theatres. 

In 1967, he opened the Minh Cảnh Drama Troupe, attracting young theatre talents. His troupe offered shows featuring the culture and lifestyle of southern people. 

Cảnh has performed in several hundred cải lương plays, TV shows and videos. 

Although he found it difficult to perform cải lương in the US, he has still worked to expand the art to his fans and their children.

“Cảnh is a guru of cải lương. I hope his mini show will help fans, particularly the youth, to understand why and how cải lương is the spirit of the Vietnamese people," said the show’s producer Gia Bảo.

Bảo launched his project, Tài Danh Đất Việt, in 2020. His project has attracted dozens of veteran actors and young talents. 

He has overcome serious challenges and proven his ability to produce quality shows about Vietnamese culture that both entertain and inform.

Many of Bảo’s colleagues have affectionately described him as a “monster” as he directs them and takes part in marketing and sales.

“Every show from the project Tài Danh Đất Việt offers tickets at only VNĐ100,000 (US$4) for students because I want to encourage youngsters to learn more about Vietnamese history and culture through traditional theatre,” said 36-year-old Bảo, who spent several hundred million đồng on the production.

Cảnh’s mini show will begin at 8pm at the Bến Thành Theatre in 6Đ Mạc Đĩnh Chi Street, District 1, on Saturday, July 15. 

Hà Nội could be a hotspot for dengue fever, expert warns

Head of at the National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology, and Entomology’s Department of Insects Nguyễn Văn Dũng has warned that Hà Nội could become a hotspot for dengue fever soon.

Dengue fever has shown changing patterns with the decreasing number of cases in the southern region compared to the same period last year and the increasing number of cases in the north, he said.

Since the beginning of this year, Việt Nam has recorded approximately 40,000 cases of dengue fever, including eight fatalities. The outbreak is trending upward in many localities.

In Hà Nội, the number of dengue fever cases has been gradually increasing over the past two weeks. According to the city’s Department of Health, the city has recorded nearly 400 cases of dengue fever since early this year, a five-fold increase compared to the same period in 2022.

This year, the dengue fever outbreak is expected to have complex development, it forecasted.

Dũng said that the outbreak cycle has changed. In 2017, there was a severe outbreak of dengue fever with a high number of cases and fatalities. In 2019 and 2022, there were also very high numbers of cases. These were not the typical four-year cycles as seen in previous patterns.

The reason for this change, he said, was due to the fluctuating weather conditions in the northern region, where the winter was not excessively cold, and the summer was excessively hot with heavy rainfall.

These conditions have created an opportunity for disease-carrying mosquitoes to thrive. The increased rainfall also created breeding grounds for mosquito larvae, leading to a higher density of mosquitoes and an increased risk of disease transmission to humans.

The current hot and rainy weather has provided favourable conditions for the Aedes mosquitos, the vector for dengue fever, to breed and thrive.

People still have a habit of storing rainwater for use, watering plants in containers, barrels, buckets, pots, and also growing ornamental plants, creating a conducive environment for mosquitoes to lay eggs and for mosquito larvae to develop and transmit the disease, he said.

Dũng said preventing and controlling dengue fever is a complex task that relied not only on the healthcare workforce and local authorities but also on the awareness of the public. Especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, preventive healthcare resources have changed, and the healthcare sector has faced numerous challenges.

He noted that dengue fever is an acute infectious disease caused by the Dengue virus and could develop into an epidemic.

The primary and most effective method of disease prevention was avoiding mosquito bites and maintaining a clean environment to prevent mosquito breeding, including removing stagnant water.

In areas where dengue fever cases were detected, it was necessary to carry out mosquito chemical spraying to prevent the spread of the disease. However, Dũng advised people to take caution when purchasing and spraying chemicals available on the market.

Culture brings Vietnam closer to Israeli people

The Vietnamese Embassy in Israel in coordination with authorities of Israel’s Netanya city organised an event popularising the Vietnamese culture, cuisine and tourism to local residents and businesses on July 11.

This is part of the activities celebrating the 30th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between the two countries (July 12, 1993 - 2023).

In his remarks, Vietnamese Ambassador to Israel Ly Duc Trung briefed the participants on Vietnam’s traditional culture and tourism potential.

Guests were treated to traditional Vietnamese dishes that were cooked following Kosher rules of Jewish people.

Some local participating businesses showed their interest in importing Vietnamese agro-aquatic products.

Speaking at the event, Netanya’s Deputy Mayor Efraim Bulmash noted that many tourists from the city have visited Vietnam, contributing to enhancing the bilateral relationship.

Vietnamese, Malaysian audit agencies look to step up cooperation

Deputy State Auditor General Dang The Vinh had a meeting with Malaysian Auditor-General Datuk Wan Suraya Wan Mohd Radzi in Putrajaya on July 11, as part of a working trip to Malaysia on July 9-12.

During the working session, the Vietnamese official highly valued the effective cooperation between the two countries’ audit agencies in recent times, expressing the desire to expand bilateral cooperation in the time to come.  

Vinh thanked the Malaysian audit agency for its support to its Vietnamese counterpart in joining multilateral organisations such as the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI), the Asian Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI), and the ASEAN Supreme Audit Institutions  (ASEANSAI).

For her part, Suraya congratulated Vietnam on its achievements in socio-economic development, success in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, and efforts to re-open the economy after the pandemic.

She affirmed that the State Audit Office of Malaysia is willing to discuss with the State Audit of Vietnam (SAV) about areas where it has extensive experience such as training, information technology, and operation audit.

The SAV delegation engaged in discussions and shared experience in applying information technology in audit activities; and digitising data and connecting with national databases and/or central agencies.

During the 2009 - 2019 period, SAV sent officials to participate in training courses on auditing operations and information technology within the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP) funded by the Malaysian government.

Within the multilateral framework, the two institutions have consistently supported and closely coordinated on the ASOSAI and ASEANSAI platforms. They jointly and successfully hosted the 14th ASOSAI Assembly in 2018. The Malaysian side also supported SAV in successfully hosting the virtual 15th ASOSAI Assembly in 2021.
 
The two are among the four founding members of ASEANSAI - the forum that promotes good governance in the Southeast Asian region.

Vietnam, Thailand jointly fight human trafficking

Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Phan Chi Thanh held a working session with Thai Minister of Social Development and Human Security Chuti Krairiksh in Bangkok on July 12 to promote bilateral cooperation in combating human trafficking and share experience in social welfare development.

Hailing Vietnam as one of the important member states that has made active contributions to cooperation mechanisms at ASEAN, Chuti wished that Vietnam and Thailand would enhance bilateral coordination as well as at other multilateral mechanisms.

He proposed that the Vietnamese Embassy work closely with the Thai Ministry of Social Development and Human Security to launch certain activities of the "Ambassador of Goodwill" project regarding social issues.

The minister suggested the establishment of a support group involving relevant units from the Thai Ministry of Social Development and Human Security and the Vietnamese Embassy to address fraud, human trafficking, and illegal immigration issues in preparation for the forthcoming deputy ministerial-level meeting on cooperation in combating human trafficking scheduled to take place in Vietnam in this September.

Ambassador Thanh, for his part, thanked the Government, ministries and police of Thailand for their assistance to Vietnamese victims who were deceived into working at online scam centres in Thailand with the intention of being transported to a third country.

He also agreed with Chuti’s proposal regarding the "Ambassador of Goodwill" project to foster exchanges between young generations of both countries.

The Vietnamese Embassy is ready to work with the Thai ministry’s departments and agencies to address cases of fraud and human trafficking to Thailand, he said.

Kon Tum hit by consecutive earthquakes

A total of seven consecutive earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 2.7 to 3.8 hit Kon Plong district in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum from midnight of July 11 to the early morning of July 12. 
      
According to details given by the Institute of Geophysics’ Vietnam Earthquake Information and Tsunami Warning Center, of the quakes, the strongest earthquake occurred at 6:50 a.m. on July 12 with a magnitude of 3.8 on the Richter scale and a focal depth of around 8.1 kilometres.

In addition, six consecutive earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 2.7 to 3.4 were recorded between 23:02 p.m. on July 11 and 4:16 a.m. on July 12.

The institute noted that they did not pose serious risks, adding that it will continue to monitor seismic activity in the area.

Earthquakes have been occurring frequently and continuously in Kon Plong since 2021. Recently, their frequency and magnitude has been on the rise. The strongest earthquake hitting the area in recent years was a magnitude 4.7 quake recorded on the afternoon of August 23, 2022.

It is forecasted that the earthquake situation could continue to hit Kon Plong over the coming years.

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