VinUni, an university under Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Sheba Medical Center, the largest hospital in Israel, to promote cooperation in 3D technology and medical training.'

Accordingly, both parties will share programmes on vocational training and knowledge transfer in various medical specialties, which cover on-site expert exchanges, online training, and professional consultations.

Sheba will send experts to healthcare facilities to share knowledge and on-site treatment skills; organise training courses with different programmes, allowing participants to experience the most advanced medical infrastructure and equipment of the hospital; and provide virtual healthcare training with interactions with experts.

It will also offer advisory services in areas such as analysis, evaluation, IT application, digital transformation, equipment procurement, personnel selection, policy-making, training programme design, and planning.

Vietnam helps Laos establish online party journal

The editorial board of the Communist Review, the magazine of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and military-run telecom group Viettel handed over equipment serving an online journal project they co-funded to the Commission for Propaganda and Training of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee at a ceremony in Vientiane on July 5.

The equipment included 10 computers, two video cameras and two cameras to assist the Lao side in building the AlounMai electronic journal.

In his remarks at the event, Le Hai, a member of the editorial board and head of the Communist Review Online, stated that the establishment and publication of an electronic version of the AlounMai journal – a political theory organ of the LPRP, is a natural trend suitable for modern journalism, and helps AlounMai have more tools to convey the Lao Party policies and State laws to a broader audience.

Hai emphasised that the Communist Review will share its experience in running an online version to and provide support to ensure the effective operation of AlounMai electronic journal.

Laopaosong Navongxay, deputy head of the Lao commission, the support helps AlounMai better fulfill the tasks assigned by the Lao Party and State and contributes to further consolidating the special relations between the two Parties, States, and peoples as well as deepening the long-term and close cooperation between the two party journals.

Earlier, a delegation from the Communist Review visited the headquarters of the AlounMai journal in Vientiane to install equipment and help train its staff on how to operate the online version.

Vietnam beefs up multifaceted cooperation with Singapore, Australia

Head of the Party Central Committee’s Economic Commission Tran Tuan Anh hosted separate receptions for Singaporean Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng and Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski in Hanoi on July 5.

Receiving Tan, Anh expressed his delight at the strong and extensive development of the Vietnam-Singapore strategic partnership across various fields, particularly in economy, trade, and investment. He affirmed that Vietnam highly values Singapore's role as one of its foremost economic partners in the region.

The countries’ total bilateral trade exceeded 9 billion USD last year, showing a rise of 10.1% from 2021. Singapore also holds the top position among ASEAN countries and ranks second among all nations and territories investing in Vietnam.

Highlighting ample potential for the bilateral cooperation, Anh proposed that Singapore intensify the promotion of large investment projects in Vietnam, particularly in the fields of science and technology, innovation, green economic development, digital economy, digital transformation, and the building of eco-industrial parks associated with smart cities.

He suggested that Singapore share its experience in formulating investment policies to embrace the trends of production relocation and reshaping the global supply chain.

Agreeing with his host, Tan affirmed that Singapore wishes to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam in many areas of mutual interest.

At his meeting with the Australian diplomat, the host lauded the positive development of the countries’ strategic partnership in many spheres, with both countries recently signing a strategy to enhance economic link is to make Vietnam and Australia each other's top trading partner and to double bilateral investments.

The bilateral trade turnover surpassed the target of 10 billion USD and hit 15.7 billion USD in 2022, up 26.9% year-on-year. In the first four months of 2023, the figure reached 4.52 billion USD.

He asserted that the Vietnamese Party and State encourage and commit to creating favourable conditions for Australian businesses to invest long-term in Vietnam in areas where Australia possesses strengths, such as renewable energy, high-tech agriculture, telecommunications, infrastructure development, supply chain assurance, mining, metallurgy, education, and agriculture.

Anh proposed that Australia further encourage local firms to increase their investments in Vietnam; support and facilitate Vietnamese enterprises' investments and operations in Australia; and create favorable conditions for the Vietnamese expatriate community in Australia.

For his part, Goledzinowski affirmed that Australia highly values the bilateral cooperation with Vietnam. He stressed that in the time to come, Australian companies want to explore investment cooperation opportunities across many areas in Vietnam.

Webinar on contract negotiation, signing with Indian partners

The Vietnam Trade Office in India held a webinar on July 5 to discuss several notes during the negotiation, signing and implementation of contracts with Indian partners, with about 150 business representatives interested in the Indian market taking part.

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Commercial Counsellor in India Bui Trung Thuong, who has over 10 years of experience working in India, introduced reliable sources of information, including websites and portals such as www.indiantradeportal.in, agriexchange.apeda.gov.in, mca.gov.in, dgft.gov.in, etc., where businesses can learn about India's requirements and regulations, as well as search for and verify information about potential partners.

Thuong also presented the transaction process, starting from receiving the inquiry until settling a contract, and explained important terms in the contract, the procedures for goods delivery, payment, and how to handle disputes when they arise.

He also advised firms to purchase cargo and marine insurance to minimise risks during the process.

According to him, industrial and consumer goods must meet the standards of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) while food products require certification from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). This is to ensure that Vietnamese enterprises comply with the quality and safety requirements for goods when exporting to India.

To enjoy benefits from the ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement (AIFTA), Vietnamese businesses need to declare a Certificate of Origin (CO) according to the AI format and keep the CO dossier carefully. This will be essential as India may request to verify the procedures later on, he said.

The next webinar is expected to provide more detailed guidance on how to verify information about partners in India, instructions on resolving disputes, complaints, and preventive measures. Specific information will be posted on the website of the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Steering committee requests new mindset, methods in external information service

The Steering Committee on External Information Service held a conference at the headquarters of the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) in Hanoi on July 5 to review its first-half performance and lay out tasks for the remaining months of this year.

Speaking at the event, Secretary of the Party Committee and General Director of the VNA Vu Viet Trang expressed the honour to host the event and expressed her belief that that the conference will put forth solutions to strongly renovate foreign information work in the coming time, making an important contribution to the national construction and defence as well as enhancing the position and prestige of Vietnam in the international arena.

According to the VNA leader, in the first half of the Party's 13th term, external information has significantly contributed to the country's achievements in many fields. Together with other agencies engaging in external information, the VNA has comprehensively reflected domestic and international issues and events, creating consensus and support of domestic and foreign public opinions for the Party's policies and guidelines and the State's laws and bringing the country and people of Vietnam closer to international friends.

In the coming time, the VNA will closely follow key contents and tasks set in the Politburo’s Conclusion 57-KL/TW to perform the external information mission more effectively in the new situation, she said.
 
Trang stated that as a standing agency for the ninth National External Information Service Awards, the agency has accepted entries since April. As of July 5, the organising board received around 250 entries in various forms, notably a gemstone painting, copies of posters, and ideas for showcasing booths to popularise Vietnam abroad. The deadline for accepting entries is July 31.

Head of the committee Nguyen Trong Nghia hailed the VNA for joining the press system and the political system's activities, including the Party, State and people-to-people diplomacy, to form a synergy in popularisation, helping promote Vietnam’s position, reputation, and achievements to international friends.

He acknowledged that in accordance with the directions of the 13th National Party Congress and the press work planning, the VNA has focused on transforming itself into a leading agency in digital transformation to fulfill its task as a multimedia press agency.

Nghia said the external information service helps people from walks of life, overseas Vietnamese and the international community understand and appreciate the country’s achievements during the first half of the 13th National Party Congress, thus affirming the Party's sound leadership, improving the country's position and reputation on the international arena, and popularising its image as an independent, self-reliant, culturally rich, and reliable country as well as an active and responsible member of the international community.

He asked the committee and units involved in external information work to fully follow the policy of enhancing information for foreign service and strengthening and improving the effectiveness of applying new media technologies and social networks in external information and public opinion struggle.

They were assigned to uphold the important role of external information work in political ideology and external affairs, in line with the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress and the directions of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the 2021 national diplomatic conference, and most recently, the Politburo’s Conclusion 57-KL/TW.

At the same time, they must further renew mindset and methods of deploying external information work, improve the quality of consultation and coordination; resolutely and persistently struggle against false and distorted allegations, enhance the effectiveness of research, forecasting and rapid response to strategic changes in the global and regional environments.

The conference also heard that the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat decided to add Deputy Foreign Minister Le Thi Thu Hang, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Thanh Lam and VNA Deputy General Director Doan Thi Tuyet Nhung to the steering committee.

Vietnamese athletics team gears up for ASIAD 19

The Vietnamese athletics team are gearing up for the Asian Games (ASIAD) 19 to be held in China in September.

General Secretary of the Vietnam Athletics Federation Nguyen Manh Hung said that the Vietnamese athletics team are given priority to train and compete in several countries to have the best preparation for the event in China.

Vietnamese players will take part in the Asian Athletics Championships slated to kick off in Bangkok, Thailand, on July 12.

The trip to Thailand is also considered an intensive training session to prepare for the ASIAD. Most of the key members of the team left for Thailand to practice.

Thailand is a favourite of the countries chosen by the coaching staff as a training location since the COVID-19 outbreak. Last year, the team had several training sessions combined with a competition there.

After the Asian Athletics Championships, the Vietnamese track and field team plans to train in Shanghai in China in September and then move to Hangzhou to attend the 19th ASIAD.

Vietnam will send a 20-strong team to the Thai event. Among the Vietnamese athletes are SEA Games champions Nguyen Thi Oanh, Nguyen Thi Huyen, Nguyen Thi Hang and Luong Duc Phuoc.

At the ASIAD 19, the golden hope of Vietnamese athletics is still placed in runner Oanh who has recently made history with four golds gained at the SEA Games 32 in Cambodia. Besides, the training board also hopes that young athletes such as Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, Luong Trung Cuong and Huynh Thi My Tien can create miracles to help Vietnam win medals.

The upcoming ASIAD is an important event for Vietnamese sports and athletics is still one of those with high expectations of winning gold. In the ASIAD 18 games held in Indonesia in 2018, Vietnam earned two gold medals thanks to long jumper Bui Thi Thu Thao  and Quach Thi Lan in the women's 400m hurdles.

At the ASIAD 18, Oanh also won a bronze medal in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase.

Following the ASIAD 19, Vietnamese athletics will close with an important tournament, the national championship scheduled to be held in Hanoi on October 20-28.

ASIAD 19 will be held in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, China from September 23 to October 8 this year with 40 sports in 55 venues. It will see the participation of 45 delegations from countries and territories across Asia.

According to Dang Ha Viet, general director of the National Sports Administration, the Vietnamese delegation will participate in 32 sports at the ASIAD 19, but the industry only focuses on strong sports, including athletics.

Viet said  national teams have preliminarily registered their participation in the Asian Games. Coaches are implementing lesson plans to help athletes achieve their best form for the ASIAD.

Hoang Quoc Vinh, head of the Elite Sports 1 Department of National Sports Administration said: "We will attend the Asian Games with a strong team for the most effective performance".

Cambodian tourist arrivals in Vietnam surge

Cambodian nationals now constitute the largest growing segment of the Vietnam tourism market, reported the Khmer Times.

With an increase of 338% in the first half, Cambodian tourists recorded the largest growth among global tourist arrivals during the country’s significant post-pandemic recovery period.

Cambodian tourists were closely followed by Indian tourists, which grew by 236%. Laos stood third in terms of growth in tourism source (117%), followed by Thailand (108%) and Singapore (107%).

The central beach city of Da Nang, the ancient town of Hoi An, Da Lat – the city of thousand flowers in the Central Highlands, Nha Trang, Vung Tau and the “Paradise Pearl Island” of Phu Quoc are some of the top favourite Vietnamese destinations among Cambodian tourists. Many Cambodians also regularly visit Vietnam for medical purposes.

According to the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism, the country welcomed roughly 2.57 million foreign tourists in the first half, experiencing a remarkable surge of 409% compared to 506,762 tourist arrivals during the same period last year.

Thailand took the lead in terms of foreign tourist arrivals in Cambodia from January-June, followed by Vietnam, China, Laos and the US.

The ministry said Cambodia is likely to welcome 5 million foreign visitors this year, up 120% annually.

Hanoi issues policies to boost agricultural, rural development

The People’s Council of Hanoi, during its 12th session on July 4, approved a resolution clarifying 12 specific groups of policies encouraging the development of agriculture and rural areas until 2030.

The policies include providing training support in production, management and market development activities, encouraging the production of plant, livestock and aquatic varieties as well as the construction of farm produce processing and storage facilities, and assistance for concentrated livestock and poultry slaughter establishments.

The resolution includes many policies to promote the mechanisation of agricultural production, including credit support for purchasing farming machines.

It also comprises those to encourage cooperation and connections in producing and selling agricultural products, support high-technology agricultural development and the development of ecological agriculture in combination with tourism.

The capital city has targeted that by 2025, hi-tech farm produce will account for 70% of the total agricultural products.

Of this, hi-tech cultivated products will make up at least 45%, animal farming products 80%, and aquatic products 60%.

Total cost for the implementation of the policies is about 1.24 trillion VND (52.14 million USD) each year, including 315.3 billion VND from the city’s budget, 43.8 billion VND from districts’ budget, and 764.9 billion VND from the private sector.

During its session, the council also adopted three resolutions on the tuition fees in the 2023-2024 academic year, including those in the pre-school and public education facilities, and the ceiling tuition fees for high-quality public education establishments in the city.

Eighth ASEAN Working Group on Chemicals and Waste meeting opens in Hanoi

The eighth Meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Chemicals and Waste (AWGCW-8) was held in Hanoi on July 5.

Co-hosted by the Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) and the ASEAN Secretariat, the event is an occasion for ASEAN member states to review their cooperation in chemical and waste management over the past years and lay out orientations and principles of regional cooperation in the time ahead.

Main items on the agenda include updates on decisions of meetings in ASEAN framework; implementation of the working group's plan of action; intersectoral initiatives on chemicals and waste; outcomes of Meetings of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions in 2022 and 2023; issues related to the Montreal Protocol and the Minamata Convention; and ASEAN cooperation with development partners and specialised agencies on chemicals and waste.

 The eighth Meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Chemicals and Waste (AWGCW-8) was held in Hanoi on July 5. (Photo: VNA)
Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Vo Tuan Nhan said that the meeting takes place in the context that environmental pollution caused by chemicals and waste is becoming one of the serious threats to human health and the planet. Particularly, the ASEAN region is also one of the hot spots of plastic pollution. 

Nhan said that as a responsible and active member of ASEAN, Vietnam hopes to cooperate with the international community; strengthen cooperation in preventing illegal cross-border transport of chemicals and hazardous wastes following international frameworks under multilateral environmental agreements. 

"Vietnam will continue to implement environmentally-friendly management of hazardous chemicals and waste throughout their life cycle; reduce waste based on circular economy principles and in compliance with legal frameworks and existing national policies; and continue to improve the legal framework on the management of persistent organic pollutants and waste,” he said.

He added that Vietnam will continue to work closely with other ASEAN member countries, non-ASEAN countries, and international partners to mobilise resources for capacity building, technology transfer, and experience sharing on the management of hazardous chemicals and wastes.

Founded in late 2015, the AWGCW convenes its meeting annually in rotation among ASEAN member states.

Women’s football team heading to New Zealand for 2023 World Cup

The Vietnamese national women’s football team and head coach Mai Duc Chung departed from Hanoi for New Zealand on July 5 to start their 2023 FIFA World Cup campaign.

They are scheduled to arrive in New Zealand at 9:00 am on July 6. After landing, the team will then head to Auckland city for two weeks of training before competing at the sporting event. They will also have two friendly matches in order to test their lineup, with fixtures scheduled against New Zealand on July 10 and Spain on July 14.

At the FIFA Women’s World Cup, Vietnam have been named in Group E and will face the US on July 22, Portugal on July 27, and the Netherlands on August 1.

To prepare for the finals, the team took training camps in Japan and Germany.

Over the past time, the “golden girls" have crowned SEA Games champions for eight times, and won a ticket to the 2024 Olympic First Qualifier.

HCM City leader welcomes UN Under-Secretary-General

Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City Phan Van Mai hosted a reception on July 5 for visiting Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) and Executive Secretary of its Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana.

Mai said the city is currently paying attention to digital transformation, green energy, and the settlement of challenges on urban management, climate change response, and energy transition.

Therefore, it hopes to receive recommendations on these issues from the ESCAP, especially in building a legal framework and institutions for energy transition and how to calculate Carbon credits.

He asked the guest to recommend credit sources for the city to implement a clean energy development plan, build its metro system, and renovate its waterway system.

The city leader also took the occasion to invite Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana to attend and address the 2023 Ho Chi Minh City Economic Forum with the theme of green growth and sustainable development.

According to Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, the ESCAP has implemented a number of programmes and activities, and held international discussions and seminars on climate change response and sustainable development, and Ho Chi Minh City can attend and learn from experiences and lessons of cities in the Asia-Pacific region. 

She said that the city’s efforts to shift to renewables and strive for 30% of green energy by 2030 need huge investments in infrastructure and technology.

ESCAP expects the city to participate in its 8th Asia-Pacific Urban Forum to be held in the Republic of Korea to discuss investment issues in the fields of environmental protection, digital transformation, green energy, and urban development, she said, suggesting the city consider hosting the forum in the coming years.

Chip-based ID cards issued to 186 disabled citizens in Ho Chi Minh City

Chip-based ID cards were granted to 186 citizens under the special household registration category at the Hiep Binh Chanh Support Centre for the Disabled in Thu Duc city, part of the Ho Chi Minh City on July 5.

As the majority of the disabled at the centre did not possess personal identification documents, the Ho Chi Minh City Police deployed officers and soldiers from various units to collaborate with the Police Department for Administrative Management of Social Order (PC06) in collecting population information to facilitate data clearing and issuance of necessary identification documents for these special cases.

Lieut. Col. Ho Thi Lanh, deputy head of the PC06, said the activity aims to assist local authorities in population management, social welfare and ensuring the legitimate rights of vulnerable individuals in the society.

The municipal police are determined to gather population information and issue ID cards and other necessary personal documents to over 3,000 special cases and vulnerable citizens in the city, she added.

Ceremony marks Hoa Hao Buddhism’s 84th anniversary

The representative board of Hoa Hao Buddhism in Ho Chi Minh City on July 5 held a  ceremony to celebrate the religion’s 84th anniversary (May 18, 1939 - 2023).

At the event, Nguyen Van Luong, deputy head of the municipal Department of Religious Affairs, lauded charity activities done by the committee and Hoa Hao Buddhism followers over the past year. He said the activities have reflected compassion and made contributions to the overall outcomes of the city’s social welfare work.

Luong expressed his belief in the religion’s compliance with law and further assistance for with and contributions to the local authorities’ social charity campaigns and programmes.

During the last half of 2022 and the first 6 months of 2023, the Hoa Hao Buddhist community in the southern metropolis actively participated in various social charity activities, such as constructing houses and rural bridges, granting scholarships to underprivileged students, providing free medical check-ups and medicines for the poor, and offering charitable meals to hospitals and the needy. The total value of these works amounted to around 50 billion VND (2.1 million USD).

Hanoi hopes for strong investment flows from India: official

Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Dinh Tien Dung received Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Sandeep Arya on July 4, saying the capital city hopes to welcome strong investment flows from the South Asian country. 

Dung, who is also a Politburo member, stressed that Vietnam always treasures the friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership with India.

He also highlighted the reinforced ties between Hanoi and India as seen in the annual celebrations of the International Day of Yoga since 2015, increased people-to-people exchanges, and the large number of Indian visitors to the city.

However, Indian investment in Hanoi remains modest and has yet to match the two sides' potential and advantages, Dung pointed out, calling for Indian firms to invest in the pharmaceutical industry in Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park, which will be transferred from the Ministry of Science and Technology to the municipal People's Committee.

The capital wishes to receive stronger investment from Indian investors to the fields they are strong at such as the processing and manufacturing industry, information and communications technology, energy, hi-tech agriculture, innovation, and infrastructure development, he went on.

It also hopes to step up cooperation with India in other fields, including connecting their historical and cultural relic sites to popularise culture and promote tourism of both sides, holding cultural and sport exchanges, exchanging delegations of experts to share experience in restoring relic sites, and boosting trade promotion activities.

In the time to come, Hanoi hopes to help develop the friendship between Vietnam and India, as well as with New Delhi to a new height, according to the official.

At the meeting, Arya shared the view that the two countries should exert more efforts to fuel bilateral economic and investment links.

He underlined the Indian Government's intention to seek more opportunities to enhance business, investment, and trade partnerships with Vietnam, particularly in the areas matching the two sides' strength and demand such as high technology, energy, agriculture, and the pharmaceutical industry.

The diplomat perceived that the expansion of the Indian business community in Hanoi shows Indian people's satisfaction of the local living and working conditions, and this is a basis for attracting more Indian tourists to the city.

He also asked for support from local authorities for events of cultural and people-to-people exchanges, which he said will provide a solid stepping stone for bilateral relations to grow further with Hanoi at the centre.

Agreeing with his guest, Dung said Hanoi will prioritise the cooperation areas that both sides has potential and demand for. He also expressed his hope that the ambassador will continue fulfilling his role as a bridge linking the two countries' businesses and governments.

Infographic jounalism - powerful "weapon" of modern press

The role of infographics in digital transformation in journalism was highlighted at a seminar held by the State-run Vietnam Nam News Agency (VNA) on July 4. 

Speaking at the event, VNA Deputy General Director Nguyen Tuan Hung said the agency first provided infographic news in 2006 as part of its efforts to promote digital transformation since the 1980s, and the type of news has attracted attention.

The VNA is among the pioneering press agencies in Vietnam in digital transformation, he noted. 

Nguyen Hoang Nhat, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of VietnamPlus (an electronic newspaper of VNA), said in recent times, infographic has been used widely as an effective form of journalism, particularly in areas that need to present numerous data. In the context of fierce competition of new forms of media, especially social networks, graphic journalism is a powerful "weapon" of modern journalism.

The VNA’s information sources and publishing units have incorporated various new forms of information such as infographics, long-form articles (integrating text, images, videos, and charts in a single product), mega stories (digital works of journalism including audio, video, images, and data), and timelines (chronological summaries). They have actively promoted information about Vietnam on social media applications in multiple languages, including Vietnamese, Chinese, Russian, English, French, and Spanish.

Vietnam, Germany share anti-corruption experience

A delegation of the Vietnamese government, led by Inspector General of the Government Inspectorate (GI) Doan Hong Phong paid a working visit to Germany from July 1-3 to discuss with relevant agencies of the host country anti-corruption measures as well as bilateral and multilateral cooperation.

At a working session between Phong and State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry of Justice Angelika Schlunck, the two sides compared note on the organisational structure and operations of their anti-corruption inspection agencies. They also discussed issues relating to cooperation in multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC).

 Inspector General of the Government Inspectorate Doan Hong Phong presents a souvenir to State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry of Justice Angelika Schlunck (Photo: VNA)
Both sides underlined the importance of inspection and the active participation of all ministries and sectors to the fight against corruption. Issues of their interests included the recovery of asset acquired by corruption, authentication of asset declarations of officials, and non-cash payment.

While in Germany, the Vietnamese delegation also held working sessions with relevant units of the Federal Ministry of the Interior on anti-corruption work. According to Phong, the exchanges between the two sides contributed to enhancing the understanding on areas of mutual concern as well as the implementation of measures in this regard in each country in line with their own characteristics.

Vietnam joins executive committee of Int'l Association of Algerian Revolution Friends

The International Association of Algerian Revolution Friends was established in the Algerian capital of Algiers on July 3 under the auspices of the Algerian Ministry of War Veterans.

Two Vietnamese nationals - Vo Hong Nam who is a son of General Vo Nguyen Giap and Tran Van Binh who is a son of Senior Lieutenant General Tran Van Quang - were elected as members of the 13-strong Executive Committee of the association.

Giap and Quang are well known for their contributions to the Dien Bien Phu victory on May 7, 1954, which resulted in the signing of the Geneva Agreement ending the war and restoring peace in Indochina, paving the way for the reunification of Vietnam in 1975.

Algerian diplomat Noureddine Djoudi was elected Chairman of the association and former President of Mozambique Joaquim Chissano, Honorary President.

Aiming to honour international people's solidarity, support, and sacrifice for the Algerian revolution, and to join in spreading human values and promoting friendship among nations, contributing to strengthening world peace, the association gathered 70 delegates from more than 30 countries around the world.

At the event, Nam said that Algerian people are very hospitable, especially towards President Ho Chi Minh, General Vo Nguyen Giap, and the war of liberation of the Vietnamese people.

After the Dien Bien Phu victory which greatly influenced the colonialised countries and the national liberation movement around the world, Algerian friends in 1958 went to Vietnam to learn about the people's war and the liberation war. They then struggled for national liberation and gained independence in 1962.

Earlier on July 2, Nam and Binh also joined a meeting of the Party cell of the Vietnamese Embassy in Algeria, telling the participants about the Dien Bien Phu victory, the hardships of the Vietnamese army and people during the campaign as well as the personality and style of President Ho Chi Minh and General Vo Nguyen Giap.

Conference highlights role of green hydrogen in Vietnam’s energy transition

A conference was held in Hanoi on July 4 to evaluate the role of green hydrogen in Vietnam’s energy policy, contributing to implementing the National Power Development Plan for the 2021 - 2030 period, with a vision to 2045 (PDP VIII).

At the conference, jointly held by the French Embassy in Vietnam and the Hydrogene de France SA (HDF Energy) of France, participants noted that in order to meet the domestic power demand and realise its net-zero emission commitment by 2050 at the same time, the Vietnamese Government is strongly developing renewable energy sources, aiming for 30.9-39.2% in the contributions from the sources to the country’s total power production in 2030 and 67.5-71.5% in 2050.
Mathieu Geze, HDF Energy Director for Asia, introduced the firm’s Renewtable and HyPower technology solutions and its experience in energy projects around the world.

Dr. Tran Khanh Viet Dung, HDF Energy Director in Vietnam, said that with its high potential, support from partners and right development direction, Vietnam can be a leading country in producing and using green hydrogen to meet domestic demand and export. It can also be a production and transition hub of green energy in the region and the world in the near future, he held.

According to the Vietnam Petroleum Institute, hydrogen plays an important role in the balance of electricity supply and demand in Vietnam, with an estimated 40 million tonnes of hydrogen used in the electricity sector by 2050.

French Ambassador to Vietnam Nicolas Warnery said his country is willing to support Vietnam in power development in general and hydrogen power in particular.

In order to support Vietnam in speeding up its just energy transition, international partners, including France, have committed to providing Vietnam with 15.5 billion USD in the next 3-5 years. France has also offered 2.4 billion EUR (2.61 billion USD), excluding 395 million EUR from the French Development Agency (AFD), to support energy projects in Vietnam, he noted.

The ambassador underlined the important role of green hydrogen in Vietnam’s energy policy as well as in the country’s cooperation with international partners, especially France.

Green hydrogen is an essential energy storage solution in the future, especially in remote and underprivileged areas where the construction of electricity networks is difficult.

France is one of the top three countries in the world in the field of green hydrogen by the number of inventions, research, development, equipment manufacturing, and enterprises of all sizes, he said, adding that it will be a bridge in cooperation between the two countries in energy.

The HDF Energy, headquartered in France, is a pioneer in developing and constructing power plants with high capacities fueled by stable renewable energy sources (Renewstable) and hydrogen (Hypower) in many countries. It is also a fuel cell manufacturer, owning the exclusive rights to the technology of manufacturing high capacity storage batteries ( 1MW).

Earlier, the HDF Energy signed a cooperation agreement with the Petrovietnam Technical Services Corporation (PTSC) in developing renewstable and hypower projects in Vietnam and other Asia-Pacific region.

Hanoi hopes for strong investment flows from India: official

Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Dinh Tien Dung received Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Sandeep Arya on July 4, saying the capital city hopes to welcome strong investment flows from the South Asian country. 

Dung, who is also a Politburo member, stressed that Vietnam always treasures the friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership with India.

He also highlighted the reinforced ties between Hanoi and India as seen in the annual celebrations of the International Day of Yoga since 2015, increased people-to-people exchanges, and the large number of Indian visitors to the city.

However, Indian investment in Hanoi remains modest and has yet to match the two sides' potential and advantages, Dung pointed out, calling for Indian firms to invest in the pharmaceutical industry in Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park, which will be transferred from the Ministry of Science and Technology to the municipal People's Committee.

The capital wishes to receive stronger investment from Indian investors to the fields they are strong at such as the processing and manufacturing industry, information and communications technology, energy, hi-tech agriculture, innovation, and infrastructure development, he went on.

It also hopes to step up cooperation with India in other fields, including connecting their historical and cultural relic sites to popularise culture and promote tourism of both sides, holding cultural and sport exchanges, exchanging delegations of experts to share experience in restoring relic sites, and boosting trade promotion activities.

In the time to come, Hanoi hopes to help develop the friendship between Vietnam and India, as well as with New Delhi to a new height, according to the official.

At the meeting, Arya shared the view that the two countries should exert more efforts to fuel bilateral economic and investment links.

He underlined the Indian Government's intention to seek more opportunities to enhance business, investment, and trade partnerships with Vietnam, particularly in the areas matching the two sides' strength and demand such as high technology, energy, agriculture, and the pharmaceutical industry.

The diplomat perceived that the expansion of the Indian business community in Hanoi shows Indian people's satisfaction of the local living and working conditions, and this is a basis for attracting more Indian tourists to the city.

He also asked for support from local authorities for events of cultural and people-to-people exchanges, which he said will provide a solid stepping stone for bilateral relations to grow further with Hanoi at the centre.

Agreeing with his guest, Dung said Hanoi will prioritise the cooperation areas that both sides has potential and demand for. He also expressed his hope that the ambassador will continue fulfilling his role as a bridge linking the two countries' businesses and governments.

Vietnam Fatherland Front, People's Association of Singapore share experience

Senior officials of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee and a visiting delegation of the People's Association (PA) of Singapore shared experience in building community management network during talks held in Hanoi on July 4.

Vice President and Secretary General of the VFF Central Committee Nguyen Thi Thu Ha said the meeting was an occasion for the two sides to discuss measures for grasping people's opinions and communicating information between administrations and people, and also for the VFF to learn the PA's experience in organising movements and campaigns to gather the public and enhance solidarity.

As the PA is strong at bringing into play the role of communities in residential areas, enhancing communities' solidarity and encouraging them to engage in social management, she hoped the association will continue sharing experience in how to build the community management network to improve the effectiveness of self-management models in residential areas.

Ha also called on the PA to encourage Singaporean agencies and businesses to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam, especially in defence, security, economy, trade, investment and education - training; coordinate with the Vietnamese side to hold bilateral exchanges and related cooperation activities within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other multilateral forums; and promote Singaporean authorities' provision of favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community to live, study, and work in the city state.

At the event, Chief Executive Director of the PA Jimmy Toh Yong Leng applauded the close and fruitful cooperation between the VFF Central Committee and his association, adding that their cooperative spirit has been fostered while high-ranking delegation exchanges increased, helping reinforce the two countries' friendship, expand partnerships, and boost people-to-people ties.

He also voiced his hope that the VFF Central Committee and the PA will devise new methods to step up sharing experience in the coming time.

Vietnam beefs up multifaceted cooperation with Singapore, Australia

Head of the Party Central Committee’s Economic Commission Tran Tuan Anh hosted separate receptions for Singaporean Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng and Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski in Hanoi on July 5. 
      
Receiving Tan, Anh expressed his delight at the strong and extensive development of the Vietnam-Singapore strategic partnership across various fields, particularly in economy, trade, and investment. He affirmed that Vietnam highly values Singapore's role as one of its foremost economic partners in the region.

The countries’ total bilateral trade exceeded 9 billion USD last year, showing a rise of 10.1% from 2021. Singapore also holds the top position among ASEAN countries and ranks second among all nations and territories investing in Vietnam.

Highlighting ample potential for the bilateral cooperation, Anh proposed that Singapore intensify the promotion of large investment projects in Vietnam, particularly in the fields of science and technology, innovation, green economic development, digital economy, digital transformation, and the building of eco-industrial parks associated with smart cities.

He suggested that Singapore share its experience in formulating investment policies to embrace the trends of production relocation and reshaping the global supply chain.

Agreeing with his host, Tan affirmed that Singapore wishes to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam in many areas of mutual interest.

At his meeting with the Australian diplomat, the host lauded the positive development of the countries’ strategic partnership in many spheres, with both countries recently signing a strategy to enhance economic link is to make Vietnam and Australia each other's top trading partner and to double bilateral investments.

The bilateral trade turnover surpassed the target of 10 billion USD and hit 15.7 billion USD in 2022, up 26.9% year-on-year. In the first four months of 2023, the figure reached 4.52 billion USD.

He asserted that the Vietnamese Party and State encourage and commit to creating favourable conditions for Australian businesses to invest long-term in Vietnam in areas where Australia possesses strengths, such as renewable energy, high-tech agriculture, telecommunications, infrastructure development, supply chain assurance, mining, metallurgy, education, and agriculture.

Anh proposed that Australia further encourage local firms to increase their investments in Vietnam; support and facilitate Vietnamese enterprises' investments and operations in Australia; and create favorable conditions for the Vietnamese expatriate community in Australia.

For his part, Goledzinowski affirmed that Australia highly values the bilateral cooperation with Vietnam. He stressed that in the time to come, Australian companies want to explore investment cooperation opportunities across many areas in Vietnam.

Da Nang’s Golden Bridge named among world’s most iconic bridges

The Golden Bridge in Da Nang, a city in central Vietnam, has been listed among the most iconic bridges around the world, as compiled by monthly Indian magazine Luxebook.

The bridge is more than a pure architecture piece, asserting itself as a new symbol of Da Nang’s tourism since its opening in June 2018.

According to Luxebook, this striking site is one of the most photographed spots throughout the central city. This 500-foot-long golden bridge appears to be cradled by two oversized hands, which adds to its majestic appeal. 

Situated in Ba Na Hills near Da Nang, this creative pedestrian bridge connects the cable car station with the gardens below. Indeed, strolling around the Golden Bridge is like walking on the clouds across the hands of the God of Mountain, the magazine wrote.

Elsewhere, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge in the United States tops the list. The iconic red colour bridge, an instantly recognisable structure, was completed in 1937.

Pont Alexandre III in Paris, France, comes in second, with the prettiest feature of this bridge being the gilded, iron, and stone statues of nymphs, lions, and cherubs which add a touch of royalty to the bridge. 

Other sites to make the list are The Twist in Norway, Rialto in Italy, Khaju in Iran, Charles in the Czech Republic, Helix in Singapore, Tower Bridge in the UK, and Harbour Bridge in Australia.

It is currently that time of year when people are jetting off for their highly anticipated annual summer break. For some, the main attraction will be food, whilst for others it will be to experience new culture, shopping, or maybe even simply a curiosity of discovering a new location.

If travelers are intrigued by immaculate architecture, then these beautiful bridges around the world will serve as a perfect attraction, the article suggested.

Military told to uphold spirit of combat readiness in all circumstances

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has requested that the military stay highly vigilant and show their combat readiness in order to both flexibly and effectively deal with any potential situations, while addressing a politico-military conference in Hanoi on July 5. 
      
The military should proactively and promptly handle tactical and unexpected military and defence situations, he said.

He underlined the need for the military to improve its research and forecasting capacity, make recommendations to the Party and State, and flexibly and effectively handle international relations in a bid to prevent the risk of wars and conflicts early.

The PM also requested that military units improve their overall combat ability, rigidly maintain a regime of combat readiness, strictly manage the airspace, sea, border, inland, and cyberspace, and enhance training and exercises, in order to meet new combat conditions in high-tech warfare, and develop the art of people’s warfare in the modern era.

Furthermore, the military should seek to proactively respond to non-traditional security challenges, and effectively cope with various types of natural disasters, while identifying civil defence as an important, urgent and regular task of both the political system and the whole of society in peacetime, said the Government leader.

He asked that military units competently grasp and materialise Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s conclusions made at the recent conference of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of Vietnam, emphasising the important role the Party Committee and the whole military play in accomplishing assigned tasks.

At the conference, the PM singled out the military for their significant contributions to the implementation of socio-economic development and national defence-security tasks, helping to maintain political stability, support post-pandemic recovery, stabilise social order and safety, and elevate the country’s profile globally.

Over 72,000 Vietnamese labourers sent to work abroad in H1

As many as 72,294 Vietnamese labourers went to work abroad during the first six months of the year, meeting 65.72% of the annual target, according to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA).

The figure shows a 1.55-fold increase compared to the same period last year when 46,578 were sent abroad to work under seasonal contracts.

Japan received the largest number of Vietnamese guest workers in the first half of the year with 34,508 workers, followed by Taiwan (China) with 31,538 workers.

The third and fourth positions went to the Republic of Korea (RoK) and China with 1,608 and 902 workers, respectively.

Elsewhere, Vietnam sent 727, 712, and 469 workers to Singapore, Hungary, and Romania, respectively, throughout the reviewed period.

June alone saw 12,649 Vietnamese workers head abroad, mostly to Japan and Taiwan (China).

Vietnam and the RoK on June 23 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding sending and receiving Vietnamese workers to work in the RoK under the Employment Permit System (EPS) Program.

The MoU will be valid for two years from the signing date and will remain in effect during the negotiation of a new extension period.

Labour co-operation between Vietnam and the RoK officially started in 1993 through a collaboration programme focusing on labour supply. Since then, the RoK has become one of Vietnam’s key markets, attracting plenty of Vietnamese workers who come to work in the Northeast Asian country.

As of June 1, as many as 48,950 Vietnamese guest workers have been working in the RoK market with an average income ranging between from US$1,500 to US$2,000 per month.

Currently, there are over 33,500 Vietnamese guest workers working in the RoK under the EPS Program. The scheme offers many high-income jobs to Vietnamese workers.

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