Accordingly, the weak bridges are Binh Trieu 1, Rach Lang 1, Dien Bien Phu, Thi Nghe 2, Sai Gon 1 and 2, Van Thanh 1 and 2, Phu An, Chu Van An, Bui Dinh Tuy, Dinh Bo Linh, Rach Lang 1 and 2, and others in districts 1, 3, 8, 12, Cu Chi, Binh Chanh, and Nha Be.

The lighting systems and electrical cables of bridges were damaged over time causing unsafe conditions for waterways, fire protection and prevention.

The municipal Department of Transport suggested the relevant units promptly implement maintenance to ensure electrical safety and fire prevention, urban decoration and ornament.

Vietnam seeks stronger cooperation with EC

Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son has met with Valdis Dombrovskis, vice president of the European Commission (EC) on the sidelines of the recent OECD Ministerial Council Meeting 2023 in Paris, France.

Son suggested that the EC soon remove IUU yellow card for Vietnamese seafood exports and encourage the parliaments of member states of the European Union (EU) to soon ratify the EU – Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).

He also suggested that the two sides work closely together to implement commitments under the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) deal to support Vietnam in energy transition.

The EC Vice President for his part acknowledged Vietnam’s request regarding the EVFTA ratification and affirmed that Vietnam is an important partner for the EU in the Asia-Pacific region. He asked the two sides to step up cooperation in trade-investment and climate change response.

The two sides expressed satisfaction at the positive developments in the comprehensive partnership between Vietnam and the EU in recent times, especially in economy-trade-investment.

They agreed to further strengthen the exchange of high-level delegations, and expand cooperation to labour and health care, along with existing fields of cooperation.

Regarding the East Sea issues, the two sides affirmed their support for settling disputes by peaceful negotiations on the basis of international law.

Vietnam Office for Seeking Missing Persons marks 50th founding anniversary

A ceremony was held in Hanoi on June 8 to mark the 50th founding anniversary of the Vietnam Office for Seeking Missing Persons (VNOSMP) and the 35th anniversary of the joint operation to search for US servicemen who were reported missing in action (MIA) during the war in Vietnam.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc noted that over the past five decades, VNOSMP has been fulfilling its assigned political missions, contributing to healing the wounds of war as well as normalising and promoting Vietnam-US relations.

He expressed his belief that with the concerted efforts of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, National Defence, and Public Security and the US partners, the support and coordination of relevant agencies, local authorities, people and veterans of both countries, the Vietnam-US MIA cooperation will continue to achieve positive outcomes and fulfill its humanitarian mission, helping to lift the Vietnam-US comprehensive partnership to a new height.

US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc. E Knapper said the US supports a strong, prosperous, independent and self-reliant Vietnam.

The MIA cooperation, which was founded before the two nations normalised their bilateral relations, has created a firm foundation to promote the US-Vietnam relationship, he stressed. 

Over the past 35 years, a total of 160 remains repatriation missions have been carried out, with the remains of 734 missing US servicemen after the war handed over to the US side. Among 1,973 cases of missing US servicemen, 1,239 still require search efforts.

At the event, delegates took a moment to pay respect to 16 Vietnamese officials and US specialists who sacrificed their lives while performing MIA duties on April 7, 2001.

French, Canadian teams preparing for firework performance on June 10

Two newcomers to the Da Nang International Firework Festival (DIFF) 2023 - French and Canadian teams - are actively preparing for their performance on June 10 evening.

Edouard Gregoire, a representative of the French team, said they will bring to the audience a new and impressive performance with unique music that is suitable for all ages.

With its performance, the team wants to help connect people with nature, people, and people for living together harmoniously following the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

Alain Bouthillier, a representative of the Canadian team, said they will keep secret about the upcoming performance.

The team has participated in many festivals in countries, but the DIFF is one of the top ones that they want to win, he added.

The DIFF 2023 officially kicked off in the central city of Da Nang on June 2 evening with performances by the Vietnamese and Finnish teams.

Themed “The World Without Distance", the festival is scheduled to take place until July 8 with the participation of teams from the UK, Poland, Canada, France, Finland, Australia, Italy, and Vietnam.

Prime Minister orders further saving electricity during 2023-2025

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has recently signed the Prime Minister’s Directive No. 20/CT-TTg on increasing electricity saving during the 2023 - 2025 period and subsequent years.

Accordingly, the PM requested that during the 2023 - 2025 period and subsequent years, the entire country strives to save a minimum of 2% of total electricity consumption each year, reduce electricity losses on the entire power system to below 6% by 2025, and decrease the peak load capacity of the national power system through the implementation of the Demand-Side Management (DSM) and Demand Response (DR) programmes, by at least 1,500 MW by 2025.

By 2030, the goal is to have half of office buildings and half of residential buildings equipped with rooftop solar power systems for self-consumption, without selling electricity back to the national power grid. By the end of 2025, the aim is to have all street lighting systems use LED lights.

To that end, ministries, ministry-level and government agencies, People's Committees of centrally-run cities and provinces, businesses and mass organisations were assigned to save electricity in workplaces, public lighting, lighting for advertising purposes, and outdoor decorations, households, commercial and service establishments, and manufacturing companies.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade was also tasked with building and launching programmes to promote rooftop solar power in businesses and households, as well as promoting the use of energy-saving equipment in households such as air conditioners, refrigerators, LED lights, and washing machines.

The Vietnam Electricity (EVN) Group must optimise the operations of power plants and distribution grids to efficiently utilise primary energy sources and reduce electricity losses throughout the systems.

Central Military Hospital, Belgian hospitals strengthen cooperation in cancer treatment

A delegation from Central Military Hospital 108 led by its director Lieutenant General Mai Hong Bang has been paying working visits to hospitals in Belgium from June 5-12 to strengthen cooperation in cancer treatment.

The delegation visited the University Hospital of Liège and the Particle Therapy Interuniversity Center Leuven (ParTICLe) of the University Hospitals Leuven - two leading Belgian medical facilities using high technology in cancer radiation therapy.

In the meetings, the Vietnamese delegation exchanged experiences in cancer treatment with radiation therapy, especially proton radiation therapy which is considered the most advanced today with high accuracy and safety, minimising side effects on healthy tissue as well as the risk of secondary cancer.

At the ParTICLe, the delegation was briefed on the operation model of University Hospitals Leuven in general, the center in particular, and the diagnosis and treatment of cancer with proton radiation therapy.

Bang said his hospital hopes to cooperate with leading Belgian ones to deploy this advanced technology in cancer treatment in Vietnam.

Proton therapy, also known as proton beam therapy, is a radiation treatment that precisely delivers a beam of protons to disrupt and destroy tumor cells. Compared with traditional radiation, protons have unique properties that allow doctors to better target radiation to the size and shape of the tumor.

Banks advised to pay attention to liquidity when large savings mature

Banks will have to exercise caution to ensure stable liquidity when trillions of Vietnamese dong in savings deposits reach their maturity dates over the next few months, according to experts.

During the period of high interest rates from September to December last year, a large amount of savings was poured into the banking system. According to the statistics from the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV), by the end of December 2022, total deposits at credit institutions amounted to 11.82 quadrillion VND. A significant portion of these deposits was in six-month terms and will begin to mature soon.

In addition, the banking system primarily mobilised short-term capital, with about 88% of deposits being of a 12-month term or less. This means that in the near future, there will be more short-term deposits reaching their maturity periods.

Meanwhile, the interest rate for six-month deposits is currently only 5.5% per year at large-sized banks and around 7% per year at smaller-sized banks, which is much lower than last year. The lower interest rates could deter these maturing savings from returning to banks.

On the other hand, recent data from the SBV showed that credit growth is still higher than deposits. Specifically, by mid-May, capital raised by credit institutions exceeded 12.4 quadrillion VND, an increase of 2.1% compared to the end of 2022. Meanwhile, outstanding loans of the whole economy surpassed 12.25 quadrillion VND, an increase of 2.72% compared to the end of 2022. This data suggests that the liquidity situation of banks is still under pressure, while a large amount of savings from the end of 2022 is about to mature.

Hoang Cong Tuan, chief economist of Military Bank’s Securities Company (MBS), stated that deposit interest rates increased significantly from the end of the fourth quarter of 2022 to the first quarter of 2023, causing banks' net profit margins to narrow. Consequently, banks have recently made numerous moves to lower deposit interest rates. The larger banks have begun to lower the deposit rate to below 7%. In the future, banks will continue to reduce the rate.

Tuan said the SBV recently injected a large amount of money into the banking system through the purchase of 6 billion USD, and at the same time it opened up the open market operation (OMO) channel.

Tran Ngoc Bau, general director of financial data provider Wi Group, said the liquidity of the banking system is slightly redundant as the SBV pumped out 80 trillion VND through the OMO. It is forecast that the SBV can pump in an additional 30 trillion VND.

However, Bau said, the liquidity is only redundant in the short term as total credit in the economy is still higher than deposits. In addition, banks’ bad debts inched up while the bad debt coverage ratio decreased rapidly. Although there have been policies to delay and restructure the debts, the rise of the debts is still putting considerable pressure on banks' liquidity.

Even if the SBV injects more liquidity, banks will tend to protect themselves first by hoarding money instead of boosting lending because the bad debts is increasing while the bad debt coverage ratio is plummeting. The SBV’s policy interest rates may decrease further, but lending rates or deposit rates of commercial banks will decrease more slowly, Bau forecast.

Press agencies honoured for contributions to Party ideology protection

Secretary of the Party Committee of the Central Agencies' Bloc Nguyen Van The commended press agencies, sectors and Hanoi for their contributions to national achievements over the past time, while addressing a meeting in the capital city on June 8.

They have played a role in promoting the image and affirming the position of the Party Committee, the official stressed.

The meeting, held by the Party Committee, honoured the press agencies and their reporters and editors, as well as sectors and Hanoi for their performance in the communications work in the 2020-2023 period.

The asked the press agencies to carry forward their achievements and better perform their political tasks in service of the Party’s revolutionary cause, and the national cause of reform, integration and development, while stepping up the dissemination about the Party Committee’s fulfillment of its political tasks.

The information work should focus on political affairs, role models, patriotic emulation movements, and the campaign on studying and following President Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, morality and lifestyle, he suggested.

The standing board of the Party Committee also asked the press agencies to intensify the dissemination about the implementation of the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies and laws, and resolutions and conclusions adopted by the Party Central Committee and the Party Committee, along with major festivals and political events, the protection of the Party’s ideological foundation and the fight against wrong and hostile views.

Vietnamese, Venezuelan universities foster partnership

A delegation from the University of Technology and Management (UTM) visited Venezuela from June 6-8 at the invitation of the National Experimental Polytechnic University of the Armed Forces (UNEFA), aiming to seek stronger education and training cooperation with Venezuelan partners.

Welcoming the delegation, UNEFA Rector Sen. Lieut. Gen. Pascualino Angiolillo highlighted the need for the two countries to strengthen cooperation in education to match their sound political relations.

He spoke highly of the UTM delegation’s visit, which contributes to deepening mutual understanding and strengthening education and training cooperation between the UNEFA and UTM, and helping promote the Venezuela-Vietnam friendship and comprehensive partnership.

For his part, UTM Principal Associate Prof. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Son briefed the host on Vietnam's education as well as the sector’s achievements and contributions to national development.

According to the Principal, the quality of Vietnam's education has leaped five places to the 59th position in the international rankings in 2021. Vietnam has one university entering the list of top universities in the world. In terms of tertiary education, Vietnam currently has more than 400 joint training programmes with foreign countries, of which 186 were licenced by autonomous higher education institutions and 222 were licenced by the Ministry of Education and Training.

Son said that after 15 years of establishment and development, the UTM has become one of the leading universities in Vietnam, and is striving to become a multi-faculty university providing high-quality human resources for the domestic and international markets, contributing to the country’s modernisation and industrialisation process.

At the working session, Son and Angiolillo signed a letter of intent on cooperation, focusing on implementing joint education-training progammes and projects, academic exchanges among lecturers and students, and organising joint scientific conferences.

Within the framework of the visit, the UTM delegation worked with a number of universities and research institutes of Venezuela as well as the Venezuela-Vietnam Chamber of Commerce, and visited the Vietnamese Embassy.

FPT Play, VFF to broadcast national teams' matches for four years

FPT Play and the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) have announced that they would cooperate on the broadcasting rights of all national teams' matches for the next four years.

The cooperation agreement originated from a common vision in developing Vietnamese football.

This event not only marked a milestone in the effort to mobilise resources for football, but also reaffirmed the role of FPT Play, a leader in the field of media rights, in contributing to the growth of the national teams.

Following their comprehensive and long-term deal, all matches of the Vietnamese squads which are organised within the territory of Vietnam that VFF owns the television rights to will be produced and broadcast by FPT Play.

The national leading multi-platform digital television provider under FPT Telecom will televise the matches on its platforms, such as terrestrial, cable and satellite TV, IPTV, internet, mobile, public projection and social networks from 2023 to 2027.

Speaking at the announcement ceremony, VFF General Secretary Duong Nghiep Khoi expressed his trust in the good relationship of the two sides.

In VFF's schedule, there are many football matches organised in Vietnam every year, including with the senior team, Olympic squad, and U22 and U23 sides.

VFF confirmed that the first matches to be televised by FT Play would be between Vietnam and Hong Kong on June 15 at Hai Phong city's Lach Tray Stadium, and Vietnam and Syria on June 20 at Nam Dinh province's Thien Truong Stadium.

In September, the company will also broadcast three games of the U23s at the 2024 AFC Asian Cup qualification round.

FPT Play said they were open to sharing their broadcasting rights with other TV networks nationwide.

Currently, they are negotiating with local television stations about this issue, hoping to best serve millions of fans.

French, Canadian teams preparing for firework performance on June 10

Two newcomers to the Da Nang International Firework Festival (DIFF) 2023 - French and Canadian teams - are actively preparing for their performance on June 10 evening.

Edouard Gregoire, a representative of the French team, said they will bring to the audience a new and impressive performance with unique music that is suitable for all ages.

With its performance, the team wants to help connect people with nature, people, and people for living together harmoniously following the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

Alain Bouthillier, a representative of the Canadian team, said they will keep secret about the upcoming performance.

The team has participated in many festivals in countries, but the DIFF is one of the top ones that they want to win, he added.

The DIFF 2023 officially kicked off in the central city of Da Nang on June 2 evening with performances by the Vietnamese and Finnish teams.

Themed “The World Without Distance", the festival is scheduled to take place until July 8 with the participation of teams from the UK, Poland, Canada, France, Finland, Australia, Italy, and Vietnam.

Challenges remain in preventing and controling tobacco harms: official

Challenges remain in the prevention and control of tobacco harms as violations of the law on tobacco harm prevention and control still remains high, especially in the advertisement and promotion of tobacco products, said Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan.

The official stated this at a conference on implementing the National Strategy on Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control to 2030 held by the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Vietnam Tobacco Control Fund (VNTCF) on June 8 in Hanoi.  

According to Thuan, the inspection and handling of relevant violations have not been carried out regularly, smoking cessation support services have not yet met requirements, and inter-sectoral coordination in prevention and control of tobacco harms is weak due to a lack of attention. 

He highlighted the significance of the strategy, saying that it sets a goal of reducing the rates of tobacco use and  passive smoking in order to reduce the risks of morbidity and mortality caused by using tobacco products.
 
Under the strategy, Vietnam strives to reduce the rates of tobacco use among males and women aged from 15 and above to less than 36% and 1%, respectively, by 2030.

The strategy also aims to reduce the rate of passive smoking at work to less than 25%, at restaurants to less than 65%, at bars and cafes to below 70%, and at hotels to below 50%; and continue to prevent the use of e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, shisha and other new tobacco products in the community.

To that end, Thuan suggested that ministries, sectors and socio-political organisations need to coordinate and focus on performing a number of important tasks such as preventing the use of e-cigarettes and heated cigarettes among young people, thereby also directly limiting the risk of using other stimulants and drugs, and intensifying the enforcement of the law on tobacco harm prevention and control.

He also called for raising tax on tobacco products and develop consultation and treatment services for quitting smoking.

Attention should be also paid to diversifying forms of communication on tobacco harm prevention and control; and promoting education and communication on tobacco harms at educational institutions, he added.

According to Associate Professor Dr. Luong Ngoc Khue, Director of the MoH’s Department of Medical Examination and Treatment, and Director of the VNTCF, smoking is the leading cause of non-communicable diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

State budget revenues from export-import down 18% in five months

The State budget's revenues from export-import activities hit over 152.94 trillion VND (6.5 billion USD) in the first five months of this year, making up 36% of the estimate, down 18% year on year, the General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC) reported on June 7.

During the period, the country's total export-import value was estimated at 262.54 billion USD, down 14.7% year-on-year. Of which, the export turnover reached 136.17 billion USD while the import value was 126.37 billion USD, down 11.6% and 17.9%, respectively.

In May, the customs sector only collected more than 30 trillion VND, marking a month-on-month decrease of 6.23%.

The GDVC’s Export-Import Tax Department attributed the decrease to the fall in the taxable import value of certain items, such as completely built-up automobile, iron and steel, mobile phones and components.

For the first time, Vietnam had witnessed a higher number of temporary and permanent business withdrawals from the market than the number of enterprises joining or re-entering the market. The global supply chain continued to face the risk of disruption and fragmentation, leading to various consequences for export-import activities and economic growth.

Major economies that are importers of Vietnamese goods, such as the US and the European Union (EU), reduced their purchasing targets for conventional and luxury products, resulting in a decrease in orders, particularly in sectors such as apparel, footwear, furniture manufacturing, metal production.

This year, the GDVC was assigned by the National Assembly to collect 425 trillion VND (over 18 billion USD) for the State budget, providing that that the country's GDP growth will hit 6-6.5%, crude oil price reaches 70 USD per barrel, and export and import turnover rises by 8-9% and 7-8%, respectively.

Foreign Minister highlights Vietnam’s determination for green transition

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son highlighted Vietnam’s determination to achieve green transition at a panel discussion of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation Development (OECD) Ministerial Council Meeting 2023 in Paris on June 8. 

Speaking at the discussion chaired by the Secretary of State for the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Son said for the green transition process to succeed, balance and equity must be ensured. It involves a strategic balance between clean energy transition and energy security, taking into account the different conditions and development levels of countries to build diverse and practical energy transition pathways. It encompasses equity in access to green technology and green finance for developing and under-developed countries. It also entails fairness in ensuring space and development opportunities among different groups of countries and communities within society, so that no individual or nation is left behind. 

According to him, green transition must be carried out synchronously worldwide, and thus needing policy coordination and determination of all countries in the world.

Vietnam highly values the Inclusive Forum on Carbon Mitigation Approaches (IFCMA) of the OECD, he said, adding that IFCMA’s mission of reaching common orientations and policies at the global level is important.

Son stressed that the green transition process is a revolution that requires breakthrough thinking and actions, especially in the bold application of newer, more efficient, and smarter green technologies. To minimise the trade-offs associated with these breakthroughs, Vietnam hopes that OECD countries, which are at the forefront of technology, can pioneer the development and transfer of efficient, safe, and suitable new technologies for developing countries, he said.

The minister went on to say that Vietnam is one of the countries hardest hit by climate change. Transitioning to a green, circular, and low-emission economy has been a consistent and coherent development policy of Vietnam. Despite being a developing country undergoing transition, Vietnam has made ambitious commitments and shared responsibilities with the international community for addressing climate change. This determination has been clearly demonstrated through Vietnam's strong commitments at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), the establishment of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) with G7 countries, and most recently, the approval of the National Power Development Plan for the 2021-2030 period. 

He concluded that this climate action roadmap can only succeed with the support of international friends, particularly OECD, through concessional funding, technology transfer, policymaking, governance, and high-quality workforce training.

Vietnam also looks to OECD for assistance in sustainable water management, particularly in the Mekong Delta region, he said.

Vietnam Office for Seeking Missing Persons marks 50th founding anniversary

A ceremony was held in Hanoi on June 8 to mark the 50th founding anniversary of the Vietnam Office for Seeking Missing Persons (VNOSMP) and the 35th anniversary of the joint operation to search for US servicemen who were reported missing in action (MIA) during the war in Vietnam.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc said over the past five decades, VNOSMP has been fulfilling its assigned political missions, contributing to healing the wounds of war as well as normalising and promoting Vietnam-US relations.

He expressed his belief that with the concerted efforts of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, National Defence, and Public Security and the US partners, the support and coordination of relevant agencies, local authorities, people and veterans of both countries, the Vietnam-US MIA cooperation will continue to achieve positive outcomes and fulfill its humanitarian mission, helping to lift the Vietnam-US comprehensive partnership to a new height.

US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc. E Knapper said the US supports a strong, prosperous, independent and self-reliant Vietnam.

The MIA cooperation, which was founded before the two nations normalised their bilateral relations, has created a firm foundation to promote the US-Vietnam relationship, he stressed. 

Over the past 35 years, a total of 160 remains repatriation missions have been carried out, with the remains of 734 missing US servicemen after the war handed over to the US side. Among 1,973 cases of missing US servicemen, 1,239 still require search efforts.

At the event, delegates took a moment to pay respect to 16 Vietnamese officials and US specialists who sacrificed their lives while performing MIA duties on April 7, 2001.

Hanoi to make clear administrative procedures in environment area

The Hanoi Department of Natural Resources and Environment will hold a dialogue with organisations and individuals on the administrative procedures in the field of environment in July, according to director of the department Nguyen Huy Cuong.

Cuong said that the dialogue aims to provide information on the Party and State’s policies and laws on administration procedures and the processing of these procedures in the field of environment and water resources.

At the same time, through the dialogue, local authorities hope to get an insight into the difficulties that organisations and residents are facing during the process, thus rolling out timely solutions, he said, adding that the dialogue also aims to affirm the responsibility of leaders of agencies in the field, contributing to enhancing the public administrative reform (PAR) index of the capital city.

All opinions and requests given by organisations and individuals at the dialogue, which will see the participation of leaders of all divisions and offices of the department, will be noted down and responded fully and effectively, said Cuong.

Following the event, relevant agencies will submit a report to the department director on the settlement of difficulties facing organisations and individuals, while issues beyond the department’s remit will be reported to the city People’s Committee, he said.

Requests and opinions can be sent to the dialogue via email chicucbvmthn@gmail.com, or post services to the department from now until July 7.

Last year, Hanoi leaped two positions in PAR index from 2021, while its Satisfaction Index of Public Administration Services (SIPAS) rose seven places.

The city Department of Natural Resources and Environment has provided six public services online on its portal.

Programme targets better maritime health care

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has signed a document to issue a decision approving the national programme on sea, island medical development by 2030.

The programme’s objective is to consolidate and improve the quality of medical services for soldiers and residents in island localities, contributing to achieving targets set in the Strategy for Sustainable Development of Vietnam's Sea-based Economy by 2030, with a vision towards 2045.

By 2025, 40% of the hospitals and medical centres in island districts will be able to perform surgical operations using the techniques like those of a Level-2 hospital. Meanwhile, up to 70% of provincial and municipal disease control centres, health centres of cities, towns and districts, and military preventive health facilities in the coastal provinces will be upgraded. The numbers are expected to reach 70% and 100%, respectively by 2030.

By 2025, 70% of the offshore fishing boats will be equipped with medicine cabinets and medical tools, and 80% of ocean-going ships will follow international regulations on maritime medicine. Some 80% of the island residents will also be equipped with knowledge and skills of health care.  All of the figures are set to rise to 100% after five years.

To that end, the programme has set out major solutions: enhancing the leadership and instruction over maritime medicine; consolidating and strengthening preventive healthcare capacity in sea and island areas; consolidating and improving medical check-up and treatment capacity; raising first-aid and patient transportation capacity; developing a contingent of health workers for sea and island areas; building specific norms and standards for maritime medicine; and stepping up the communications work and health education for island residents.

Regulations and plans on coordination between emergency centres of such coastal localities as Hai Phong, Da Nang, Khanh Hoa and Ba Ria-Vung Tau, and maritime search and rescue centres, naval force, coast guards and border guards will be outlined, according to the programme.

Naval force, coast guards, border guards and search and rescue ships will also get medical equipment.

The Prime Minister has assigned the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of National Defence to put forth specific tasks and present them to competent agencies for approval, or approve them within their power.

Vietnam underlines importance of maritime technologies to sustainable development

Minister Counsellor Le Thi Minh Thoa, deputy permanent representative of Vietnam to the UN, underscored the importance of maritime technologies to the cause of sustainable development while addressing the ongoing 23rd meeting of the UN Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and Law of the Sea (ICP23) held in New York.

The meeting opened with the theme of “New Maritime Technologies: Challenges and Opportunities” and is takin place from June 5 to June 9, featuring the participation of nearly 100 representatives of UN member states and international organisations.

In her remarks, Minister Counsellor Thoa, said the nation, which proposed the theme for the event, fully understands the importance of reforming, applying, and transferring maritime technologies in support of sustainable maritime economic development, whilst minimising climate change impacts on coastal countries.

Emphasizing the crucial role of regional and international co-operation in developing and applying maritime technologies, Minister Counsellor Thoa suggested that countries boost the development and transfer of maritime science and technologies in fair and reasonable terms and conditions, in conformity with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

She therefore called for favourable conditions to be given to developing countries to access advanced maritime technologies in preferential terms, adding that the application of those technologies must abide by UNCLOS, the comprehensive legal framework regulating all sea and ocean related activities.

As part of the occasion, Minister Counsellor Thoa applauded the nation’s achievements in carrying out the national strategy for sustainable maritime economic development by 2030, with a vision towards 2045, and the national strategy on climate change by 2050. This particularly focuses on the application of maritime technologies to oil and gas exploration and exploitation, fishing, sea transportation, and hydro-meteorological forecasting.

At the meeting, Nguyen Ba Thuy, deputy director of the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting, presented a report on the situation of marine hydro-meteorological monitoring and forecasting in the nation.

He also proposed some fields aimed at stepping up international ties to create conditions for developing countries to access new maritime technologies, including monitoring devices and forecasting technologies, to help with sustainable maritime economic development.

The IPC23 is the first among a series of sea and ocean related events at the UN in June, including a ceremony marking the World Ocean Day on June 8, the 33rd meeting of states parties to the UNCLOS, as well as a meeting to adopt an international legal document on the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in sea areas beyond national jurisdiction.

Vietnam and OIF support promotion of French language training

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son visited the headquarters of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) on June 7 in Paris to meet with Louise Mushikiwabo, secretary general of the OIF.

During a working session held with Mushikiwabo, FM Son voiced his support for the OIF’s efforts aimed at promoting the use of the French language, cultural diversity, and economic co-operation within the Francophone space.

Vietnam remains an active and responsible member of the Francophone community, he said, noting his appreciation for the OIF’s attention to regional matters, including the East Sea issue.

The Minister also made a series of proposals aimed at enhancing ties between Vietnam and the organisation in terms of economics-trade and French language teaching, particularly for Vietnamese officers participating in the UN peacekeeping mission in Africa.

In response, Mushikiwabo said that the OIF greatly values the Vietnamese role and position in the French-speaking community and strongly desires the nation to press ahead with elevating its positive role at international forums and sharing its own experience with African countries in food self-sufficiency and poverty alleviation.

Taking into account FM Son’s proposals, she said that the Francophone community will seek to boost its co-operation with the nation in expanding the reach of the French language and support its strengthening of economic, trade, and investment ties with French-speaking countries.

French language training assistance will be offered to to Vietnamese peacekeepers and personnel working in the field of multilateralism, the OIF official added.

Two Lao nationals arrested for cross-border drug trafficking

The Customs Department of the central province of Quang Tri stated on June 8 that they had arrested two Lao nationals after they had attempted to transport 18,000 pills of synthetic drugs into Vietnam.

According to initial information regarding the case, the drug traffickers were caught red-handed at 13:45 p.m. on June 7 in Lao Bao town of Huong Hoa district.

Further investigations into the matter are now underway.

The Quang Tri Customs Department also seized a total of 36,000 pills of synthetic drugs at the Lao Bao border gate on June 1.

Many major drug trafficking rings have made use of the Vietnam-Laos border area in Huong Hoa district as a transportation hub into the nation, with the aim of disturbing illegal drugs across the country.

Quang Tri’s functional forces have so far broken up dozens of extremely large cases of drug transportation and have been able to prevent the distribution of millions of pills of drug over the years.

Int'l Exhibition of Film and Television Technology opens in HCM City

The International Exhibition of Film and Television Technology (Telefilm Vietnam) 2023 opened on June 8 in Ho Chi Minh City with a view to helping connect domestic and foreign entertainers.

Over 25 exhibitors from 15 countries and territories worldwide have set up over more than 300 stands to showcase their items.

On display at the event are media advertising technology on radio and television, broadcasting equipment, TV recording technology, and new generation televisions.

Regular participants such as KOCCA of the Republic of Korea, Roskino, a state-owned organisation that promotes the Russian film industry in international markets and organises Russian film festivals abroad, as well as Korea Radio Promotion Association (RAPA) have used the occasion to introduce their latest movies and television shows.

Immediately after the opening ceremony held on June 8, the Vietnam Digital Communications Association (VDCA) organised a workshop aimed at discussing the development of the Vietnamese television industry.

First held back in 2013, Telefilm Vietnam aims to provide opportunities for Vietnamese experts to gain a greater understanding about advanced technologies in television programming and film making.

The exhibition is organised annually, although it was disrupted in 2020 and 2021 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, later it resumed in 2022.

Hanoi, Havana outline orientation for future cooperation

The Party Committees of Hanoi (Vietnam) and Havana (Cuba) signed a cooperation agreement for 2023-2028 following talks in Hanoi on June 9 between leaders of the two committees.

During the talks, the two sides reviewed the implementation of cooperation documents in recent times and noted that the potential for cooperation between the two localities in particular and between Vietnam and Cuba is great.

Hanoi wishes to promote exchanges, experience sharing, development cooperation with Havana, said Dinh Tien Dung, secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee.

Dung proposed expanding and improving the efficiency of cooperation between the two countries and the two capitals in the fields of health care, agriculture, trade, culture and education, while promoting cooperation and technology transfer in the fields of biology, pharmaceuticals and high-tech agriculture. He also proposed that Havana send medical experts to Hanoi to share experiences, train and improve the qualifications of local medical staff.

The two sides should increase trade exchanges and share experience in e-commerce and digitization in industry, said Dung.

Luis Antonio Torres Iríbar, first secretary of the Havana Party Committee, affirmed that the Party, State and people of Cuba, and Havana in particular attach special importance to consolidating the special solidarity and long-standing friendship with Vietnam.

Cuba in general and Havana in particular are ready to create favourable conditions for enterprises of Vietnam and Hanoi to do business efficiently, he assured his host.

He also suggested that the two sides continue to strengthen and deepen the special friendship founded by leaders Ho Chi Minh and Fidel Castro and passed on to future generations.

During the talks, the Hanoi leader announced its decision to present 2,000 tonnes of rice as a special gift to Havana. A document to this effect was signed on this occasion.

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