The first-ever national census on gender equality will be conducted in 2023 as part of the national-level task of studying and assessing the gender equality situation to serve sustainable development.

The survey is set to cover 9,000 people in 48 communes and wards of 12 provinces and cities nationwide, heard a symposium in Hanoi on June 9.

Dr Dang Xuan Thanh, Vice President of Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS), said the country has been exerting efforts to realise the commitments on gender equality, including ensuring women’s rights and implementing the Party and Government’s viewpoints and directions for gender equality promotion.

In the next 10 years, Vietnam needs to have an intensive and extensive view of the gender equality situation to take effective measures for achieving gender equality targets by 2030 as part of the UN-approved Sustainable Development Goals.

He noted the overall study and assessment of gender equality to serve sustainable development, which is a national-level task and includes a national gender equality census, is theoretically and practically necessary for clarifying the situation of gender relations as well as men and women’s progress in different fields, analysing opportunities and barriers, and creating a basis for making recommendations about gender equality and socio-economic development policies for the coming time.

Assoc. Prof. and Dr Tran Thi Minh Thi, Deputy Director of the VASS Institute for Family and Gender Studies, said the task performance will help promote Vietnam’s realisation of international commitments on gender equality, provide scientific foundation for evaluating results of commitment implementation, serve the review of the implementation of the national gender equality strategy for 2021 - 2030, and deal with some urgent issues related to gender equality.

President chairs first session of reform think tank

The steering committee for summarising some theoretical and practical issues on Vietnam’s socialist-oriented Doi Moi (reform) in the past four decades convened its first session in Hanoi on June 9 under the chair of President Vo Van Thuong.

The 21-member committee was established in April this year following a decision of the Politburo.

As the head of the committee, Thuong said in his remarks that the summarisation is an important task helping clarify and perfect the Party's reform polciy, the theory of and the path to socialism, and prepare documents for the 14th National Party Congress.

He noted it must be carried out based on the Platform on National Construction during the Transitional Period towards Socialism (supplemented in 2011), documents of the 13th National Party Congress, and an article by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on some theoretical and practical issues on socialism and the path towards socialism in Vietnam.

The process should ensure the principles of inheritance and development as well as consistency and innovation; and a smooth combination of theory and practice and of Vietnamese and international experience, requested Thuong.

The President also required the work to focus on big matters, and update latest global trends, advantages, challenges and requirements brought about by the new development period after the COVID-19 pandemic.

He also emphasised the need for the selective reference to international experience, and paying attention to countries with their institutions, starting points, and development conditions similar to Vietnam and those taking the lead in sci-tech and economic development trends, he said.

Meeting discusses improving legal documents on UN peacekeeping mission

The Ministry of National Defence held the first meeting of the Steering Committee for making a proposal on the building of a law on participation in the United Nations peacekeeping operations in Hanoi on June 9.

At the event, Col. Pham Manh Thang, Director of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations (VDPO) - the standing unit of the Steering Committee, presented a draft summary report on the enforcement of laws regarding the participation in the UN peacekeeping activities, and a report on the preparation of documents for building the law on participation in the UN peacekeeping operations.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen Hoang Xuan Chien who is also head of the Defence Ministry’s Steering Committee on participation in the UN peacekeeping operations, asked relevant agencies to promptly perfect the draft report on reviewing legal enforcement regarding the participation in the UN peacekeeping activities to submit to ministries and agencies concerned for feedback.

He urged the VDPO to work closely with units concerned to thoroughly prepare for the upcoming conference on reviewing legal enforcements regarding the participation in the UN peacekeeping operations, and ensure the quality, progress of and fulfil requirements set for building the law on participation in the UN peacekeeping operations.

The system of Vietnamese legal documents regarding the UN peacekeeping operations has been relatively complete, including the National Assembly’s Resolution No. 130/2020/QH14 on the participation in UN peacekeeping forces in line with the 2013 Constitution, the 2018 Law on National Defence and the 2018 Law on People's Public Security.

Further attention has been paid to personnel training, provision of necessary materials and equipment as well as communications campaign about the effort.

Exhibition highlights patriotic emulation movements through periods

An exhibition spotlighting patriotic emulation movements through different periods opened at the Vietnam National Museum of History in Hanoi on June 9.

On display are 200 documents and artifacts featuring President Ho Chi Minh and patriotic emulation movements and a number of outstanding role models in the movements.

They include a pistol that President Ho Chi Minh presented to Hero of the Armed Forces Nguyen Thi Chien at the National Congress of role models and outstanding officials in May 1952; a paper fan that President Ho Chi Minh gave to Hoang Dao Thuy, General Secretary of the Central Patriotic Emulation Committee in 1948; President Ho Chi Minh's written call for patriotic emulation on June 11, 1948; a number of medical equipment that Professor, Doctor, Hero of Labour Ton That Tung used to provide medical examination and treatment to patients; and an electro-acupuncture machine and acupuncture needles used by Professor, Hero of Labour Nguyen Tai Thu to anaesthetise patients for operations during 1996 – 2000.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Vietnam National Museum of History Director Nguyen Van Doan said that since President Ho Chi Minh called for patriotic emulation to encourage people’s engagement in eliminating hunger, illiteracy and invaders, patriotic emulation movements have developed strongly among people from all walks of life with diverse forms, resulting in great achievements in the national reform and national construction and defence.

He said the exhibition aims to affirm the significance, role and impacts of patriotic emulation movements in different historical periods, and inspiring patriotism among the Vietnamese people.

At the opening ceremony, the National Museum of History received many documents and items related to the “thousands good deeds” movement donated by Hero of Labour and People’s Teacher Nguyen Duc Thin who initiated the movement in 1963, which has widely implemented by children across the country.

Track and field athlete Nguyen Thi Oanh, the gold medalist at the recent 32nd SEA Games also presented the museum with the sports outfits that she wore during training and competitions at the sport event.

The exhibition will last until August 9.

HCM City water park jammed in scorching heat
 
Crowds have flocked to Dam Sen Water Park in HCM City as they look to ease the current heat.

Duc Tien from District 8 in HCM City said the park was congested when he took his son there, so he decided to try another place. 

“Students are now enjoying a summer vacation after the school year. Meanwhile, the weather is very hot at this time of the year. Therefore, it is easy to understand why the water park is very crowded, “Tien added.

"This summer, the number of visitors to our park is much higher than last year. We have also held entertainment activities to serve them,” a representative from Dam Sen Water Park said. 

Other leisure spots in HCM City are also attracting a great number of visitors these days.

Ginseng helps Kun Tum ethnic families escape poverty 
 
Considered a national treasure, ginseng grown mainly on Ngoc Linh Mountain along the Truong Son range has become a live-saver for poverty-stricken families of the Xe Dang ethnic people in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum. 

Mang Ri Commune in Tu Mo Rong District, home to Xe Dang ethnic group, is known as the capital of Ngoc Linh ginseng.

From a folk remedy of the Xe Dang people, Ngoc Linh ginseng is believed to be a precious medicinal herb.

Ginseng is grown under the canopy of trees along the Ngoc Linh mountain ranges at a height of over 2,000 metres above sea level in Tu Mo Rong and Dak Glei districts in Kon Tum and some districts of Quang Nam Province.

Ngọc Linh ginseng was first discovered in 1973 by a team of pharmacists who were searching for medicinal herbs to treat wounded soldiers.

Initially, scientists discovered the stem and root of Ngoc Linh ginseng contained 52 saponin compounds that are very beneficial to health. Recently, scientists have released complete statistics showing there are up to 103 saponin compounds in Ngoc Linh ginseng.

In June 2017 Ngoc Linh ginseng became a national product and since has been commonly referred to as Vietnamese ginseng.

Tu Mo Rong District currently has about 1,700 hectares of ginseng.

According to statistics from Kon Tum Province, there are more than 1,200 households and 30 associations growing gingseng.

Many families even borrowed from banks to plant thousands of ginseng trees on Ngoc Linh mountain peak with the hopes of escaping poverty. In addition, local people also learn and grow many precious medicinal herbs suitable for local soil such as a Chinese herbal medicine whose scientific name is Angelica sinensis. 

Ngoc Linh ginseng is currently priced at VND120,000-260,000 million (USD5.14-11.15) a kilo. Each Ngoc Linh ginseng seedling costs VND300,000 while ginseng leaves cost VND5-10 million a kilo.

A Brit, a local man, said local residents keep the forest very well as no one cut down or burned the forest for farming. The old forest with a wide canopy to cover Ngoc Linh ginseng helps them escape poverty.

A Chung said his family as well as many households grow ginseng with the dream of changing their lives through billion-dong profits.

Hydropower plants stop electricity generation due to lack of water

Several hydropower plants in the northern region have suspended generating electricity due to the shortage of water amid massive power outages.

Seven large dams in the north including Son La, Lai Chau, Huoi Quang, Thac Ba, Tuyen Quang, Ban Ve and Hua Na had reached dead storage levels, forcing them to suspend generating power.

Only Hoa Binh hydropower dam has water and could maintain power generation until June 13, said Tran Viet Hoa, director of the Electricity Regulatory Authority under the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

As of Tuesday, available capacity of hydroelectricity reached 3,110 MW, only 23.70 percent of installed capacity.

The total available capacity of the northern power network is 17,500-17,900 MW, or just 59.30 percent of installed capacity while demand could increase to 23,500-24,000 MW due to the scorching heat.

"The power network in the north faces the risk of shortages at most hours of the day," said Hoa.

The northern power grid will face a shortfall of about 4,350MW, resulting in the average daily deficit of 30.90 million kWh a day with the highest daily deficit reaching up to 50.80 million kWh.

Many parts of the northern region have experienced massive power outages over the past days, affecting production and tourism.

Tran Dinh Nhan, general director of Electricity of Vietnam (EVN), said it has faced difficulties in supplying electricity to customers since mid-April.

Nhan said the electricity supply in the northern region is still grappling with difficulties.

Ha Giang authorities investigate tourist sitting on border marker 
 
The Ha Giang Provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism is investigating a photo which showed a tourist sitting on an engraved stone marking Vietnams northern border at Lung Cu Flag Tower.

The photo which featured a group of tourists posing beside the Lung Cu Flag Tower and one of them sitting on an engraved marker was criticised by some people on social media.

On June 8, a representative from the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism said that they were going to ‘have a meeting’ with the tourist.

Speaking with Dantri/Dtinews, Ha Giang Provincial Association of Tourism chairman Lai Quoc Tinh said that it looked like the visitor hadn't known much about the site while the tour guide didn't notice the pictures being taken.

Located in Dong Van District's Lung Cu Commune, the north pole of Vietnam, Lung Cu Flag Tower is built in the peak of Rong (Dragon) Mountain at 1,468 metres above the sea level. The site is also a favourite destination for tourists to Ha Giang.

Vietnam women's national volleyball team announced for AVC Challenge Cup

A final squad of 14 players participating in the AVC Challenge Cup which is scheduled to take place in Indonesia at the end of June was revealed on June 8.

The team was reportedly implementing a change for veteran libero Nguyen Thi Kim Lien as a replacement for libero Le Thi Thanh Lien.

Additionally, former player of the HCMC Men’s Volleyball Team Nguyen Trung Nam will participate in the coaching staff to serve as an assistant coach to provide statistical analyses of the team’s technical performance.

According to head coach Nguyen Tuan Kiet, the replacement is necessary to show the spirit of sharing and responsibility of the players when the team will compete in a number of tournaments from now until the end of this year, such as AVC Challenge Cup, VTV Cup, ASEAN Challenge Cup, Asiad 19, and Volleyball Women's Club World Championship.

The team currently is training in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh.

The final list comprises Tran Thi Thanh Thuy, Nguyen Khanh Dang, Vo Thi Kim Thoa, Doan Thi Lam Oanh, Hoang Thi Kieu Trinh, Pham Thi Nguyet Anh, Tran Thi Bich Thuy, Ly Thi Luyen, Tran Tu Linh, Nguyen Thi Trinh, Nguyen Thi Kim Lien, Vi Thi Nhu Quynh, Doan Thi Xuan, Dinh Thi Tra Giang.

Hanoi to create "foodtour map" for promotion of culinary tourism

Hanoi plans to create a "foodtour map" to help visitors explore local cuisine on their own. The move aims to further develop culinary tourism into a strength of the capital's tourism industry.

The initiative ​arose from the recognition of Hanoi’s restaurants with Michelin stars, a highly regarded award in the culinary world that has put the city's gastronomic scene in the spotlight.

Such an effort is set to raise awareness of food safety and hygiene, improve the communication skills of restaurateurs, and improve service quality for tourists,' Giang added.

Hanoi's tourism industry aims to develop a diverse range of culinary services by 2030, focusing on night food streets, culinary villages, and restaurant chains.

With the foodtour map and continued efforts to improve food safety and hygiene, Hanoi's tourism industry is poised to attract more food-loving visitors in the coming period.

Of the 103 restaurants nationwide selected for the Michelin Guide, Hanoi has 48 representatives, including three Michelin-starred restaurants, 13 Bib Gourmand-awarded affordable eateries, 32 Michelin-selected restaurants, and one Michelin Young Chef Award winner.

Cambodia begins construction of expressway connecting to Viet Nam

Cambodia on Wednesday kicked off construction of an expressway that runs from Cambodia's capital city of Phnom Penh to the Moc Bai Border Gate in Viet Nam's southern province of Tay Ninh.

The event was attended by Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen and Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Nguyen Huy Tang.

Construction of the 135km road is projected to complete in 48 months and cost US$1.35 billion. 

The road is Cambodia's second expressway after the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway, which opened to traffic last year and connects the capital with the country's main port on the Gulf of Thailand.

Viet Nam-Cambodia trade value topped US$10 billion in 2022, rising nearly 11 percent from 2021. 

By the end of last year, Viet Nam had 205 investment projects worth US$2.94 billion in Cambodia, establishing itself as the biggest ASEAN investor and one of the five biggest foreign direct investors there.

Five-month labor exports reach 54% of this year's target

During January-May, Viet Nam sent 59,645 laborers abroad to work under labor contracts, equivalent to 54.2 percent of the initial whole-year target.

The above figure includes 20,585 female workers, making up 35 percent, according to the Department of Overseas Labor under the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs.

During the reviewed period, Japan was the largest manpower importer of Viet Nam with 28,513 persons. It was followed by Chinese Taipei with 26,201 persons, and South Korea with 1,210 persons.

In May alone, 9,700 Vietnamese workers were sent to work abroad, said the Department. 

Last year, 142,779 Vietnamese traveled to work abroad, or 158.64 percent of the preset target. Japan was the largest recipient of Vietnamese guest workers as it received more than 67,000 people.

Vietnamese workers are now present in over 40 countries and territories worldwide.

In 2023, the Southeast Asian country targets to send 110,000 workers abroad under labor contracts, focusing on traditional markets and new occupations with higher pay in Europe, said the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs.

Since March 2022, many countries have reopened borders to foreign employees, including those from Viet Nam.

Along with expanding overseas labor markets, improving the quality of Vietnamese workers qualified to work abroad is also the department's focus in 2023 as it would help increase incomes and establish the position of Vietnamese workers in foreign markets.

Phu Tho presents 20,000 trees to green up Truong Sa district

Phu Tho province's authorities have handed over 20,000 trees and 85 tonnes of fertilisers to the Naval Region 4 High Command as a gift to help build a greener Truong Sa island district in the central coastal province of Khanh Hoa.

At the June 9 handover in the northern province of Phu Tho, Deputy Political Commissar of Naval Region 4 Colonel Nguyen Huu Minh thanked Phu Tho’s Party Committee, administration, and people for their affection for naval soldiers and residents in the far-flung district.

He affirmed that this is a source of encouragement for people and soldiers in the island district to maintain their will and faith, overcome difficulties, and firmly protect the country’s sovereignty over its sea and islands.

Phu Tho’s gifts have supported the devotion made by the fund for Vietnam sea and islands and a programme on greening up Truong Sa.

Exhibition kicks off Malaysia Madani Week in HCM City

The Malaysian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City kicked off the Malaysia exhibition on June 9, marking the beginning of the Malaysia Madani Week in the southern city to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Malaysia diplomatic ties.

The exhibition, lasting three days, showcases over 30 Malaysian brands and universities in the fields of petroleum, construction, health care, banking, hospitality and education. It also features business networking activities between companies from both countries and traditional art performances by Malaysian artists.

As part of the Malaysia Madani Week, the Malaysia Education Festival will introduce study opportunities in Malaysia and hold an education cooperation programme to enhance potential education collaboration between the two countries.

The Malaysian cultural and culinary promotion will take place from 9-18 at four major hotels in Ho Chi Minh City, featuring the participation of 8 renowned Malaysian chefs.

The business networking event, scheduled for June 12, will feature seminars and business networking sessions between Malaysian and Vietnamese enterprises.

First Dien Hong Awards honours 67 works

Sixty-seven outstanding works wining the first Dien Hong Awards – the national press award on the National Assembly (NA) and People’s Councils – have been honoured at a ceremony held in Hanoi on June 9.

They included five Prize A, 13 Prize B, 16 Prize C, and 31 consolation prizes.

Addressing the event, NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue expressed his delight to see the submission of 3,328 works to the first edition by 171 press agencies in Vietnam and abroad and seven loffices of the NA delegation and people's councils.

The carefully prepared entries are rich in topics, sharp in content, diverse in style and modern in means of journalism, Hue said, adding that their discovery, novelty, and creativity have been well received and appreciated by readers.

In addition to the above-said prizes within the structure of the award, there were two special prizes for an excellent multimedia product and excellent foreign information imprint. Their respective winners were the Vietnam News Agency with its special information page on the election of deputies to the 15th NA and People's Councils at all levels for the 2021-2016 term; and the Radio Station of the University of Chile with a work spotlighting the Vietnam-Chile friendship week programme.

Cultural value a great resource for tourism development

Cultural tourism is a priority in Vietnam’s tourism development strategy and planning until 2020 with a vision to 2030 as it aims to attract more foreign visitors who are interested in exploring the local culture.

Looking to other countries like Thailand, cultural tourism has generated high revenue for the country. During this year’s traditional Songkran festival from April 13-16, the country earned about 550 million USD from tourism activities.

Meanwhile, the Republic of Korea is developing two tourism products that offer tourists to stay in traditional houses (Hanokstay) and pagodas (Templestay) to boost local economic development and preserve and promote the nation’s traditional cultural values to the world.

France, where the tourism sector serves about 90 million tourists each year and makes up 7.4% of the GDP, has built a hotel inside the Palace of Versailles, a UNESCO-recognised cultural heritage, to give visitors a luxurious experience at the site.

Vietnam, with a rich treasure of cultural resources, has a high potential of promoting cultural tourism.

According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), along with maritime tourism and ecotourism, cultural tourism is one of the prioritised products for development in the national tourism strategy and planning until 2020 with a vision to 2030.

The country is focusing on promoting heritage tourism, festival tourism, and local culture exploring tourism, and associating cultural values in all other tourism products.

A number of localities have started exploiting cultural resources for tourism development.

The central province of Thua Thien-Hue launched its first Hue Festival in 2000 at the national level, which has become a large-scale cultural event providing a venue for cultural and art exchanges among many nations and introducing the quintessence of the culture of Vietnam in general and Hue in particular.

Dr. Phan Thanh Hai, Director of the provincial Department of Culture and Sports, said that along with the purpose of attracting visitors, the Hue Festival is a way Hue chooses to promote and build its trademark at the same time.

Since 2022, the Hue Festival has been held in a four-season format, aiming to become a major tourism product meeting the demand of tourists, he said.

Together with Hue, many other localities have successfully organised large-scale festivals drawing international attention, including Nha Trang Sea Festival, the Carnival Ha Long, the Tay Nguyen Gong Festival, the Hau Giang Rice Festival, the Southern Fruit Festival, Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival, and the Da Lat flower festival.

The festivals have brought about "cultural effects", promoting the understanding and exposition of Vietnamese culture to the world, leaving a strong impression in the hearts of domestic and international tourists alike.

Better vigilance needed to prevent wildfires as intense heatwaves continue

The ongoing intense heatwaves across the country are not only adversely affecting people’s health but also causing high risks of wildfires.

Multiple forest fires have been reported between mid-May and early June in various localities.

According to the National Centre for Hydrometeorological Forecasting (NCHMF), due to the influence of the El Nino phenomenon, there will be more intense heatwaves, with a higher number of sunny days than the previous years’ average, along with abnormal fluctuations. 

The combination of blazing heat and a lack of rainfall increases the risk of wildfires in many areas, leading to damage to forests, the environment, and affecting people’s health, properties and livelihoods. 

NCHMF director Mai Van Khiem said that starting from mid-June, the average temperature is expected to be higher than that of previous years by around 0.5-1 degrees Celsius.

Since the beginning of summer this year, forest protection forces have been on high alert, maintaining round-the-clock checkpoints, increasing patrols, conducting awareness campaigns, and implementing fire prevention and firefighting measures.

In order to enhance urgent measures for forest fire prevention, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had issued a directive on May 22, requiring localities to strengthen inspections and monitor of wildfire prevention and control. 

This is considered a top priority in which complacency, negligence, and lack of vigilance are strictly prohibited. 

The directive calls for the establishment of dedicated task forces and assigning patrols on standby around the clock throughout the dry season and hot days.

Authorities should also monitor, supervise and provide guidance on setting fires near and in forest areas, especially with people burning vegetation for cultivation. 

The PM also assigned the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to lead forest fire prevention and control nationwide. In the case of forest fire, authorities must be present for firefighting management. 

In addition, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises and the Vietnam Electricity (EVN) are also required to cooperate with localities to ensure the safety of the national electric grid.

Vietnamese volunteer soldiers’ remains repatriated from Laos, Cambodia

A memorial ceremony and reburial service was held in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum on June 10 to pay final respects and rebury the remains of 12 Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who laid down their lives in Laos and Cambodia.

The remains were found and repatriated by Team K53, and reburied at Ngoc Hoi district’s Martyrs’ Cemetery of Kon Tum.

Addressing the ceremony, Y Ngoc, Vice Chairwoman of the provincial People’s Committee and head of the provincial Steering Committee 515, expressed her gratitude to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country’s liberation.

She emphasised that the great dedication and sacrifices of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers have contributed to liberating the people of the Lao tribes from the invaders and reviving Cambodia after the genocidal regime, a shining symbol of the noble international spirit between Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

Vietnam treasures friendship, comprehensive cooperation with Czech Republic: FM

Vietnam always attaches importance to promoting the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation with the Czech Republic, and wishes to further expand cooperation with the country across fields, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son has said.

He made the statement during a meeting with Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil and the talks with his Czech counterpart Jan Lipavsky on the occasion of his official visit to the European country on June 9-10.

Czech leaders expressed their impression on Vietnam's socio-economic development achievements and highly valued Vietnam's increasingly important position and role in recent years. They affirmed that Vietnam is the most important partner of the European country in Southeast Asia.

The two sides acknowledged that high-level meetings and exchange of delegations have been maintained regularly in recent years, especially the official visit to Vietnam by Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala in April, which has contributed to increasing political trust between the two countries and creating a motivation for stronger cooperation in other fields.

Thanks to positive impacts of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), trade-investment cooperation between the two countries has become a bright spot with two-way trade in 2022 hitting 848 million USD, up nearly 15% compared to the previous year.

The leaders agreed to discuss and soon agree on a new relationship framework to comprehensively promote cooperation between the two countries; fully tap opportunities brought about by the EVFTA and create favourable conditions for the two countries' exports to access each other's markets; strengthen the operational efficiency of the Inter-Governmental Committee for Economic Cooperation between Vietnam and the Czech Republic; and make it easier for their businesses to connect and learn about the other market.

The Czech side acknowledged  FM Son’s proposal to urge other EU countries to soon ratify the Vietnam-EU Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), and the European Commission (EC) to soon remove its “yellow card” warning against Vietnamese seafood.

The two sides also discussed measures to expand cooperation in terms of security - defence, education - training, labour, culture and tourism.

They agreed to enhance close coordination and mutual support at multilateral organisations and forums, especially the United Nations, the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and within the framework of the ASEAN-EU Strategic Partnership.

Regarding the East Sea issue, the two sides affirmed their support for the settlement of the disputes by peaceful measures, and in accordance with international law,  the UN Charter, and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS).

FM Son thanked the Czech government for creating favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community to stably live in and successfully integrate into the European country, expressing his belief that the community will continue to actively promote its role as a bridge for developing the friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

He took the occasion to invited Jan Lipavsky to pay an official visit to Vietnam.

PM launches learning society building movement

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on June 10 launched an emulation movement in building a learning society and strengthening life-long learning in the 2021-2030 period.

Addressing the event, which was held on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's call for patriotic emulation, PM Chinh, who is also Chairman of the Central Council for Emulation and Rewards, highlighted the studious tradition of the nation.

Recalling President Ho Chi Minh's saying that "learning never has its end", he underlined that education and training has been defined as a key national policy.

Learning encouragement and building a learning society have received great attention from the whole community and become a widespread movement across the country, he said.

Highlighting the expansion of the country’s education movement, especially in far-flung, border, island and ethnic minority-inhabited areas, as well as the creation of learning opportunities for all people at all ages, PM Chinh underlined the important role of the Party Committees and administrations at all levels, as well as organisations, especially the Associations of Learning Encouragement.

He stressed that in a fast changing world where globalisation and international integration are becoming popular, along with the Fourth Industrial Revolution, learning and upgrading knowledge and skills is a must for everyone.

Life-long learning has become a global trend, he said, noting that so far, more than 1,000 cities around the world have joined the "learning cities" initiative.

In order to make stronger progress in building a learning society, the Government leader asked Party Committees and the administration at all levels as well as ministries, socio-political organisations, associations and the whole community to continue to effectively implement the Party and State's policies regarding education, training and learning and talent encouragement.

It is necessary to build an open, diverse and modern education system with equality and integration, meeting the new requirements in the new period, he said.

He ordered the revision and completion of mechanisms and policies on learning society building, along with stronger support to community learning facilities and assistance to disadvantaged people to access learning opportunities.

Along with strengthening the mobilisation of social resources for education promotion, the PM also underlined the need to optimise the efficiency of funds for learning activities.

The PM called for the engagement of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee, socio-political organisations, association, collectives and individuals inside and outside the country to actively respond to the movement to encourage studying and talents and build a learning society, contributing to turning the dream for a prosperous and happy nation into reality.

K+ signs exclusive agreement for broadcasting rights with AFC

Leading broadcaster of sports content in Vietnam, K+, has signed an unprecedented agreement to acquire on an exclusive basis all competitions organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for the 2025-26 to 2028-29 seasons in Vietnam, starting with the FIFA World Cup 2026 Asian Qualifiers' final round in September 2024.

This agreement includes more than 25 competitions including the AFC Asian Cup 2027, the AFC Women's Asian Cup and the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup. Furthermore, men’s senior national team and the AFC Asian Cup 2027 final will also be covered on broad reach linear free-to-air television in the country.

Manuel Rougeron, Executive Vice-President APAC of Canal International, said: “We are delighted and looking forward to bringing to our customers and Vietnamese fans the best of the Asian football with unmatched quality standard in the country. This is a new step for K in Vietnam and the confirmation of our strong anchorage in this country.”

With this agreement, the Canal Group, established in Vietnam via its K subsidiary, is aiming to become the reference broadcaster of the Vietnamese national team and the strongest Vietnamese clubs, in a context of rising popularity of Vietnamese football.

Andrew Rogers, AFC commercial director, added: “Canal , through their K channels, have demonstrated their extensive capabilities in providing fans with best-in-class services that will undoubtedly enhance the way fans in Vietnam experience Asian football, with more live matches and more quality than ever before.”

Meanwhile AFC General Secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John said football in Vietnam has developed massively across all levels in recent years, which further underlines the progress of the AFC’s vision and mission.

He was delighted to confirm the agreement with Canal Group to enhance the consumption and reach of the world-class competitions in football-loving Vietnam and he was grateful for the groups' faith in the AFC and in the future of the Asian game.

Launched in 2009, K is a joint venture between VTV, the national leading public television, Opal, a subsidiary under Openasia Group and the CANAL Group, which distributes packages of more than 164 channels via satellite and app on smart devices and produces five premium channels specifically for the Vietnamese market.

In Vietnam, K broadcasts major competitions on an exclusive basis such as the Premier League, Formula 1, UFC, ATP, the Australian Open and LIV Golf.

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