Authorities in the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre will organise an international symposium on blind Vietnamese poet Nguyen Dinh Chieu (1822 – 1888) later this June, the first of its kind, spotlighting a man of culture from the southern region.

Chieu is among World Cultural Celebrities whose birth and death anniversaries will be commemorated by UNESCO between 2022 and 2023. The decision was made during the ongoing 41st General Conference of UNESCO in Paris on November 23 last year.

The symposium will be a key activity in celebration of Chieu's 200th birthday (July 1).

Professor, Dr Nguyen Chi Ben, former director of the Vietnam National Institute for Culture and Arts Studies (VICAS), said the scientific seminar has so far received 133 subtracts of papers submitted by authors in Vietnam and abroad.

Contents to be discussed will revolve around the poet’s position on the history of Vietnam; his humanistic thoughts; his works’ cultural value, vitality and influence; and the preservation and promotion of the poet’s ideological values and personality amid international integration.

Nguyen Dinh Chieu was born in Binh Duong district, Gia Dinh province (now District 1, Ho Chi Minh City). The poet was known for his nationalist and anti-colonial writings against the French and his exemplary teaching, and was also a popular medical practitioner. He is a role model for people with disabilities around the world. Despite his condition, he studied Confucianism and Oriental medicine.

His most famous work, Luc Van Tien (The Tale of Luc Van Tien), is an epic poem written in nom (the old Chinese-based Vietnamese script) was penned in the 1850s. It is regarded as one of the most influential poems in Vietnamese history, along with Truyen Kieu (The Tale of Kieu) by Nguyen Du.

Vietnam attends 37th ASEAN-Japan Forum

A Vietnamese delegation, led by Ambassador Vu Ho, acting head of SOM ASEAN Vietnam, has joined other regional senior officials at the recent 37th ASEAN-Japan Forum.

Speaking at the June 20 event held via videoconference, Ho affirmed that economic-trade-investment cooperation has always been a key pillar of the ASEAN-Japan partnership, and emphasised a need to expedite a process of comprehensive recovery and sustainable growth in the current difficult context.

He said ASEAN and Japan should assist each other in implementing cooperative programmes and recovery initiatives, while coordinating policies to bolster trade and investment, stabilise supply chains and promote regional economic connectivity. 

He suggested economic-trade-investment cooperation should be geared to contribute to efforts toward inclusive growth as well as even and sustainable development across the region and its sub-regions, including the Mekong sub-region.

The diplomat also highlighted the importance of ensuring peace, security and stability in the region, including sea areas such as the East Sea and East China Sea.

He stated it is necessary to reaffirm ASEAN's principled stance on the East Sea; and the determination of the bloc and China to fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the waters (DOC) and successfully build a substantive, effective and efficient code of conduct (COC) in accordance with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

These will help build the East Sea into an area of peace, cooperation and development, he noted.

The meeting took note of the substantive progress made in ASEAN-Japan cooperation over the past one year in the four pillars of peace and stability, prosperity, quality of life, and heart-to-heart partnerships.

ASEAN welcomed Japan’s support for ASEAN Community building efforts, and in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, including Japan’s substantial contribution for the establishment of the ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases Centre.

ASEAN and Japan also underlined the need to enhance cooperation on peace and stability, trade and connectivity, health security, digital transformation, smart cities, environment protection, sustainable development and resilience, and people-to-people exchange.

Participating countries agreed that it is necessary to closely coordinate to ensure a peaceful, secure and stable environment in the region, including maritime security and safety in the East Sea.

Japan underscored its support for ASEAN's principled stance on the waters as well as the bloc’s role and efforts in promoting cooperation, dialogue, and trust building in the region and ensuring the full implementation of the DOC and building of the COC in line with international law, including the UNCLOS.

Japan also re-affirmed its support for ASEAN's role in promoting dialogue, reconciliation and help for Myanmar to seek solutions to stabilise its situation.

National Press Awards honour great contribution of journalists: PM

The 16th National Press Awards 2021 were presented at a ceremony in Hanoi on June 21, the Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day.

In his remarks at the ceremony, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh highlighted the growth of Vietnam’s revolutionary press over the past 97 years, contributing greatly to the struggle for national independence and the cause of national construction and defence.

He highlighted that the country currently has more than 800 press agencies and over 22,000 members of the Vietnam Journalists Association.

The Government leader congratulated 115 authors and groups of authors who have won prizes in the 16th National Press Awards, stressing that the awards honour and express thanks to journalists who have made important contributions to the country’s success in 2021, a year with unprecedented difficulties and challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

This year, the National Press Awards presented 10 A prizes, 22 B prizes, 48 C prizes and 35 consolation prizes to a total 115 press works.

Binh Duong among Top 7 Intelligent Communities worldwide

Binh Duong smart city of the southern province of the same name was named in the 2022 Top 7 Intelligent Communities  worldwide at a ceremony on June 21.

The Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) and Binh Duong province jointly hosted the 2022 Top 7 Intelligent Communities Conference & Announcement: After the Pandemic: How Digital Innovation Drives Growth in Our Communities.

The Top7 Communities are chosen from among the Smart21 Communities of 2022 to be finalists in the yearly Intelligent Community Awards. In October 2022, one of these seven communities will be named the Intelligent Community of the Year at ICF’s Global Summit. The city of Binh Duong was one of the Top7 Communities of 2021 and is a Smart21 Community again this year.

ICF gathers nearly 200 prosperous smart cities in the world. ICF studies and promotes the best practices of the world's Intelligent Communities as they adapt to the new demands and seize the opportunities presented by broadband and digital technology.

It conducted research and evaluated hundreds of cities around the world to select the Top 21 (Smart 21) of 2022 with a smart city development strategy based on six factors of ICF including: broadband connectivity, knowledge workforce, innovation, digital equality, sustainability and advocacy.

Binh Duong has implemented its Smart City project since 2016 and has always adhered to the concept of economic transformation towards innovation and digitalisation.

A digital and innovation ecosystem is being strongly developed in Binh Duong, such as a smart operation centre, EIU Campus with Becamex Business Incubator, Fablab, advanced manufacturing hub, and World Trade Centre, contributing to bringing a better life to the local community.

With its right strategies and steady development steps, Binh Duong has been named in Smart 21 (Smart 21) for four times in a row, and among the Top 7 for the first time in 2021 along with cities of Canada, Brazil, Australia.

The Top7 Communities Announcement Event offers a chance for organisations, businesses, institutes and education establishments in Binh Duong to access new knowledge and visions, learn from experience in smart city development from other communities across the world, and connect and set up partnership in trade and investment.

The event is expected to contribute to Binh Duong’s socio-economic breakthrough programme.

Louis Zacharilla, Co-Founder of ICF, said that this event is an opportunity for communities around the world to build a smart community and a better life.

Binh Duong always learns and finds development directions in order to create progress for the community, he added.

Top legislator attends Revolutionary Press Day celebration

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue attended a ceremony to mark the 97th Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day at the Dai bieu Nhan dan (People’s Representatives) newspaper in Hanoi on June 21.

In his remarks at the ceremony, the NA Chairman recalled that on June 21, 1925, Nguyen Ai Quoc founded the Thanh Nien (Youth) newspaper, laying the foundation for Vietnam’s revolutionary press.

Over the past 97 years, Vietnam’s revolutionary journalism has unceasingly grown, he said, noting that some leaders of the Party and State used to be editors-in-chief of certain newspapers, such as Nguyen Ai Quoc, Le Hong Phong, Ha Huy Tap, Truong Chinh and Nguyen Phu Trong.   

Hue said press agencies in the country, including the Dai bieu Nhan dan as the newspaper of the National Assembly, have contributed greatly to popularizing the operation of the legislature.

He hailed the press’ role as a reliable bridge between the elected body and voters, bringing the work of the NA to the public while reflecting the true life to the NA. The press also serves as a channel for voters and the people to monitor the operation of the NA and other State agencies as well.

The NA leader also outlined tasks for the newspaper, asking it to contribute to the reform of the legislative body.

WB committed to support Vietnam in implementing Mekong Delta master plan

The World Bank (WB), an important development partner of Vietnam, is committed to support the Vietnam in implementing the newly unveiled Mekong Delta Regional Master Plan.

Carolyn Turk, Country Director for the World Bank in Vietnam, made the statement at a conference to announce the Mekong Delta Regional Master Plan and Investment Promotion for the Period 2021-30 opened on June 21 in Can Tho city.

Congratulating the Vietnamese Government on this first-ever regional master plan, she noted that it demonstrated the whole-of-government approach and a strong commitment to promoting sustainable development and enhancing the climate resilience of the Mekong Delta.

The planning highlighted the new mindset and new vision for the region considered a global hotspot for climate change, the WB official said, adding that many estimates suggest increasing climate impacts may, in a year, cost the region up to 70 million USD in the rainy season due to flooding and up to 1.7 billion USD in the dry season due to drought and salinisation.

She said that from a vision and planning into implementation was always a challenge, and there were already some observable trends that would need to be addressed to spearhead the transformation of the Delta’s economy.

“For example, while the Mekong Delta region has made a stellar contribution to the economy of Vietnam in the past, it is now the only region in the country where the share of districts with poverty rates above the national average increased from 2015 to 2019. This has been further compounded as we know by the dual crisis of droughts in 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The region had also witnessed out-migration over the last years due to climate change, especially with migrants from the region accounting for about 37 per cent of all migrants in the country in 2020, she added.

Carolyn said the long-term COVID-19 pandemic impacts, global economic turbulence, and market uncertainty all made it an exceptional challenge for the region to achieve its ambitious goals and targets set in the master plan and contribute to Vietnam’s goal of reaching high-income status by 2045.

She urged the Government to be focusing on efficiency and effectiveness, with a strategic and implementable Action Programme to accompany the Regional Master Plan, given the estimated financing needs of at least 57 billion USD between now and 2030 for the plan’s investment.

“I am also pleased to see a strong emphasis on private sector engagement and I strongly encourage you to put in place the necessary enabling regulatory framework and institutional mechanisms for scaling up private finance,” the WB official noted.

There is also a need for clear guidance and “consensus of roles and responsibilities of all key stakeholders, and a strong engagement and collaboration across relevant sectors and across levels of administration.”

The master should also be a “living document” that is adaptive and flexible during its implementation, with proper feedback mechanism to allow for continuous reflection, assessment, updating, and revision, Carolyn said, adding that a robust monitoring and evaluation framework is also needed to record and assess the progress being made and ensure quality of implementation.

The WB said it would continue to support Vietnam as the master plan comes into implementation after having contributed to the formulation of the Mekong Delta Regional Plan, especially in providing underpinnings for the development of the master plan, policy development and strengthening regional coordination.

“We are committed to bringing our global knowledge, convening power and financing to work in partnership with the whole-of-government, development partners, private sector, and other key stakeholders to achieve sustainable, climate resilient and inclusive growth for the Mekong Delta,” she said.

The institution had already commenced the preparation of an integrated programme to operationalise the Regional Master Plan – enhancing the resilience of Mekong Delta’s people, livelihoods and assets, and improving regional productivity and competitiveness in the face of increasing climate and development challenges compounded by COVID-19 impacts, the WB director said.

Naval ship offers free medical check-ups, medicine in Phu Yen

A hospital vessel of the Vietnam People’s Navy began providing medical examinations and drugs for people in the south-central coastal province of Phu Yen on June 21.

Held within the framework of the US-led Pacific Partnership 2022 (PP22), the medical provision at Vung Ro port will run until June 23.

It is expected to benefit more than 180 local residents.

The ship, named Khanh Hoa 01, is among the most modern of its type in Southeast Asia. It also performs search and rescue missions at sea.

The PP22 is taking place in Phu Yen from June 20 – July 3. The PP is an annual multinational mission for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness led by the US Government, the largest of its kind in Indo-Pacific.

This year’s event will focus on healthcare and diplomacy. It features a series of activities, including constructing new buildings for schools, providing medical care for locals, and exchanging expertise in disaster response, with the participation of personnel from the US and other countries.

International Day of Yoga 2022 celebrated in Ho Chi Minh City, Quang Ninh

The 8th International Day of Yoga (June 21) was celebrated in Ho Chi Minh City and Quang Ninh province on June 21.

The Indian Consulate General in coordination with HCM City’s Union of Friendship Organisations held the event on Nguyen Hue pedestrian street in district 1 with the participation of nearly 1,000 people.

Madan Mohan Sethi, Consul General of India in HCM City, said the event with the theme “Yoga for Humanity” aims to promote humanity’s community spirit towards a sustainable lifestyle, in harmony with the Earth in the context of resumption of activities in the post-COVID-19 pandemic period.

“International Day of Yoga is held annually with the desire to raise awareness about the effects of Yoga practice in the community,” he said, adding Yoga will connect people, help balance their life, and maintain mental and physical health.

Do Viet Ha, President of the HCMC City Union of Friendship Organisations, said Yoga is a physical exercise that has been popular all over the world. This activity helps local residents understand more about the cultural and religious features of the country on the banks of the mysterious Ganges River.

Meanwhile, Quang Ninh province coordinated with the Indian Embassy in Vietnam to hold the similar event in Ha Long city.

About 3,000 people who are representatives of 99 Yoga clubs from 16 provinces and cities took part in the mass performances.

Addressing the event, Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Pranay Verma emphasised that Vietnam is a friend and partner of India, adding that Yoga helps boost the connection between the people of Vietnam and India.

Get-together for HCM City’s former experts assisting Cambodian revolution

A get-together for former experts of Ho Chi Minh City who assisted the Cambodian revolution in the 1979-1989 period was organised on June 21 as part of activities to celebrate the 55th founding anniversary of Vietnam – Cambodia diplomatic ties.

The event was jointly hosted by the municipal Party Committee, People’s Council, and People’s Committee, and the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the city.

Addressing the event, Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Van Nam, Commander of the HCM City Military Command, praised the achievements of former experts of HCM City who helped revive and build the Phnom Penh capital city in the period, affirming that they successfully completed  their international obligation.

On behalf of the Cambodian government, Cambodian Consul General in HCM City Sok Dareth thanked the Vietnamese Party, State, people, volunteers and generations of experts, including those from HCM City, for helping liberate the Cambodian people from the Pol Pot genocidal regime, and develop the country.

Their wholehearted support contributed to a peaceful, stable and prosperous Cambodia as it is today, he stressed.

The Cambodian people always keep in mind the great sacrifices of generations of Vietnamese volunteers and experts for the cause of protecting peace, territorial integrity and development of the two countries, he said, noting that those contributed to consolidating the solidarity between the peoples.

Sports sector focuses on completing upcoming goals

After the success of the recent 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31), the Vietnamese sports sector is working towards targets set for upcoming domestic and international sports events.

According to the Vietnam Sports Administration, in the rest of the year, it will prepare personnel to compete at the seventh Children of Asia International Sports Games in Russia, Francophone Games in Congo, 19th Asian Games (ASIAD 19), and other regional, continental and regional sports tournaments.

The administration will also focus on preparing for the ninth National Sports Festival in 2022, along with 97 domestic and international sports events, while organising four training courses for referees and coaches.

Alongside, the sector will continue to strengthen the campaign to encourage the public to join sports and physical exercise activities, especially among the youngsters, while running a programme to teach children swimming skills to prevent drowning. At the same time, it will hold and manage 28 public contests.

Vice Director of the administration Le Thi Hoang Yen said that SEA Games 31 was the focus on the sector in the first half of the year, which ended with great success, ensuring absolute safety and leaving a strong impression of a peaceful, friendly and hospitable Vietnam in the heart of international friends.

In the rest of the year, the sector aims for 37 gold, 26 silver and 62 bronze medals at international sports tournaments, said Yen.

Photo exhibition spotlights Truong Sa archipelago, DK1 platform

Ninety photos on the Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelago and the DK1 platform by Colonel Doan Hoai Trung are on display in Ho Chi Minh City on the occasion of the 97th anniversary of the Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day (June 21, 1925 - 2022).

The exhibition spotlights the lives of soldiers and locals and their desire and determination to safeguard the sovereignty of the country.

Trung used to be a reporter of the People's Army Newspaper, and now President of HCM City's Association of Photographers.

The photos featured at the exhibition were taken during Trung’s trips to the Truong Sa island district and the DK1 platform.

On the occasion, Trung also made public a 180-page photo book with more than 200 photos reflecting the beauty of the island district, DK1 platform, the troops' training activities and combat readiness, and daily activities of the naval troops and islanders.

Vietnam attends 16th ADMM in Cambodia

Defence Minister Gen. Phan Van Giang is leading a high-ranking military delegation of Vietnam to attend the 16th ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia at the invitation of Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Gen. Tea Banh.

Minister Giang will also attend informal ASEAN meetings with China and Japan on June 21-23.

The Vietnamese delegation’s presence at the events aims to affirm Vietnam’s role as an active, proactive and responsible member in promoting intra-bloc defence cooperation as well as defence ties between ASEAN and its partners. This also shows Vietnam’s support for Cambodia as the ASEAN Chair 2022.

Japan to recruit Vietnamese technical interns under newly signed MoU

Vietnam and Japan on June 20 signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the technical intern training programme for Vietnamese interns in Japan.

The MoU was inked by representatives from the Vietnamese Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the International Manpower Development Organization (IM Japan).

The new MoU will seek to expand the criteria selection for interns who participate in the scheme and will greatly improve their benefits. Candidates in the programme will range between 18 and 30 years old as opposed to 20-30 years old previously. They are expected to supply an additional young and dynamic workforce and contribute to resolving employment issues locally.

Since 2006, a total of 7,734 interns have been dispatched to Japan under an agreement signed between the two sides.

Employees participating in the scheme pay no service fees, only pay individual fees (for visa granting and medical examinations), and receive support in terms of tuition and dormitory fees during the training.

Master plan for Mekong Delta in 2021-2030 announced

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on June 21 chaired a conference to announce the Master Plan and  investment promotion programme for the Mekong Delta in the 2021-2030 period, with the theme "Mekong Delta: New thinking - New vision - New opportunities - New values”.

New highlights and significance of the Action Programme to implement Resolution No. 13-NQ/TW of the Politburo, the Master Plan for the Mekong Delta in the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050, were spotlighted at the event.

During the meeting, ministers, chairmen of People's Committee of provinces and cities, representatives from economic groups at home and abroad, and ambassadors and leaders of international organisations in Vietnam gave presentations to clarify issues in order to successfully implement the Resolution on development of the Mekong Delta region in the coming time.

Participants focused their discussion on agriculture restructure; investment attraction in the processing industry; irrigation infrastructure development; trade promotion and expanding markets for farm produce; renewable energy development; culture and tourism; and regional connectivity.

They also emphasised the role and position of Can Tho as the centre of the Mekong Delta in regional development linkage; and proposed orientations to promote development links between the region with Ho Chi Minh City and the southern key economic region.

Measures to promote sustainable marine economic development associated with mangrove ecosystem and coastal protection, natural disaster prevention and control and climate change adaptation, and cooperation and support for the Mekong Delta’s development were also put on the table.

Also at the conference, commitments to finance the implementation of a number of infrastructure development programmes and projects in the framework of the master plan were announced.

Israeli band to perform for free in Hanoi

The techno-pop-rock band Gute Gute from Israel will 'salute' crowds in the capital at a free-entrance show titled The Israeli Dream Beat at the August Revolution Square in Hanoi on June 23.

The band then will perform at the Hue Festival 2022.

Over the last few years, quintet Gute Gute has quietly become one of Israel’s foremost live musical acts, blending youthful exuberance, diverse influences and forward-thinking musicality into a ferocious, post-genre experience that commands attention.

The band’s music is a mash-up of Israeli, Balkan, Mediterranean and electro-dance music influences, with a healthy dose of good-old-fashioned songwriting.

Frontman Aviv Kest is the lead vocalist who plays the guitar and the Greek bouzouki. Amitai Mann is a clarinet and Bulgarian bagpipes virtuoso while Yanush Hurwitz is a master of the accordion and Keytar. The rhythm section is held by drummer/percussionist Meir Yaniger and bassist Meidad Cohen.

The band has taken its first steps on the international scene and since mid-2018 has participated in numerous global events and festivals. Amongst those are PIN Conference Skopje, Jerusalem Mumbai Festival/India, ACC Music Festival/Korea, DDC/Beijing, China, Festival of Jewish Culture/Poland, MERAK World Music Festival/Nis, and many more.

Blending traditional and modern instruments, charisma and outstanding performance, Gute Gute’s new live act is a rich and direct mixture of sounds and textures, with more than 100 shows in the last decade. The band not only captures the hearts of youth fans but also older generations who love traditional influences.

In Hanoi, the band will perform 12 songs, including hits such as The Song of the Sun, Crawlin’ Out and Nana. The show is promised to set the capital city’s crowd on constant explosion with a “strange” but melodic style. The night also has the performance of Bao Tram Idol, Cannes Dance Group and Maius Lady Orchestra.

The Israeli Dream Beat is organised by the Israeli Embassy in Vietnam and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The show will serve as a music and cultural exchange for the two countries’ artists.

Localities give feedback on strategy for building rule-of-law socialist State

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc chaired a meeting in Binh Duong province on June 20 to collect feedback from Party committees of southern localities on a strategy for building and perfecting a rule-of-law socialist State till 2030 with orientations to 2045.

Representatives from the Party committees lauded efforts made by the steering committee for drafting the project, which they said has clarified the theoretical and practical bases for building a rule-of-law socialist State.

They suggested that the project should step up decentralisation and promote the responsibility and accountability of leaders.

Acknowledging the opinions, Phuc asked the localities to continue looking into the draft project and offer more feedback.

According to the President, consensus has been reached in political and legal issues for a rule-of-law socialist State, adding that the draft law follows Marxism-Leninism, President Ho Chi Minh's ideology, and the Party's views.

Phuc expressed his belief that under the Party’s leadership, the building and perfection of a rule-of-law socialist State of the people, by the people and for the people will be a success.

GSW 2022 good opportunity for Vietnam to promote women’s empowerment post-pandemic: Ambassador

Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan will lead a delegation of Vietnam to attend the upcoming Global Summit of Women 2022 (GSW 2022) in Bangkok, Thailand under the theme: “Women: Creating Opportunities in the New Reality.”

It will be a good opportunity for Vietnam to put forward more ideas and initiatives for the stronger empowerment of women in Vietnam and all around the world during the pre-pandemic recovery process and for the realisation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Phan Chi Thanh.

The world has taken great strides in promoting gender equality, Thanh told Vietnam News Agency correspondents, and these efforts have been challenged by multiple factors, particularly the current impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vietnam has also been dealing with various challenges, including sex imbalance at birth, gender gap in earnings and living standards, and how to ensure welfare for ethnic minority women, he said.

Vietnam has been an active participant of the GSW, with the high-level engagement, he noted, which reflects its determination to further advance gender equality globally through strengthening women’s leadership and participation; ending violence against women; enhancing women’s economic empowerment; and accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, especially with respect to supporting vulnerable groups of women – women from ethnic minority communities, those with disabilities, refugees and migrant women.

Last year, Vice President Xuan also led a Vietnamese delegation to attend the GSW 2021 in Lisbon, where Vietnam was honoured with the Country Leadership Award in recognition for its efforts and achievements in advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment over the past two decades, the ambassador recalled.

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