The capital's Nhon-Hanoi Station metro project will hire 463 employees.

The information was given by Vu Hong Truong, director of Hanoi Railway One Member Limited Company.

Among the 463 employees on Hanoi’s second metro line, some 158 will be assigned to station management.

According to the Ministry of Transport, Hanoi is speeding up the metro line’s remaining work. The route’s elevated section is scheduled to be put into use in August.

The Hanoi Railway One Member Limited Company previously recruited 50 workers for the Nhon-Hanoi Station metro line. However, due to the project’s sluggish pace, the staff were sent to temporarily work on the Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro route.

The Nhon-Hanoi Station metro line has cost VND34.53 trillion (USD1.5 billion). Construction on the project was kicked off in 2010 and was slated for completion in 2016. However, the project has faced slow implementation due to a raft of reasons.

First Lady of RoK attends introduction of Samsung global CSR programme in Hanoi

Samsung Vietnam organised an event to introduce the Solve for Tomorrow programme - Samsung's outstanding global social responsibility programme at Nam Tu Liem Secondary School, Hanoi.

The event had the participation of the First Lady of the Republic of Korea (RoK) - Kim Keon Hee; the President and Chief Executive Officer of Southeast Asia (SEA) - Jo Sang Ho; Vice President of Samsung Vietnam Complex - Kim Yong Sup; the Principal of Nam Tu Liem Secondary School - Hoang Thi Yen and more than 20 students.

Solve for Tomorrow organised by Samsung has created a creative thinking playground for students, which encourages them to apply STEM education - science, technology, engineering, and math - to address social issues such as environment, safety and sustainable development.

The programme was first initiated in the US in 2010, then expanded to 55 countries around the world, attracting about 2.4 million students and teachers.

Solve for Tomorrow was launched in Vietnam in 2019. In 2022, the competition attracted more than 70,000 middle and high school students nationwide.

With the desire to get closer to and attract more students, this year, for the first time, Samsung conducts a roadshow journey in the North, Central and South regions of Vietnam. It is expected that this year's participation and entry rates would double those of previous year.

Additionally, Samsung offers a variety of possibilities to develop STEM education's research and application capabilities as well as students' capacity for problem-solving.

Featured activities include providing high-quality online STEM courses that ensure face-to-face interaction between teachers and students; operating a team of senior professional advisors who are experts and employees of Samsung; and sponsoring a functional classroom – STEM Lab for the schools whose team won the first prize.

At the event, First Lady Kim Keon Hee visited the display area of models of the competition's first prize-winning teams in the last two years and spent time talking with students participating in the Solve for Tomorrow programme.

The First Lady said, “Korea always accompanies and supports students on the path to pursuing their dreams. Hopefully, through the programme 'Solve for Tomorrow', the students will become more mature, thereby contributing more to Vietnam and the world."

Jo Sang Ho - President and Chief Executive Officer of Southeast Asia (SEA) said, “Since the official investment in Vietnam, Samsung has actively contributed to Vietnam's economic development with export turnover accounting for about 20% of Vietnam's total exports. Together with economic contributions, Samsung always strives to contribute to fostering technology talents, thereby increasing Vietnam's fundamental competitiveness.”

Ministries and localities get new budget for development

More than VNĐ13.3 trillion (US$568 million) will be allocated to ministries, and central and local agencies to implement projects under the Socio-economic Recovery and Development Programme between 2021 and 2025.

The move came after the National Assembly (NA) approved on Thursday morning the Resolution on allocating capital levels for tasks and projects under the Socio-economic Recovery and Development Programme. This adjusts the medium-term public investment plan funded by the central budget capital for the 2021-25 period and allocates capital to an investment plan of the central budget for the National Target Programme in 2023.

Over 96 per cent of NA deputies voted in favour of the resolution.

Under the resolution, the People's Committee of Ninh Thuận Province was tasked to urgently complete investment procedures for an infrastructure investment project to stabilise people's lives in Phước Dinh Commune, Thuận Nam District and Vĩnh Hải Commune, Ninh Hải District with a budget of VNĐ273 billion ($11.6 million) from the programme.

Besides this, the resolution also will allocate more than VNĐ25.9 trillion ($1.1 billion) of the remaining capital to ministries, central agencies and localities.

More than VNĐ24.5 trillion ($1 billion) previously allocated to the Ministry of Transport will be transferred to the ten localities of Khánh Hòa, Đắk Lắk, Đồng Nai, Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu, Tiền Giang, Cần Thơ, Hậu Giang, Sóc Trăng, An Giang and Đồng Tháp.

The transport ministry was ordered to urgently complete investment procedures for the railway connection project between Lào Cai Station and Hà Khẩu Bắc Station with a working capital of VNĐ700 billion ($29.8 million) from the medium-term public investment plan of the central budget in the 2021-25 period.

The NA also decided to allocate VNĐ1.2 trillion ($51.2 million) of the central budget this year for the national target programmes to ministries, central agencies and localities.

Of which, it will allocate VNĐ188 billion ($8 million) for the national target programme on socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas and more than VNĐ1 trillion ($42.6 million) for the national target programme on building new-style rural areas.

The Government was asked to review and promote guiding documents to implement the three national target programmes to ensure their effectiveness.

HCM City begins work on 2nd metro line

Ground was broken for technical infrastructure for HCM City’s metro line No 2 on Thursday.

The line’s phase 1, between Bến Thành in the downtown area of the southern city and Tham Lương in District 12, will be running more than 11km through districts 1, 3, 10, 12, Tân Bình and Tân Phú.

Some 9.1km will be underground, and there will be nine underground stations and one above ground, and a depot in district 12.

The relocation of infrastructure for metro line No 2 of Bến Thành-Tham Lương in HCM City will be done in an intermittent 20-month period, at 12 locations along Metro line 2, he added.

According to the Metropolitan Railway Administration, the start of construction and rearrangement of infrastructure will enable acquisition and clearance of land to be handed over to the construction contractors by 2025.

Some 86.7 per cent of the lands required for the project have been cleared, and 508 out of 586 works have been handed over; 66 more are pending in District 3 due to disagreement over the compensation for households having to relocate to make way for the project.

HCM City People’s Committee has set up a working team in April to resolve issues related to acquisitions to complete the process by the end of this year. 

Vietnamese cuisine popularised in Netherlands

Spouses of the Vietnamese Ambassador and other diplomats together with female diplomats of the Vietnamese Embassy in the Netherlands have hosted a programme to popularise the Vietnamese culture and cuisine to ASEAN and international friends within the framework of the activities of the ASEAN Women Group in the Netherlands (ALC).

The monthly event aims to contribute to enhancing mutual understanding, friendship and solidarity among the embassies of ASEAN countries in the Netherlands.

Attending the event, Mayelinne de Lara, representative of The Diplomat Magazine of the Netherlands and the EU, said she feels more deeply the special relationship among ASEAN countries and diplomatic families in the ASEAN community in the Netherlands.

She proposed an idea of organising a common cultural event of embassies of ASEAN countries and many other foreign embassies in the Netherlands in the coming time to popularise the unique culture and cuisine of ASEAN countries in general and of Vietnam in particular to  the Dutch people.

Participants at the event had a taste of Vietnamese food and participated a spring roll making competition.

HCMC prepares plans to deal with HFMD outbreak

The HCMC Department of Health has formulated three plans to effectively handle the increasing number of hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) cases in the city.

Reports suggest that a significant portion, around 70% of cases, have originated from provinces such as An Giang, Tien Giang, Kien Giang, Hau Giang, Can Tho, Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

In response to the shortage of medicine for HFMD treatment, the HCMC Department of Health has reached out to the Drug Administration of Vietnam, requesting additional medical supplies.

The department has devised three plans to deal with different levels of severity, with provisions for 50, 50 to 100, and 100 to 200 new cases per day, ensuring sufficient availability of inpatient beds.

Dr. Nguyen Minh Tien, deputy director of the Children’s Hospital in HCMC, said that in previous years, only 10-20% of HFMD cases came from other provinces. However, the current situation has seen a significant increase to 40-50% of cases originating from outside the city.

Doctors have advised parents to be vigilant about the initial symptoms of HFMD, including fever, skin rash on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, and buttocks. They urge parents to seek immediate medical attention for their children in such cases.

According to the Pasteur Institute in HCMC, the southern region has reported 9,028 cases of HFMD this year, resulting in the unfortunate deaths of four children.

Hundreds of people join hands to stamp out forest fire

Hundreds of local inhabitants, local authorities, and firefighters of Thuong Loc Commune joined hands to put out the fire yesterday.

Mr. Nguyen Hai, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Thuong Loc Commune in the Central Province of Ha Tinh’s Can Loc District said that at nearly 2 p.m. on the same day, a forest fire broke out in the Thung Bang hill area in Son Binh village.

Immediately after receiving the news, hundreds of people including police officers, soldiers, local authorities and local residents rushed to the forest joining hands to put out the fire.

Hot weather and strong winds caused the fire to quickly spread over dozens of hectares of trees. The intensely hot weather and mountainous terrain made people bump into difficulties in putting out the fire.

The forest fire that raged for five hours was finally extinguished at 5 PM.

The fire swallowed up hectares of 2.5 to 5-year-old acacia melaleuca trees and 6 to 7-year-old rubber trees.

Currently, some people were sent to the forest to prevent the risk of fire outbreaks again.

The cause of the forest fire and the extent of the damage are being investigated by local authorities.

Authorities across the country have taken measures to prevent forest fires in the ongoing dry season.

Several domains registered for individual brand names

Vietnam Internet Center informed that among the 3 new available top-level domains of AI.VN, IO.VN, and ID.VN for digital transformation purposes, the last receives the most registrations.

Accordingly, among 4,600 new application forms, the top-level domain for individual brand names ID.VN were chosen the most, with over 3,100 domain name registrations (accounting for 67.1 percent).

ID.VN is the top-level domain name for Vietnamese citizens to promote their personal image, products, or brand names on the Internet. IO.VN is for both individuals and organizations to introduce their digital applications, platforms, and services online. AI.VN is saved for individuals and organizations to use in AI-related activities and services.

Vietnam Internet Center said that in compliance with Circular No.20, issued on April 13, 2023 by the Finance Ministry, the registration fees for most top-level domain names of .VN decrease by 50 – 92 percent while the charge to maintain this suffix of .VN also drops by 30 – 33 percent.

This expense adjustment is to ensure a wider coverage of users so that citizens and businesses can easily own a national top-level domain name to use for their commercial purposes (online stores, brand name establishment).

Vietnam wants to transform into Web 3.0 center

Vietnam has long been considered by IT experts as a potential region for the implementation of Web 3.0 and blockchain technologies to promote the growth of innovative economy.

The recent Vietnam International Technology Festival BUIDL 2023 held in HCMC attracted the attention of over 30 worldwide leading startups on blockchain technology in order to seek investment opportunities for Web 3.0 in Vietnam.

Vice President of Hong Bang International University Le Khac Cuong informed that this is the second consecutive year Vietnam has been chosen as the host country for the International Technology Festival. It is a chance for Vietnamese students, especially those majoring in technology engineering, e-commerce, multi-media, to experience Web 3.0 technology.

BUIDL 2023 welcomed the speeches of about 70 domestic and foreign speakers who are technology directors, chief executive officers, founders of blockchain-related technology companies such as YGG, Nethermind, Near Protocol, Sky Mavis. The presenters proposed their measures for cooperation to develop a blockchain community sustainably and healthily for the Web 3.0 economy of the world.

According to Nicole Nguyen, Co-founder of Apac Dao Community (the leading Web 3.0 project community in the Asia – Pacific region), Vietnam can be considered an appealing technology center in the area and could turn itself from a software outsourcing nation to a new technology base.

Content creators can now take advantage of Web 3.0 to increase their income by producing Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). A NFT allows content creators to directly sell their work to buyers with high security and transparency, and thus being able to eliminate forgery and fraud.

In the list of Top-200 Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Businesses in the World, 7 are Vietnamese. In addition, the country has more than 10 enterprises with a market capitalization of over US$100 million and worldwide influence. Particularly, the three Vietnamese projects reaching the market capitalization level of $1 billion are Coin98, Axie Infinity, and Kyber Network, all of which are gradually conquering the Web 3.0 economy.

More than 16.6 million Vietnamese people (23 percent of the population) own cryptocurrency, 31 percent of whom possess bitcoins. Vietnam is also ranked the third regarding the willingness of accepting cryptocurrency (after India and Nigeria). However, the possession and transaction of this currency has not been recognized by Vietnamese law, and there are no policies yet for NFT.

Therefore, experts in the field have proposed that for Vietnam to truly become a technology hub of Web 3.0 and blockchain, besides more practical applications and products for the community, a legal framework must be introduced before considering the possibility of Web 3.0 economy.

Smart device users warned against new sly tricks of criminals

Cyber criminals have become more cunning, and Internet users are cautioned that they should regularly update information about fraudulent tricks via the media.

Mr. T from District 1 of HCMC has annoyingly shared the story of him being tricked into losing VND300 million (US$12,760) in only a few hours via working for an advertising campaign of C.W.U. Group. In May, he visited the website of this company and saw a link to register for a part-time job of running an ad campaign for a commission of 15- 40 percent (after finishing all tasks).

Being a retiree, he signed up for the position and needed to run the product ad 90 times, preceded by a deposit of VND24 million ($1,020). After 86 successful runs of the ad, he received a message from the system that he should submit another VND245 million ($10.400) for the last two runs to win a larger commission. When he had deposited the money, a new message appeared saying that the last task to fulfill is to send yet another sum of $18,000. At that time, he realized that he had been tricked so far.

Another more serious case is Mr. L from District 10, who lost nearly VND15 billion ($638,000) when following the instructions in a video call by a person saying that he is a police officer. Seeing an arrest warrant for himself and an announcement that he was involved in an economic case, Mr. L panicked. The caller then asked for bank account information verification via a money transfer action. If the account has precise information, the caller will return the amount. Following that instruction, he had already sent nearly VND15 billion in two times to the given account before realizing that it was merely a sly trick.

The Criminal Police Division (PC02 – HCMC Public Security Department) informed that cyber criminals continuously change their tricks from impersonating a post office employee, a police officer, an employee of the procuracy to inviting people to invest in stocks, cryptocurrencies or offering to upgrade mobile phone SIM cards, hiring people in lucrative part-time jobs with high commissions. These law breakers even exploit advanced technologies like Deepfake to create fake clips of people to trick their relatives into sending money to the criminals.

Most victims of those law violators are elderly people, women, foreigners living in Vietnam, and those with weak understanding of the law.

Therefore, PC02 warns that the public should be cautious against strange phone numbers calling them. Under no circumstances should people provide their sensitive information (bank accounts, OTP codes) to strangers. They are advised to report to the police immediately when receiving such suspicious calls.

In related news, ZaloPay has just sent a notice to its users to warn against the newest trick on this platform. Accordingly, criminals might impersonate an employee of ZaloPay to send a message or email to Zalo’s clients, asking about possible issues when using the service. They will then request account information or send a link to steal this valuable information, which will be used later to hack into that account. Hence, Zalo customers should never share their confidential data to strangers.

Hanoi provides over 10,000 certificate authorities free of charge

The Hanoi Department of Information and Communications reported that it has delivered over 10,000 certificate authorities (CAs) for free for the last 2 months.

Accordingly, Viettel Telecoms Corp. offered 3,440 CAs, while the figures for VNPT Hanoi, FPT Group, and Bkav Technology Group are 2,114 CAs, 2,033 CAs, and 2,000 CAs respectively.

Hanoi Information and Communications Department said that CAs has brought about much convenience to organizations, businesses, and individuals in identifying their legality in online transactions. This is an indispensable condition to perform the digital transformation process and form a digital Government in the future.

Data from the National Electronic Authentication Center reveal that there are now 23 organizations in Vietnam that can provide public CA services. Among the 2.1 million valid public CAs, individual ones only occupy 23 percent.

Cat Tien National Park to be expanded

The southern province of Dong Nai has proposed to allocate 11,000 hectares of local forest for the expansion of the Cat Tien National Park by 2030.

Cat Tien National Park is located in the three provinces of Lam Dong, Binh Phuoc and Dong Nai, covering a total area of 71,300 hectares, including 39,500 hectares in Dong Nai.  

Under the recommendation sent to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, by 2030, Dong Nai Province will allocate 11,000 hectares to expand the national park to 83,100 hectares in line with the national special-use forest planning.

Vo Van Phi, vice chairman of the Dong Nai People’s Committee, said that he hoped that the provincial proposal would be submitted to the government for consideration.

At a recent meeting with Dong Nai authorities, deputy minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Quoc Tri highly appreciated the forest management in Dong Nai.

Tri thought it was necessary for the province to arrange more staff for Cat Tien National Park after being expanded. The province also needed to give more financial support for national park management.

Cat Tien is among six national parks under the management of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Remains of Vietnamese martyrs repatriated from Laos

A ceremony took place in the northern Lao province of Oudomxay on June 22 to repatriate remains of 10 Vietnamese soldiers and experts who laid down their lives in the neighbouring country.

The remains were found by a search team from Military Region 2 in Luang Prabang, Luang Namtha and Phongsaly provinces during the second phase of the 2022-2023 dry season. Remains of the four identified will be handed over to Vietnamese localities involved for funeral rituals following local customs and wishes of their families on June 23, while those of the rest will be buried on the same day at Tong Khao cemetery in Dien Bien Phu city, the northern province of Dien Bien.

At the handover ceremony, Oudomxay Deputy Mayor Somchith Panyasak called on those living in the six northern provinces of Laos to assist and collaborate with the search team in their work.

On behalf of the authorities and people of the six localities, Somchith expressed deep gratitude to the Vietnamese Government and people for their valuable support for Laos in its past struggle for national liberation and current endeavor of national construction and defence.

He affirmed that the Lao provinces will continue to make utmost efforts to nurture the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States, and the peoples for generations to come.

Major General Dinh Manh Phac, Deputy Commander of Military Region 2, emphasised that the search, collection, and repatriation of the remains from various wartime periods are a significant policy of the Vietnamese Party and State, showing respect to and honouring the immense contributions of the martyrs who sacrificed themselves for national independence and fulfilled their noble international duties.

Since 1994, the search team has repatriated remains of a total of 1,812 fallen soldiers, with 142 fully identified.

Exhibition on President Ho Chi Minh through stamps, postcards

The Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Ministry of Information and Communications organised an exhibition on President Ho Chi Minh's career through stamp and postcard collections in Hanoi on June 21.

The event was to mark the 133rd birth anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh (May 19), the 112th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's departure for national salvation (June 5), the 75th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's appeal for patriotic emulation (June 11), and the 98th anniversary of the Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day (June 21).

It was a reminder of historical milestones in the life and revolutionary career of the late leader, which was closely associated with the glorious revolutionary history of the Vietnamese nation and the progress of humanity.

On display was an extensive collection of postal stamps arranged into comprehensive and diverse themes. It includes various stamp designs featuring President Ho Chi Minh issued by Vietnam and other countries, as well as envelopes and letters from the early 20th century. Additionally, there are postcards on cities around the world where President Ho Chi Minh lived and worked in, or traveled through, as well as stamps depicting the portrait of President Ho Chi Minh issued by the Postal Service.

Nguyen Dai Hung Loc, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Philatelic Association and the author of the stamp collection, expressed his aspiration to create a meaningful work dedicated to President Ho Chi Minh and to bring it to the wider public. Through this endeavor, he wishes to contribute to the campaign on studying and following President Ho Chi Minh's thought, morals and lifestyle.

Remains of Vietnamese martyrs repatriated from Laos

A ceremony took place in the northern Lao province of Oudomxay on June 22 to repatriate remains of 10 Vietnamese soldiers and experts who laid down their lives in the neighbouring country.

The remains were found by a search team from Military Region 2 in Luang Prabang, Luang Namtha and Phongsaly provinces during the second phase of the 2022-2023 dry season. Remains of the four identified will be handed over to Vietnamese localities involved for funeral rituals following local customs and wishes of their families on June 23, while those of the rest will be buried on the same day at Tong Khao cemetery in Dien Bien Phu city, the northern province of Dien Bien.

At the handover ceremony, Oudomxay Deputy Mayor Somchith Panyasak called on those living in the six northern provinces of Laos to assist and collaborate with the search team in their work.

On behalf of the authorities and people of the six localities, Somchith expressed deep gratitude to the Vietnamese Government and people for their valuable support for Laos in its past struggle for national liberation and current endeavor of national construction and defence.

He affirmed that the Lao provinces will continue to make utmost efforts to nurture the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States, and the peoples for generations to come.

Major General Dinh Manh Phac, Deputy Commander of Military Region 2, emphasised that the search, collection, and repatriation of the remains from various wartime periods are a significant policy of the Vietnamese Party and State, showing respect to and honouring the immense contributions of the martyrs who sacrificed themselves for national independence and fulfilled their noble international duties.

Since 1994, the search team has repatriated remains of a total of 1,812 fallen soldiers, with 142 fully identified.

Vietnam, RoK soloists to perform at HCM City Opera House

Critically acclaimed pianist Nguyen Bich Tra and young violinist Joen Min from the Republic of Korea (RoK) will give performances at a concert held at the HCM City Opera House on June 25.

The concert, titled “A Night of From West to East”, will highlight compositions of Russian composers Sergei Rachmaninoff and Sergei Prokofiev, and Vietnam's Trong Dai.

British-Vietnamese pianist Tra will play Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No 3 in D major.

The three-movement composition was written in 1909, and premiered in New York City in the same year with Rachmianioff as soloist.

Tra started her musical education at the Hanoi Conservatory of Music, before continuing her studies at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Russia and the Royal Academy of Music in UK.

She made her debut appearance with the Hanoi Conservatory Orchestra. She has performed at prestigious concert halls worldwide, such as Queen Elizabeth Hall and Wigmore Hall in the UK, and Tokyo Opera City in Japan.

Tra’s discography includes many world premiere recordings of neglected pieces. Her series of recordings of German-Swiss composer Joachim Raff’s piano music, released on Grand Piano, has garnered wide critical acclaim, and was named ‘Album of the Week’ by The Independent.

She is currently working with British-French-Israeli composer Nimrod Borenstein on solo recordings and performances of his works.
Seventeen-year-old Jeon Min will present Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No 1 in D major, which was completed in 1917 and premiered in 1923 at Paris Opera.

Joen Min, whose father is a violinist and mother is a pianist, started playing violin at the age of 4. She had her first appearance on stage when she was six, joining the Royal Thai Navy Orchestra.

She continued her studies in Russia at the age of 12, and then gained numerous top prizes at international competitions such Gnessin International Competition, Bach International Competition, and Global Genius Music Competition. She made her debut at Tchaikovsky Hall in Russia.

Joen Min is currently attending Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory.

Both soloists will play along with the HCM City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO) symphony orchestra.

The orchestra will also perform the overture Binh Minh Nhip Pho (Dawn on the Streets) by veteran musician Trong Dai, a graduate of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory.

The concert will be led by conductor Tran Nhat Minh, who performed with the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory Chamber Choir in Russia, France and Italy.

The concert will begin at 8pm at 7 Lam Son Square in District 1. Tickets are available at the venue and at www.ticketbox.vn.

Ten monkeys released into the wild at Bai Tu Long National Park

The management board of Bai Tu Long National Park in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh’s Van Don district on June 22 released ten rescued monkeys of different species into the wild at the park’s Ba Mun forest.

The monkeys were handed over to the Bai Tu Long Park by the Hoang Lien wildlife rescue, conservation, and development centre in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai. They belong to four species - long-tailed, rhesus, Assam, and stump-tailed macaques, scientifically known as Macaca fascicularis, Macaca mulatta, Macaca assamensis, and Macaca arctoides, respectively.

All the monkeys are healthy, free from infectious diseases, not injured or disabled, capable of adaptation and self-sustenance after release. They can form groups without causing conflicts or disrupt the balance of the reintroduction area.

In recent years, the 15,783ha Bai Tu Long national park has received and released more than 200 wildlife individuals.

Located in the Bai Tu Long bay, it is the 6th national park in Vietnam and the 38th ASEAN Heritage Park, housing approximately 2,000 species of animals and plants, including 102 listed in the Vietnam Red Book of rare and endangered species.

Committee checks preparations for 9th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians

The organising committee for the ninth Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians held the second meeting in Hanoi on June 22 to examine the preparations for the coming event.

Standing Vice Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Tran Thanh Man, head of the organising committee, said that the conference, scheduled to take place in Hanoi this September, is an outstanding and focal activity of the NA in 2023 so its agenda, logistics, and absolute safety must be ensured to leave a good impression of a beautiful and peaceful Vietnam on international friends.

He applauded the relevant parties’ close coordination in performing their tasks, adding that preparations have been made basically on schedule.

As there is not much time left between now and the conference while the remaining workload is considerable, the sub-committees and other units need to show high proactiveness and sense of responsibility and keep close coordination to step up preparations, Man added.

The coming conference will feature four panel discussions which will discuss the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals since the 2015 Hanoi Declaration was adopted, and the growing importance of science - technology and innovation so as to accelerate the realisation of economic, social, and environmental targets; the acceleration of digital transformation for green, equal, and resilient economies; the facilitation of innovation and entrepreneurship for green and sustainable economies in the future; and the respect for cultural diversity for sustainable development, according to Vu Hai Ha, Chairman of the NA Committee for External Relations and deputy head of the organising committee.

Looking into the preparations, members of the organisation and other participants asked for the early finalisation of the set of conference identity and the event’s website, reform of communication methods, and increase of information dissemination on social networks to popularise the conference, especially among the young.

Ministries and sectors also pledged to work closely with the organising committee, including its sub-committees and the National Secretariat, to carry out preparations.

Vietnam in same group with RoK, Nepal, Mongolia at Futsal Asian Cup 2024 qualifiers

Vietnam have been drawn in Group D together with the Republic of Korea (RoK), Nepal, and Mongolia in the qualifiers of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Futsal Asian Cup 2024 which will be held from October 7 to October 11 in Mongolia.

The draw results are considered to be favourable for the Vietnamese side as the RoK, Nepal, and hosts Mongolia have lower rankings than Vietnam.

The RoK were the runners-up at the 1999 AFC Futsal Championship and are said to pose the most difficulties for the Vietnamese team. However, last year, the Vietnamese team led by coach Giustozzi Diego trounced the RoK 5-1 in the Asian futsal tournament.

Meanwhile, Thailand are in Group A with Turkmenistan, Hong Kong (China), and China. Group B includes Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, and Macau (China).

Group C consists of Iran, Lebanon, Kyrgyzstan, and the Maldives; while Group E comprises Tajikistan, Myanmar, Palestine, and India. Group F will see the participation of Kuwait, Bahrain, Timor Leste, and Brunei; Group G includes Uzbekistan, Iraq, Malaysia, Cambodia); and Group H is made up by Japan, Chinese Taipei, and Australia.

The 31 participating teams will compete in a round-robin format, with eight first-placed teams and seven second-placed teams advancing to the final round, which will also serve as the qualifying round of the 2024 FIFA Futsal World Cup.

Romanian politician’s book offers overview of Vietnam

The book " A Miracle Vietnam" by Dr. Pavel Suian published recently in Romania brings to readers an overview of Vietnam and is regarded as a valuable resource for those interested in Vietnam in this Eastern European country.

Dr. Suian, a politician and retired university professor, said that he wrote this book primarily out of admiration for Vietnam's history and culture, as well as his profound respect for the revolutionary heroism and the bravery of the Vietnamese people during the struggle for national liberation.

The writer said he hopes the book will provide Romanian friends and people around the world with a better understanding of Vietnam and its people.

The 566-page book in the Romanian language consists of 11 chapters, providing basic information and in-depth analysis related to the country, people, history and cultural values of Vietnam, victories of the Vietnamese army and people in the past as well as their great successes in socio-economic development, politics, diplomacy and international integration today.

It is worth noting that in Chapters 5 and 6 of the book, Suian demonstrated his deep understanding of Vietnam’s foreign policies, particularly regarding the East Sea issue. He also expresses admiration for Vietnam's approach for dealing with this matter.

The author also spotlights the achievements of Vietnam's clever and flexible foreign policy in maintaining and developing relationships with major partners such as the US, China, Japan, Russia, and France, and neighbouring countries like Cambodia and Laos, thus contributing to ensuring political and social stability and making breakthroughs in economic development.

He expresses his support for and highly values Vietnam's standpoint on resolving disputes and differences through peaceful measures, based on international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The book also emphasises the ample evidence and legal basis that Vietnam possesses regarding its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly), as well as the necessary role of the international community in ensuring maritime safety and freedom in the region.

Music helps boost Vietnam-France friendship

A musical show was organised in the central city of Da Nang on June 22 to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and France (April 12, 1973 - April 12, 2023), 10 years of their strategic partnership (September 2013 - 2023), and the 41st anniversary of World Music Day (June 21, 1982 - June 21, 2023).

More than 1,000 people attended the show with performances by Vietnamese and French artists.

At the event, Vice Chairman of the Da Nang People's Committee Ho Ky Minh said the relations of friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and France have grown strongly.

France is currently the third biggest European investor in Vietnam. More than 7,000 Vietnamese students are studying in France and about 1,500 Vietnamese students travel to France for studying every year.

In Vietnam, the number of students learning French ranks second with nearly 40,000 learners in 35 provinces and cities nationwide, just after those learning English.

Minh added that Da Nang city also sees remarkable progress in its cooperation with France.

Sophie Maysonnave, Counselor for Cultural Cooperation and Activities at the French Embassy in Vietnam, Director of the French Institute in Vietnam, said that the musical performance honours values that have linked the two countries in the past, present and future, and the goodwill of both countries to continue building and developing this relationship.

Vietnam presents petroleum laboratory equipment to Cambodia army

Representatives of the Petroleum Department under the General Department of Logistics of the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence have handed over equipment for a level-3 petroleum laboratory to the Petroleum Department of the General Department of Logistics - Finance under the Royal Cambodian Army.

Speaking at the handover ceremony on June 22 at Moc Bai International Border in the southwestern province of Tay Ninh, Major General Nguyen Van Luc, Director of the Petroleum Department under the General Department of Logistics of the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence, emphasised that the two countries in general and their armies in particular have shared the friendship and traditional relations which have been cultivated and developed.

In the coming time, the department will help train Cambodian officers to use the equipment of the laboratory as well as implementing tasks to ensure petroleum supply, among others.

Lieutenant General Noun Sokho, Director of the Petroleum Department of the General Department of Logistics and Finance under the Royal Cambodian Army, expressed his deep gratitude to the Party, State, Ministry of National Defence of Vietnam in general and the Department of Petroleum in particular for their great support to Cambodia and its army in all circumstances.

He hoped that in the coming time, the two departments will strengthen collaboration and solidarity, contributing to cultivating the sound traditional friendship and solidarity between the two armies and people of Cambodia and Vietnam.

Moscow workshop discusses cooperation in East Sea

An international workshop on cooperation in the East Sea took place at the Institute of Scientific Information for Social Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) in Moscow on June 22.

The event attracted experts in law and the East Sea from Russia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and India.

Speaking on the workshop’s first topic on the situation in the East Sea and the effectiveness of international and regional cooperation, Prof. Dr. Dmitry Mosyakov, Director of the Centre of ASEAN, Australia and Oceania at the RAS’s Institute of Oriental Studies, highly valued Vietnam’s consistent foreign policy which looks to prevent the escalation of tensions, respect international law, and avoid military activities in principle.

In her speech, Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Lawyers Association Le Thi Kim Thanh affirmed that Vietnam’s consistent policy on the East Sea issue matches the trend of peace and stability for development, the country’s viewpoints on the issue are in line with international law and historical facts, and its efforts have also contributed to the development of the East Sea and the region.

Edre Olalia, President of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL) and President of the National Union of People’s Lawyers of the Philippines, agreed on the need to step up and complete existing initiatives, and to resolve the East Sea issue in a proactive and principled manner, with priority given to achieving a peaceful solution accepted by all parties, mainly the countries with sovereignty claims.

The workshop voiced support for the conclusion proposed by Olalia. Accordingly, it is necessary to maintain cooperation to promote all-round solutions, including increasing legal solutions; fostering field cooperation activities such as conducting joint patrols, building trust, and carrying out demilitarisation to ease tensions; and further making use of cooperation forums and attracting attention at larger frameworks like the United Nations. In particular, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should strengthen intra-bloc cooperation in this issue and smartly deal with such factors as competition among powers.

Music helps boost Vietnam-France friendship

A musical show was organised in the central city of Da Nang on June 22 to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and France (April 12, 1973 - April 12, 2023), 10 years of their strategic partnership (September 2013 - 2023), and the 41st anniversary of World Music Day (June 21, 1982 - June 21, 2023).

More than 1,000 people attended the show with performances by Vietnamese and French artists.

At the event, Vice Chairman of the Da Nang People's Committee Ho Ky Minh said the relations of friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and France have grown strongly.

France is currently the third biggest European investor in Vietnam. More than 7,000 Vietnamese students are studying in France and about 1,500 Vietnamese students travel to France for studying every year.

In Vietnam, the number of students learning French ranks second with nearly 40,000 learners in 35 provinces and cities nationwide, just after those learning English.

Minh added that Da Nang city also sees remarkable progress in its cooperation with France.

Sophie Maysonnave, Counselor for Cultural Cooperation and Activities at the French Embassy in Vietnam, Director of the French Institute in Vietnam, said that the musical performance honours values that have linked the two countries in the past, present and future, and the goodwill of both countries to continue building and developing this relationship.

15th NA approves resolution on taking votes of confidence

The 15th National Assembly on June 23 passed a revised resolution on taking votes of confidence on officials holding positions elected or approved by the legislature or People's Councils, with 470 out of 473 deputies present in favour, or 95.14% of the total number of lawmakers.

The resolution will come into effect on July 1.

According to the resolution, the legislature will collect votes of confidence on the State President, the Vice State President, the NA Chairperson, the NA Vice Chairpersons, members of the NA Standing Committee, the NA Secretary General, the Chairperson of the NA Ethnic Council, the Chairpersons of the NA committees, the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Ministers, ministers and other Government members, the Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court, the Prosecutor General of the Supreme People's Procuracy, and the Auditor General of the State Audit Office.

The People's Councils at the provincial and district levels will take votes of confidence on the Chairpersons and Vice Chairpersons of the People's Councils, heads of committees under the People's Councils at the provincial and district levels, the Chairperson and Vice Chairpersons of the People's Committees and members of the People's Committees at the provincial and district levels.

In case where an individual simultaneously holds multiple positions, the vote of confidence is conducted once for all those positions.

The resolution specifies that the results of the confidence vote are used to assess officials and serve as a basis for personnel planning, reassignment, appointment, nomination and dismissal.

If those have over half to less than two-thirds of the total votes stating "low confidence," they may apply for resignation. In case they refuse to resign, the NA Standing Committee will propose the NA and the Standing Boards of the People's Councils will propose the People's Councils conduct voting of confidence at the ongoing or the nearest session.

If those have two-thirds or more of the total votes as "low confidence," the competent authorities shall propose the NA or the People's Councils relieve them from their posts at the ongoing or nearest session.

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