The 15th National Assembly (NA) convened its fourth extraordinary session in Hanoi on March 2 under the chair of NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, to elect the new State President, according to a NA communique.

After listening to a proposal delivered by NA Permanent Vice Chairman Tran Thanh Man on the election of the new State President, NA deputies discussed in groups on the proposal and approved the list of nominee for the position by secret vote.

With 487 out of the 488 deputies saying yes, the NA passed a resolution on the election of Vo Van Thuong, a member of the Politburo, permanent member of the 13th Party Central Committee’s Secretariat, and a deputy of the 15th NA, as the President of Vietnam in the 2021-2026 tenure.
        
At 10am the same day, Thuong sworn in as the new State President, and the ceremony was broadcast live on the national television and radio channels. He then delivered his first remarks.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, Vice President Vo Thi An Xuan, and President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee Do Van Chien presented flowers to congratulate Thuong.

The session concluded the same day with a closing speech delivered by NA Permanent Vice Chairman Tran Thanh Man.

Deputy PM Tran Luu Quang begins official visit to Spain

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang on March 1 had a meeting with Meritxell Batet, president of the Congress of Deputies of Spain, beginninghis official visit to the European nation.

Batet welcomed Quang’s visit, affirming Spain always attaches importance to and wishes to promote multifaceted cooperation with Vietnam as well as the comprehensive partnership and cooperation between the European Union (EU) and Vietnam, especially when Spain is to assume the rotating EU Presidency for the last six months of 2023.

She highly valued Vietnam’s socio-economic development achievements, as well as the positive developments in bilateral relations over the past 45 years, and said that there is still room for stronger cooperation between the two countries, especially in the field of culture and people-to-people exchanges.

The Spanish legislator also highly appreciated the close cooperation between the Spanish Parliament and the Vietnamese National Assembly at regional and international inter-parliamentary forums. She welcomed Vietnam’s proposal to increase exchanges between parliamentarians of the two countries to promote bilateral cooperation.

Deputy PM Tran Luu Quang for his part affirmed Vietnam will work alongside Spain to raise their future-oriented strategic partnership to new heights in order to contribute to the post-pandemic economic recovery and sustainable development of each country.

He thanked the Spanish Parliament for early ratification of the EU – Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and asked Spain to lobby the parliaments of the remaining EU member states to complete the ratification of the agreement soon.

The two sides agreed to strengthen the exchange of delegations through various channels, and expressed their belief that the cooperative relations between the National Assembly of Vietnam and the Parliament of Spain will be further strengthened both bilaterally and multilaterally.

With regard to the multifaceted cooperation between the two countries, the two sides agreed to expand cooperation, alongside economy and trade, to other fields such as culture, sports, tourism, education-training, agriculture, as well as food security and climate change response.

Batet acknowledged Vietnam’s efforts in combating illegal fishing and said it would support the European Council to soon remove the IUU yellow card for seafood exports from Vietnam.

The two sides also shared views on regional and international issues of mutual concern. They voiced their support for ensuring security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea, and settling disputes by peaceful means in accordance with international law including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982).

At the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang suggested that Spain continue to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese expatriates in Spain to integrate successfully into the host community, serving as a bridge between the two countries.

Hanoi to repurpose student dormitory as social housing

Hanoi People's Committee has approved a plan to turn a major student dormitory project which has faced long construction delays into a social housing project.

The plan, which is estimated to cost VND 233 billion, will transform the Phap Van-Tu Hiep Student Dormitory Project into social housing for lease.

The project consists of six 19-floor apartment blocks covering 12,000 square metres, capable of housing 21,900 students. Construction began in 2009 with investment of VND1.90 trillion allocated from the state budget. In January, 2015, three buildings were opened, expecting to host up to 10,800 students. However, the dormitory failed to attract students who say that it is in an isolated area far away from their educational institutions, with the nearest university being 4 kilometres away.

Meanwhile, two blocks were abandoned after being half built, while the remaining block never began construction as the investor failed to raise enough capital.

According to vice-chairman of the municipal people's committee Duong Van Thuan, demand for social housing in Hanoi remains high. Demand for social housing by 2030 is estimated at 113,000 apartments.

The Hanoi People's Committee said that the city would spend VND437 trillion on housing development in the 2021-2025 period, including VND5.8 trillion for social housing, resettlement housing projects, and apartments upgrading. The city targets the average housing floor area of 29.50 square metres per person.

PM asks France to facilitate Vietnamese goods’ access to French market

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh asked France to facilitate access to French market by Vietnamese goods, especially agricultural and fishery ones, at his reception for French Minister for Foreign Trade, Attractiveness and French Nationals Abroad Olivier Becht on March 1.

The PM expressed a wish that the two countries continue to work closely together to optimize opportunities created by the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement to boost bilateral trade.

He also urged France to early ratify the Vietnam-EU Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) so as to facilitate equal and mutually benefiting investment relations between Vietnam and France.

In addition, PM Chinh proposed that France push for the early removal of the EC’s IUU “yellow card” against Vietnamese fishery products, in order to benefit French and EU consumers and ensuring livelihoods for hundreds of thousands of labourers in Vietnam’s fishery industry.

Minister Becht said economic-investment-trade cooperation is the pillar of the France-Vietnam strategic partnership. He affirmed that French businesses have great interest in investment in Vietnam, and want to accelerate the implementation of key economic cooperation projects of the two countries, including the Nhon-Hanoi Station urban railway route in Hanoi.

The two sides acknowledged the important achievements in their cooperation, particularly the strong growth of bilateral trade, which increased 10% year on year to reach 5.3 billion USD in 2022.

Noting the great potential of bilateral economic cooperation, the French minister pledged to further promote collaboration with Vietnam in fields of France’s strength such as climate change response, urban transport infrastructure, health care, energy, aviation and e-government.

Becht appreciated the role of the Vietnamese community in France, which he considers an important bridge connecting the two countries. He affirmed that the French Government will continue to create favourable conditions for the community.

The two sides exchanged views on the situation in the East Sea and underlined the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the sea. They also stressed the significance of settling disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982).

Respecting religious freedom - Vietnam's constant policy: Deputy PM

Vietnam pursues a consistent policy of respecting and ensuring people's freedom to belief and religion as well as the equality among religions, while promoting cultural and moral values and resources of religions for the country’s development, stated Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai. 

Khai made the statement while receiving Franklin Graham, President and CEO of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and President of international relief organisation Samaritan’ Purse in Hanoi on March 1.

Welcoming preacher Graham to visit Vietnam for the second time after more than five years, Khai told the guest about COVID-19 prevention and control efforts in Vietnam, and highlighted contributions of religions, including the Protestantism.

After the pandemic, along with economic recovery, belief and religious activities have resumed and become even more bustling, he said.

The Deputy PM affirmed that Vietnam is a country with a long-lasting cultural tradition and a nation of diverse ethnic groups and religions. The majority of Vietnamese people (95% of the population) are followers of beliefs and religions.

The State of Vietnam has recognised and issued licences to 43 organisations of 16 religions with 26.5 million followers, accounting for 27% of the country’s total population.

Religions with a large number of followers include Buddhism, Catholicism, Hoa Hao Buddhism, Protestantism, and Cao Dai.

Currently, Vietnam has over 1.2 million Protestants in 100 organisations in all cities and provinces nationwide, mostly in Ho Chi Minh City.

Khai underlined that Vietnam’s Constitution 2013 affirmed that the right to belief and religious freedom is a fundamental right of people. Particularly, the adoption of the Law on Beliefs and Religions 2016 created a firm legal framework for the protection of such a right.

In Vietnam, there is no religious conflict, he said, stressing that all religions live in harmony, and religious followers actively engage in national construction and development, he said.

Deputy PM Khai said he hopes that as the President and CEO of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Graham will make contributions to promoting the engagement of Protestants in both life and religious activities in Vietnam.

He recommended that Graham and his entourage experience the reality of the diverse belief and religious life in Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City in particular.

He said he hopes through his exploration, Graham will contribute his voice to promote the image of a beautiful and hospitable nation of Vietnam with diverse religions and belief and religious freedom to the government and people of the US and around the world, giving the US Department of State a better insight into Vietnam and remove the country from its list of countries in need of special religious supervision.

The Vietnamese official also thanked the Samaritan’s Purse for supporting the construction of clean water and rural sanitation works in Vietnam and assisting local needy children. He said he hopes Graham will continue to conduct more such practical activities in the future.

For his part, Graham said he believes that the Vietnamese economy will further thrive in the future after overcoming COVID-19.

He showed his delight to experience the religious freedom in Vietnam, and thanked the Vietnamese Government for creating favourable conditions for him to conduct activities in the country.

He pledged that after returning to the US, he will act as an ambassador for Vietnam, and be pleased to share with US politicians and people the religious freedom that he has felt in Vietnam.

Norway eyes cooperation with Vietnam in offshore wind power

Norway is willing to share experiences and cooperate with Vietnam in the field of offshore wind power, said State Secretary of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Erling Rimestad at a meeting with Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Dang Hoang An in Hanoi on March 1.

Sharing the view with his host on the two countries' strong cooperative ties across myriad sectors and similarities such as geographical coastline advantages and the strength in the fisheries industry, Rimestad took the occasion to discuss the prospects of Norway’s investment in renewable energy in Vietnam.

Both sides agreed that in the time to come, the government, businesses, and investment fund of Norway should consider support for Vietnam to continue with its policy on investing in research and implementation of green energy projects such as those in offshore wind power and hydrogen production, thus facilitating cooperation between firms of Vietnam and Norway in the field. 

They also talked about the acceleration of the negotiation for a free trade agreement (FTA) between Vietnam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) – grouping Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.  

Deputy Minister An lauded the sides’ negotiation teams for their efforts to narrow the gap in issues where differences of opinion exist.

Vietnam is willing to make necessary flexibilities, he said, adding that the EFTA side should also do similarly to reach a balanced agreement, bringing about harmonious benefits for those involved.

Agreeing with An, Rimestad said Norway and other EFTA member states will work with Vietnam to narrow the gap in issues of differences toward concluding the negotiation as soon as possible.

He hoped that Vietnam and Norway will exchange more high-level visits and their collaboration in industry and trade will further develop in the coming time.

Ninth Vietnam-Norway political consultation held in Hanoi

Deputy Foreign Minister Le Thi Thu Hang and State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway Erling Rimestad co-chaired the ninth political consultation between the two foreign ministries, focusing on discussing bilateral cooperation as well as regional and international issues of shared concern.

Hang highlighted achievements in bilateral relations and suggested that the two sides continue to maintain the exchange of delegations at all levels and between the two ministries to strengthen mutual understanding and deepen bilateral political and diplomatic partnership.

As the second largest trade partner of Norway in the region, Vietnam hopes to further bolster economic cooperation with Norway through encouraging and attracting Norwegian firms to invest in Vietnam in the fields of renewable energy, green transition, circular economy, maritime economy, shipbuilding, green sea transport, and logistics, she said.

Hang proposed that Norway and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) speed up the negotiations and signing of a free trade agreement with Vietnam on the basis of harmonised interests, thus creating breakthroughs in bilateral trade and investment collaboration.

She asked for Norway's assistance to Vietnamese sailors to work on Norwegian-flagged vessels and Vietnamese labourers to work seasonally in the country.

For his part, Rimestad affirmed that the Norwegian Government attaches great importance to cooperation with Vietnam, especially in trade, investment and energy transition.

He said he hopes for progress in the negotiations and signing of a free trade agreement between Vietnam and the EFTA.

Rimestad lauded Vietnam's strong commitments given at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) as well as the bilateral cooperation potential within the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) to which Norway is a member. Norway is willing to provide Vietnam with experience, technical and financial support during the country’s transition to renewable energy, he affirmed.

At the event, Hang and Rimestad discussed measures to bolster cooperation between the two countries in agriculture, education-training, labour, science-technology and security-defence.

Both sides highly valued the potential of bilateral collaboration in maritime economy and green energy, contributing to creating new and practical momentum for the development of partnership in areas of Norway's strength and Vietnam's demand.

They also agreed to coordinate closely and support each other at UN agencies and organisations, while enhancing cooperation between ASEAN and Norway. They underlined the significance of ensuring maritime and aviation freedom as well as peace and security at sea, and respecting international law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982.

The two sides also touched upon regional and international issues of shared concern.

Da Nang to host Miss Vietnam Business 2023

The Miss Vietnam Business 2023 pageant is scheduled to take place from March 9 to March 15 in Da Nang City.

According to details given by the organisers in Ho Chi Minh City on February 26, the beauty contest is set to open for businesswomen aged 25 to 55 living and working anywhere throughout the country.

Moving forward, the grand final of the event is set to get underway on March 15 at Trung Vuong Theatre in Da Nang City and will be live broadcast on Vietnam Television’s VTV8 channel.

The beauty pageant was first held back in July, 2022, with the occasion also taking place in Da Nang City.

The purpose of the function is to create a platform specifically for talented and beautiful businesswomen nationwide, thereby providing further opportunities for them to participate in the current period of economic integration and join in activities for the community, according to the organisers.

Hailing from the northern province of Hai Duong, Mac Thi Minh surpassed 30 other contestants to claim the title of Miss Vietnam Business 2022 during the pageant’s finale held on July 14 last year in Da Nang City.

The winner received a crown worth VND1.5 billion.

MoLISA proposes making pension payments more accessible

Employees participating in social insurance for 15 years or more will be entitled to a pension, according to a new proposal from the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA).

The proposal, part of the draft revised Law on Social Insurance, looks to reduce the minimum number of years of social insurance payment from 20 to allow elderly employees with a lower number of years participating in social insurance to enjoy benefits.

Workers in particularly arduous or hazardous jobs are entitled to retirement 5-10 years earlier.

Ministries and sectors are weighing up the proposal.

According to the current policy, people with social insurance are only eligible to receive a pension after 20 years of paying into the scheme.

Lê Đình Quảng, deputy head of the Laws and Policy Department under the Việt Nam General Confederation of Labour, said this condition caused difficulties for people who have a low number of years of payment.

Resolution 28 of the Central Government on reforming social insurance policies looks to amend the conditions for pension entitlement by gradually reducing the number of years of social insurance payment from 20 years to 15, and eventually ten years.

Reducing the number of years of social insurance payments is one of the solutions to ensure an increase in the number of people participating in the social insurance system.

People would enjoy higher benefits from more years of payment, Quảng added. 

50 years of Vietnam - Australia diplomatic ties celebrated in Adelaide city

The South Australia - Vietnam Business Council held a ceremony in Adelaide city on February 28 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam - Australia diplomatic relations.

In her speech, Governor of South Australia Frances Adamson said: “There is a strengthening of the partnership between Australia and Vietnam when it comes to meeting some of the geopolitical challenges in the region, and this presents an opportunity to pursue further cultural and economic ties as well.”

She was extremely positive not only on the existing relationship between the two countries but how both sides can enhance it in years to come.

The Governor said she looks forward to seeing the two countries work towards the common goal of growing bilateral ties, and in doing so, supporting the prosperity and the stability of the region.

“Since diplomatic relations began between our two countries in 1973, Australia and Vietnam have maintained a great friendship. The last 50 years have seen our relationship go from strength to strength. Together, we have ongoing constructive engagement on topics such as defense, education, agriculture and trade,” Nick Champion, Minister for Trade and Investment of South Australia, told the event.

He noted South Australia has and continues to play an important part in Australia and Vietnam’s trade and investment relationship.

The value of goods imported from Vietnam in the 12 months to December 2022 was up 29% from the previous year to 183.2 million AUD (nearly 124 million USD). Prawns, pasta, paper, insulators and conductors were the top imports into South Australia.  

South Australian goods exports to Vietnam increased by 7% during the same period to 428.5 million AUD. Refined copper, malt, animal feed and wine were the top exports from the state. 
  
Since 2003, South Australia has contributed 47 million AUD in foreign investment to Vietnam, Champion said, adding it has greatly benefited from the many Vietnamese students coming to study at its universities.

In the 12 months to November 2022, more than 2,200 students chose to further their education by enrolling in the state’s education sector. 

Addressing the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Nguyen Tat Thanh underlined the flourishing bilateral relations over the last five decades, even before they were upgraded to a strategic partnership. He said that the Southeast Asian nation stays steadfast in its consistent foreign policy.

He highlighted Australia’s assistance for Vietnam in any circumstances, reaching 3 billion AUD in total official development assistance. Besides, bilateral trade and investment links have been growing strongly, especially with the implementation of the two countries’ enhanced economic engagement strategy.

Talking to the Vietnam News Agency, President of the South Australia - Vietnam Business Council Francis Wong said many Australian companies now view Vietnam as a centre of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Asia. Many that haven’t come to Vietnam are willing to explore the local business environment.

To further facilitate business partnerships, he expressed his hope that the two countries will open more direct flights from Vietnam to Adelaide to connect South Australia with big cities of Vietnam.

Vietnamese version of “Waging peace in Vietnam” goes public

The War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City on March 1 organised a ceremony to launch the publication “Tranh dau cho hoa binh” - the Vietnamese version of the book “Waging peace in Vietnam” which details efforts by US soldiers to oppose and resist the US war in Vietnam.

At the ceremony, Director of the museum Tran Xuan Thao said that in 2018, the museum held a thematic exhibition on the waves of protest against the unjust American war in Vietnam. 

The exhibition was the result of cooperation between the museum and the US Veterans for Peace (VFP), helping Vietnamese and foreigners understand more about the support of the progressive American people, soldiers, and veterans. The event also represents efforts to overcome the war consequences to build and develop a peaceful and friendly relationship.

According to Thao, to promote the exhibition, under license of the New Village Press based in New York State, the museum cooperated with Ho Chi Minh City Youth Publishing House to print and distribute the publication “Tranh dau cho hoa binh” in Vietnam.

The publication once again introduces people in detail to the little-known history of US soldiers' struggle for peace and its role in ending the US war in Vietnam.

At the launch ceremony, the public also had the opportunity to talk with speakers and US war veterans about antiwar activities and the journey to healing the wounds of war.

Ben Tre to grow 171 ha of forest this year

The Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre planned to grow an additional 171 ha of forest this year and expected a forest coverage of 2% by 2025, according to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Director of the department Doan Van Danh said that World Bank’s funding will be used to grow 151 ha of forest, while that from the State budget and private sector will be for the rest. 

The province currently has more than 7,830 ha of forest and forest land stretching along the coast of 11 communes in three districts of Ba Tri, Binh Dai, and Thanh Phu. 

Now, the province's forested land area is more than 4,470 ha, of that there is nearly 2,247 ha of protection, 1,868 ha of special-use, and 355 ha of production forests. The local forests are mainly mangroves with common species with low economic value. However, the forests play a very important role in protecting production areas and residential areas from wind and sea waves, contributing to creating landscapes and protecting coasts.

With a modest area, the coastal mangrove forest in the province greatly helps the locality to mitigate the impacts of climate change and sea level rise while creating biodiversity and livelihoods for the people.

Bui Quoc Thong, director of Ben Tre protection forest and special-use forest Management Board, said that more than 2,800 ha of forest was allocated to households, individuals, and organisations for management and protection.

The forest land is allocated to poor households, those with little production land, or those who have to change their livelihood.

The allocation brings benefits as the forests are managed and exploited more effectively. Moreover, the households can use the water surface in the forests to raise aquaculture and have a stable livelihood.

Since 2021, Ben Tre province has implemented a project of planting 10 million trees by 2025. The province's afforestation activities have grown strongly thanks to the use of capital sources. In 2022, the province planted and rehabilitated 395,000 forest trees, equivalent to 140 ha.

Planning conference for peacekeeping field training held in Hanoi

The Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations on March 1 held the final planning conference for end-of-term field training under the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM Plus) Experts’ Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations Cycle 4 (2021 - 2023).

The Hanoi meeting was co-chaired by Col. Nguyen Nhu Canh, Deputy Director of the department and head of the Vietnamese experts’ working group on peacekeeping operations, and Matsuzawa Tomoko, Director for defence cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region at the Japanese Defence Ministry and head of the Japanese experts’ working group.

Participants discussed specialised and technical issues related to the final planning and a visit to the venue of the end-of-term field training as part of the ADMM Plus scheduled to take place in Vietnam in September 2023.

The coordination with Japan to co-chair the ADMM Plus Experts’ Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations Cycle 4 is said to have continued affirming Vietnam’s role, reputation, stature, and contributions to the multilateral cooperation mechanisms on UN peacekeeping operations in the region, and also helped enhance cooperation among the member countries of the ADMM Plus.

Activities during the co-chairmanship have also helped strengthen defence ties, including in peacekeeping operations, between Vietnam and Japan.

On September 15, 2015, the two countries’ defence ministries signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in UN peacekeeping operations, laying the foundation for promoting bilateral collaboration in this regard.

In the Triangular Partnership Programme (TPP), Japan is the main sponsor and the UN Department of Operational Support holds the chair, with the Northeast Asian providing funding for training, equipment, and peacekeeping capacity building for a third party.

In particular, Japan and Vietnam successfully held two training courses on heavy engineering equipment operation under the TPP in 2019 and 2020.

Central localities jointly boost tourism

Three northcentral provinces of Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, and Ha Tinh on March 1 co-organised a tourism promotion conference themed “Three localities, one destination, various experiences”.

They share similarities in natural conditions, resources, and culture and the advantage of a road transport link plus two airports - Tho Xuan domestic airport in Thanh Hoa province and Vinh international airport in Nghe An province.

At the conference, representatives from the localities showed their tourism potential, advantages, new tourism products, and activities to welcome the summer holidays of 2023.

This year, the three provinces will launch new products such as Anh Phat amusement park, Yen Trung tourist village, camping tourism in Thanh Hoa province; four-season flower valley and eco-resort in Truong Gia Trang - Nghia Dan district, cloud-hunting tours on the top of the western mountains of Nghe An, and tours to Thien Cam beach and Huong Tich pagoda in Ha Tinh.

Speaking at the conference, Nguyen Trung Khanh, Chairman of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, suggested that the three provinces build and maintain a safe, friendly, and clean tourism environment, especially on beaches.

They also need to focus on a healthy, transparent, equal, and favourable environment for tourism businesses and support them to overcome difficulties, Khanh said.

While effectively exploiting tourism resources, they still need to keep innovating tourism and increasing service quality.

Within the framework of the conference, northern Hoa Binh province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Miss Vietnam 2020 Do Thi Ha as Thanh Hoa Tourism Ambassador for the 2022-2024 term.

Action plan aims to boost growth in Red River Delta region

The Red River Delta’s gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to expand by about 9% on average each year in the 2021-2030 period, according to a government resolution approving an action plan to implement the Politburo’s resolution on socio-economic development and defence-security in the region until 2030 with a vision to 2045.

Under the plan, by 2030, the region’s per capita GRDP is hoped to reach approximately 274 million VND (11,500 USD) a year, with the contribution of the digital economy increasing to 35% of the GRDP, and an urbanisation rate of over 55%.

The average contribution of total factor productivity (TFP) to growth in the 2021-2030 is expected to reach 55%.

Meanwhile, 100% of communes are hoped to meet new-style rural standards, of which at least 50% will be recognised as advanced new-style rural areas, and 20% will meet the criteria for model new-style rural areas. The rate of poor households following multidimensional standards is expected to decrease by about 1.5% per year, according to the plan.

By 2045, the Red River Delta will become a modern, sustainable, and well-developed region. It aspires to become a major global financial and economic centre and a leading hub for education, culture, technology, and innovation.

To realise these ambitious goals, the Government has issued Resolution 14/NQ-CP, which outlines 10 key task groups, 36 specific tasks, and 20 infrastructure projects to support the region's development.

The resolution provides a framework for ministries, agencies, and localities to develop programmes and action plans that align with the region's objectives. The aim is to implement these plans efficiently to achieve the set goals.

The Red River Delta consists of 11 provinces and cities, with Hanoi, Hai Phong, and Quang Ninh being the three main growth poles. It is among the top two economic drivers in the country, having attracted a significant portion of foreign investment, with heavy-hitter companies like Samsung, LG, Honda, Canon, Foxconn, and Toyota establishing their factories in the region.

Measures sought to foster cooperation between Vietnamese, Thai localities

Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Phan Chi Thanh and Governor of the Thai northeastern province of Khon Kaen Kraisorn Kongchalad have looked into measures to promote cooperation between the province and Vietnamese localities in different spheres.

At the meeting, which took place on February 28 as part of Thanh’s trip to the region, the ambassador pointed to cooperation potential between the sides.

Thanh expressed his hope that Khon Kaen and Vietnam’s central city of Da Nang will soon materialise the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation, reached in November 2022, step up research activities and organise trade, investment and tourism promotion conferences.

In reply, Kongchalad said Khon Kaen and Da Nang will work on cooperation activities in the time ahead, and suggested the two sides open a direct air route to boost the investment, trade, tourism and cultural links as well as people-to-people exchanges.

The local authorities highly valued the Vietnamese community for their contributions to socio-economic development in Khon Kaen, and will further support them to live and work in the province, he added. 
Later the same day, Thanh visited Khon Kaen University, which has cooperated with 20 Vietnamese universities. He suggested the Thai educational institution include Vietnamese studies in its curriculum to provide personnel for cooperation areas between the two countries.

Hanoi tourism festival to connect heritage for development

A tourism festival will take place at the pedestrian area around Hoàn Kiếm Lake in the heart of Hà Nội from March 24-26, under the theme of heritage connectivity for tourism development.

It aims to promote cultural exchanges, honour cultural heritage, and step up tourism promotion.

The festival will include different areas to showcase local tourism products and those from other localities nationwide; display products of the city’s trade villages such as Bát Tràng, Vạn Phúc and Đường Lâm; popularise Hà Nội’s typical dishes; and introduce products of travel agents and airlines.

Foreign tourism agencies are also expected to showcase their countries’ destinations there.

A conference on developing heritage tourism products and new ones, and a photo exhibition will be organised within the framework of the festival.

Hà Nội hopes to attract about 22 million tourists in 2023, rising 17.6 per cent from last year, with 3 million foreign arrivals (doubling the figure in 2022) and 19 million domestic visitors (up 10.5 per cent). It also targets an increase of 28.2 per cent in tourism revenue to about VNĐ77 trillion (nearly US$3.3 billion).

Director of the Tourism Department Đặng Hương Giang said Hà Nội will strive for comprehensive tourism development, in terms of both quantity and quality of services and visitors, in 2023 so that the sector can truly recover and help the city maintain its role as a major tourism hub of Việt Nam.

Hà Nội is the leading locality in the country in terms of the number of urban heritages, boasting nearly 6,000 cultural and historical relics, including 16 special national monuments and nearly 1,200 nationally ranked relics. Particularly, the Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long was recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a world cultural heritage in 2010.

The capital city ranks 17th in a global list of 25 most popular holiday destinations for 2023 as voted by readers of US travel site Tripadvisor and was honoured as Asia’s Leading City Break Destination at the World Travel Awards (WTA) 2022 – Region: Asia & Oceania. The editors of Canadian magazine The Travel have ranked Hà Nội as sixth on a list of the 10 most beautiful destinations in Southeast Asia. 

Over VND1.5 billion to take care of people on National Border Guard Day

The Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City organized the National Border Guard Day on February 25, in Ly Nhon Commune in Can Gio District.

Ms. Tran Kim Yen, Member of the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee cum Chairwoman of the Fatherland Front Committee of HCMC, attended the event.

Besides promoting border and sea and island propaganda, the event also included many activities to take care of local people’s lives, such as giving gifts and providing free health examinations and medicine.

The event also involved the construction of one house and the repair of 11 others in the community, and marked the start of the "Lighting up the border area" project. The total cost of taking care of the people was over VND1.5 billion.

Vietnamese traditional martial artists to compete in bokator at SEA Games 32

Vietnamese traditional martial artists are set to showcase their skills in the upcoming Southeast Asian (SEA) Games 32, where they will compete in the traditional Cambodian martial art of bokator.

The Games, which will be hosted by Cambodia in May, will see participants engage in hand-to-hand combat and employ a variety of weapons.

Originating in Cambodia, bokator is one of the oldest fighting systems in existence, and is known for its emphasis on using weapons during combat.

Lê Ngọc Quang, the general secretary of the Việt Nam Traditional Martial Arts Federation, believes that the Vietnamese athletes will be able to use their own martial arts expertise to excel in this event.

Quang notes that bokator shares many similarities with traditional Vietnamese martial arts, making it a natural fit for the Vietnamese team. As a result, the team is expected to do well and potentially even bring home some medals.

Nghe An intensifies supervision over anti-IUU fishing measure implementation

The central coastal province of Nghe An has requested departments, sectors and localities to intensify supervision over the implementation of the measures against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

This act aims to join national efforts towards the European Commission (EC)’s removal of its ‘yellow card’ warning on Vietnamese seafood.

Accordingly, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is required to allocate personnel on duty around the clock to operate the system of tracking and monitoring fishing vessels operating at sea; and coordinate with the provincial Border Guard Command, and People's Committees of coastal districts and towns to verify and handle ships that cross the sea border and stay unconnected to the monitoring system.

The management boards of fishing ports and interdisciplinary working groups are asked to seriously perform the task of inspecting and controlling vessels entering and leaving the ports and strictly punish owners of violating ones.

The provincial Department of Public Security is assigned to direct units to keep a close watch on the situation, investigate, promptly detect and strictly handle organisations and individuals that help fishing boats and fishermen conduct illegal fishing in foreign waters.

With a coastline of over 82 km, Nghe An boasts great potential for seafood exploitation. The locality’s annual exploitation output reaches approximately 200,000 tonnes. At peak times, the province has nearly 17,000 workers engaged in fishing.

At present, 23 out of the over 1,150 fishing vessels in Nghe An have not been equipped with vessel monitoring systems (VMS) yet.

National museum displays paintings by artist-soldiers

An exceptional collection of 80 paintings by distinguished artists from the 1945-54 era has been unveiled at the Việt Nam National Museum of Fine Arts.

The exhibition, titled 'Nghệ Sĩ Là Chiến Sĩ' (When Artists Became Soldiers), presents a unique occasion for aficionados of art to marvel at the masterpieces created by illustrious artists, including graduates from the renowned Indochina School of Fine Arts. 

The paintings were created using all kinds of papers and media available during wartime, such as pencil, ink, watercolour, gouache, and so on.

Artist-soldiers promptly captured realistic and emotional images of patriotism, heroism, solidarity, labour, and literacy education of the army and the people nationwide.

Notable works include Dao Găm Rèn Cho Du Kích (Forging Daggers for Guerrillas) in 1945 by Nguyễn Hiêm, Du Kích Bến Tre (Bến Tre Guerrilla) in 1948 by Diệp Minh Châu, and Bộ Đội Nghỉ Trong Hang (Soldiers Resting in Caves) in 1951 by Tô Ngọc Vân.

The set of posters by artist Lương Xuân Nhị is one of the highlights of the exhibition. The four-piece set printed on paper aims to demoralise soldiers on the other side.

The exhibition is one of several activities to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the “Outline of Vietnamese Culture” - the first platform on culture launched by the Communist Party of Việt Nam.

It is also to honour and pay tribute to the artists who have used brushes, colours, and papers as weapons and who devoted their enthusiasm and even their lives to the country and people, enriching Vietnamese culture's values.

The When Artists Became Soldiers exhibition runs until 5th March at 66 Nguyễn Thái Học Street. 

Public Security Ministry to investigate wrongdoings of Vinasport

The Government Inspectorate (GI) has just announced its examination results for the Vinasport case, along with sending certain content showing law violation to the Public Security Ministry for further investigation.

Accordingly, GI had examined the law observance of Vinasport (under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) as to using the state budget and undergoing equitization. The results reveal that the General Department of Sport and Physical Training directed Vinasport to submit an annual dividend of over VND2 billion (US$84,160) and the earnings from the sale of shares to the State budget.

Besides requesting the General Department of Sport and Physical Training to seriously review any wrongdoings of collectives and individuals under its management, GI sent relevant information to the Public Security Ministry for further investigation and financial loss recovering related to the cases of illegally distributing bullets to Vinh Phuc Sports and Fitness Training Center, delivering items with neither contract nor ability to recover asset and causing a loss of VND1.4 billion ($58,900), prepaying €150,000 to ASIA Co. before bidding results were announced.

The Public Security Ministry is in charge of clarifying the wrongdoings in receivable amounts like capital mobilization in Gymnastics and Sports Equipment Manufacturing Plant during the 2008-2010 period, the VND1 billion ($42,100) spending to Nam Do Co., illegal premise lease contract with HBI Co.

Lastly, this Ministry is asked to also investigate the case of Vinasport demolishing a factory at the address of 181 Nguyen Huy Tuong Street (Hanoi) for investment cooperation without success, causing a financial loss of nearly VN7.5 billion ($315,700); the case of trading steel billets with An Viet Uc Co. Ltd. without recovery ability, resulting in a financial loss of VND5.9 billion ($248,360).

Deputy General Director of GI Tran Van Minh requested that when applying the results of GI’s investigation, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism must form a task force for consultation purposes and send a detailed working plan to corresponding units, individuals.

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