The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Planning and Architecture has just proposed to the municipal people's committee to install a roof along the pavement of Le Loi Walking Street in District 1.

A man repairs his house at Le Loi Street

The work, which is estimated to cost between VND20-30 billion, aims to shelter visitors from sunshine and rain while sightseeing, shopping or dining on the street.

According to the Department of Planning and Architecture, Le Loi Street is now open again after being fenced off for many years for the construction of the underground station of the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien Metro Line. However, the landscape and utilities for shopping and walking activities of local people and tourists here are not enough. While it is not possible to immediately arrange a green area large enough to create shade for the sidewalk, the roof solution will help prevent sun and rain, and create conditions for pedestrians as well as business activities along the side.

In their proposal, the roof would be expected to be installed along the pavement of the road using meal structures reaching out about 4 metres and a durable roof with colour in harmony with the general landscape in the area.

Lying close to some famous tourist destinations including Ben Thanh Market and Nguyen Hue Walking Street, the one-kilometre Le Loi Walking Street is one of the busiest commercial and service streets in the southern economic hub.

Viet Nam saves over US$23,000 of electricity during Earth Hour

In a remarkable display of environmental solidarity, Việt Nam saved a staggering 298,000 kWh of electricity, worth an estimated US$23,600, during Earth Hour on Saturday.

The event took place between 8:30 pm and 9:30 pm, as the nation joined the global initiative for the 15th consecutive year.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Việt Nam and the Ministry of Industry and Trade spearheaded the campaign, which has received widespread support from 63 cities and provinces, including Vietnam Electricity (EVN).

This year's Earth Hour theme, "Saving electricity – Make it a habit," encourages citizens to embrace the simple yet significant act of turning off lights and unnecessary devices at home and in the workplace.

The ultimate goal is to promote a green future and help Việt Nam achieve its commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050, as pledged at the 26th United Nations Climate Change conference (COP 26). 

Floating styrofoam buoys in Hạ Long Bay collected

The Management Board of Hạ Long Bay in the northern province of Quảng Ninh is carrying out a campaign to collect styrofoam buoys left by illegal fish farms to avoid pollution in the UNESCO-recognised World Heritage Site.

The campaign, taking place from March 24-26, mobilises 20 vessels and 100 people who gather and bring the styrofoam buoys out of the area for treatment.

The styrofoam buoys, which have different sizes, were left by the illegal fish farms that were forced to be removed from the site. They have seriously affected the movements of vessels and the environment around the popular tourist site.

A large number of styrofoam buoys, along with other types of waste, have been cleared from the bay on May 24 and 25.

Located in the northeast of Việt Nam, the bay has attracted visitors from far and wide as it is home to over 1,600 limestone towers and islets covered in tropical trees. Most of the islands are uninhabited and unaffected by humans.

It was named one of the most beautiful places in the world to add to any traveller’s bucket list in 2022, according to Canadian travel publication The Travel. 

PM attends national start-up festival for students

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính attended the opening of the fifth National Start-up Festival for students in Huế City, the central province of Thừa Thiên-Huế, on Saturday.

Expressing his delight at the robust start-up spirit and aspirations of students, PM Chính said that start-up and innovation is an important resource for each country, especially during the era of globalisation, international integration and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

He highlighted the Party and State's great attention and efforts to encourage and support start-up and innovation activities, which have helped spread the start-up campaign across the nation and among people from all walks of life, especially the youth.

He noted that after nearly five years of implementation, the project to support pupils and students' start-ups until 2025 has attracted nearly 2,600 start-up projects and more than 4,000 start-up ideas and projects in the field of vocational training.

To date, the country has attracted more than 60 adventure funds, while over 3,000 start-ups have been launched successfully, and nearly 100 universities have included start-up into their curricula. At the same time, 98 incubators have been set up in schools.

The Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union at all levels have organised more than 3,000 start-up contests, drawing nearly 370,000 youngsters with nearly 14,000 ideas, while assisting nearly 16,000 start-up projects at a cost of nearly VNĐ700 trillion (US$29.75 million).

However, the Government leader held that the growth of Việt Nam’s start-up ecosystem has yet to meet the potential, while the youth have still faced many barriers and difficulties in implementing their start-ups.

He asked ministries, sectors and localities to continue to create favourable conditions, environment and legal foundation for youngsters to launch start-ups.

It is necessary to review, amend and supplement mechanisms and policies to encourage and protect the youth during the start-up and innovation process, while giving them assistance in capital, infrastructure, human resources and tax policies, and associating start-ups in schools with the settlement of current issues, he said.

He also stressed the need to promote the growth of incubators and start-up support centres for students.

The PM asked ministries, sectors and localities to support start-up and innovation activities, and strengthen the commercialisation of youngsters' products.

Universities and training facilities should boost the growth of the start-up ecosystem in the education-training sector, he requested.

PM Chính also asked the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union to continue to inspire youngsters and spread the desire for start-up and innovation among them, thus nurturing start-up and innovation ideas of pupils and students.

He underlined that the Party and State always welcome all start-up and innovation ideas to deal with bottlenecks in various sectors, especially digital transformation, artificial intelligence, blockchain, Internet of Things, green, digital, circular economy, nano economy, and aerospace technology, thus catching up with developed countries in the world.

The annual festival, part of the project to support pupils and students in launching their start-ups, will last until March 26 with various activities including exhibitions on start-ups, forums and conferences on supporting start-ups in high schools, and the final round of a start-up contest for students.

PM inspects major projects in Thừa Thiên-Huế

While visiting the resettlement area for 5,080 households who have to relocate to give space for the restoration of the Huế Ancient Capital in the central province of Thừa Thiên-Huế on Saturday, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính called for investment in the area's infrastructure, ensuring that residents enjoy similar or better living conditions than before. 

In addition, the Prime Minister instructed the province to continue responding to the requests of the affected people in a way that benefits all parties involved.

PM Chính praised the residents in the resettlement area for their support towards the project and emphasised that their cooperation has contributed to preserving the UNESCO-recognised World Cultural Heritage.

Visiting the Huế Royal Antiquities Museum at Long Ân Palace in the Huế Monument Complex, the Government leader asked Thừa Thiên-Huế and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to work together to design a plan to construct the museum in a new place to avoid its impacts on the relic site.

He also presented gifts to the officials and staff of the museum.

Inspecting the project to build a bridge crossing the Thuận An estuary, which was launched in March 2022 at a cost of VNĐ2.4 trillion ($102.09 million) and is scheduled to complete in 2025, PM Chính said that the project is expected to fuel the maritime economic growth of the province, contributing to turning Thừa Thiên-Huế into a centrally-run city in the future.

He asked officials and workers involved in the project to ensure the quality and progress of the project.

​Earlier on March 24, PM Chính examined the Terminal T2 project of Phú Bài International Airport in Huế City. The Huế imperial palaces’ architectural style inspired the terminal's design.

The terminal will have three stories, cover 10,118 sq.m to welcome five million passengers per year, and be capable of handling up to 2,500 passengers at peak times.

With a total investment of VNĐ2.25 trillion, it was scheduled to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2021. However, due to COVID-19 impacts, the project has just finished 95 per cent of its workload.

PM Chính asked contractors to speed up the project, including the roads leading to the terminal, aiming for its inauguration in April this year.

He also urged the contractors to take note of planting trees to create green sceneries around the terminal and consider the high volume of car traffic in the future.

PM Chính also offered incense to General Nguyễn Chí Thanh at a museum in Huế showcasing documents, photos and objects on the life and revolutionary activities of the military officers during the nation's struggles against French colonialists and US imperialists. 

Many domestic flights cancelled due to smoke from straw burning

At least eight domestic flights to the city of Dien Bien in the north-western region have been cancelled or forced to turn around due to thick smoke from straw burning.

Bamboo Airways reported low visibility forced the airline to cancel three flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Dien Bien on March 24.

Another Bamboo Airways flight QH1591 from Ho Chi Minh City to Dien Bien was forced to be diverted and land at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi where passengers took a bus to continue their journey to Dien Bien.

Meanwhile, the Vietnam Air Services Company (VASCO), an affiliate of the Vietnam Airlines Group, cancelled four flights from Hanoi to Dien Bien, reasoning visibility was worsening in the north-western city.

Planes could not land at Dien Bien airport due to a lack of visibility there, VASCO said in a statement, adding affected passengers would check their flight status and get support from the airline in accordance with applicable laws and policies.

Burning post-harvest rice straw is a common occurrence in rural areas of Vietnam. Due to thick smoke in the air, many flights are forced to cancel, circle to land or turn around.

Khanh Hoa: fisherman suffering from decompression brought ashore for further treatment

A fisherman suffering from decompression sickness due to deep diving was brought ashore from Truong Sa township’s medical centre in Truong Sa district, the south-central province of Khanh Hoa for further treatment in HCM City's Military Hospital 175 in the early morning of March 25.

The 51-year-old patient, residing in the central province of Ha Tinh, is a crew member of fishing boat QNg 96-293 TS.

After diving at a depth of 35 metres and coming to the surface suddenly, the man had left chest pain, mild shortness of breath and weak legs. He was took to Truong Sa township’s medical centre for treatment at 12:00 on March 23.

Through blood tests and X-rays scanning, the patient was diagnosed with decompression sickness due to deep diving in the 23rd hour. He was placed under intensive treatment but his health condition did not improve.

After consulting doctors of the Military Hospital 175 via Telemedicine, doctors here urgently proposed the Ministry of Defence bring the patient ashore for further treatment.

During the process of transporting the patient to the mainland, the air emergency team of  the Military Hospital 175 always closely monitored the patient's vital signs, and cooperated with the flight crew of the ministry’s Army Corps 18 to ensure safety for the flight and the patient.

On March 25 morning, after receiving intensive treatment at the Military Hospital 175 in HCM City,  the patient showed signs of improvement.

Vietnam, Thailand eye stronger labour cooperation

Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Phan Chi Thanh had a working session with Thai Deputy Minister of Labour Surachai Chaitrakulthong on March 24 to discuss measures to further step up labour cooperation between the two countries.

The Vietnamese diplomat briefed on economic cooperation between Vietnam and Thailand, saying that Thai businesses highly value business opportunities in Vietnam and want to expand their investment in the country.

Many Thai corporations have invested in Vietnam with large-scale projects, using many Vietnamese workers, he said, adding that the Vietnamese Government always creates favourable conditions for Thai labourers to work in the country.

He thanked the Thai Government for supporting legal workers from Vietnamm in the past time, and suggested the Thai side consider adding more industries for Vietnamese workers.

Regarding the signing of a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation, and a labour agreement between the two labour ministries, Ambassador Thanh urged the two sides to soon exchange expert-level delegations to reach consensus on a plan to signing the extension of the MoU and the labour agreement, including reviewing and supplementing contents of the signed documents, including additional occupations.

The Vietnamese Embassy is ready to support and promote cooperation between the relevant agencies of the two countries, he affirmed.

For his part, Chaitrakulthong highlighted the fruitful development of the bilateral relations, stressing that both countries are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) so they hold many advantages and potential to foster cooperation for mutual success and development.

He appreciated the Vietnamese Government’s support and facilitation for Thai citizens and enterprises to work and do business in Vietnam in recent times, noting that the number of enterprises of the two countries investing in each other's markets is on the rise.

The Thai Ministry of Labour agreed that the two sides need to take measures to increase the number of Vietnamese workers in Thailand in the coming time, he stated, revealing that the Thai ministry’s Department of Skill Development facilitates the opening of training courses for guest workers in the country.

He agreed with recommendations and proposals of the Vietnamese diplomat on the need to review and supplement the MoU and the Labour Agreement towards the signing of the renewed cooperation documents as soon as possible.

Viettel Global presents gifts to Vietnamese-origin community in Cambodia

Viettel Global JSC presented 300 gift packages to needy Cambodian people of Vietnamese origin in Siem Reap, Cambodia on March 24.

Addressing the ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Nguyen Huy Tang thanked Viettel Global for the gifts, which encourage the community to overcome difficulties and better integrate into the local society.

He said that the embassy is working with businesses to implement a number of aquaculture projects and roll out measures to bring people living on floating houses on the Tonle Sap Lake ashore to settle down.

For his part, Cao Manh Duc, General Director of Viettel Cambodia (Metfone), said that Viettel Global is clearly aware of its responsibility to support the Vietnamese-origin Cambodian community, showing the nation's mutual support tradition.

He affirmed that the company will continue to increase investment in the Cambodian market with an aim to bring the best telecommunications services to locals.

He said that Viettel Global, a subsidiary of Viettel Group, is operating in 10 different markets. The firm's target is not merely profit, but also generating values to the local communities and contributing to the sustainable development of the host countries.

Viettel Global has sponsored many social projects, including those on building houses for the poor and providing health care and education services to the needy. In some cases, Viettel has also built infrastructure such as roads and bridges, helping people in remote areas to access markets and develop the local economy.

President hosts former youth union officials

President Vo Van Thuong had a meeting with nearly 400 former officials of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCMYU) in different periods in Hanoi on March 25 on the occasion of the 92nd founding anniversary of the union (March 26).

The former officials recalled the inspiring memories of their youth and their engagement in the HCMYU activities, and gave ideas for the union to further develop and become more effective.

Addressing the meeting, President Thuong expressed his delight that the former HCMYU officials, despite their advanced age, are still interested in the youth affairs and actively contribute to the union's work, inspiring the spirit of dedication, construction and protection of the Fatherland.

He lauded the efforts of the union's liaison board to conduct activities to connect former officials and educate the youth on the revolutionary tradition, inspiring them to devote themselves to the nation.

The State leader thanked generations of HCMYU officials for always supporting the President at any position.

On the occasion of the 92nd founding anniversary of the union, President Thuong extended greetings to all members of the union and youngsters across the nation, expressing his hope that they will sharpen their political mettle, deserving the trustworthy reserve force of the Parry.

The union is a communist school for all youngsters, and the place to nurture and inspire Vietnamese youth to study and practice to become good officials of the Party and State, he said.

Northern region to face cold spell

The northern region of Vietnam has been forecasted to experience rainy and cold weather from today, March 25.

According to the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting, a light cold front has started affecting some northeastern localities.  

From this evening, the cold weather will continue affecting other localities in the northeast and some in the northwest.

The lowest temperature would be below 17 degrees centigrade in mountainous areas.

Today, the northern region would witness rainfall of up to 50mm.

On March 25-28, localities from Thanh Hoa to Thua Thien-Hue would see a rainfall of 10-40mm. The rain would focus on late evening. Local residents have been warned of rain, hail and whirlwinds.

Four teenagers drown in Ba Ria-Vung Tau

Four children drowned in rivers in the southern provinces of Ba Ria-Vung Tau this week.

According to local authorities in Xuyen Moc District, two 14-year-old students at Tan Lam Secondary School drowned while swimming with a group of friends at the Ray River.

Two 14-year-old students at Tan Lam Secondary School drowned while swimming with a group of friends at the Ray River.

A local man who was fishing in the river heard the calls for help from the students and ran to the river to find the victims. However, they were already dead.

Earlier on March 19, two other students, both aged 16, also drowned while bathing at the Da Bang Lake in Chau Duc District.

A report by local authorities said that 14 children died from drowning in Ba Ria-Vung Tau in 2022 and seven others have drowned since the beginning of this year.

A 2020 report by the Department of Child Affairs said drowning is one of the major causes of death of children aged 12-15 in Vietnam. The country records an average 2,000 drowning deaths every year, the highest in Southeast Asia.

Meeting marks 52 years of Vietnam – Chile diplomatic ties

The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisation (VUFO) organized a ceremony in Hanoi on March 25 to mark 52 years of bilateral diplomacy between Vietnam and Chile.

In her opening speech, VUFO President, Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, highlighted major milestones in the Vietnam – Chile relations, and expressed her belief in the bright prospects of bilateral ties in the future.

The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations and the Vietnam-Chile Friendship and Cooperation Association will actively coordinate closely with the embassies of the two countries and their Chilean partners to organize exchange and cooperation activities to enhance mutual understanding and promote cooperation in all fields between the two countries, she said.

Deputy Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc took the floor, noting 52 years ago on March 25, 1971, Vietnam and Chile officially announced the establishment of diplomatic relations, opening a new chapter for the two countries’ relations.

Over the past 52 years, he said the two sides have recorded many important cooperation achievements, including establishing the Comprehensive Partnership in 2007, signing the Bilateral Free Trade Agreement in 2011, initiating cooperation mechanisms, and together joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in 2018. They have regularly conducted many reciprocal visit exchanges to build up trust and deepen bilateral relationship.

Two-way trade between Vietnam and Chile has grown considerably, reaching US$2.15 billion in 2022 alone, up 9% year on year. Cooperation agreements in various fields have been effectively implemented, bringing about practical benefits for the two countries.

In addition, the two sides have closely coordinated and supported each other at international organizations and multilateral forums.

Vietnam is looking forward to welcoming Chilean President Gabriel Boric in his upcoming visit to Hanoi which is expected to further deepen the Vietnam-Chile relations, stressed Ngoc.

Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet stated that bilateral cooperation has been promoted in many fields and there is still room for further development. She expressed her hope that the relationship between Vietnam and Chile would develop not only between the two countries’ governments and legislatures, but also between their localities and people.

The Chilean people and I personally will always stand alongside Vietnam to maintain and promote the relationship between the two countries, so that people of the two countries will enjoy a better life, said the former Chilean president.

Conceding semi-final loss, Hoang Nam leaves Indian tennis tourney

Ly Hoang Nam (Vietnam) on March 25 accepted a 1-2 defeat to Eric Vanshelboim (Ukraine) in the semi-finals of ITF M25 Lucknow which is getting underway in India.

Vanshelboim made good use of Nam’s mistakes and stunned his opponent 6-1 in the first set before the Vietnamese player flexed his muscle and trounced his Ukrainian opponent 6-3 in the second set.

In the third set, Nam could not take psychological advantage to overwhelm the opponent as he did in the second set. The leading Vietnamese player lost control, letting Vanshelboim come back and outperform him with a score of 6-3 in the final set.

Despite the defeat, his recent matches show Nam has been making progress in returning to the No1 position in Vietnam after he was eliminated just from the first round of the three recent consecutive ATP Challenge tournaments.

After ITF M25 Lucknow, Nam will continue to move to Mysuru city to compete in other tennis tournaments of the M25 series in India.

Vietnamese artists to join busking performance in RoK

A number of Vietnamese performers will participate in a busking programme of street performances in the Republic of Korea (RoK) as part of the “Hello Korea - Hello Gangwon-do” scheme. 
      
Vietnamese singer Vu Cat Tuong is expected to join “Hello Korea - Hello Gangwon-do” in the Republic of Korea this weekend. 
The programmes comes hot on the heels of the two shows “Live in nature - Singing in the middle of nature” that took place late last year.

The “Hello Korea - Hello Gangwon-do” project is expected to draw the participation of Vietnamese artists, including Vu Cat Tuong, Cara, Andiez, Phuc Bo, Luc Huy, Roy and Korean artists such Kisu, and duo HoonDoo.

The event will see Vietnamese artists perform at two famous locations of Gangwon-do: Kensington Resort Seorak at Mount Seorak. the third highest mountain in the RoK, and Yongpyong Ski Resort.

The music programme will be broadcast on the Facebook platforms Xin Chao Xin Chao, the YouTube channel of the Korea National Administration of Tourism, as well as through the VieON app at 8 p.m. on March 26.

Int’l conference talks heritage’s role in sustainable development
 
Managers, experts and scientists shared their views on cultural and natural heritage’s contributions to Vietnam's sustainable development as well as socio-economic development in localities at an international conference in Hanoi on March 24.

The conference, themed “Promoting the role of world cultural and natural heritage in sustainable development in Vietnam,” was jointly held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO and the Hanoi People’s Committee.

It formed part of activities marking 35 years since Vietnam ratified the 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.

The participants reviewed the protection and promotion of world cultural and natural heritage values in Vietnam, and exchanged experience in state management and the optimisation of world heritage values in local socio-economic development.

Vice Chairman of the Hanoi Municipal People’s Committee Ha Minh Hai said after the Thang Long Imperial Citadel won the UNESCO recognition in 2010, the Government, ministries, agencies and local authorities have focused on preserving the site and promoting its historical, cultural, architectural and artistic values.

Communications activities have been stepped up, with a range of exhibitions which attracted crowds of visitors, he said, adding that many research studies have also been carried out.

At the conference, heritage management boards looked into obstacles to heritage preservation and management, and how to balance between conservation and development.

Present at the event, Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre Lazare Eloundou Assomo spoke of steps to remove the difficulties and shared international experience in this regard.

Some lessons were drawn in the conference, such as perfecting legal foundations in heritage management, raising public awareness of the work, enhancing environmental protection, strengthening international cooperation, improving capacity of heritage managers, and applying IT in heritage management and conservation.

Exhibition highlights historic documents on Da Nang’s role under Nguyen Dynasty

The Nguyen Dynasty’s policies on the central coastal city of Da Nang have been reflected through the historic “Chau Ban” (official administrative papers) which are on display in the city from March 24-31.

Apart from the nearly 100 documents featuring Da Nang’s role under the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945), the exhibition also showcases images and maps on Hoang Sa and photos capturing Da Nang’s economic activities at present, as well as the operations of maritime forces.

Dang Thanh Tung, head of the Vietnam State Department for Records and Archives under the Ministry of Home Affairs, noted that the exhibits demonstrate that Nguyen Kings highly valued Da Nang’s role in economy, trade and national defence.

Chairman of the People’s Committee of Hoang Sa island district Vo Ngoc Dong said after King Ming Mang (1791-1841) allowed ships from western countries to enter for trading, Da Nang had become a major trading port and a gateway for trade and diplomacy between Vietnam and western and regional nations.

The historic Chau Ban documents of the Nguyen Dynasty include laws, decrees, and edicts for resolving problems in various fields such as politics, military affairs, foreign affairs, economy, society and culture. The collection was included in the Asian-Pacific Region’s Memory of the World Programme in 2014.

Intellectuals form important force for social development: Party leader
  
The Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA) held a ceremony on March 24 in the presence of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to mark 60 years since then President Ho Chi Minh had a meeting with intellectuals (May 18, 1963) and its 40th founding anniversary (March 26, 1983 - 2023).      

VUSTA Chairman Phan Xuan Dung said that at the first congress of the Vietnam Association for Science and Technology Dissemination, the predecessor of VUSTA, on May 18, 1963, then President Ho Chi Minh talked to and assigned tasks to the country’s intellectuals. Twenty years later, on March 26, 1983, VUSTA was established with Labour Hero, Professor and Academian Maj. Gen. Tran Dai Nghia, a prominent scientist of Vietnam, being the first chairman.

Since then, VUSTA has increasingly affirmed its important role in uniting and bringing into play the creativity of Vietnamese science and technology intellectuals both at home and abroad, thus substantially helping promote the country’s scientific and technological strength, boost socio-economic development, and contribute to defence - security safeguarding.

From the 15 initial associations with a modest membership, VUSTA now comprises 156 associations, including 63 local association unions and 93 associations, with over 2.2 million intellectuals among the more than 3.7 million members. Nearly 600 subordinate science and technology organisations, along with the Vietnam Fund for Supporting Technological Creations (VIFOTEC), the Tri thuc (Knowledge) Publishing House, and the Tri thuc va Cuoc song (Knowledge and Life) newspaper, have also been set up, Dung noted.

In recognition of its achievements over the last 40 years, the Party and State have granted many noble rewards, including the Ho Chi Minh Order, the Independence Order, and the Labour Order, to VUSTA and its member associations. Many scientists have also been honoured with the Labour Hero title, the Ho Chi Minh Award and State Awards on Science and Technology, he added.

Highly valuing the enormous contributions by VUSTA and its science and technology intellectuals, Party General Secretary Trong said that in every era and every country, intellectuals always form an important force for promoting the development of society. They are part of human resources and also a scientific and technological resource directly engaging in the improvement of people’s intellectual level and training of manpower for the country.

The Party has always paid attention to the mobilisation and development of intellectuals as seen in its issuance of many resolutions and directives in this regard, he noted.

Amid the strong Fourth Industrial Revolution, which is fostering breakthrough development in multiple areas and creating both opportunities and challenges to each country, science and technology organisations and intellectuals of Vietnam, especially those of VUSTA, need to work harder to make greater and more effective contributions to help the country obtain fast and sustainable development, he said.

The Party leader asked VUSTA to actively push ahead with reforms, improve its performance quality, further give proposals and feedback to the Party and State, provide more favourable conditions for intellectuals to contribute to national development, and carry out diverse activities connected with the strategies, plans, and development programmes of sectors, regions, and the entire country.

He expressed his belief that VUSTA will continue fulfilling all tasks assigned by the Party and State, make more qualitative and effective contributions to national development and defence, enhance the great national solidarity, and join hands with the Party, army and people in successfully implementing all the Party’s guidelines.

Vietnam gathers opinions on building voluntary national review on SDGs
  
The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) on March 24 jointly held a consultation conference on Vietnam’s voluntary national review (VNR) on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG),

Vietnam conducted the VNR, a mechanism through which countries assess and present national progress made in implementing the 2030 Agenda, for the first time in 2018. In this second time in 2023, Vietnam will submit the report together with 41 other countries.

Addressing the event, head of the MPI’s Department of Science, Education, Natural Resources and Environment Le Viet Anh noted that through this mechanism, Vietnam hopes to share its achievements and progresses during the realisation of the 2030 Agenda, which was adopted by the UN in September 2015 with 17 SDGs.

At the same time, the country will also present its difficulties, challenges and experience during the process, while giving orientations and major activities in the time.

With the report, Vietnam continues to give strong and persistent commitments to join hands with international friends in implementing SDGs for a sustainable, inclusive and prosperous world for all, said Anh.

He highly valued positive contributions from relevant parties inside and outside the countries, especially from the German Government through important support throughout the process of building and completing the report, as well as from the UN through technical assistance for the work.

Dennis Quennet, Chief Advisor of the GIZ Macroeconomic Reforms/Green Growth Programme in Vietnam, said that the GIZ will share German and international experience to ensure that Vietnam successfully implements its sustainable development commitments.  

Naomi Kitahara, Acting Resident Representative of the UN in Vietnam, lauded the Vietnamese Government’s creative exploitation of data resources, using in-depth analysis and mobilising wide range of stakeholders in the development of the VNR 2023.

She pointed out that investing in social welfare and energy transition alone can accelerate progress on the SDGs. The UN estimates that each dollar invested in social security can generate more than one dollar of GDP, ensuring greater socio-economic benefits, contributing to sustainable and inclusive growth and leaving no one behind.

The UN encourages the Government of Vietnam to continue to develop and implement follow-up actions to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs after the VNR is completed, she said.

President honours outstanding children in "A Thousand of Good Deeds" movement

President Vo Van Thuong attended a ceremony in Bac Ninh city, the northern province of Bac Ninh to mark the 60th anniversary of the "A Thousand of Good Deeds" movement and honour outstanding figures in the field.

The event, jointly organised by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union's Central Committee, the Central Council of the Ho Chi Minh Vanguard Children's Union and the provincial People's Committee, drew 263 delegates representing 1,000 outstanding children who showed good deeds in 2023.

In the six peak weeks of the movement, 66,484 activities were held nationwide, with 27,931 individuals and 4,208 collectives honoured.

So far, the mobile app "Em lam viec tot" (We do good things) has drawn 1.5 million children who conducted 36 million good activities.

Congratulated the 1,000 outstanding children in the movement, President Thuong said that the movement has offered chances for children to practice and strive to become good citizens of the country.

Along with helping shape children's good personality, the movement has also inspired good deeds among the community, contributing to building and promoting the cultural beauty of Vietnamese people, he said.

He asked the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and the Ho Chi Minh Vanguard Children's Union to continue strengthening the movement with reformed and more effective methods, encouraging children to do good things and become good citizens.

The President also asked organisations, the Ministry of Education and Training and parents to continue to pay great attention to protecting and educating children, giving them the best conditions to play, practice and optimise their talent.

Presenting gifts to the outstanding children, the State leader expressed his hope that they will promote the national tradition and show stronger performance in all fields.

Earlier the same day, President Thuong and his entourage offered incense to the Kings of the Ly Dynasty at Do Temple, a special national historical relic site in Tu Son city.

Vietnamese, French localities look to step up cooperation

 A ceremony in celebration of the 50th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties and 10 years of strategic partnership between Vietnam and France was held in Poitiers city on March 24.

Presiding over the ceremony, Mayor of Poitiers Eléonore Moncond'huy spoke highly of the the twinning relationship between the French locality and Vietnam's central city of Hue in particular, as well as the traditional cooperation between the two countries in general.

She called on partners of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, including Poitiers, to proactively renew existing relationships, and look for new cooperation fields such as energy transformation, digital transformation, and green and sustainable development.

Representing officials of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, Pascal Duforestel highlighted the traditional twinning relationship between Vietnam’s Lao Cai province and Poitou-Charente (the old name of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region before 2016), which has been maintained and developed until now with cooperation projects in agriculture, French language teaching and tourism training.

He pledged that the regional authority will support twinning cooperation projects, and promote exchange and win-win cooperation.

He took the occasion to announce that a delegation of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region will attend the 12th Vietnam-France decentralised cooperation conference in mid-April in Hanoi.

For his part, Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang applauded the cooperation between Vietnamese localities and Poitiers city, Grand Poitiers urban cluster and the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, considering it a model of local cooperation between Vietnam and France.

He called on local partners to continue cooperation and promote exchanges with Vietnamese provinces and cities.

During the celebration, the authority of Poitiers city introduced the project "Harmonie" performed by director Tristan Guerlotte and composer Malik in collaboration of Vietnamese singer Dong Lan. This is the result of the collaboration and exchange of music and French language between students of Nguyen Tri Phuong Secondary School in Hue city and Lusignant School of Poitiers.

Within the framework of his working visit to Poitiers, Ambassador Thang had meetings with representatives of agencies, organisations and institutions of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region and Poitiers city, during which they discussed cooperation opportunities as well as potential with Vietnam in the fields of environment, energy conversion, healthcare, and aviation; possibilities to promote trade, and enhance cooperation projects in vocational training and exchange of experience and skills.

Previously, on March 23, the embassy's delegation also visited a production facility of Bonilait dairy firm in Poitiers, which has a business relationship with Vietnamese partners.

Japanese ODA contributes greatly to Vietnam’s development: Deputy Foreign Minister

Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) has greatly contributed to Vietnam’s cause of socio-economic development, poverty reduction and infrastructure building over the past 30 years, said Standing Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Vu.

Vu made the remark during a reception on March 24 for Chief Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Vietnam Office Shimizu Akira, who came to bid farewell at the end of his tenure in Vietnam and introduce his successor Sugano Yuichi.

The Deputy FM thanked the JICA Vietnam Office and Shimizu himself for their role in coordinating projects funded by ODA of the Japanese Government in Vietnam, as well as their cooperation with Vietnamese agencies in pushing ahead important joint projects of the two countries.   

He pledged that the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry is always ready to work with the Japanese side for the smooth implementation of joint projects, in accordance with the aspiration and benefits of people of the two countries.

The new Chief Representative of JICA Vietnam Office affirmed that Vietnam is an important economic partner of Japan and a priority in JICA’s cooperation in the region. He expressed a wish for continued support of the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry so as to effectively roll out bilateral cooperation in the time ahead.

Int’l conference talks heritage’s role in sustainable development

Managers, experts and scientists shared their views on cultural and natural heritage’s contributions to Vietnam's sustainable development as well as socio-economic development in localities at an international conference in Hanoi on March 24.

The conference, themed “Promoting the role of world cultural and natural heritage in sustainable development in Vietnam,” was jointly held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO and the Hanoi People’s Committee.

It formed part of activities marking 35 years since Vietnam ratified the 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.

The participants reviewed the protection and promotion of world cultural and natural heritage values in Vietnam, and exchanged experience in state management and the optimisation of world heritage values in local socio-economic development.

Vice Chairman of the Hanoi Municipal People’s Committee Ha Minh Hai said after the Thang Long Imperial Citadel won the UNESCO recognition in 2010, the Government, ministries, agencies and local authorities have focused on preserving the site and promoting its historical, cultural, architectural and artistic values.

Communications activities have been stepped up, with a range of exhibitions which attracted crowds of visitors, he said, adding that many research studies have also been carried out.

At the conference, heritage management boards looked into obstacles to heritage preservation and management, and how to balance between conservation and development.

Present at the event, Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre Lazare Eloundou Assomo spoke of steps to remove the difficulties and shared international experience in this regard.

Some lessons were drawn in the conference, such as perfecting legal foundations in heritage management, raising public awareness of the work, enhancing environmental protection, strengthening international cooperation, improving capacity of heritage managers, and applying IT in heritage management and conservation.

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