Nguyen Thuy Trang has brought the first gold medal to Vietnam at the Asian Rifle/Pistol Cup 2023 held in Indonesia from March 1-10.

Trang's medal came from the women’s 10m air pistol event.

Earlier, the Vietnamese team grabbed two medals at the women’s air rifle category, including one silver by Phi Thanh Thao, Le Thi Mong Tuyen and Tran Hoang Gia Bao, and one bronze by Thao.

The Vietnamese shooting team plans to take training courses and participate in international competitions towards the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, in September, and Paris 2024 Olympic Games qualifiers.

Trade union delegation pays working trip to Greece

President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) Nguyen Dinh Khang, who is also Vice President of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), paid a working trip to Greece from March 6-7 at the invitation of the international body.

On March 6, WFTU Honorary President George Mavrikos received and held talks with Khang, during which Khang acknowledged the important role of the WFTU Secretariat and WFTU’s headquarters in particular in coordinating the activities of the global labour and trade union movements.

He reaffirmed that the VGCL is always an active and responsible member of the WFTU, the oldest international trade union centre standing on the side of the working class and serving as a reliable mainstay of 105 million trade union members from 133 countries and territories.

Mavrikos expressed his delight at outstanding achievements and activities of the VGCL in performing tasks set in the WFTU’s Rome Declaration 2022.

He hailed the role and position of the VGCL under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam in effectively carrying out activities for trade union members and workers, contributing to the overall success of the global labour movement.

The WFTU will always accompany and support the VGCL, he said.

Both sides agreed to intensify cooperation in in-depth research on the global labour movement, international trade unions, statutes and models of trade union organisation in different countries; enhance the sharing of information and experience in trade union activities worldwide; improve the effectiveness of coordinating training activities, workshops and international conferences; and send a WFTU’s high-ranking delegation to the VGCL’s 13th Congress.

On March 7, the Vietnamese delegation held a working session with the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) of Greece, a partner of the VGCL since 1999 and a national trade union centre that plays an important role in Greece.

The two sides shared experience in protecting workers during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as orientations to priority activities in the near future.

They vowed to further propel bilateral friendship and cooperation via practical and effective activities.

Sharing losses suffered by Greek people, including many PAME members, in the railway accident that occurred on February 28 in Katerini town, the VGCL President expressed his condolences to families of the victims and said he hopes that the Greek Government and PAME will soon support them.

HCM City, Laos' Houaphanh seal cooperation agreement for 2022-2025

Ho Chi Minh City and Laos' Houaphanh province on March 7 signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation for 2022-2025, aiming at strengthening their relationship in various fields.

The MoU was inked by Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People’s Committee of HCM City Phan Van Mai and Vanxay Phengsoumma, Secretary of the Party Committee and Governor of Houaphanh during the latter's visit to the Vietnamese southern economic hub.

Under the deal, the two sides agree to continue to strengthen their political ties and promote the exchange of delegations in contribution to cultivating the special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries in general, and between Ho Chi Minh City and the Houaphanh province in particular, in a more stable manner.

In the 2022-2025 period, HCM City and Houaphanh will continue to create favourable conditions for agencies and enterprises of the two localities to strengthen investment cooperation in the fields of infrastructure, education, health, information and tourism.

Mai said the signing of the MoU will lay the foundation for building a cooperation programme between the two localities in the new period.

The city wishes to cooperate comprehensively with Houaphanh province, focusing on tourism and trade, he said.

HCM City is willing to provide scholarships for undergraduate and post-graduate students from the Lao province, exchange experience and organise training courses to improve qualifications for its officials, Mai said, adding that it is also ready to cooperate with Houaphanh in sharing experience in developing high-tech agriculture and agricultural products processing.

For his part, Vanxay Phengxumma thanked HCM City for its assistance to the province in recent years, especially in infrastructure construction and providing scholarships for its students. He also hoped to continue receiving support from HCM City in human resources training.

HCM City, Western Australia look to boost trade ties

Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Vo Van Hoan has called on Western Australia's businesses to invest in strong fields such as food processing industry, agricultural biotechnology, and education- training in the southern hub.

During his reception on March 7 for Deputy Premier of Western Australia Roger Cook Mla, who is on a working visit to the city, Hoan said the visit is a meaningful activity in the year when the two countries celebrate the 50th founding anniversary of the diplomatic ties, contributing to further promoting cooperation between HCM City and the Australian state, and strengthening the bilateral relations as well. 

The strong development of bilateral relations has created favourable conditions for cooperation between the localities of the two nations, the city leadre stressed.

Western Australia is the fourth state of Australia after Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales to open a trade and investment representative office in the locality, Hoan said, adding that the move has contributed to creating new connections between the two sides, especially in trade, investment, tourism, education, innovation and entrepreneurship.

For his part, Mla said Western Australia is eager to strengthen cooperation with HCM City in the fields of energy, tourism, creativity, culture, and education – training.

He affirmed that the operation of its trade and investment representative office is a specific measure to promote trade cooperation between the Vietnamese and Australian localities.

According to the official, there are over 12,000 Vietnamese people living in Western Australia. The Vietnamese community has made many contributions to the development of the state.

At the local level, Western Australia has signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation with the southern province of Ba Ria Vung Tau in 2021.

Australia has so far run nearly 800 projects with a total investment of over 900 million USD in HCM City, ranking 19th among 117 countries and territories investing in the southern hub. Two-way trade between HCM City and Australia reached more than 1.4 billion USD last year.

Vietnam calls for int'l cooperation in ensuring women’s rights

Vietnam calls on the international community to enhance cooperation and coordinate policies in order to ensure women’s rights and gender equality, Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations (UN), said at a debate of the UN Security Council on March 7.

Themed “Women, Peace and Security: Towards the 25th Anniversary of Resolution 1325”, the event was attended by representatives from nearly 90 member countries.
 
 Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations (Photo: VNA)
Giang said programmes and measures should be stepped up to support capacity building at all local, national, regional and global levels, thus enabling women to fully and equally participate in sustainable peace building and improve women’s economic empowerment in line with Resolution 1889 adopted in 2009 as proposed by Vietnam which held the council’s presidency in October in the year.

Vietnamese women have made great contributions to national peace, independence, construction and development, as well as regional and global peace, stability and development, he affirmed.
 
The council unanimously adopted Resolution 1325 on October 31, 2000, which was the first on women, peace and security (WPS). Reaffirming women’s key role in conflict solution and peacebuilding, it calls for the adoption of a gender perspective in peace agreements and for the protection of women and girls from gender-based violence. Since the passing of the document, the council has adopted nine others under the WPS agenda item.

HCM City continues to make hi-tech, clean agriculture a priority

The Ho Chi Minh City agriculture sector continues giving priority to high-tech and clean agriculture development to adapt to climate change.

According to the city’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the city’s agriculture sector continues restructuring agriculture production and developing key products.

It fosters the development of urban-oriented farming models amid the continued loss of agricultural land due to rapid urbanisation.

It encourages farmers to switch to high-value crops, and reduce unproductive rice and sugarcane fields.

It seeks to boost the value of its agricultural output to 640-660 million VND (27,400-28,200 USD) per hectare this year.

In addition, the city focuses on biotechnology to develop high-quality and high-yielding plant varieties and animal breeds, striving to become a regional hub for the development and supply of high-quality seeds.

The city’s agriculture is recovering strongly after the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The gross regional domestic product (GRDP) value of agriculture, forestry and fishery products in 2022 was estimated at nearly 8.4 trillion VND (358 million USD), up 3.7% year-on-year.

The production value of the agricultural sector reached 19 trillion VND (810 million USD) last year, a year-on-year increase of 3.8%.

Many new urban-oriented farming models have been successful and achieved impressive growth thanks to the application of advanced technologies.

The city now has more than 113,600 hectares of agricultural land, accounting for about 54% of the total natural land area. Of this area, there are more than 400ha of hi-tech agriculture.

The value of high-tech agricultural products accounts for about 48% of the city's total agricultural production value.

Le Van Cua, deputy head of the management board of the city’s High-tech Agriculture Park, said the park promotes research and the application of technology in production to create high-quality plant varieties and animal breeds for the development of three key areas - crop cultivation, animal husbandry and seafood.

It has conducted technology transfer for enterprises in the city and other provinces, and provides 1-2 million seedlings of plants a year.

It strives to supply five million seedlings of plants a year.

Dinh Minh Hiep, director of the city’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the city's government has offered preferential policies on developing high-tech agriculture.

They include solutions for science and technology development, information technology application in agriculture, conducting research, and technology application and transfer activities.

The city also demonstrates the role of a high-tech agriculture park and a centre for biotechnology, and creates links between scientists, enterprises, cooperatives and household farmers.

The department has also worked closely with the city’s Farmers' Union to develop effective high-tech production and business models in the city.

The Qatari side affirmed it will create favourable conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to attend Qatar International Agricultural Exhibition (AgriteQ) 2023 on March 15-19;  and propose considering the possibility of signing a new labour cooperation document between the two countries.

Congratulatory messages, letters to State President pour in

Leaders of Brunei, Singapore, the Republic of Korea (RoK), Australia, Belarus, Bangladesh, Luxembourg, Nicaragua, ASEAN and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) sent messages and letters of congratulations to Vo Van Thuong on his election as President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam by the 15th National Assembly.

In his letter, Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah expressed his wish to cooperate closely with President Thuong in the near future to further deepen the valuable relationship between the two countries, both bilaterally and as close partners within ASEAN.

He expressed appreciation for fine friendship between Brunei and Vietnam, and believed that their mutually beneficial comprehensive partnership will continue to be strengthened in the years to come.

In congratulatory letters, President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore affirmed that Vietnam and Singapore are long-time friends and strategic partners that are working closely together to propel growth and stability in ASEAN.

They stressed that the profound friendship between the two nations is built on mutual understanding, trust and similarities in interests, on which they established the Digital Economy - Green Economy Partnership early this year.

The Singaporean leaders believed that the two countries will continue reinforcing cooperation in new areas such as renewable energy and carbon credits. They wished to work closely with President Thuong to further enhance mutually beneficial cooperation, especially in 2023 when the two countries celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties and the 10th anniversary of strategic partnership.

President of the RoK Yoon Suk-yeol wrote in his congratulatory letter that he is delighted at achievements made by the two countries in various areas over the past years. He said he expects to carry forward the Vietnam-RoK comprehensive strategic partnership in the near future and directly discuss ways to develop bilateral ties with President Thuong soon.

On the occasion, Governor-General of Australia David Hurley sent warm congratulations to the President and people of Vietnam on the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Australia diplomatic ties.

He expressed his belief that bilateral relationship between Vietnam and Australia will continue to flourish based on mutual understanding and their shared vision for peace and prosperity. He wished to continue further deepening bilateral close cooperation together with the Vietnamese President.

Other congratulatory letters and messages were also sent by President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko, President of Bangladesh Abdul Hamid, Grand Duke of Luxembourg Henri, President Daniel Ortega Saavedra and Vice President Rosario Murillo of Nicaragua, ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn and FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu.

One more French employment support centre opens in Da Nang

The Francophone employment support centre (centre d'employabilité francophone - CEF Danang) was inaugurated at the University of Technology and Education - the University of Danang (UD) in central Da Nang city on March 7.

Addressing the launching ceremony, which was held by the UD in collaboration with the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), Director of the UD Nguyen Ngoc Vu said CEF Danang is a specific result of the long-term cooperation between the university and the AUF.

The centre is expected to support the University of Danang in addressing challenges of training quality, research and university administration, professional integration and creating more jobs for students after graduation, thus further tightening cooperation between the AUF and the UD  as well as its member universities.

According to an AUF representative, CEF Danang is one of three CEFs in Vietnam, and one of nine centres established by the AUF in seven countries in Asia-Pacific, including Vietnam, Cambodia, China, Laos, Mongolia, Thailand and Vanuatu.

CEF Danang was designed in accordance with international standards, working on four main areas of consulting, providing information and guiding job search; soft skill training; professional certification; and entrepreneurship.

The AUF is an international association comprising universities, academic networks and scientific research centres that use the French language all over the world. With a network of over 1,000 members in nearly 120 countries, it is one of the world’s largest higher education and research associations. The University of Danang has been an official member of the AUF  since 1995.

NA Chairman welcomes Keidanren’s working delegation

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue has lauded the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) and Japanese corporate leaders for promoting economic, trade and investment ties between the two countries.

During a reception in Hanoi on March 7 for a delegation from Keidanren who are in Vietnam to attend a high-level economic seminar on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties (September 21), Chairman Hue expressed his delight at the strong and comprehensive development of the Vietnam-Japan extensive strategic partnership with high political trust.

He spoke highly of the results of the action programme within the framework of the eighth phase of Vietnam - Japan Joint Initiative with the implementation of 84 sub-sections, including contents related to the law such as amending and supplementing the Law on Investment and the Enterprise Law.

The host reaffirmed the Vietnamese NA and Government’s commitments to continue steadfastly improving business environment, fine-tuning legal and policy framework, improving the competitiveness of the economy, and creating favourable conditions for investors, including foreign ones to do business smoothly in Vietnam.

As the Vietnamese legislature will consider, revise or issue several important laws in the near future, he suggested Keidanren and Japanese firms offer opinions on them during the process.

For the ninth phase of the Vietnam - Japan Joint Initiative, Hue proposed linking development strategies of the two economies, legal and policy frameworks of the two countries, cooperating in developing infrastructure, including infrastructure for digital transformation, climate change adaptation, just energy transition, transport infrastructure while forming connectivity to improve production capacity of each nation to form regional and global production and supply chains, as well as develop human resources.

On the occasion, he hoped that Keidanren as well as Japanese businesses would have a voice with the Japanese legislature and government to step up bilateral labour cooperation.

The top legislator expressed his belief that with political determination of the two countries’ leaders and support of the Japanese enterprises, the Vietnam-Japan extensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia will further thrive.

A Keidanren representative wished that the Vietnamese NA and Government would continue partnering with Japanese firms in doing business in Vietnam.

Highlighting the importance of digital and green transformation, he affirmed that Keidanren together with Japanese firms will do their best to contribute to the development of both Vietnam and Japan in the near future, as well as help the Vietnamese Government fulfil set targets.

Samten Hills Dalat spiritual, cultural tourist attraction inaugurated

The Samten Hills Dalat spiritual and cultural tourist site was inaugurated in Tu Tra commune, Don Duong district, the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, on March 7.

The same day, the Vietnam Federation of UNESCO Associations (VFUA) presented the certificate of spiritual and cultural space for the Vajrayana Buddhist Space at the venue which is also home to the world’s largest bronze prayer wheel stupa Drigung Kagyu Rinchen Khorchen Khorwe Go Gek that set the Guinness Word Record in late 2022.

Weighing 200 tonnes, the stupa is inlaid with 24k gold outside, over 37m in height and has a diameter of 16.53m.

The tourist attraction was built on high hills in Kambute village, Tu Tra commune, inspired by architectural works created by artists from Nepal where Buddha Shakyamuni was born.

Speaking at the event, VFUA Vice President and Secretary General Tran Van Manh said the granting of the certificate is meant to introduce architectural and spiritual values of the Vajrayana Buddhist space, as well as encourage the preservation, protection and promotion of valuable cultural heritages for future generations.

PM urges all efforts to support women’s advancement

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met female leaders of centrally-run agencies and presented Kovalevskaia Awards on the occasion of International Women’s Day (March 8) in Hanoi on March 7 to honour the contributions of Vietnamese women to national construction and development.

Speaking at the event, the PM extended his best wishes to heroic Vietnamese mothers and all Vietnamese women, female leaders, managers and scientists.

He said under the Party leadership and with support of the National Assembly and directions of the Government, female personnel work and gender equality have reaped positive achievements over the past years.

According to him, female deputies of the Vietnamese legislature account for 30.3%, ranking 64th globally, fourth in Asia and first in ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA). Key leadership positions held by women in ministries, ministry-level and Government agencies make up a half, nearing the target set for 2025.

The number of female officers engaged in scientific research is increasing. Many have achieved success domestically and internationally, recognised by the world for their high economic value. Among them, numerous collectives and individuals have been awarded with the noble Kovalevskaia Awards, he said.

He added that Vietnam’s achievements in gender equality and women's advancement have been recognised by the United Nations and international community. Vietnam ranked 83rd out of 146 countries in the gender equality index, up four places from 2021. Vietnam was also one of the 14 countries to be elected to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 tenure with a high number of votes. The country's current stature and reputation have been obtained thanks to significant contributions from women.

On the occasion, he hailed the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Vietnam Women's Union, the National Committee for the Advancement of Women in Vietnam, ministries, agencies and localities for their efforts in female personnel work, gender equality and women's advancement, making important contributions to the country's overall achievements.

The leader requested that the national strategy on gender equality for 2021-2030 be carried out effectively, recognizing three national target programmes related to women affairs and gender equality.

He also asked for continuing to fine-tune policies and laws on gender equality as well as pay further attention to planning the recruitment and promotion of female personnel to leadership and management positions at all levels, saying this is a regular and important task and the responsibility of the entire political system, especially leaders.

At the event, PM Chinh presented Kovalevskaia Awards to a group of 10 female scientists from the Hanoi University of Pharmacy’s Faculty of Pharmacology and Prof. Le Minh Thang, a senior lecturer from the Hanoi University of Science and Technology’s School of Chemical Engineering in recognition of their outstanding scientific research achievements in 2022.

The Kovalevskaia Award was named after Russian mathematician Sofia Kovalevskaia and was first presented in Vietnam in 1986. It is the first national award for female scientists.

The prestigious annual award is given to organisations and individuals who are female scientists and have excellent achievements in research and applying science into life, bringing in benefits in different fields including economy, society and culture.

Vietnam - Russia Tropical Centre marks 35th anniversary of traditional day

The Vietnam - Russia Tropical Centre under the Ministry of National Defence held a ceremony in Hanoi on March 7 to celebrate its 35th traditional day (March 7) and receive the first-class Labour Order.

Prof. Dr. Kucherenko Petr Aleksandrovich, Russian Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education, co-Chairman of the Intergovernmental Coordinating Committee for the Vietnam - Russia Tropical Centre, and head of the Russian sub-committee, said that the centre has developed continuously over the last 35 years.

Its operations are currently focusing on the areas important to both countries, especially climatic testing of materials and technical components, studying the biodiversity of tropical ecosystems, studying the settlement of chemical warfare consequences, and studying tropical infectious diseases originating from the wild.

The centre also attaches importance to training high-quality personnel (both Vietnamese and Russian) and training experts of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) in the Russian language, he said, noting that it is entering a new development period that will enable it to make major breakthroughs and not only receive but also apply new scientific knowledge to serve security and defense in the two countries.

At the ceremony, the centre was granted the first-class Labour Order in recognition of its prominent achievements during 2017 - 2021.

Vice State President Vo Thi Anh Xuan praised the centre’s enormous efforts and achievements over the last 35 years.

She said the new context requires the centre to continue reforming strongly and improving the quality and effectiveness of its performance, especially the research, application, and transfer of science and technology, to fulfill duties.

Xuan expressed her belief that by bringing into play the VPA’s glorious tradition, with attention from leaders from the two countries and support from relevant agencies, the centre will see even more achievements and become the leading science and technology organisation of the VPA and Vietnam.
 
This will allow it to contribute to building the VPA as well as the Vietnam - Russia friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership, for the sake of the two peoples and for peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.

Miss World Vietnam supports UNICEF’s initiative to promote healthier food environments

Miss World Vietnam 2019 Luong Thuy Linh has joined a campaign in response to the “Fix My Food” initiative by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) aiming to promote healthier food environments for children in East Asia and the Pacific.

The food systems in East Asia and the Pacific, known for its diverse and vibrant food culture, is changing rapidly, according to UNICEF.

Traditional healthy fresh food diets are being replaced by an increasing consumption of highly processed ‘junk’ food and drink full of sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats.

Given this, UNICEF has been working closely with governments and partners to introduce policies and legislation to curb the increase in marketing of unhealthy food and drink, such as bans on advertising and sale of unhealthy foods in and around schools, clear front-of-pack nutrition labelling, and taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages amongst others.

To further promote the need for healthier food environments, UNICEF is supporting the “Fix My Food” campaign led by young people to raise awareness of the need to create healthier food environments in China, Cambodia, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Mongolia, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.

Young people, together with celebrities and influencers from these eight countries were part of a two-day co-creation “Fix My Food” workshop in Bangkok - brainstorming ideas and identifying potential partners to help roll out the campaign in their respective countries in February.

Linh was part of the co-creation workshop and launch event.

With the young people leading the “Fix My Food” campaign and support from celebrities and influencers, UNICEF hopes to create awareness on the impact of the changing food environment in the lives of girls and boys and the urgent need for governments, the private sector and civil society to take collective action to build a healthier food environment across the region.

As part of UNICEF’s work to mobilise and empower young people to take action, this initiative will be implemented in the eight participating countries and will be supported by UNICEF country offices and partners./

Workshop seeks ways to enhance urban climate resilience in Vietnam

Participants at a national workshop in Hanoi on March 7 sought ways to help raise the climate resilience of Vietnam's urban centres, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and protect the environment.

The event, co-organised by the Party Central Committee’s Economic Commission, the Ministry of Construction and the French Development Agency (AFD), took place within the framework of the Water and Natural Resources Management Facility (WARM) facility funded by the European Union (EU).

Over the past 35 years of reform and development, Vietnam has made big strides in urban planning, with its urbanisation rate expanding to 40% in 2022 from 30.5% in 2010, making up 70% of the national GDP, heard a report.

However, the country lacks a master plan in the field to fulfill the targets of green growth, climate resilience and net zero emissions by 2050, the report pointed out.

Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Tuong Van stressed the significance of the Politburo’s Resolution No. 06-NQ/TW on sustainable urban planning, construction, management and development.

With five viewpoints and six groups of major tasks, the document highlights the role and position of urban areas and urbanisation in national industrialisation and modernisation in the new period, laying the foundation for urban transformation and development in Vietnam in a more comprehensive and systematic fashion, he said.

The Government also adopted Resolution No. 148/NQ-CP dated November 11, 2022, on the issuance of an action programme implementing the resolution, which sets out five groups of tasks.

Under the resolution, the Government requested unifying awareness and actions in sustainable urban planning, construction, management and development. This resolution also includes plans to improve planning quality, investment in urban infrastructure capable of adapting to climate change, and a review of building projects of ministries and agencies with relevant policies and legal documents.

Ambassador Giorgio Aliberti, head of the EU Delegation to Vietnam, stressed the EU’s strong commitments to supporting the Vietnamese Government in achieving sustainable development goals.

The WARM facility aims to support the preparation and implementation of more strategic investment projects for water and natural resource management. The experience gained from these projects will feed into the dialogue with the government on the climate, environment and natural resources management.

Experts from France's Lyon, a city that has maintained its cooperation with Ho Chi Minh City for 20 years in urban planning and management, shared their experience in sustainable urban development and affirmed their readiness to help Vietnam in climate change mitigation and adaptation.   
 
Between May and July this year, there will be three thematic workshops in Son La, Quang Tri and Hau Giang provinces, focusing on risks to urban planning in all mountainous, coastal and Mekong Delta localities.

Mexican painter Diego Rodarte’s paintings exhibited in HCM City

The Embassy of Mexico in Vietnam and the Museum of Fine Arts of Ho Chi Minh City on March 7 opened an exhibition that displays paintings by Mexico's well-known painter Diego Rodarte.

BuscandoMéxico" (Exploring Mexico), showcases 32 small-scale oil paintings that feature symbolic places in 32 states or regions of Mexico. It also introduces three large-scale banners and various objects.Rodarte is an artist with more than 20 years of experience. He has held 14 individual exhibitions in Mexico, the US, France and Poland and has participated in 14 collective exhibitions. His works have been exhibited at international fairs such as the Zona Maco Art Week (Mexico City, 2021) and the prestigious Art Miami International Fair (2021).

Mexican Ambassador to Vietnam Alejandro Negrín said that in recent years, relations between Mexico and Vietnam have grown remarkably, especially their bilateral trade. The two countries are currently carrying out negotiations on a comprehensive partnership agreement, with the aim of bringing the nations closer in all areas.

He expected that the exhibition will help Vietnamese people understand more about Mexican culture.

Vietnamese artist and photographer Viet Van said that Rodarte’s paintings are like emotional and colorful dialogues with viewers, which require a calm and open attitude to appreciate arts and receive new ideas.

The exhibition will open to the public until March 16 at the Museum of Fine Arts of Ho Chi Minh City.

One incumbent, two former officials of Bac Ninh, Hoa Binh expelled from Party

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on March 7 chaired a meeting of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat, during which the secretariat decided to expel an incumbent member and a former member of Bac Ninh province’s Party Committee, and a former member of Hoa Binh province’s Party Committee from the Party.

They are Nguyen Xuan Thanh, member of the Bac Ninh provincial Party Committee, Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment, former Deputy Secretary of Party Committee and former Chairman of the People's Committee of Tu Son township; Nguyen Van Hai, former member of the Bac Ninh provincial Party Committee, and former Secretary of the Party Committee and former Director of the provincial Department of Finance; and Ha Cong The, former member of the Hoa Binh provincial Party Committee, former Secretary and Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and former Chairman of the People’s Committee of the province’s Mai Chau district.

The Secretariat concluded that Thanh, Hai and The showed degradation in political ideology, ethics and lifestyle; violated regulations on things that Party members are banned from doing and the responsibility of setting good examples; infringed on the Party's regulations and the State's laws on management and use of land and property, causing very serious consequences and public outrage, and affecting the reputation of Party organisations and State management agencies.

The Secretariat also asked competent agencies to impose administrative disciplinary measures against them.

Conference discusses hydrogen technology in green energy conversion

A hybrid conference on the application and development of hydrogen technology in Vietnam’s green energy transition took place in the central city of Da Nang on March 7, with the participation of managers, scientists, and businesses from Japan and Vietnam.

Le Hoang Tai, deputy head of the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), said the country is now making the first steps in shifting from traditional energy sources to renewable, green, and clean ones, and hydrogen is a clean energy source, with almost no pollution emissions.

He said the Politburo’s Resolution 55-NQ/TW on orientation for the national energy development strategy to 2030 with a vision to 2045 has outlined an orientation for developing hydrogen energy. Accordingly, biofuels and hydrogen will be used in electricity generation, transportation, industry, civil and commercial buildings to accelerate energy transition and the building of a carbon-free economy.
Dang Hai Anh from the MoIT’s Oil, Gas and Coal Department informed participants that by 2050, Vietnam’s final energy consumption demand is projected to hit about 144-170 million tonnes of oil equivalent, of which the demand for hydrogen energy will make up about 5.6 - 6.2%.

He said a draft national energy master plan has set a target that by 2050, the output of hydrogen will reach about 25 million tonnes and that of synthetic fuel from hydrogen origin 2.5-2.9 million tonnes.

However, challenges and obstacles remain for the hydrogen industry in Vietnam such as high production cost, and the lack of infrastructure and a legal corridor to monitor related standards, among others.

Participants delivered overall assessments of hydrogen energy production from solar and wind energy sources and the potential of green hydrogen usage in Vietnam. Experts also gave proposals on the building and conduction of mechanisms serving such development serving the reduction of greenhouse emissions and acceleration of clean energy transition.

Vietnam attends IAEA Board of Governors Meeting

A Vietnamese delegation led by Ambassador Nguyen Trung Kien, Governor - Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is attending a regular meeting of the agency’s Board of Governors in Vienna from March 6-10.

The Vietnamese representatives joined discussions on draft reports on security, safety and the application of nuclear technology in 2023.

They also reiterated Vietnam’s consistent guidelines and policies of supporting the IAEA’s three pillars - safe, secure and peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology.

Vietnam also lauds the agency’s initiatives in promoting the application of nuclear technology in service of civil activities for peaceful purposes.

It backs a balanced approach to nuclear safety and security, shares concern about current complex developments in security, upholds the principle of dialogue and the settlement of disputes by peaceful means on the basis of the United Nations Charter and international law.

Participants have reviewed security, safety and application of nuclear technology in 2022 and looked into the IAEA’s priorities in this field in 2023, as well as the implementation of safeguards agreements between the agency and Iran, Syria and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), among other issues.
 
In his remarks, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi affirmed: “It is a central and unique strength of the agency that we facilitate and produce data that is usable, comparable and accessible to all states.
"Our scientific work, and our assistance to member states in designing their own studies and collecting, sharing and analysing data, advances global understanding on key issues and facilitates science-based policy decision with national, regional, and global impact.”

The IAEA will continue to support Turkey and Syria in their response efforts and provide significant additional assistance under its technical cooperation programme, he pledged.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Vietnam’s National Action Centre for Toxic Chemicals and Environmental Treatment (NACCET) will hold working sessions with representatives from international organisations and partners to enhance cooperation in nuclear technology application.

The IAEA Board of Governors convenes meetings in March, June, September and November each year.

Vietnam was elected as a member of the council in September 2021 for a two-year tenure.

Roundtable looks back on history of Vietnam-Russia friendship

A roundtable was held in St. Petersburg on March 6, discussing the history of friendship between Russia and Vietnam through meetings of Soviet Union leader Iosif .V. Stalin and President Ho Chi Minh.

Prof. Andrey Vassoevich, director of the Herzen University Institute of Oriental Studies, said that archives show that the Soviet Union leader spoke highly of President Ho Chi Minh.

Nguyen Quoc Hung, Director of the Russian-Vietnamese Cooperation Development Fund "Tradition and Friendship", said that young generations should keep in mind the pages of the history of the friendship between the two countries.

The relationship between the two late leaders was not only important to the development of bilateral ties in the past, but also laid a foundation for the traditional friendship and strategic partnership between the two peoples at present.

In 1950 and 1952, President Ho Chi Minh visited Moscow and met Iosif Stalin. The archives show that these meetings became a guarantee of friendship and mutual respect, allowing the two countries to successfully develop today's comprehensive strategic partnership.

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