PM Pham Minh Chinh meets with Indonesian President in Phnom Penh hinh anh 1
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) and Indonesian President Joko Widodo meets in Phnom Penh on November 11. (Photo: VNA)
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Indonesian President Joko Widodo on November 11, on the sidelines of the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

PM Chinh affirmed that Vietnam always treasures and wants to further develop its traditional friendship and strategic partnership with Indonesia.

To continue advancing the bilateral relations in a practical manner, the two leaders agreed on the need to coordinate together closely in implementing major cooperation orientations, with priority given to increasing the exchange of all-level visits.

They agreed to direct relevant ministries and agencies to promptly and effectively carry out agreements, particularly the action plan on the implementation of the strategic partnership for 2019 - 2023.

To create momentum for economic recovery, the two leaders shared the view on the necessity to promote two-way trade in a more balanced direction.

President Widodo took note of PM Chinh’s request for measures to reduce Vietnam’s trade deficit with Indonesia and remove barriers to both countries’ exports.

The two leaders highly valued the close coordination between Vietnam and Indonesia within multilateral frameworks, especially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the United Nations. They also concurred to strengthen ties to enhance ASEAN’s solidarity and centrality in the settlement of emerging global challenges.

Two vice presidents of Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences disciplined

The Prime Minister has issued decisions on disciplinary measures on two Vice Presidents of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS).

Accordingly, Dang Xuan Thanh is given a warning for his serious mistakes while performing his duty. The measure was effective from the date the Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission announced its decision on Party disciplinary measure against Thanh (September 30, 2022).

Meanwhile, Nguyen Duc Minh was served a reprimand, with the measure taking effect also from the date the Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission announced its decision on Party disciplinary measure against Minh (September 30, 2022).

At the Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission’s 20th meeting, the commission issued a warning against the Standing Board of the Party Committee of the VASS for 2015-2020 and 2020-2025 tenures for violating the principles on Party organisation and operation and working regulations, and showed a lack of responsibility along with lax leadership, direction and supervision, resulting in wrongdoings in the personnel work.

The violations have lasted for years, causing severe consequences, undermining the internal unity, triggering concerns among officials and Party members and adversely affecting the reputation of the Party organisation and the VASS, the commission said.

It also meted out a warning to Dang Xuan Thanh, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, head of its Organisation Commission and Vice President of the VASS, and reprimanded Nguyen Duc Minh, head of the Party Committee’s Mass Mobilisation Commission and VASS Vice President; along with some senior officials at the academy.

Later, the Politburo also gave a warning to Bui Nhat Quang, Secretary of the Party Committee of and President of the VASS for violating regulations on things that Party members must not do, and on the responsibility of setting good examples of Party members. As the top leader at VASS, Quang had to bear responsibility for the mistakes of the Standing Board of the Party Committee of the VASS for 2015-2020 and 2020-2025 tenures.

At the sixth plenum, the 13th Party Central Committee also decided to remove Quang from the committee.

ASEAN, Hungary renew education cooperation agreement

ASEAN Secretary-General Dato Lim Jock Hoi and Hungarian Ambassador to Indonesia Lilla Karsay have signed to renew the ASEAN-Hungary Cooperation Agreement on Education 

The renewed cooperation builds upon the successful implementation of the previous Cooperation Agreement which concluded on September 20, 2020.

It intends to further strengthen the strategic cooperation between ASEAN member states and Hungary in the field of education, specifically on supporting ASEAN and Hungarian students to pursue disciplines in natural sciences, engineering, technology, information and communication technology, medicine and life sciences, among other fields.

To strengthen the academic and research network between ASEAN and Hungary, the renewed cooperation also encourages outstanding students and educators to pursue both short-and full-term studies or conduct collaborative research in each other’s higher education institutions.

The agreement will be effective for three years and may be renewed for another three years.

Three Whitmore’s disease cases detected in Vietnam

Three latest cases of Whitmore’s disease, also known as melioidosis, have been recorded in the Central Highland of Dak Lak and the central province of Thanh Hoa, according to the Ministry of Health.

A woman in Dak Lak tested positive for melioidosis along with an underlying condition of Type 2 diabetes after suffering severe abdominal pain, the ministry said on November 11.

The second patient, a 15-year-old boy, was diagnosed with Whitmore’s disease plus septic shock and multiple organ failure after walking in the rain on the way home from school.

The third case, a 10-year-old-boy, was detected as the patient had symptoms of high fever and parotid gland swelling. After 30 days of swollen salivary gland treatment, he tested positive for melioidosis at Vietnam National Children's Hospital.

According to Director of the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases Do Duy Cuong, Whitmore’s disease is a dangerous acute infectious disease caused by a bacterium called Burkholderia pseudomallei. The bacterium exists in contaminated water and soil. Transmission to humans and animals is through skin contact with the contaminated source or the inhalation of particles containing the bacterium.

Cuong said the rainy season provides good conditions for the development of the bacterium. The disease has a high mortality rate of approximately 40% if the patient is misdiagnosed and does not receive proper treatment.

Currently, there is no vaccine for the disease.

Laos proposes trade-culture-tourism centre project in Can Tho

Laos is keen on establishing a Laos-Vietnam Trade, Culture and Tourism Centre in Can Tho, said Lao Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Phimpha Keomixay during a meeting with leading officials of the Mekong Delta city on November 10.

She said that the project, designed to cover at least 1 hectare, will use 100% capital from Laos or a Vietnamese - Lao joint venture.

Once put into operation, the centre will become a venue for meetings of senior leaders of Vietnam and Laos as well as ASEAN members and other countries in the world when they visit the Mekong Delta region and Can Tho in particular, the diplomat said.

She added that Laos will provide a similar area in Xiengkhuoang province for Can Tho to build a trade centre serving cultural and economic exchanges among Vietnamese and Lao localities.

Nguyen Thuc Hien, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Can Tho, showed his support to the project, the first of its kind in Vietnam and the first Lao-funded one in Can Tho. It can be a model project in the Vietnam-Laos cooperation in general and Can Tho-Laos partnership in particular, he added.

Hien directed relevant departments and agencies to support the Lao side in implementing necessary procedures for the project in line with the city’s planning towards 2050, including the city’s land use plan.

Three arrested for trafficking drugs from Laos to Vietnam

The police on November 10 detained two Vietnamese women and a Lao citizen for trafficking 13kilos of ketamine from Laos into Vietnam.

The Lao citizen, Kham La Cong Ma Ni, 42, was arrested at 03:00 while he was driving a semi-trailer truck from Vung Ang deep seaport in Ha Tinh province to Cha Lo International Border Gate on the Vietnam – Laos border.

Searching the car, the police found 13kilos of ketamine. Cong Ma Ni confessed that he would hand over the drugs to a person in Minh Hoa district of Quang Binh province.

More than an hour later, the police caught red handed Dinh Thi Thanh, 54, a local resident of Minh Hoa district, receiving the drugs.

Shortly afterwards, the police also caught red handed Dinh Thi Hai Yen, 44, another resident of Minh Hoa district, handing over money in both Vietnamese and Lao currencies as the transport cost to Cong Ma Ni.

Searching their residence, investigators seized more than VND160 million and three mobile phones. The suspects pleaded guilty.

The police said Yen had previously travelled back and forth between Vietnam and Laos, contacting several Lao citizens and running some illegal economic affairs. They found the group have transported a great deal of drugs from Laos to Vietnam over the past two months. Further investigations are underway.

Vietnam sends representative to Miss World University 2022

Vietnamese beauty Ha Phuong is set to represent Vietnam at the upcoming Miss World University 2022 beauty pageant.

The competition is scheduled to be held in the Republic of Korea (RoK) in late November.

The event has been held annually in Seoul in the RoK since 1986 with the participation of approximately 70 contestants on average every year, to select World Miss University Peace Corp Representatives. 

Phuong, 19, is currently studying at the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music. Most notably, she competed in Miss World Vietnam 2022 and finished in the top 5 of the Miss Talent segment.

14,000 to join 2022 Techcombank HCM City international marathon

About 14,000 runners from 60 countries and territories worldwide are expected to take part in the fifth Techcombank Ho Chi Minh City International Marathon, the largest of its kind in Vietnam, scheduled to take place on December 11, heard a press conference held in Ho Chi Minh City on November 10.

There are four distances for runners to choose to compete in, including a full marathon at 42.195km, a half-marathon at 21.1km, a 10km race, and a five km race.

The race will pass through five districts of the southern city and Thu Duc City. Racers will run through many key local tourist destinations, such as Notre Dame Cathedral, the Municipal, and Thu Thiem 2 bridge.

Starting from District 1 and finishing in Thu Duc City, the event is expected to bring about new and exciting experiences for competitors to enjoy.

Along with the four race categories, there will also be kids’ runs of 3km and 1.5km

The event is to call for greater environmental protection and more donations to the city’s charity funds.

The marathon is now opens for registration at www.marathonhcmc.com until November 25.

Vietnam takes lead in Cyber SEA Game 2022

A four-member team from Vietnam finished first at the Cyber SEA Game 2022 contest which concluded in Bangkok, Thailand, on November 10.

Four students of the Vietnam Academy of Cryptography Techniques even beat their rivals Singapore and hosts Thailand to clinch the title in their first ever regional cybersecurity competition.

Singapore and Thailand came in second and third, respectively.

This is the second time Vietnam has won the championship title of Cyber SEA Game. It finished first in 2015, second in 2019, 2020 and 2021, and third in 2017 and 2018.

Cyber SEA Game is a contest on information security skills for candidates aged 15-29 in ASEAN under the sponsorship of Japan. The competition values candidates’ skills of investigating network safety, decoding, computer network defence, troubleshooting, and assessing system safety.

Great Solidarity of Ethnic Groups Week 2022 set to take place in Hanoi

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism this morning held a press conference to launch the Great Solidarity of Ethnic Groups- Vietnamese Cultural Heritage Week 2022 and the first festival of traditional costumes of ethnic minority groups in the Northern region.

The event will take place at the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism in Son Tay Town, the capital city of Hanoi from November 18 to 23.

Its opening ceremony is set to take place on a floating stage on the evening of November 18 and will be broadcasted on Vietnam Television (VTV).

The Great Solidarity of Ethnic Groups- Vietnamese Cultural Heritage Week 2022 is a practical activity to mark the 92nd anniversary of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (November 18, 1930-2022) and Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day (November 23), thereby strengthening the great solidarity under the leadership of the Party for the country’s rapid and sustainable development, promoting the value of the cultural heritage of ethnic minority groups and contributing to the development of Vietnamese culture. 

Accordingly, 200 professional actors, 170 artisans and local people of 22 ethnic minority groups will participate in the program. 

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has coordinated with localities to select traditional costumes of each ethnic minority in 17 provinces and cities to perform in the show.

CNN hails Da Nang as thriving vacation spot in Vietnam

CNN Philippines has published an article praising Da Nang – a central city in Vietnam - as a bustling tourist destination, giving several reasons why travelers should visit the city during their holiday.

According to the newswire, the country has a number of popular tourist destinations, like the capital of Hanoi and the economic centre of Ho Chi Minh City, but Da Nang has developed into a thriving vacation spot.

“It’s a coastal city with beaches that can rival our turquoise waters and creamy white sand shores. It’s also known for its UNESCO World Heritage sites and a unique hillside theme park,” described CNN.

Ruth Cabal, author of the article, said that her visit saw her get lost in the magical Sun World Ba Na Hills.

“This is Vietnam’s version of Disneyland. With a height of nearly 1,500 meters from sea level, it markets itself as ‘heaven on earth’,” she added.

The Golden Bridge is part of the well-manicured and colourfully-designed Le Jardin D’Amour. The structure finished in 2018 was said to look like “giant hands of God cradling a golden thread.”

Cabal stressed that the other main attractions in Ba Na Hills include the French Village where visitors can find popular Paris landmarks such as the Moulin Rouge and Notre Dame Cathedral, and Fantasy Park that is the largest indoor game zone for kids.

The ancient town of Hoi An is another attractive spot in Da Nang, with Hoi An best known as the City of Lanterns. The town is even more magical at night when it is lit up by colourful silk lanterns.

CNN suggested that visitors rent a boat to enjoy a sunset ride, or alternatively pay for paper lanterns and release them into the river to wish for good fortune.

According to the CNN author, local food in the central city is very special and delicious, and visitors should sample local delicacies such as banh mi, Cao Lau, My Quang, and coffee.

Sahako officially crowned national futsal champions

Sahako have officially been crowned champions of this season's National Futsal Championship. 

Having already secured enough points in the previous round, Sahako ran out comfortable 2-0 winners against Hưng Gia Khang Đắk Lắk on the last day of the season on Thursday.

This victory gave Sahako 40 points after 18 matches, three more than the runners-up Thái Sơn Nam. Third place went to Saigon FC with 30 points.

This is also the first championship title in the history of Sahako Club and a worthy reward for the efforts of coach Nguyễn Tuấn Anh and his players.

"This season, we have shown determination and succeeded in both the first and second phases. This is the result of the team's efforts over the years from the players to the coaching staff, the club's leadership," Anh said.

"To prepare for the next season, we will continue to sign contracts with potential players to get the best preparation on the journey to affirm the position of the team," Anh added.

Tthe organising board also awarded the style prizes to Thái Sơn Bắc, the best player award for Khổng Đình Hùng of Sahako, the top scorer award to Lâm Tấn Phát of Sahako and Nguyễn Trần Duy of Saigon FC, who each scored ten goals. The best goalkeeper went to Mai Xuân Hiệp of Sahako.

As 2022 champions, Sahako will represent Vietnamese futsal in the AFC Futsal Club Championship 2023, while the runners-up Thái Sơn Nam will attend the 2023 AFF Futsal Championship.

Vietnam Water Week seeks solutions for sustainable development

Vietnam Water Week, a platform for experts, scientists and businesses in the water sector to exchange experiences and come up with long-term solutions to the adverse impacts of epidemics, natural disasters and climate change, opened on Thursday morning.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mai Thị Liên Hương, director of the Technical Infrastructure Department under the Ministry of Construction, said that just 15 per cent of urban wastewater in Việt Nam is treated. Hương said Việt Nam has more than 750 clean water factories in urban and rural areas with a total capacity of 11.6 million cu.m per day.

As many as 92 per cent of urban residents can access clean water. However, she said there are only 71 concentrated wastewater treatment factories nationwide with a total designed capacity of about 1.38 million cu.m per day.

Climate change, drought, natural disasters, and saltwater intrusion, together with population growth and rapid urbanisation, have significant impacts on the development of the water sector in Việt Nam.

Addressing problems from water security, water supply safety, floods in urban areas, and wastewater treatment is a challenge for the Vietnamese water industry, Hương said.

She expressed her hope that State agencies will continue to finalise water supply and sewerage regulations and create policies encouraging economic sectors to invest in building, managing and operating water systems.

Delivering an opening remark at the Vietnam Water Week on Thursday, Nguyễn Ngọc Điệp, chairman of the Vietnam Water Supply and Sewerage Association (VWSA), said safety and security in water sector activities are as important as other factors, such as poverty reduction and improvement of life quality, and serves as a foundation for other development goals of each country.

He said that the Vietnamese water sector had faced several challenges, including incomplete institutions, problems in drainage and wastewater treatment problems, and city flooding.

He proposed approving the Law on Water Supply and Sewerage, focusing on clean water supply for urban, rural areas and industrial clusters.

Participants at the Vietnam Water Week are expected to share their policy-building experience, especially in compiling Law on Water Supply and Sewerage, to help Việt Nam and other countries achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal towards 2030 of ensuring water supply and sanitation.

The Ministry of Construction and Vietnam Water Supply and Sewerage Association organised the event from November 9 to 11. 

Exhibition showcases the beauty of ceramics

Ceramic artworks by lecturers from the University of Arts and Design are being displayed at an exhibition held at the university.

Entitled Sành (Terracotta), the display introduces to the public 80 works by five artists, all of whom have participated in many prestigious exhibitions at home and abroad and won many awards.

They are Phan Thanh Sơn, a lecturer from the Faculty of Traditional Fine Art, who has held four solo exhibitions called Chơi Đất (Playing with Earth), Ngô Bá Hoàng from the Faculty of Interior and Exterior Decoration, Vũ Hữu Nhung from the Faculty of Interior and Exterior Decoration who is the founder of Phù Lãng ceramic brand and Lê Văn Khuy from the Faculty of Fine Arts.

The artists have different majors, styles and personalities, but they all share the same passion for ceramics. Together they have been connected to spread the beauty of the material at the University of Industrial Fine Arts - the only cradle of the country producing ceramic artists.

The exhibited pieces mainly depict the beauty of humans, families, animals or objects, and are presented in different styles and perspectives, evoking different artistic experiences for visitors.

The Sành exhibition will run till November 16 at the university on 360 Đê La Thành Street, Hà Nội. Entrance is free. 

Vietnamese grandmaster to rival at Champions Chess Tour Finals

Top-ranked grandmaster Le Quang Liem is to participate in the final round of the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour Finals from November 14-20.

The tournament is an all-play-all round robin, gathering eight elite stars, including newly-crowned Tour 2022 Champion Magnus Carlsen and three-time US Champion Wesley So.

Liem is currently at the 20th place in global ranking. He is now ranked fourth in the overall Tour leaderboard, earning a total prize money of 95,500 USD.

The Meltwater Champions Chess Tour is the world’s first year-long online chess series designed to determine the world’s best chess player over a full season of competitive online chess.

Dengue cases in Danang on the rise

The central city of Danang has reported 458 dengue cases in the last week, bringing the total in the city to 8,051 as of November 9, the local media reported.

The number of cases detected this year has surged 16 times compared to 2021, with local hospitals almost overwhelmed, according to data from the Danang health authority. Recently, some 45 beds at the city’s medical facilities have been nearly occupied.

Weekly cases range from 320 to 340.

People are advised to seek medical support when experiencing symptoms of dengue fever, such as headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pains, vomiting and rash.

Vice President attends Women CEOs Summit 2022

Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan attended the Women CEOs Summit 2022 in Hanoi on November 11.

Xuan hailed the ideal to organise the summit as a follow-up activity of the 2022 Global Summit of Women and the 2022 ASEAN Women Leaders' Summit, which provides a chance for participants to share experience and discuss measures to promote gender equality, strengthen women’s economic power as well as the role of women in general and female entrepreneurs in particular in the current period.

She said that the position of women in the ASEAN has increased considerably through the promotion of gender equality and women empowerment, women’s increased engagement in business and skill development activities, the facilitation of business environment for women-led enterprises, the enhanced leadership of women and the encouragement of public-private partnership.

Highlighting gender equality promotion outcomes in Vietnam, Xuan noted that women are taking over 30% of seats at the National Assembly, and 50% of key leadership positions. The ratio of women engaging in the labour market has reached 48%, while the rate of women-led companies has hit 27%.

Measures sought to facilitate work permit, visa application for foreign labourers

Measures to remove obstacles in procedures in applying for work permits and visas for foreign labourers, especially those from the Republic of Korea (RoK), were discussed at an event in Ho Chi Minh City on November 10.

Cao Thi Phi Van, Vice Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Investment and Trade Promotion Centre (ITPC), said that since Vietnam and the RoK set up diplomatic relations in 1992, their partnership has grown fast and strongly, especially in investment and trade.

She noted that RoK’s investment in Ho Chi Minh City has risen impressively recently despite impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.

As of October 2022, the RoK had been the largest investor in the city with 2,027 projects worth over 5.4 billion USD, accounting for 9.81% of the total FDI amount.

She noted that the local administration has provided great support to foreign enterprises, while improving its business environment to attract more investors.

Han Jae-jin, Vice President of the Korea Chamber of Business and Industry in the South & Middle of Vietnam (KOCHAM), highly valued the local administration’s efforts and its willingness to listen to and support businesses in dealing with their difficulties.

At the meeting, Korean firms suggested that immigration management agencies of Vietnam allow them to use visa application service or designate reputable service companies to carry out the application process.

Nguyen Phan Hoa, deputy head of the Foreigner Management Division at the Vietnam Immigration Department in Ho Chi Minh City, said that the Immigration Law of Vietnam stipulates that guaranteeing agencies, organisations and individuals must directly submit dossiers at the Immigration Department. If there are difficulties in preparing documents, businesses can contact consulting services for assistance, he said.

Hoa also answered questions on what cases dossiers must be submitted at the Immigration Division and what case at the Immigration Department, the extension of visas for processing work permit application.

Nguyen Van Lam, Vice Director of the HCM City Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said that the department is preparing to provide level-4 online public services, allowing the issuance of work permits online, which means people can submit their dossiers and receive response at home.

Drawing contest on protection of endangered aquatic species launched

A drawing contest with the theme of conserving the sea, protecting endangered, precious and rare aquatic species for future generations has been launched by the Directorate of Fisheries (DoF) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The contest aims to enhance the community's understanding of the importance of the conservation of endangered, precious and rare aquatic species.

According to the contest’s organisation board, entries should focus on daily activities in marine protected areas, Do's and Don'ts in marine protected areas, as well as ideas and solutions to build sustainable marine protected areas and activities to protect and regenerate endangered, precious and rare aquatic species.

The contest is open to Vietnamese citizens of all ages at home and abroad. Participants should submit their entries from November 9 until December 9 and the results are expected to be announced on December 26 this year.

Hanoi named as ideal destination for a solo travel adventure

Booking.com has named Hanoi among six ideal destinations for travelers who want to embrace their independence and explore alone on Singles Day (November 11).

According to the website, solo travelers would soon get a taste of Hanoi as they set foot on the busy traffic streets and begin to explore the local culture, distinctive architecture, and the exquisite yet affordable cuisine.

Visitors can hop on a Full-day City Tour to visit several of the city’s most significant temples and historical buildings such as Tran Quoc Pagoda built in the 6th century, one of the city’s oldest pagodas, the President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Presidential Palace, One Pillar Pagoda, and the Museum of Ethnology.

Food-lovers are also advised to join a guided street food tour that walks them through the city’s most iconic restaurants.

“Don’t forget to stop along the way and taste the first-try ‘egg coffee’ while in Hanoi”, Booking.com suggested.

Rounding off the list of the top 6 ideal destinations to go on Singles Day include Liverpool of the UK, Ko Ngai of Thailand, Bad Füssing of Germany, Búzios of Brazil, and Yaeyama Islands of Japan.

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