Agricultural product brands of each farmer and enterprise must be on the digital map so as to affirm their value and reach out to the international market, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan said.

Through digital transformation, farmers will build brands to move towards transparency as they can integrate information, images and multimedia into their products, he added.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, by the end of 2021, Vietnam had more than 27,000 cooperatives but only 2,200 of them applied high technology and digital technology in production. Millions of farmers are still struggling with the problem of shifting from traditional agriculture to high-quality, clean agriculture.

To improve efficiency in agricultural production, promote commodity market development, and international integration, farmers today need to be knowledgeable and understand science and technology in addition to their farming skills.

Improving farmers' qualifications is not only a long-term policy and orientation of the Party and the Government, but also an important foundation for Vietnam's sustainable agricultural development, towards the goal of each agricultural product's brand being on the digital transformation map.

Le Duc Thinh, Director of the Department of Economic Cooperation and Rural Development under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that between 2010-2020, more than 2.84 million rural labourers were provided with vocational training to increase human resources in agriculture.

The ministry has submitted to the Government a project on vocational training in agriculture for rural labourers until 2030.

Thinh said that it’s important to increase education levels and farming skills as well as knowledge on production and business management for farmers.

According to economists and agricultural experts, criteria to determine the agriculture programmes and projects using high technology are needed to ensure capital and encourage investment in high-tech agriculture. It’s also necessary to complete trade promotion policies to expand markets and remove trade barriers for high-tech agricultural products' consumption.

The Government needs to soon issue regulations on the implementation of value chain contracts in agriculture, in which, sanctions for involved parties must be clearly stated in order to limit risks and ensure sustainability in agricultural value chains.

Regulations on insurance in agricultural production activities are also important to minimise losses and risks, along with policies to encourage the development of the agricultural insurance market, experts suggested.

Chairman of Vietnam Farmers’ Union Luong Quoc Doan said to support farmers in digital transformation and the digital economy, the union will promote communications to help raise farmers’ awareness about digital transformation, and develop smartphone applications, and carry out digital financing models for farmers such as peer-to-peer lending, cashless payment, and mobile money.

Doan said that as a pillar of the national economy, digital transformation in the agricultural sector will be one of the key factors to help farmers, farms, cooperatives, and businesses improve productivity and quality, optimise production activities, reduce costs, and increase profits.

Digital transformation can address some of the weaknesses of Vietnam’s agriculture sector, particularly the fragmented and small production. Successful digital transformation in agriculture will be an important factor to the success of the national digital transformation programme.

Danang evacuates over 5,000 residents from flooded area

As many as 5,000 residents in Lien Chieu District, Danang City had to be evacuated on Friday night due to rising floods.

According to Danang authorities, torrential heavy rains over the past few days have submerged many areas.

By the evening of October 13, some streets in Hoa Khanh Nam Ward in Lien Chieu District, which is the lowest-lying area in the city, were over a metre under water.

Local authorities had to help evacuate over 5,000 local residents who are mostly university students and workers at some factories in the area to ensure safety.

Speaking to the Vietnamnet Newspaper on Saturday evening, the chairman of Hoa Khanh Nam Ward People's Committee, Bui Trung Khanh, said that they had sent rescue forces to help move over 5,000 people living in deeply flooded areas on Me Suot, Hoang Van Thai streets to safe places.

"People have been arranged with temporary accommodation to wait until the floods recede," Khanh said. "We'll support them with food and some necessities." 

The same night, the chairman of Danang City People's Committee, Le Trung Chinh also visited some flooded areas in Lien Chieu and Thanh Khe districts. Chinh asked local authorities to closely watch out for the flooding situation to evacuate people.

Many schools in the city had also closed on Friday afternoon as flood waters quickly rose.

Ca Mau student wins CREST English Olympiad

Third-grade student Nham Quang Vinh from Tri Phai Tay Primary School in the Mekong Delta of Ca Mau has won a silver medal at the CREST English Olympiad (CEO).

According to the results of the competition, he answered 27 out of 30 questions correctly to secure the medal.

This year, CREST English Olympiad attracted the participation of hundreds thousands of students from over 25 countries across the world.

The contest was held in an online format by India, with CEO being an international competitive exam for children from grades one to 10 and Prep/KG classes to learn and enhance their English skills and knowledge.

The initiative aims to assess students' practical knowledge whilst also helping them to apply their learning in different areas and further develop their conceptual understanding to be confident enough to face any competitive exam.

It also helps students to analyse their own strengths and weaknesses based on their performance at the national level.

Viet Nam lose to Uzbekistan in crowdless friendly

The Việt Nam national football team have lost their second consecutive friendly, in a behind-closed-doors match against Uzbekistan on Friday.

Goals from Oston Uronov and Khusniddin Alikulov sealed a comfortable 2-0 win for Srecko Katanec's team, while Philippe Troussier's Việt Nam had no answers, with not a single shot on target.

As the match was deemed just a friendly, Troussier made multiple changes to the side that lost 0-2 to China on Tuesday, with only Đỗ Hùng Dũng, Đỗ Duy Mạnh, Trương Tiến Anh and Phạm Tuấn Hải remaining.

Việt Nam tried to play from the back, but were met with resistance and tough challenges from Uzbekistan. One such challenge led to Nguyễn Quang Hải's injury and early substitution in the 17th minute.

Eleven minutes later, Uzbekistan got the opening goal, courtesy of a great solo effort from Oston Uronov, who dribbled past two Vietnamese players from the left wing, and fired a great shot into the far corner of Nguyễn Đình Triệu's net.

The Uzbeks kept control for almost the entirety of the match, and doubled their lead in the 66th minute. From a set piece, Alikulov rose above five Vietnamese players and headed in perfectly to seal the match 2-0 for Uzbekistan.

"I am not surprised that we lost today," said coach Troussier, "I am not happy with the transition plays from the team."

With this result, Việt Nam have lost to two oppositions in Asia's top eight, and will have much more work to do before meeting Jurgen Klinsmann's South Korea side on October 17, who just beat Tunisia 4-0. 

Hai Van Pass faces landslide

A landslide has occurred on Hai Van Tunnel in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue following torrential rains over the past few days.

At around 2 pm on October 13, a section of Hai Van Pass experienced a landslide, causing soil and stones to flow onto the road surface.  Local authorities quickly sent rescue forces and equipment to the scene to clear the road.

Traffic police have set up checkpoints to ban vehicles from travelling through the pass. Due to impacts of Storm Son Ca in October last year, the Hai Van Tunnel faced severe landslides.

The central region of Vietnam is experiencing heavy rains, resulting in the serious inundation and landslides in many areas.

Vietnam seeks maritime economic cooperation with Italy’s Puglia region

Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Duong Hai Hung met with the President of the Regional Council of Puglia, Cera Napoleone, and Mayors of Bari, Brindisi and Lecce cities, as part of the Vietnam-Italy Year 2023 programme in Puglia from October 11-12.

The hosts said Puglia is prioritising innovation in aviation, automation, mechanical engineering, renewable energy and marine economy.

On the back of shared interests and complementary advantages in economic sectors, Hung hoped that authorities and businesses of both sides will further enhance specific cooperation.

At a seminar on raising awareness of the sea and the blue vision to 2030 of Puglia, the Vietnamese ambassador highlighted potential areas of Vietnam's maritime economy, including its strategic location in international shipping routes, extensive fishing grounds, abundant and diverse marine biological resources, minerals, oil and gas and rich marine tourism resources.

He said Vietnam supports joint efforts in developing a sustainable and climate-resilient ocean economy through specific cooperation activities with partners, particularly Italy, a country with a long coastline and substantial potential and strengths in maritime economy, including Puglia.

Hung also pointed out areas in which Vietnam, together with Puglia region and Italy in general, could work together, including sustainable oil and gas exploration, offshore wind power, aquaculture and fishing; marine tourism, maritime management, biodiversity conservation and marine environment protection, among others.

The seminar was held on the sidelines of the Puglia Boat Show from October 11-15 which brings together enterprises and departments in the maritime and shipbuilding industry, fishing, marine tourism, water sports, and maritime training from Italy, Puglia and foreign countries.

On the occasion, Hung presented a collection of five Vietnamese films to Puglia region to enhance cultural exchanges between the two sides. He also had a meeting and presentation about Vietnam with representatives of intellectuals and business members of the Rotary Club in the region.

Eighth Argentine Week in Hanoi held

The Argentine Embassy in Vietnam organised the 8th Argentine Week in Hanoi, which took place from October 9 to 13 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries (10/25/1973-10/25/2023).

Within the framework of the “Argentine Week in Hanoi”, the “Argentine Beef and Wine Day” was held on October 12 at the restaurant “Los Fuegos - Argentinian Steak and Grill" of renowned Argentine Chef Emilio Fusé. The event offers a business meeting for importers, distributors, retailers, food and beverage managers of hotels and restaurants, representatives of the press, as well as enthusiasts of meat and wine and selected personalities from Hanoi and expatriates. Argentine meat and wine importers and distributors had an excellent opportunity to present, promote and disseminate their brands.

Participants had the opportunity to taste a selection of the highest quality Argentine meat, wine, seafood and yerba mate. The companies and institutes that sponsored the promotion of their products are: Argentine Beef Promotion Institute (IPCVA), Azul Natural Beef, Grupo Lequio, Minerva Foods, the “Los Fuegos Argentinian Steak and Grill” Restaurant, Del Plata – Mercado Argentina, Food Source International, Winecellar, Daloc/ WeWine, Les Celliers d'Asie & Red Apron Fine Wines and Spirits, Warehouse, Minh Hiep, The world of wine, Dinh Phong, Matéa.

At the heart of Argentine cuisine is the love of beef. Argentina is famous for its high-quality grass-fed beef, and the country has a long lasting ¨asado¨ tradition. “Argentine asado” are legendary gatherings where delicious cuts of meat, such as beef ribs, sausages, and tender filets, are cooked over low fire or on hot charcoal grills. The “Argentine asado” places an emphasis on simplicity that allows the natural flavors of the meat to shine.

The Argentine culinary panorama goes beyond delicious meats. Argentina is also known for its exceptional wines. The country's unique terroir, with its sunny days, cool nights and mountainous terrain, provides the perfect conditions for vinifera grapes to flourish. Argentine wines are famous for their rich flavors, smooth texture and robust character. Such wines combine exceptionally well with the country's roasted meats, enhancing the gastronomic experience and elevating flavours to new heights.

The wine labels that were presented at the event are: Salentein Portillo Sauvignon Blanc 2022, Salentein Portillo Malbec 2021, Salentein Barrel Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 (Distribuidor Winecellar.vn), Norton and Dona Paula (Distribuidor Daloc/ WeWine), Argento and Susalna Balbo (Distributor Les Celliers d'Asie & Red Apron Fine Wines and Spirits), Hereford and Finca la Escondida Alta vista (Distributor Warehouse), Eratos Vino Tinto Red Wine, Paper Boat Malbec, Esiloncru Malbec (Distributor Minh Hiep), Zuccardi Series A Malbec 18 BTL, Zuccardi Series Q Tempranilo 6 BTl (Distributor The world of wine).

Earlier on October 11, the Argentine Embassy in collaboration with the ¨Los Fuegos¨ restaurant and the VTC9 television channel, organised the recording of a TV Show about Argentine gastronomy.

Argentine Chef Emilio Fusé presented to the Vietnamese public a menu with typical dishes of Argentine gastronomy accompanied by detailed recipes so that gastronomy lovers can easily make them at home. The menu consists of the following dishes: Argentine Asado, Chimichurri Sauce and Empanadas

The programme will be broadcasted on the VTC9 and SCTV channels on October 25, the same date that commemorates the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Argentina and Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh City, China’s Chongqing city promote cooperation

Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Vo Van Hoan on October 13 received Deputy Mayor of China's Chongqing city, Zhang Guozhi to discuss directions for promoting cooperation between the two localities in the coming time.

For her part, the Chinese official said that Chongqing is a centrally-run city that plays an important role in implementing cooperative activities and promoting common awareness between the two Parties and the two Governments of China and Vietnam.

She said the establishment of the Vietnam Trade Promotion Office in Chongqing - Vietnam's first trade promotion office in China - demonstrates the two countries’ attention to trade promotion between the two countries.

Sharing the potential and strengths of Chongqing city, Zhang also expressed her hope that Ho Chi Minh City will support and create favourable conditions for its businesses operating in the city.

She agreed that the two cities should further promote cooperative activities in organising economic forums, trade promotion events, the production of agricultural products, food, machinery and equipment, port development, education, tourism and people-to-people exchanges.

Seminar on East Sea opens in Canada

The Ottawa-based Macdonald-Laurier Institute and Philippine Embassy in Canada co-organised a seminar on the East Sea, discussing ways to keep the waters free, open and developed and to ensure the rule of law.

Jonathan Miller, Director of the institute’s foreign affairs, national defence and national security programme, said the discussion touched upon not only legal matters but also food security, biodiversity, and an energy transport route through the East Sea.

Undersecretary of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs Ma Theresa P. Lazaro lauded Canada’s attention to the ASEAN region and the East Sea issue and affirmed the Philippines’s readiness to work closely with Canada and its partners in maintaining a peaceful, stable and more developed region.

In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency on the sidelines of the event, Randolph Mank, a three-time former Canadian ambassador in Asia and President of MankGlobal Inc., assessed that Canada will expand its presence in Southeast Asia, with Vietnam considered an important partner and a potential technological production hub given the two nations’ growing trade ties.

In November 2022, Canada issued an Indo-Pacific Strategy which highlights the country’s efforts toward the diversification of diplomatic relations, promotion of rule-based regional institutions, and pushing back against any unilateral actions in the East Sea.

President hails Nigerian Ambassador’s tenure in Vietnam

President Vo Van Thuong commended outgoing Nigerian Ambassador Hassan Adamu Mamani for his successful tenure in Vietnam, which he said, contributed to promoting bilateral ties, at a reception for the diplomat in Hanoi on October 13.

President Thuong spoke highly of the results of the Nigeria-Vietnam cooperation over the past years, especially in socio-economic development.

Expressing his delight at Nigeria’s socio-economic achievements, he congratulated the African country on the successful organisation of the recent election. He believed that with this result, the Nigerian people will continue reaping greater and more comprehensive achievements in the future.

Vietnam pursues a foreign policy of independence and self-reliance for peace, friendship, cooperation and development, multilateralisation and diversification of external ties; being a friend, a trustworthy partner, an active and responsible member of the international community, he said, adding that Vietnam wishes to further develop its ties with Nigeria in all fields.

He suggested both sides facilitate the exchange of delegations at all levels, further step up collaboration between ministries, agencies and localities while maintaining conversations and cooperation in global and regional issues.

The President wished that in any future position, the ambassador would always bear in mind Vietnam and its people, and work to enhance cooperation between the two nations.

Mamani, for his part, thanked the Vietnamese authorities for supporting the embassy’s activities over the past years.

The ambassador said Nigeria and Vietnam share economic and trade similarities, and hold potential to boost agricultural cooperation. The two countries have also been working together on multilateral issues at the United Nations.

He expressed his belief that Nigeria will continue partnering with Vietnam to further improve the effectiveness of bilateral cooperation.

Ben Tre looks to boost cooperation with Japanese localities, businesses

The Mekong Delta province of  Ben Tre hopes to continue receiving support from Japan in implementing new projects, focusing on priority areas such as improving climate change adaptation capacity, reducing natural disaster risks, and responding to saltwater intrusion, said Vice Chairman of the provincial People Committee Nguyen Truc Son.  

During a cultural exchange programme on October 13 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan (September 21, 1973 - 2023), Son affirmed that Ben Tre attaches great importance to and has taken strong and specific steps to promote cooperation with all-level authorities, organisations, individuals and businesses of Japan.

He added that the locality has established cooperative relationships with several Japanese localities.

Notably, in 2022, Ben Tre signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on economic cooperation with Ehime prefecture. In June 2023, it organised an investment promotion workshop to introduce investment potential and opportunities in the locality to 170 Japanese businesses from Ehime, Tokyo, Osaka, Kagawa and Hiroshima.

According to the official, Japan investors have four projects worth 79 million USD out of 64 foreign-invested projects in Ben Tre, accounting for nearly 5% of the total FDI capital poured into the province.

In the first half of 2023, Ben Tre’s export turnover to Japan reached 128.72 million USD.

The province has so far sent 4,000 labourers to work in the Japanese market under contracts, accounting for over 90% of the total number of local workers working abroad.

Since 1990,  eight Japanese non-governmental organisations have provided assistance to the locality with a total fund of more than 1.2 million USD, mainly in the fields of health, sustainable and organic agriculture, and education, entrepreneurship, and rural transport.

Son took the occasion to call for more support from Japan for the locality in supplying clean water and developing wastewater treatment systems for urban areas and concentrated residential areas, health care and education, green energy, poverty reduction and ensuring social security.

Addressing the event, Ono Masuo, Consul General of Japan in Ho Chi Minh City, said local exchanges between Ben Tre and Japan are being further promoted.

He expressed a hope that Japanese businesses will pay more attention to Ben Tre, then investment will be expanded, thus contributing to deepening the relationship between Japan and Ben Tre.

In the framework of the event, a space for experiencing Vietnamese and  Japanese culture was launched.

On the occasion, individuals who have made positive contributions to building and promoting good traditional relations between Vietnam in general and Ben Tre in particular and Japan were presented the certificates of merit of the provincial People’s Committee.

Vietnamese Party delegation on RoK visit

Politburo member, Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and Chairman of the Central Theory Council Nguyen Xuan Thang is leading a Vietnamese Party delegation to the Republic of Korea (RoK) from October 11-15 for a working trip.

The Vietnamese delegation met and held working sessions with Presidential Chief of Staff Kim Dae-ki, Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin, and Chairman of the ruling People Power Party Kim Gi-hyeon.

They also visited the Samsung Group and attended the opening of the Global Samsung programme for Vietnamese leaders (VOSP), talked with the Seoul National University, the Korea National Diplomatic Academy and the National Human Resources Development Institute, and met with the former Minister of SMEs and Startups, the Vice Chairman of the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association, and the Director of the Korea Creative Content Agency.

Thang told the hosts that the Vietnamese Party and State consistently value the comprehensive strategic partnership with the RoK.

He suggested that both sides continue stepping up substantial and effective cooperation within the framework of the "comprehensive strategic partnership", and stressed that both countries are well-positioned to take significant steps towards extensive and comprehensive cooperation, especially in the fields of sci-tech, semiconductor industry, digital transformation, green transition, technology transfer, and jointly establish the Korean R&D centres in Vietnam.

The Communist Party of Vietnam values the development of its relations with political parties in the RoK, including the ruling People Power Party, he said, suggesting that both sides maintain regular activities to share information and deepen the bilateral relationship.

The Korean leaders expressed their appreciation for the relationship with Vietnam and its position and role in the region, considering Vietnam a partner of top importance.

Chairman Kim wished to further tighten ties between the two ruling parties, and expressed support for Korean firms investing and expanding their operations in Vietnam, with a focus on sci-tech, and promoting a balanced trade.

Presidential Chief of Staff Kim hoped that the bilateral ties will keep growing robustly and effectively in the next 30 years and beyond.

The RoK will continue working closely with Vietnam at global and regional forums for the sake of peace, stability and prosperity in the region and the world, he said.
 
Foreign Minister Park Jin proposed fostering strategic cooperation in line with the new partnership framework, especially in semiconductor industry, digital transformation, green transition, sci-tech, climate change response, and training of strategic personnel and high-quality human resources.

Both sides affirmed their viewpoint of settling territorial disputes in the East Sea via peaceful means, in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to ensure security, safety, freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea.

On October 14, the Vietnamese delegation is scheduled to hold a working session with staff of the Vietnamese Embassy and meet with the Vietnamese community in the RoK.

Int’l friends praise Party leader’s book on socialism in Vietnam

International friends spoke highly of the great value of the book "Some theoretical and practical issues on socialism and the path towards socialism in Vietnam” by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong during a ceremony to launch the book’s Dutch language version in Brussels, Belgium on October 12.

Chinese Ambassador to Belgium Cao Zhongming highly valued  Vietnam's developments over the past nearly eight decades under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), expressed his belief that under the leadership of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Vietnam will continue to reap more achievements in socio-economic development, and its position in the international arena will be enhanced.

Meanwhile, David Prestieau from the Workers' Party of Belgium (PTB)’s political department praised Vietnam for its outstanding development, especially efforts to achieve the United Nations' millennium development goals.

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has shown that policies and actions of the Party and State of Vietnam to protect the people, control the health crisis and recover the economy are much more effective than those of other countries across the world, he said.

Prestieau reaffirmed that the PTB shares the values of Vietnamese socialism, expressing the desire to continue working closely with Vietnam and joins hands with the Southeast Asian nation in building a more equitable and sustainable world.

Lao Ambassdor to Belgium Kingphokeo Phommahaxay said he hopes that that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's book will soon be translated into Laotian and published in his country so that the Lao people can understand more about the history of the long-standing close relationship between the two countries.

Delegates expressed their belief that the book will importantly contribute to promoting the image of Vietnam more widely to international friends, helping them understand more fully, deeply and comprehensively about the national construction and development, as well as the path towards socialism in the Southeast Asian nation.

In his speech at the event, Ambassador and Head of the Vietnamese Delegation to Belgium and the European Union (EU) Nguyen Van Thao emphasised that since gaining independence in 1945, the Vietnamese people have chosen the path towards socialism, with the goal of building an independent, self-resilient, prosperous and strong country where its people can enjoy a prosperous and happy life.

Over the past 78 years, under the Party's leadership, the Vietnamese people have overcome all difficulties, and achieved many breakthrough achievements, he stressed, adding that Vietnam has emerged as a dynamic economy, becoming an important link in global economic linkages.

Thao affirmed that in its development process, Vietnam always appreciates the solidarity and friendship as well as the valuable support and cooperation of international friends.

The diplomat took the occasion to thank the Workers' Party of Belgium for helping translate the book into Dutch and for closely coordinating with the Vietnamese Embassy recently.

Launched in 2022 on the occasion of the 92nd founding anniversary of the CPV, the book - one of the highly influential publications of the Party leader, gathers his 29 outstanding articles and speeches, aiming to help cadres, Party members, and people gain an insight into socialism and the path to socialism in Vietnam, so as to promote consensus in society and bring into play the great national solidarity to achieve the strategic goals set by the Party, late President Ho Chi Minh and the people.

Exhibition spotlights General Vo Nguyen Giap’s daily life

A photo exhibition on General Vo Nguyen Giap kicked off in Hanoi on October 13 to mark the 10th death anniversary of the legendary military leader.

The exhibition, held by Thang Long-Hanoi Heritage Conservation Centre in collaboration with Quang Binh Club, photographer Colonel Tran Hong, introduces to visitors 30 large photos about General Giap.

Besides the photos of the General re-visiting Dien Bien Phu, the moments when he was busy at work or meeting with compatriots and friends from all over the world, there are ones that showcase his daily life as well as capturing people's affection for him.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, photographer Colonel Tran Hong said the exhibition was organised with a desire to honour and pay tribute to the great contributions of General Vo Nguyen Giap to the homeland.

General Vo Nguyen Giap, whose real name is Vo Giap (alias Van), was born in Loc Thuy commune of Le Thuy district in the central province of Quang Binh on August 25, 1911. He passed away in Hanoi on October 4, 2013 at the age of 103.

He once served as a Politburo member, Secretary of the Central Military Commission, Standing Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Defence, Commander-in-Chief of the Vietnamese People’s Army and a National Assembly deputy from the first to seventh tenures.

The General, whose military career starting with his appointment to lead the first Vietnamese revolutionary army unit with only 34 soldiers in 1944, led the Vietnamese people's army from victory to victory during the resistance war against French colonialists and then American imperialists.

The exhibition runs until October 19 at Thang Long Imperial Citital in Hanoi.

Hanoi further promotes cooperative ties with New South Wales

Vice Secretary of the Hanoi municipal Party Committee Nguyen Van Phong has held a working session with CEO of Investment New South Wales Katie Knight in Sydney on October 11, as part of his working trip to New Zealand and Australia from October 6-15.

Phong said the year 2023 marks an important milestone as Vietnam and Australia are celebrating the 50th founding anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties.

As the capital city of Vietnam, Hanoi has always taken the lead in promoting cooperation with Australian states and cities, and New South Wales in particular, he said.

The official wished the two localities would foster collaboration in trade and investment, education and training, and cultural exchanges to step up two-way tourism.

Hanoi also wants to cooperate with other Australian cities within the framework of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network to by increasing various forms of online and direct cultural exchanges, which will facilitate the sharing of experience in the development of the cultural and film industry, promote creativity in urban development, digital innovation in literature, and support young writers from both countries, he said.

Knight, for her part, said New South Wales and Hanoi have substantial potential and opportunities for further collaboration, given that the Australian Government has recently unveiled its Southeast Asia Economic Strategy, spanning until 2040, with the goal of enhancing trade connections in the region and developing partnerships with Asian nations, including Vietnam.

New South Wales has set up a representative office in Vietnam and is ready to welcome Vietnamese firms, including those from Hanoi, to participate in its socio-economic development, particularly investment cooperation in digital transformation and innovation, she said.

Both sides agreed on measures to bolster effective cooperation in the coming time, including facilitating the exchange of high-level, business and university delegations to explore new opportunities.

At a working session with Councilor of the City of Sydney Council, Deputy Lord Mayor Robert Kok, Phong suggested Sydney send experts to Hanoi to share experience in creative city development and holding major festivals to attract tourists at home and abroad during festive occasions.

At working sessions with Macquarie University, RMIT University and Google Education, he asked both sides to propose specific collaboration possibilities in training Hanoi's officials and public servants, and expand training partnership programmes between universities.

On October 13, the Hanoi delegation cut the ribbon to open the "Hanoi - Vietnam" booth at the Home Show exhibition, a major event in the furniture industry in the Asia-Pacific.

They also attended a trade connection conference with Australian businesses co-hosted by the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade and the Vietnamese Trade Office in Australia.

RoK’s Sacheon city, Vung Tau to beef up cooperative ties

A delegation from the Sacheon City Council of the Republic of Korea (RoK), led by its Chairman Yun Hyeong-keun, visited and held a working session with the People's Committee of Vung Tau city in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau on October 13.

Yun said the trip aimed to foster exchanges and discussions towards signing a friendly exchange agreement between the two cities in the fields of export-import of specialty products, tourism promotion, and facilitating visits related to festivals, sport and cultural events.

Chairman of the Vung Tau municipal People’s Committee Hoang Vu Thanh wished that friendly and investment cooperation between the two cities would be deepened over time.

He informed his guests that Vung Tau has officially become the 124th member of the Tourism Promotion Organisation for Asia-Pacific Cities (TPO) and has signed agreements for cultural exchanges and multilateral cooperation with several Korean localities. On March 17, Vung Tau successfully held the TPO's annual conference, through which it expanded cooperation, cultural exchanges, tourism and economic promotion with countries in the region.

Thanh also took this occasion to introduce the city’s potential and strengths, especially in marine economy, tourism and aquaculture.

While in Vung Tau, the Korean delegation is also scheduled to visit local economic and cultural facilities in order to seek effective and long-term cooperation ways.

Huy hunts Olympic place at Asian shooting championship

Asian Games champion Phạm Quang Huy will seek an Olympic place at the 2023 Asian Shooting Championship in South Korea later this month.

The 15th competition will take place from October 22 to November 2 in Changwon City. Top shooters from across Asia will compete in various events.

Huy who won Việt Nam's first ever Asian Games title will compete in his strong point of men's 10m air pistol against more than 110 athletes. 

Việt Nam have to date earned one place in the women's 10m air pistol event by Trịnh Thu Vinh.

After his historic gold, Huy is favourite to take another at these games. The 27-year-old revealed that his top priority was to qualify for the 2024 Olympics Games.

A total of 24 Olympic quota places will be on offer in the Korean tournament in which about 1,800 athletes from 45 nations are expected to participate.

The places are divided across the 12 individual events in the rifle, pistol, trap and skeet categories 

Hoàng Xuân Vinh has been the only Vietnamese athlete winning medals at the Olympics. He pocketed one gold and one silver from the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016. 

Vietnam Embassy in UK urged to join in promoting Hanoi’s images

A delegation from Hanoi led by the President of the municipal Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Committee Nguyen Lan Huong paid a visit to the UK from October 9-13, aiming to promote the city’s images.

On October 9, the delegation joined a programme for Vietnam’s localities to promote their images in the UK.

The delegation also visited the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK and met with representatives of the Vietnamese community in London.

At the meeting, Huong informed overseas Vietnamese in the UK about Hanoi’s socio-economic development and areas in which the city wants to attract investment.

The UK ranks 11th among countries and territories that have foreign direct investment (FDI) in Hanoi.

In the first six months of 2023, Hanoi's export turnover to the UK reached 44 million USD, with clothes, machinery and equipment, footwear, and ceramics as main exports.

In the period, Hanoi spent 58 million USD importing goods, mainly metal and mechanical products, electronic and computer components, pharmaceuticals, from the UK.

The capital city welcomed 2.03 million international visitors, seven times higher than that of the same period in 2022, of which 81,460 tourists were from the UK.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK Nguyen Hoang Long said that he hopes Hanoi will connect, invest and cooperate with the UK in international finance.

He said over the past time, the embassy has always accompanied and served as a bridge for Vietnamese localities, including Hanoi, to connect and promote collaboration with British localities in trade, information technology, digital transformation, and education-training.

He noted digital economy and clean energy transition are two areas where the UK has strengths and offers Hanoi great opportunities for cooperation in the coming time.

Vietnam hopes to deepen comprehensive partnership with Canada

Vietnamese Ambassador to Canada Pham Vinh Quang presented his credentials to Canadian Governor General Mary Jeannie May Simon in Ottawa on October 13.

During the meeting after the presentation of credentials ceremony, Ambassador Quang affirmed that the leaders and people of Vietnam wish to maintain, comprehensively develop, and further deepen the comprehensive partnership established in 2017 between the two countries.

Quang said that on Vietnam's path of development and international integration, Canada is always one of the most important partners.

Canada is Vietnam's second largest trading partner, after the US, in the American continent. Meanwhile, Vietnam is Canada's gateway to Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region. Currently, Vietnam is Canada's leading trading partner in ASEAN and Canada's 6th largest trading partner in the group of 40 Indo-Pacific countries.

He informed the host of the increasingly profound and effective development of the Vietnam-Canada Comprehensive Partnership, especially in 2023 when the two countries celebrate the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.

Since the beginning of this year, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau have met twice on the sidelines of summits in Japan in May and in Indonesia in September. During their meetings, the two leaders expressed their impression of the progress in the Vietnam-Canada Comprehensive Partnership, in which trade cooperation is a bright spot with bilateral turnover hitting over 7 billion USD in 2022. The two sides agreed to raise bilateral trade to 10 billion USD in the near future.

The Ambassador emphasised that the two sides need to continue deepening the comprehensive partnership in the fields of politics -diplomacy, and defense-security via promoting regular high-level visits, annual meetings for dialogue and policy exchange at the deputy minister level between the two countries' ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defence, and Industry and Trade.

Vietnam supports Canada's implementation of Indo-Pacific strategies and strategic partnership with ASEAN, especially in economics, trade, investment, and development cooperation. The Southeast Asian nation is ready to welcome a Canadian ministerial delegation to visit Vietnam in 2024 to explore and promote cooperation opportunities, especially in areas where Canada has strengths such as energy transition, digital transformation, green transformation, or innovation, and the sharing of experience in technology, governance, and human resources training.

The Ambassador expressed his wish that Canada creates favourable conditions for Vietnamese businesses and further open the market for Vietnamese goods, especially agricultural and aquatic products.

He also expected cultural, sports, and tourism cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and cooperation between localities of the two countries will be further promoted.

For her part, Governor General Simon congratulated Ambassador Quang on his new working term in Canada, and believed that the diplomat would make contributions to the increasingly effective and substantive development of the Vietnam-Canada Comprehensive Partnership in the coming years.

She express her pleasure with the sound development of the bilateral ties, while saying she believes the two countries will continue to strengthen cooperation and coordination in regional, international issues such as climate change, thereby contributing to maintaining peace, stability, and prosperous development in the Indo-Pacific region and the world as well.

Canada, a multi-ethnic country like Vietnam, wants to strengthen cultural cooperation and people-to-people exchanges with Vietnam, she said.

She also affirmed that the Vietnamese community in Canada plays an important role and actively contributes to Canada’s development and cultural diversity.

Yen Bai enhances cooperation with France's Val de Marne province

A delegation from the northern province of Yen Bai led by Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Do Duc Duy is on a working visit to France from October 12-15 to strengthen cooperation between the province of French localities, especially Val de Marne province.

On October 12, the Yen Bai delegation worked with representatives from Val De Marne to review the two localities’ cooperation in the past time in three areas - climate change adaptation, water supply and wastewater treatment, and healthcare for mothers and children.

They shared experience and discussed strategies with priorities for further cooperation in the coming time.

On this occasion, the two localities signed a framework agreement on cooperation in the 2023-2028 period, an agreement on healthcare for mothers and children in Yen Bai province, and a project on waste mud treatment in Yen Bai city.

On October 13, the delegation met with Karim Bouamrane, Mayor of Saint Ouen sur Seine, and other leaders of the city, during which they discussed potential areas of cooperation such as urban transport infrastructure, healthcare, education, and sports.

During the visit to France, the Yen Bai delegation visited the Vietnamese Embassy in France.

Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang highlighted the participation of Yen Bai and Val de Marne in the 12 Vietnam- France decentralised cooperation conferences held in Hanoi last April, saying that the traditional and effective cooperation between the two localities is one of the models for the decentralised cooperation of Vietnam and France.

Since Yen Bai and Val de Marne formed friendship and cooperative ties in 1996, bilateral relations have been increasingly reinforced and reaped fruitful results. Val-de-Marne has effectively assisted Yen Bai in such fields as health care, culture, heritage value promotion, water supply and wastewater treatment, agriculture and rural development, and economic development.

Val de Marne welcomed more than 200 officials from Yen Bai province to study, improve qualifications and skills in areas, and share experiences.

Vietnam takes active part in 54th session of Human Rights Council

Vietnam has shown active participation in and made practical contributions to the 54th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC), which wrapped up on October 13.

During the five-week 54th session, the HRC obtained numerous positive results, including adopting 37 resolutions and holding five panel discussions on unilateral coercive measures and human rights, the integration of a gender perspective throughout the work of the HRC, the rights of indigenous peoples, youth and human rights, and cyberbullying against children.

It also held discussions on 87 thematic reports, discussions and dialogues with 37 Special Procedures of the HRC and UN human rights mechanisms, along with discussions and dialogues on the human rights situations in some countries. The HRC completed procedures for approving the fourth-cycle Universal Periodic Review (UPR) reports of 14 countries, elected seven members to the HRC Advisory Committee for 2023 - 2026, and appointed 12 personnel for the HRC’s Special Procedures.

The Vietnamese delegation, led by Ambassador Le Thi Tuyet Mai, head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the UN, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and other international organisations in Geneva, chaired the drafting of and presented the joint speech on promoting the human right to vaccination. It also coordinated with Brazil and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) to chair an international seminar on the promotion of the human right to vaccination.

Vietnam, which is an HRC member in the 2023 - 2025 tenure, also joined India in co-sponsoring and organising an international discussion on the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the 30th anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. The event followed Vietnam’s initiative proposed last February on an HRC resolution on commemorating the two declarations.

In addition, the delegation also actively raised opinions at many discussions on different issues such as promoting and protecting the economic, social and cultural rights amid the settlement of inequalities during post-COVID-19 recovery, the right to development, youth and human rights, and cyberbullying against children.

In its remarks, the delegation highlighted Vietnam’s policy on promoting and protecting human rights for all, and introduced the measures the country has taken to support post-pandemic recovery, ensure social security for people, and ease the financial burden caused by the COVID-19 pandemic for vulnerable groups.

It also underlined the need to promote initiatives and actions at the national, regional, and international levels to resolve adverse impacts of such global challenges as climate change, which are threatening the enjoyment of human rights of people worldwide, especially vulnerable groups, as well as the realisation of the sustainable development goals.

Vietnam affirmed the necessity for settling political divisions and differences, and stepping up cooperation and trust building, including via the HRC’s activities to ensure people around the world can fully enjoy human rights.

Together with other ASEAN countries, the Vietnamese delegation also delivered some joint speeches on the issues of the bloc’s concern such as technical cooperation and capacity building, and the integration of gender equality into the work of the HRC and UPR.

During the 54th session, Vietnam actively met and talked to other countries’ delegations, joined in the drafting of documents, and co-sponsored many initiatives in the spirit of dialogue and cooperation, thereby reflecting its consistent viewpoint, policy, and achievements in human rights promotion and protection and helping ensure the HRC’s activities are in line with the fundamental principles of international law.

Overseas Vietnamese in Czech Republic promote solidarity

The Vietnamese People Association in the Czech Republic on October 12 held a meeting to review its performance in the past time and identify orientations for the next year.

At the meeting, Nguyen Duy Nhien, Chairman of the association, summarised and evaluated the the association’s activities, highlighting solidarity and mutual support to overcome difficulties of the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic.

Hoang Dinh Thang, Chairman of the Union of Vietnamese People Associations in Europe, spoke highly of the development of the asssociation since its establishment nearly 25 years.

Towards the 25th anniversary of the association's founding, and the association’s 7th congress for the 2024-2029 term, the association has defined work directions for next year with a focus on activities to help its members stabilise their lives and better integrate into the the host's society, promote the beautiful images of Vietnamese people, coordinate with Vietnamese representative agencies to provides updates on policies and procedures related to Vietnamese people abroad and new policies and laws of the host country.

Priorities given to prevent, curb smoking among adolescents, women

A delegation from Bloomberg Philanthropies and organisations joining the charity fund’s initiative to mitigate tobacco use visited Vietnam from October 9-12.

The delegation led by Betsy Fuller, Senior Programme Manager of Bloomberg Philanthropies’s Public Health Programme, met with representatives from the Ministry of Health, the Vietnam Tobacco Control Fund, the Central Committee of Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, the Vietnam Women's Union and related ministries and agencies to continue to raise the efficiency of support from international organisations to tobacco control activities in Vietnam.

At a meeting with the delegation on October 9, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan called on the Bloomberg Philanthropies to continue to support Vietnam in implementing the goals of the National Strategy on Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control to 2030, and the law on tobacco harm prevention and control, especially the issue of increasing tobacco taxes, preventing the use of preventing the use of e-cigarettes and heated cigarettes, and continuing to help increase capacity for the Vietnam Tobacco Control Fund and workers engaging in tobacco harm prevention and control in Vietnam.

On October 10, the delegation attended a confernce of experts on tobacco harm prevention and control, during which the participants said that activities to prevent and combat tobacco harm are increasingly promoted in provinces and cities nationwide. Communication work on the harmful effects of tobacco and building a smoke-free environment is organised nationwide in diverse forms.

As a result, the rate of tobacco use among men aged from 15 and above decreased from 42.3% in 2020 to 38.9% in 2022. The rate of tobacco use among students aged between 13 and 15 dropped from 2.5% in 2014 to 1.9% in 2022.

At meetings with representatives from the women's union and youth union, Betsy Fuller said Vietnam has launched many effective campaigns to prevent and combat the harmful effects of tobacco among young people.

She said that to continue to effectively prevent smoking among teenagers, Vietnam's cigarette tax rate needs to be adjusted to increase according to recommendations of the World Health Organisation.

The delegation highly appreciated the tobacco harm prevention and control activities implemented by the Vietnam Women's Union and agreed to continue to provide support, especially those to curb smoking among adolescents and women.

Last sections of My Thuan 2 Bridge joined

The last sections of My Thuan 2 Bridge, connecting the Mekong Delta provinces of Tien Giang and Vinh Long, were joined in the presence of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on October 14.

This was the fifth time the Government leader had examined the construction of this bridge, which spans the Tien River and also forms part of My Thuan - Can Tho Expressway.

My Thuan 2 Bridge, having its work started on March 16, 2020, is over 6.61km long in total and lies parallel with the existing My Thuan Bridge. It starts at the intersection of An Thai Trung (Cai Be district of Tien Giang province) and Trung Luong - My Thuan Expressway, and ends at the intersection of National Highway 80 (Vinh Long city of Vinh Long province) and My Thuan - Can Tho Expressway.

The project has total investment of about 5 trillion VND (204.4 million USD) funded by the state budget.

Once put into use, My Thuan 2 Bridge will help complete the expressway route from Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho city, thus enhancing the transport connectivity between the southern economic hub and Mekong Delta localities, easing the transport pressure on My Thuan Bridge and National Highway 1A, meeting the growing transportation demand, and fueling economic, cultural, and social development in the Mekong Delta.

Addressing the ceremony, PM Chinh praised ministries, central agencies, and localities’ support for and close coordination in the construction of My Thuan 2, which is completely invested, designed, built, managed, and examined by Vietnam.

He asked for continued efforts to finish the remaining workload so as to open the bridge in late 2023.

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