A shortage of six vaccines is putting the Expanded Program on Immunization in HCMC at risk.

The city’s health sector sees disruption risks in the supply of vaccines against measles and DTP (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis) that have not been offered in May; Japanese encephalitis from the middle of October; BCG (bacille Calmette-Guerin) from the middle of December; MR (Measles-Rubella) from the beginning of October; and 5-in-1 DPT-VGB-Hib (SII) vaccine against DPT (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis), hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae B (HIB) manufactured by India from the middle of December.

The lack of the Bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV) is scheduled to take place in the middle of October.

The HCMC Department of Health proposed that the People’s Committee of the city send a request for the supply of vaccines to the Health Ministry to meet the demands of the population in the southern economic hub.

On June 29 and August 12, the HCMC Health Department sent documents of disruption risks in the supply of vaccines against measles and DTP (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis) to the Ministry of Health. However, the city has not received these vaccines yet.

The National Expanded Program on Immunization in Vietnam began in 1981 and was initiated by the Ministry of Health with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF).

The program offers free vaccination to under-1 children to protect them from deadly childhood diseases. In 2010, 11 vaccines were authorized for children in the National Expanded Program on Immunization.

PM steps up response to cybersecurity incidents

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has issued a directive to step up response to cybersecurity incidents in Vietnam.

Directive No. 18/CT-TTg states that cybersecurity is vital to creating digital trust and protecting the country's development in the digital era in order to successfully implement national digital transformation.

As such, responding to cybersecurity incidents is key to helping agencies and organisations minimise damage.

However, the current response to cybersecurity incidents is failing to meet the threat, with unpredictable consequences for socio-economic development and stability.

The PM urged leaders to supervise the implementation of the directive.

Under the directive, the PM urged response scenarios be finalised by the end of this year.

The Ministry of Information and Communications was tasked with instructing response teams with the Ministry of Defence.

Telco and internet service providers will publicise contact information this month and guide customers how to make reports.

United Nations Secretary-General wraps up visit to VN

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres left Hà Nội on Sunday, wrapping up his two-day official visit to Việt Nam.

During his visit, the UN Secretary-General had many important activities, including visiting and laying a wreath at Hồ Chí Minh Mausoleum, paying a courtesy visit to Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng, holding talks with President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc and meeting with Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and National Assembly Chairman Vương Đình Huệ.   

At a meeting with the UN Secretary-General, Party General Secretary Trọng spoke highly of Guterres' visit on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of Việt Nam’s membership of the UN, which he said has a significant meaning to the relations between Việt Nam and the UN. 

Trọng gave high regard to the UN’s role in global affairs as the largest global organisation that operates in multiple fields of peacekeeping, security, cooperation for development, and promoting human rights.

Việt Nam considered the UN an important international partner and a priority in the country’s foreign policies, he said. 

During talks with President Phúc, Guterres believed that Việt Nam would continue the effective implementation of macroeconomic policies at the core, while also protecting the environment, adapting to climate change, and becoming a model of success for other countries.

He affirmed that the UN will continue supporting the development priorities of Việt Nam and hoped that Việt Nam would continue contributing to global affairs, and as the host of major international events in the future, especially on the sea and ocean. 

President Phúc stressed that Việt Nam had a strong commitment to multilateralism and supports the central role of the UN in global governance and coordination of international efforts to address common issues.

Việt Nam is ready to do its best for the UN’s common works, for peace, security and sustainable development in the world, Phúc said. 

Co-chairing a ceremony to mark the 45th anniversary of Việt Nam’s membership of the UN with President Phúc in Hà Nội on Friday, Guterres said Việt Nam once again has the opportunity to be a powerhouse for change, to secure a climate resilient future and to leave no one behind.

While lauding Việt Nam’s bold decision to accelerate its phaseout of coal, jumpstart the renewables revolution, and achieve net zero by 2050, he said the country needs the support to speed this transition and accelerate the greening of its economy.

At meetings with Prime Minister Chính and National Assembly Chairman Huệ, the UN Secretary-General spoke highly of the role and voice of Việt Nam in the international arena and committed his full support for the main pillars of Việt Nam's development policy.

Vietnamese leaders thanked the UN for standing side by side with Việt Nam in every development stage. During the difficult period of COVID-19 in particular, the UN’s support helped Việt Nam drive back the pandemic.

The two sides also expresed concern about the negative impacts of the pandemic, climage change, food security and inflation. They emphasised the need for countries worldwide to join hands in addressing such challenges.

They also agreed to enhance cooperation between ASEAN and the UN. 

During the visit, UN Secretary-General Guterres and Foreign Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn co-chaired a meeting with students at the Diplomatic Academy of Việt Nam about innovation and the participation of the youth for a sustainable and exclusive fture.

While in Hà Nội, Guterres visited Văn Miếu - Quốc Tử Giám (The Temple of Literature), the Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long and Ngọc Sơn temple.

The visit by Guterres is the fourth visit to Việt Nam by a UN Secretary-General. The visit has been success, helping to strengthen the relations between the UN and Việt Nam, contributing to promoting peace, sustainable development, climate change adaptation and human rights in the world. 

Hanoi honors 90 best craft designs

The Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade on October 20 gave a total of 90 awards to the best designs of craft products under the Hanoi Craft Design Contest 2022.

Of the total 90 awards, six designs won the first prize, 18 were awarded the second prize, 24 given the third prize, and 42 won the consolation prize.

With the theme “Collection of quintessence from the craft villages of the capital city”, the designs are created by the hands of skillful artisans. New materials were introduced into a balance mixture to make the uniqueness and elegance of each output.

In addition to traditional process, the use of sciences and technologies in craft making brings both modernity and artistry into the designs.

The contest aims to encourage individuals and organizations in the city to creatively bring their designs into life in order to diversify the list of craft products for the city. In addition, the contest is expected to promote the image, culture and people of Hanoi and the traditions of Vietnamese craft villages to the international community.

Craft producers are also encouraged to approach and adopt clean production methods to produce environmentally-friendly handicrafts, reduce environmental pollution, and meet the standards of sustainable development.

Phat came to the contest with his “The five tigers” sculpture which matches modern interior design. He won the second prize at the contest. Seventy percent of Phat’s products are exported.

The contest was launched in April 2022. It is a part of the Hanoi Gifts Show 2022 that runs from October 20 to October 23, 2022.

The contest receives a total of 376 craft designs from 180 individuals and organizations in six craft categories.

Scoring criteria are related to creativity, feasibility for commercialization, environmentally-friendliness, and appropriation to cultural traditions.

Award-winning designs are now on display at the Hanoi Gift Show 2022 in the National Planning, Construction and Architecture Exhibition Center, Hanoi.

Artists raise funds to build houses for the needy

An exhibition showcasing art works by more than 100 painters and sculptors across Vietnam is being held virtually to raise funds to build houses for needy people in the central provinces of Quang Nam and Thua Thien-Hue.

The exhibition Xuoi Dong Song Thu 2022 (Autumn River Flow 2022) displays more than 100 works, including wooden sculptures and oil, lacquer, and watercolour paintings.

Themes of the works are the beauty of the country, women, lifestyle, culture, and portraits. Still-life paintings are also featured.

The highlights of the exhibition are works by famous painters and sculptors such as Luu Cong Nhan, Tran Thao Hien, Bui Tien Tuan, Nguyen Manh Hung and Nguyen Tan Phat.

The showcase includes a sketch titled Chan Dung Thieu Nu (A Girl Portrait) by late painter Luu Cong Nhan.

Nhan, whose mentor was one of the country’s four legends of fine arts, To Ngoc Van (1906 – 1954), participated in exhibitions in many countries including Germany, Russia and France. He received the State Award (First Phase) in 2002.

Moscow-based painter Tran Thao Hien presents an oil on canvas painting Sac Mau Hoang Hon (Colours of Sunset).

Hien, who has created art for 15 years, hosted two solo exhibitions in Moscow, Russia in 2015 and 2021, and an exhibition in HCM City in May. Her paintings mostly portray beautiful landscapes of countries where she has travelled.

Nguyen Manh Hung, a graduate of Vietnam Fine Arts University, introduces a painting Mua Thu Non Song (Autumn in the Country) highlighting the beauty of Vietnam.

Artist Ngo Tran Vu of HCM City, the exhibition’s organiser and curator, said, “around 50 – 100% of the profits from the painting sales will be used to build houses for needy people in Quang Nam and Thua Thien-Hue provinces.”

The exhibition is raising funds until November 5.

All exhibited works can be viewed at https://www.facebook.com/ngotranvublog.

ASEAN strengthens collaboration in building regional disaster resilience

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) reaffirmed its resolve to strengthen collaboration in building disaster resilience in the region at the 10th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management (AMMDM) and 11th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) on October 20.

The meetings were hosted by the Government of Thailand as the current Chair of AMMDM and ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM).

The ministers noted the progress in the implementation of the five priority programmes of the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) Work Programme for 2021-2025.

They also charted the strategic directions to further strengthen ASEAN’s capacity on disaster prevention and mitigation, preparedness and response, and recovery, amid the evolving, complex disaster risk landscape.

The meeting welcomed the establishment of the ASEAN Disaster Resilience Platform (ADRP) this year, with the participation of 12 relevant ASEAN sectoral bodies from all three pillars of the ASEAN community. It noted the ADRP's plan to host the first ASEAN Disaster Response Forum together with the ASEAN Strategic Policy Dialogue on Disaster Management as well as the 20th anniversary of ACDM next year in Singapore.

The meeting lauded the organisation of the first ASEAN-Republic of Korea Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management (AMMDM ROK); highly appreciated the new commitments of China, Japan and the RoK in the field of disaster management, as well as the launch of negotiations on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish ASEAN-China Centre for Emergency Management Cooperation (ACCEMC).

The conference also welcomed the signing of the MoU by ASEAN and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies  (IFRC) on strengthening community resilience in Southeast Asia in May this year. It reaffirmed the role of the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre) in implementing the “One ASEAN, One Response Declaration”.

The 11th AMMDM and the 12th AADMER are scheduled to be held next year under the chair of Vietnam.

Vietnam, Italy boost judicial and legal cooperation

A Vietnamese delegation from the Vietnamese Ministry of Justice led by Deputy Minister Phan Chi Hieu paid a working visit to Italy from October 19-21.

At a working session with the Italian Ministry of Justice, the two sides reviewed their judicial and legal cooperation, especially since the two ministries signed a Memorandum of Understanding on October 27, 2016. 

To realise the MoU, the Vietnamese Ministry of Justice built a draft bilateral cooperation programme for the 2023-2024 period, with specific and comprehensive cooperation plans, focusing on judicial and legal activities, management of judicial vocations and personnel training.

Chief of the Department of Judicial Affairs Nicola Russo pledged to step up the bilateral cooperation programme for the 2023-2024 period.

Both sides attended a workshop on the experience and role of the Ministry of Justice in the management of judicial occupations.

The Vietnamese delegation also held working sessions with the High Council of the Judiciary, the National Council of Notaries, the International Chamber of Arbitration, the Sapienza University of Rome and the Vietnamese Embassy in Italy.

Hieu expressed his belief that the working results during the visit will contribute to deepening ties between the two justice ministries as well as judicial cooperation between the two nations.

Vietnamese citizens advised to be cautious when signing contracts to work abroad

The Department of Overseas Labour (DOLAB) under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs on October 21 offered recommendations to ensure Vietnamese guest workers work legally, safely and effectively in foreign countries.

The move came after the department heard information that Vietnamese nationals had been incited to work abroad, including some African countries, and some had been cheated.

Those sent to work abroad through service companies should carefully verify information related to their job as well as language and skill requirements before signing labour contracts, the DOLAB said.

They can contact the department through the phone number 024.38249517 to receive more information.

According to the DOLAB, over the past two years, the department has received procedures for the registration of employment contracts in the African region of several companies and accepted them. These jobs mainly concentrate in the construction and navigation sectors.

Vietnam commits to supporting foreign NGOs

The Committee for Foreign Non-Governmental Organisation Affairs (COMINGO) and Vietnamese agencies will continue partnering with and offer effective support to foreign NGOs in Vietnam, thus ensuring their legitimate rights and interests.

Phan Anh Son, Vice President and Secretary General of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations and COMINGO Vice President, made the statement during a conference in Ho Chi Minh City on October 21 to share information with foreign NGOs in the south.

Son shared key tasks related to NGO affairs this year, as well as priority works of the People’s Aid Coordinating Committee, COMINGO’s units and foreign NGOs in the near future.

He suggested foreign NGOs maintain the sharing of information with COMINGO, follow Vietnam’s regulations, and stand side by side with the country for national development.

According to COMINGO, 436 foreign NGOS offered 108.5 million USD worth of aid to Vietnam in the first half of this year. Of the figure, over 30 million USD was used for social affairs, about 27 million USD for socio-economic development, and 16.9 million USD for health care.

Foreign NGOs in the south wished COMINGO to continue renewing working methods, reforming administrative procedures and creating more favourable conditions for them, especially those related to licensing procedures.

They also vowed to work closely with Vietnamese agencies and partners.

On October 14 in Hanoi, COMINGO held a similar conference to share information with foreign NGOs in the north.

WWF launches campaign against wildlife meat consumption

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) on October 21 launched a communications campaign in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia to change the habit of consuming wildlife meat among urban people, highlighting the threats to public health and the nature.

Van Ngoc Thinh, Director of WWF Vietnam, said that Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia are showing high levels of wildlife consumption, especially mammals and birds that are easily found in markets and restaurants.

He cited a survey by WWF and GlobeScan in 2021 in Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, China and the US which showed that 7% of the total people  asked said that they or someone they knew had bought wildlife meat products at wildlife markets in the past 12 months.

The consumption of wild animal meat severely degrades wildlife populations, causes cross-border and domestic crimes, and significantly increases the risk of zoonotic disease transmission, he said, stressing that most consumers are not aware of the potential risks that they, their family and the society face when buying bushmeat.

Meanwhile, Dao Ngoc Van, WWF Vietnam’s senior advisor for wildlife trafficking combat, said that the main reason for people to eat wildlife meat is they believe it is fresh and delicious, helping them to show their social status, or improve their health. Through the campaign, the WWF hopes that the target group in particular and the public in general understand that wild animal meat consumption is not worth risking the health of themselves and the community, Van said.

Nguyen Van Long, Acting Director of the Department of Animal Health under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that there have been increasingly number of dangerous infectious diseases originating from wild animals that spread to humans such as HIV/AIDS, Ebola, MERS-Cov, COVID-19, Monkeypox.

Mountain bikers to compete in Asian championships

Việt Nam sent six athletes to compete at the Suncheon Asian Mountain Bike Championship in South Korea through October 23.

The event will be held in the four categories of cross-country, cross-country relay, cross-country eliminator and cross-country downhill.

A total of 27 medals will be awarded to outstanding athletes who will also receive points for their qualification for the Paris Olympics 2024.

The tournament draws almost 2,000 people from 17 Asian countries participating for five days from Wednesday.

Đinh Thị Như Quỳnh, who won a gold in the 31st SEA Games in May, is the best cross-country athlete of Việt Nam and hopes to get a good result in Suncheon.

Quàng Thị Soan, who grabbed a bronze at the 2015 championship, is also expected to at least match her top three result.

Trần Thị Mai is a talented woman athlete who just won a national gold medal in the age group of 17-18 in August.

At the same event, Nguyễn Văn Lãm secured two golds and two silvers in the men's age group of 17-18.

Bùi Văn Nhất and Đinh Văn Linh won silvers at the SEA Games at their first time at the regional sport meet. 

Coach Chung takes part in women World Cup draw

Coach Mai Đức Chung will take part in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup draw on October 22 in New Zealand.

The draw will be held at the Aotea Centre in Auckland and will commence at 7.30pm local time.

Việt Nam will join 31 teams divided into four groups at the competition. Southeast Asian champion Việt Nam is placed in the third group with Denmark, Switzerland, Ireland, Colombia, Argentina, Costa Rica and Jamaica.

The 71-year-old coach also revealed plans about his team preparing for the World Cup.

Players will be summoned for the first training camp after the national championship later this month.

Chung and the staff of the Việt Nam Football Federation will stay in New Zealand for several days to inspect the competition's venue, training area, accommodation and food. These activities are to ensure his team's comfortable stay during the World Cup.

The ninth edition of the tournament is co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand with a record-high 64 matches to be played across 10 different stadiums.

The World Cup will begin on July 20, 2023, as both Australia and New Zealand to play their first group matches.

The host traditionally opens the tournament, and New Zealand has been proactively assigned to Group A, while Australia is slotted into Group B.

Exactly one month later, the final will then be played on August 20, 2023 at Stadium Australia in Sydney. 

Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Program 2023 announced

The US Mission in Vietnam seeks qualified candidates for the 2023 Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Program in the field of Game Design and Development.

Through the Scholar-in-Residence Program, US institutions host a scholar from outside of the United States to teach courses, assist in curriculum development, guest lecture in their area of expertise, develop study abroad/exchange partnerships and engage with the campus and within the local community. 

The Scholar-in-Residence works across departments and curricula to enhance or expand existing international programs, develop new world area studies programs, add an international dimension to existing coursework or provide an opportunity for US students to learn about a particular world region or country.

One qualified candidate will be placed at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts for the full academic year 2023-2024. In the Fall and Spring, the Scholar will co-teach a experiential production course entitled Game Studio along with an instructor with significant previous experience. In the Spring, the Scholar-in-Residence would also teach an advanced topics colloquium on international interactive media development.

For details on the eligibility requirements, expenses covered and application process, visit the website at https://vn.usembassy.gov/education-culture/fulbright-program-vietnam/the-fulbright-scholar-in-residence-sir-program-ay2023-2024/ or contact Ms. Hoang Phuong, Program Assistant at phone (024) 3850-5067 or email hoangpvl@state.gov. Deadline 5:00 p.m., February 20, 2022 (Vietnam time).

Saigon River Tunnel partially closed for three nights for fire safety test

The HCMC Department of Transport has announced the temporary closure of the Saigon River Tunnel for three nights to test the automatic fire safety system.

According to the authorities, the tunnel will be closed from 11 p.m. on October 22 to 4 a.m. on October 23 for vehicles traveling from District 1 to Thu Duc City.

Vehicles on the other direction, from Thu Duc City to District 1, will be banned from 11 p.m. on October 23 to 4 a.m. on October 24.

The tunnel will be closed for both directions at the same time frame on October 24 and 25.

The restriction will impact vehicular traffic, as motorbikes are not permitted to cross the tunnel between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. daily.

The automatic fire protection system project was constructed in mid-2021, with an investment of VND95 billion. It is expected to promptly carry out firefighting operations with fire detection sensors and a high-pressure water mist system.

Thu Duc City to resume construction of four bridges in 2023

Thu Duc City authorities expect to complete compensation and site clearance for the four under-construction bridges by the end of 2022, enabling work on the projects to restart early next year.

The information was given by Hoang Tung, chairman of the Thu Duc City government, during a working session on the construction of the four bridges yesterday, October 20.

These projects, costing a total VND2,400 billion, are part of the city’s core transport network. Still, their construction has been halted for years due to site clearance delays.

The 650-meter-long Nam Ly Bridge project on Do Xuan Hop Street, with an investment of VND920 billion, began construction six years ago but came to a halt three years later with 39% completion.

The Ong Nhieu and Ong Bon bridge projects, which cost a total of VND800 billion, have faced difficulties during the land handover phase.

Meanwhile, the Tang Long Bridge construction began on La Xuan Oai Street five years ago. It was terminated due to similar hurdles, with only 30% of the 800-meter-long project being completed.

Hue set to become centrally-governed municipality by 2025

The central province of Thua Thien-Hue will prepare a planning scheme for its entire natural area of around 4,947km2 to realize objectives until 2025, when this province becomes a centrally-governed municipality.

This formed the main portion of Decision No. 1261/QD-TTg dated October 19, 2022, issued by Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh, approving the mission on general planning of Thua Thien-Hue until 2045, with a vision to 2065.

The planning area is the entire administrative boundary of Thua Thien-Hue Province, with six districts, two towns and one city.

As planned, Thua Thien-Hue Province aims to become one of the cultural, tourism and specialized healthcare centers in the Asian region by 2030.

The province also plans to become a national hub in science and technology, multi-disciplinary education and training and national defense security.

By 2045, Thua Thien-Hue is envisioned to become Asia’s festival city, conserving and promoting the heritage values of the ancient capital and Hue’s cultural identity.

Vietnamese national university earns QS Recognition of Improvement

The Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU) has won the QS Recognition of Improvement, making it the first in the country to secure the accreditation.

The award will be presented to university at the 20th QS Higher Ed Summit: Asia Pacific to be held in Indonesia on November 8-10.

The “Recognition of Quality Improvement” certification is awarded to organisations that demonstrate a significant improvement in rating results based on an improvement in average rank.

In recent years, the VNU has maintained its position in the top 801-1000 in the rankings. Its position has steady rose from the top 78.5% of the world's best universities in 2019 to the top 65.3% in 2023.

Currently, the establishment is also present in Group 101-150 in the QS global young universities rankings.

Training seminar for disabled candidates to stand for election

The Vietnam Federation on Disability in partnership with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Vietnam held a seminar on October 22 discussing orientations for a training programme for disabled candidates to join people-elected bodies.

The event was held to introduce and discuss the training programme for candidates who are the disabled to help them ready to stand for elections of deputies to the National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels in 2026.

About 100 promising candidates will be chosen for the 2023-2025 programme, which will equip them with necessary skills such as leadership, communications, lobbying and legal knowledge.

In a survey conducted by the UNDP last year, 98.2% of the disabled respondents wished to have the presence of their peers in people-elected bodies while about 44% said they are willing to stand for self-nomination.

At the event, 28 candidates were chosen for interview round before the next training seminar comes to Hanoi.

Newly-crowned Miss Intercontinental to judge Miss Vietnam 2022

Le Nguyen Bao Ngoc, the recently-crowned Miss Intercontinental, will be one of the seven to judge the Miss Vietnam 2022 beauty pageant.

The Can Tho-born beauty made the Top 22 of Miss Vietnam 2020 and finished as runner-up of Miss World Vietnam 2022.

She represented Vietnam at Miss Intercontinental 2022 and become the first Vietnamese beauty named the winner of the contest in its grand finale held in Egypt on October 14.

Ngoc will be accompanied by other celebrities in different fields such as the arts, journalism, television, and fashion to form the judging panel of Miss Vietnam 2022.

Le Xuan Son, editor-in-chief of Tien Phong (Vanguard) Newspaper, will be head of the judging panel.

The other jury members include poet Tran Huu Viet, MC & actor Xuan Bac, fashion designer Le Thanh Hoa, Miss Vietnam 2008 runner-up Nguyen Thuy Van, and Miss Vietnam 2018 Tran Tieu Vy.

The preliminary rounds in the southern and northern region are scheduled to take place in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi on October 22 and October 23, respectively.

Vietnam’s traditional long dresses introduced in Venezuela

The Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela and the National Experimental University of the Armed Forces of Venezuela (UNEFA) held a ceremony marking Vietnam Women’s Day and an exhibition of Vietnam’s traditional long dresses on October 20. 

Speaking at the event, Venezuelan Vice Minister of Foreign Relations for Asia, the Middle East and Oceania Capaya Rodriguez spoke highly of the Vietnamese women’s role in making positive contributions to the past struggle for national liberation and current national development.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Venezuela Le Viet Duyen expressed his hope that via the event, the Venezuelan people will understand more about Vietnam and its people, thus tightening the friendship between the two countries' people on the occasion of the 33rd anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties and the 15th anniversary of the two nations' comprehensive partnership.

Visitors at the event were treated to a show of Vietnamese traditional long dresses, conical hat dance performances by Venezuelan artists, and Vietnamese dishes.

Earlier on October 19, a cultural event entitled “Silk with San Marino” was held by the Vietnamese Embassy in Italy and San Marino, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of San Marino, on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of Vietnam-San Marino diplomatic ties.

District 6 launches new tour telling stories inside Cho Lon town

Vice Chairwoman of the People’s Committee of HCMC Phan Thi Thang and leaders of departments and travel businesses took a survey of the tourism products of District 6 on October 22. 

The tour called “A small story inside Cho Lon town” has been launched by the People’s Committee of District 6 in response to the city’s program to invite visitors back after the Covid-19 pandemic. The tourism sector of HCMC has launched the program to encourage districts throughout the city to create their own unique tourism products and build tours visiting popular local attractions.

The delegation visited District 6’s popular tourist attractions, including Giac Hai Pagoda, Binh Tay market, and the revolutionary traditional house of the Chinese people in HCMC.

Vice Chairwoman of the People’s Committee of HCMC Phan Thi Thang suggested a tourism linkage between districts 5,6, and 11 to create a trans-district tour around Cho Lon town and strongly develop the night-time economy. The local police and security forces must ensure the safety of visitors.

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