The HCMC People’s Committee has just introduced the list of 45 shared databases of various fields for the city.

HCMC is preparing data for the urban technical infrastructure management database (Photo: SGGP)

The open databases are in the aspects of civil servant and public employee management, business registration, foreign investment projects, public investment projects, road traffic infrastructure, construction permit issuance, housing management, urban technical infrastructure management, urban flooding map, practice license in the construction field, zone planning information, children.

The HCMC Department of Information and Communications is assigned to work with related state units to integrate necessary databases into the common one, then deliver technical manuals for the services using these shared databases to those in need at the e-portal of HCMC at the address of https://data.hochiminhcity.gov.vn

Meanwhile, this department is also asked to consult the municipal People’s Committee to adjust and supplement the city’s list of shared databases when there are changes.

The units in charge of managing the integrated databases are responsible for building, updating, and controlling those databases. These units must cooperate with the HCMC Information and Communications Department to link and upload data into the common database of the city.

They must distribute corresponding technical manuals for the offered services related to their own databases on the e-portal of HCMC.

They have to review their databases to ensure the data there are in compliance with applicable regulations on databases under the authority of a ministry or state agency. They should report changes in the content of the shared database list for the HCMC Information and Communications Department to update.

Canada wishes to step up judicial cooperation with Vietnam

Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court Nguyen Hoa Binh recently held a working session with Chief Justice of Canada Richard Wagner in Ottawa, as part of his working trip on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties.

Wagner told his guest that the Supreme Court of Canada wants to strengthen cooperation and share experience with Vietnam, adding that Canada also expects to step up judicial collaboration with Vietnam.
  
Binh informed the host about his successful working trip, which he said, was made possible with the support of various Vietnamese representative offices in Canada and relevant Canadian agencies.

He said the delegation had held a working session with units of the Canadian Department of Justice, during which they were updated about the court system, judicial independence, specialised courts and information about juvenile justice in the North American country.

According to him, the Supreme People's Court of Vietnam plans to submit a draft law on juvenile justice to the National Assembly next year.         

During a working session with the Chief Justice of the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice, an unit that previously engaged in training cooperation with the Judicial Academy of Vietnam, Binh raised the issue of training collaboration between the institute and the Vietnam Court Academy in order to improve the capacity of Vietnamese judges through a course aimed at capitalising on the expertise and resources of the Canadian side.
         
Visiting other Canadian judicial institutions, Binh affirmed that bilateral judicial cooperation is an essential requirement, given that trade, investment, tourism, education ties and people-to-people exchange between the two countries are growing. He suggested the Canadian counterparts actively support coordination in this field.

At present, there are about 21,000 Vietnamese students in Canada and nearly 300,000 Vietnamese people living in the country. Therefore, legal matters are of utmost importance to address their needs, he said, adding that close judicial cooperation will also help Canadian investors feel secure when doing business in Vietnam, on the back of its transparent legal environment that protects investments and intellectual property.

In his view, effective legal cooperation between the two sides aligns with Canada's promotion of the Indo-Pacific Strategy, in which Vietnam plays a central role and serves as an active member of the Canada-ASEAN strategic partnership. It is also consistent with the current comprehensive partnership between the two countries.

Meeting the Vietnamese official, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly affirmed that Canada always considers Vietnam a key partner in its implementation of the Indo-Pacific Strategy.

She also expressed her wish to further deepen ties with Vietnam in all areas, including politics-diplomacy, national defence-security, trade and economy, education and judicial affairs.

Lao, Cambodian students join exchange with Vietnamese families

The Ho Chi Minh City Labour Federation held an event on October 22 connecting Vietnamese families with Lao and Cambodian students in the city.

It was one of the activities aimed at enhancing people-to-people diplomacy efforts, contributing to strengthening the friendship, comprehensive and sustainable cooperation between Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

Vice President of the federation Phung Thai Quang said the event provides an opportunity for Lao and Cambodian students in the city to meet and interact with Vietnamese families, thus fostering a better understanding of Vietnam, its people, culture, history, tradition, as well as the friendship and cooperation among the three neighbouring countries.

At the event, participants had the opportunity to experience a tour on Saigon River, and enjoy rural southern Vietnam's rustic and simple village life at the Dragon Farm tourist area through activities like rice farming and fishing.

Quang Ninh gears up for peak season of int’l tourism

As the international peak season approaches, the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh is anticipating an uptick in foreign arrivals.

During January – September, the locality hosted 13 million visitors, up more than 40% year-on-year. Although the number of foreign travelers rose eight folds to 1 million, more efforts should be put in place to realise the set target of welcoming 2 million for the whole year.  

Besides capitalising on Ha Long Bay – a UNESCO world heritage site, the provincial tourism sector and travel firms should pay more attention to popularisation and promotion works to lure more visitors to local cultural, spiritual and historical destinations, according to experts.

They suggested the province develop diverse high-quality and unique tourism offerings, making it become more attractive to foreign travelers.

Furthermore, the province should enhance tourism management to ensure a safe and hospitable environment for tourists.

Most recently, Ha Long Bay has been listed among the 24 travel destinations in the world in 2024 by expert advisors of OviationNetwork, the world’s leading network of agencies specialising in luxury and experience tourism.

Ha Long Bay is the only representative of Vietnam in this list, which was shared with US-based Forbes magazine, in addition to others in global tourism such as Sardinia (Italy), Urla (Turkey), Niseko (Japan), Jeju (the Republic of Korea), Nile River (Egypt), Marrakesh (Morocco), and Milos (Greece).

It is one of the destinations described by the author of the article as a wonderful place that can meet most of the needs of tourists, from exploring nature, learning about history and experiencing cuisine to adventurous exploration. The world heritage was also praised for possessing exceptional global value in terms of ecosystems as well as geological and geomorphological values, as very few other places in the world offer the perfect combination of natural beauty, outdoor activities, fresh food, tranquility, and such easy access.

One of the most recommended experiences when visiting Ha Long Bay, according to the author, is to take a boat tour, gently swaying on the water surface to admire the breath-taking natural scenery.

This is not the first time Ha Long Bay has been proposed as an attractive destination in the world. In April 2023, CNN's travel website evaluated Ha Long Bay as one of the 25 most beautiful destinations in the world. Prior to that, also in 2023, the famous travel magazine Travel+Leisure (Asian edition) voted Ha Long Bay one of the top destinations to watch the most beautiful sunrise and sunset in Asia.

Additionally, FLC Halong Bay CG & Luxury Resort made its name to the world’s top 100 golf resorts by Golf magazine.

Being praised by renowned travel sites and media, Quang Ninh has more opportunities to attract visitors, especially foreigners who always look for tourism information through the prestigious media.

In Q4, the province targets some 2.45 million visitors, and expects to gain more than 6.1 trillion VND (248.7 million USD) in tourism revenue.

Vietnamese in Bangkok join first intra-community election

Vietnamese expatriates in Bangkok and neighbouring localities gathered on October 22 to, for the first time, cast their vote electing members to the Overseas Vietnamese Association in Bangkok’s executive board.

Tran Xuan Muoi, vice president of the general association of Vietnamese in Thailand, said the capital city of Thailand is a key area for the community, welcoming all delegations from Vietnam for working or visiting purposes. Therefore, it needs a strong association meeting the demand of overseas Vietnamese there and representing the general association as well as the expatriates from across Thailand to host distinguished guests from Vietnam.  

Nguyen Ngoc Thin, president of the general association, said the election serves as an example for overseas Vietnamese associations in other Thai localities to follow.

Thin affirmed that the general association will stand side by side with and assist the new executive board to organise activities helping the community develop business, preserve traditional culture, and promote the learning of the Vietnamese language.

Thailand is home to up to 200,000 overseas Vietnamese, most of them in the northeastern area of the country. Bangkok alone houses nearly 1,000 people of Vietnamese origin.

HCMC, Mekong Delta region collaborate for tourism development

The collaborative tourism programs between HCMC and Mekong Delta provinces have yielded significant results
 
Travel service providers and travel businesses in HCMC and Mekong Delta provinces and cities sign a memorandum of cooperation.
On October 22, in Bac Lieu City, the Department of Tourism of HCMC and the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Bac Lieu Province joined forces to host a conference aimed at assessing destinations and fostering integrated tourism products between HCMC and Mekong Delta provinces and cities, under the theme "Connecting the Southern Land Journey."

According to HCMC's Department of Tourism, the implementation of collaborative tourism programs between HCMC and the localities in the Mekong Delta region has yielded significant results. To date, these joint endeavors have led to the development of 80 tour programs from HCMC to 13 provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta region.

During the first nine months of 2023, approximately 1.8 million travelers engaged in tour programs with an average cost ranging from VND800,00 to VND1 million per person. The regions involved in these collaborative initiatives have built three tourism routes from HCMC to destinations within the Mekong Delta region, as well as four intra-regional tourism clusters. Nonetheless, the development of these partnerships continues to encounter challenges, with no standout products and insufficient utilization for creating distinctive tourism products.

Given this context, representatives from the tourism sector and tourism businesses across various provinces and cities convened to engage in discussions, offer insights, and propose solutions to further enhance the destinations and tourism services in their respective areas.

Concluding the conference, Ms. Bui Thi Ngoc Hieu, Deputy Director of HCMC's Department of Tourism, proposed that localities should craft genuinely alluring tourism incentive policies to establish a network of interconnected attractions, thereby enhancing the value of benefits for both domestic and international tourist markets. HCMC and the 13 provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta should further intensify efforts to bolster two-way tourism flows and encourage the exchange of tourists between regions. Each locality should identify its flagship products and offer guidance on investment attraction policies. The regional tourism workforce serves as a vital element for connectivity, promotion, and the application of digital technology in the exploitation and management of tourism resources.

At the conference, a program for signing a memorandum of cooperation occurred, bringing together tourism service providers and travel businesses from HCMC and the provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta region.

Hanoi 29ers win big to be capital baseball champions

Newbies Hanoi 29ers defeated the veteran team of Hanoi Archers 10-2 to win the Hanoi Baseball Major Series 2023 on October 23 in the capital city.

Although only established in February, the 29ers proved themselves a rising-star club with the participation of many players who grew from the Hanoi Capitals Club. Under coach Lucas Benenati, a former Major League Baseball player, the club took part in the Pony Little League, a world U12 event, in 2009-2011.

The Archers have been playing for more than a decade and were originally known as the Fishanu Club. The team, with a combination of experienced players and young stars, were the top side for long time.

But now there seems to be some new kids on the block.

After seven competitive innings, the 29ers won 10-2 and became the champions of the first Hanoi Baseball Major Series. They walked away with a VNĐ6 million bonus.

The Archers pocketed VNĐ3 million.

HUST Red Owls and Devil Bats shared the third places and earned VNĐ1.5 million each.

Đặng Đình Bảo of the 29ers was voted Most Valuable Player while his teammate Benenati was best hitter. Phạm Mạnh Chiến of the Archers was best pitcher.

The tournament featured six clubs with more than 200 athletes, both local and internationals. They competed from September 24 to October 22 at the Hanoi Dragons Rugby Field in Nam Từ Liêm District. 

Many famous artists and athletes of different sports joined to cheer the matches.

Baseball has been played popularly in many countries around the world and become an Olympic sport in 1992.

Originated in the American countries, baseball spread and strongly developed in Asia, particularly in Japan and South Korea for a number of years. However, it is rarely known in Southeast Asia.

It was introduced to Việt Nam since 1990s but due to the shortage of coaches, players and expensive equipment and suitable venues, baseball has not developed as strongly as expected. 

The Việt Nam Baseball Federation (VBF) was officially established in 2021 with the first two national championships held in July 2022 in HCM City and 2023 in Hà Nội.

The first Hanoi Baseball Major Series, organised by New Sports and VTVcab under the agreement of the VBF, was one of activities to attract people's attention and push the growth of the sport. It was also expected to find talented to represent Vietnamese clubs at international competitions.

New Sports focuses on developing and promoting the domestic sports movement. The company has been successfully with inspirational events that reached wide range of audiences such as the recent Vietnam Pro-Am Basketball Championship; and basketball championships in Hà Nội, Đà Nẵng and HCM City recently.

Viet Nam-UK trade surges 16.6 per cent in one year

The trade relationship between Việt Nam and the United Kingdom experienced significant growth in bilateral trade over the past year, according to data released by the UK government's Department for International Trade on 19 October.

The data includes trade information from all four constituent countries of the United Kingdom: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

The total trade in goods and services between the UK and Việt Nam during the four quarters leading up to the end of Q1 2023 amounted to 6.7 billion British pounds (US$8.14 billion), marking a substantial increase of 16.6 per cent compared to the same period in 2022.

UK exports to Việt Nam showed remarkable growth, totalling one billion pounds during this period. This represents a notable increase of 21.1 per cent year-on-year. Of the UK's exports to Việt Nam during this period, goods accounted for 797 million pounds (77.5 per cent), while services amounted to 231 million pounds (22.5 per cent).

The exports of goods to Việt Nam surged by 33.3 per cent, while exports of services experienced a slight decrease of 8 per cent compared to the same period in 2022.

The top five goods exported from the UK to Việt Nam were pulp & waste paper, beverages & tobacco, and medicinal & pharmaceutical products, each constituting around 10 per cent of all UK goods exported to Việt Nam. Cars and plastics in non-primary forms followed with 4.4 per cent and 4.1 per cent, respectively.

On the other hand, UK imports from Việt Nam during the reviewed period reached 5.7 billion pounds, up 15.8 per cent year-on-year. Of these imports, goods constituted 5.4 billion pounds (94.6 per cent), while services accounted for 306 million pounds (5.4 per cent).

Imports of goods from Việt Nam experienced a growth of 12.6 per cent, whereas imports of services surged by 137.2 per cent year-on-year.

The top five goods imported to the UK from Việt Nam included telecoms & sound equipment (capital) (1.7 billion pounds or 31.2 per cent of all UK goods imported from Việt Nam), clothing (542.9 million pounds or 10.1 per cent), footwear (524.8 million pounds or 9.8 per cent), furniture (consumer) (310.3 million pounds or 5.8 per cent), and other manufactures (consumer) (290.7 million pounds or 5.4 per cent).

Despite the impressive trade growth, the UK reported a total trade deficit of 4.6 billion pounds with Việt Nam during the four quarters leading up to the end of Q1 2023, compared to a trade deficit of 4.1 billion pounds in the previous year.

The flourishing trade relationship between Việt Nam and the UK can be attributed to their robust economic ties and collaborative efforts, notably following the implementation of the Việt Nam-UK Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) on 1 May 2021. Additionally, the UK's recent official signing of an agreement to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) on 16 July 2023 further strengthens their trade cooperation with the bloc members, including Việt Nam.

Noise pollution wreaking havoc in residential areas

Many HCMC dwellers at present have to endure too much noise from nearby stores, food shops, and family karaoke activities, which negatively affects their life quality as well as social order.

Every day at 6:00 p.m., people living along Truong Sa Street passing Binh Thanh District, Phu Nhuan District, and District 3 hear deafening noise coming from restaurants and food shops there. This clattering noise not only disturbs the attention of passersby but also prevents local residents from having a retiring night. A similar story can be easily found on famous streets for food shops such as Hoang Sa, Pham Van Dong, Ung Van Khiem.

Sharing another annoying story related to noise pollution is Nguyen Quynh Nhu from Xo Viet Nghe Tinh Street in Binh Thanh District. She said that her family and neighbors had just been ‘terrorized’ by a karaoke session of a nearby household until 12:00 a.m. when that house had held a birthday party. She does hope that the local authorities adopt practical measures or sanctions for people to control the noise they create and not to disturb others.

Statistics from the HCMC Department of Natural Resources and Environment reveal that in 2022, the city detected nearly 8,700 cases of noise-related violations, 135 of which were fined for a total of VND430 million (US$17,470). This is a rise of over 2 times compared to 2021.

Functional agencies shared that despite applicable legal documents like Decree No.45/2022/ND-CP or No.144/2021/ND-CP to punish noise-related violations in residential areas, it is not at all easy to pinpoint and fine law breakers. For instance, there is not enough equipment to calculate the exact noise volume for evidence; or when state units come to noise creation sources, related people immediately turn off the sound.

The People’s Committee of Go Vap District informed that in September 2023, the district received 333 reports regarding disturbing noise in residential areas. The local leaders find that propaganda campaigns to raise the awareness of the public, especially merchandise stores, about harmful effects of noise to human health and social order are the key to solving the problems.

Also, functional units should tighten their patrols around trading points that might create noise to timely detect and punish violators.

In one formal discussion session with the city leaders themed ‘Dealing with Noise in Residential Areas’, held by the HCMC People’s Council and Voice of HCMC, Deputy Head of the Urban Committee under the municipal People’s Council Le Xuan Vien said that to address noise pollution in residential areas, it is necessary to choose a proper consultation unit for the local authorities to devise feasible solutions.

Particularly, business establishments must be required to sign a commitment to observing noise control regulations. It is also essential to make a list of regular places that create disturbing noise or encroaching sidewalks for stricter monitoring.

Dr. Dinh Thi Thanh Nga from the Law Department in Sai Gon University commented that noise pollution in HCMC has become a social problem which are torturing local residents after a tiring day at work. This pollution has caused more stress and even sleep disorder or psychological instability to nearby households, ultimately leading to physical harms.

Deputy Chief Inspector Thai Hoang Vu of the HCMC Department of Natural Resources and Environment said that HCMC has introduced various channels to timely receive and handle reports from the public about noise pollution. They include the general Hotline 1022, the special Hotline on environmental pollution of the HCMC Natural Resources and Environment at the number 028.38290568, local hotlines and e-portals of all districts, the Fatherland Front office at all levels.

In the near future, HCMC is going to launch several propaganda campaigns about noise pollution, along with tightening patrols to spot and strictly fine violators in accordance with current decrees. For example, Article 22 of Decree No.45/2022/ND-CP stipulates a warning fine of VND160 million and VND320 million ($6,500 and $13,000) to individuals and organizations breaking noise-related laws. The fine is proportional to the exceeding rate of technical standards on noise. Besides, there might be an additional penalty of temporarily stopping noise-creating activities from 3-6 months (individuals) or 6-12 months (organizations), depending on the violation level.

Deputy Head Tran Thi Thanh Ly of the Office for Building Civilized Lifestyle and Family (under the HCMC Department of Culture – Sports) mentioned a number of examinations of the inter-disciplinary state units to pinpoint people or organizations causing noise exceeding the technical standards according to Decree No.45/2022/ND-CP for punishment.

To effectively deal with noise pollution, neighborhoods are encouraged to assign members to monitor the noise level in their areas, especially in places formerly offending noise regulations, in order to promptly report to the local authorities or police stations for handling.

The HCMC Culture – Sports Department will also launch more propaganda schemes for observing noise regulations in residential areas via electronic advertising screens and public advertising media. In particular, it is possible to consider adding noise regulation obedience into the criteria for awarding local cultural titles.

Hanoi, HCMC ring road projects on schedule

The Ministry of Transport has recently presented a progress report to the Government on the HCMC Ring Road 3 and Hanoi Capital Region Ring Road 4 projects.

The report states that both projects are essentially in accordance with the planned schedules. As for land clearance, the HCMC Ring Road 3 project has transferred 58.4 out of 76.34 kilometers, reaching 77 percent of the plan.

Of which, Component Project 1, overseen by HCMC, has already delivered 44.1 out of 47.1 kilometers; Component Project 5 in Binh Duong Province has handed over 7 out of 11.3 kilometers; Component Project 7 in Long An Province has completed land clearance for 6.2 out of 6.4 kilometers; and Component Project 3 in Dong Nai Province has only turned over 1 out of 11.3 kilometers.

Regarding the construction progress, the project has initiated nine out of 22 contract packages. Contractors are currently mobilizing machinery and equipment, clearing the ground, establishing construction roads, and preparing construction design drawings. However, for Component Project 3 in Dong Nai, the contractor selection process is still pending. Concerning material requirements, HCMC has established a task force to assess and coordinate the supply of construction materials for the project. Notably, sources for soil and rock materials have been confirmed as sufficient. The supply of sand for foundation and construction has been found to fulfill 80 percent of the demand, but further coordination with provinces in the region is necessary to review and ensure progress in meeting the project's requirements.

Regarding the Hanoi Capital Region Ring Road 4, the project has handed over land for 88.87 out of 108.1 kilometers, reaching 82 percent of the plan. As for construction progress, the urban road construction segment within Hanoi city, spanning 58.2 kilometers, is currently in the process of road preparation and construction design. Sections in Hung Yen Province (19.3 kilometers) and Bac Ninh Province (35 kilometers) are in the contractor selection phase. On the other hand, the construction of the approximately 112.8-kilometer expressway segment, utilizing the public-private partnership (PPP) model, is undergoing evaluation and approval through collaboration between Hanoi City and the Ministry of Planning and Investment. Adequate material supplies for this project have been secured to meet demand.

*The Ministry of Transport has stated that, as of now, the roadbed of several expressway routes in the Mekong Delta region, where the use of beach sand as embankment material is being trialed, exhibits consistent quality. However, a comprehensive evaluation of the results will take place around mid-December 2023 by the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment before the material is utilized in multiple projects.

Viet Nam-Laos joint venture allowed to develop railway project

A joint venture between Vietnamese infrastructure developer Đèo Cả Group JSC and Petroleum Trading Lao Public Company (PetroTrade) has been allowed to develop a railway project linking the two countries.

General Director of the Đèo Cả Group JSC Nguyễn Quang Vinh has announced that the Ministry of Transport accepted the joint venture’s proposal on developing Vũng Áng – Tân Ấp – Mụ Giạ railway project under the form of Public-Private Partnership (PPP).

The joint venture as the project investor is required to conduct a pre-feasibility study and submit an assessment report as regulated in the Law on Investment, Law on Railway, relevant laws and planning schemes.

The Vũng Áng – Tân Ấp – Mụ Giạ railway project is part of the Vientiane - Vũng Áng railway, which was included in the national railway network development planning in the 2021 – 2030 period, with a vision until 2050. It has a length of 103km and is estimated to cost nearly VNĐ27.5 trillion (US$1.12 billion).

It is an important project, part of the overall Việt Nam - Laos railway project, and one of the priorities of the Governments of Việt Nam and Laos.

The Vientiane - Vũng Áng railway has a total length of 554.7 km from Vũng Áng port in Việt Nam’s central coastal province of Hà Tĩnh to Vientiane, the capital and largest city of Laos.

The project will be built under the public-private partnership, with a total investment of VNĐ149.55 trillion ($6.3 billion).

Vũng Áng Port - the railway’s ending point will play an important role in promoting the two countries' economic ties through trade exchange and maritime transport, targeting the markets of Northeast Thailand, China, the Republic of Korea and Japan.

According to the representative from the Đèo Cả Group JSC, after highways, investing in railway infrastructure has been identified as the new direction of the business in the next 5-10 years.

Vietnamese language centre in Czech Republic marks 20th founding anniversary

A ceremony was held at SAPA Centre in Prague – the biggest shopping centre of the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic – on June 22 to mark the 20th founding anniversary of the Vietnamese language centre.

Attending the event were teachers from various periods, students, parents, leaders of Vietnam's representative offices and representatives of Vietnamese community associations in the European nation.

Since 2003, with a strong commitment to promoting the mother tongue, the centre has helped over 2,000 students acquire proficiency in the language over the past 20 years.

In 2009, Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong visited the facility, highlighting the significance of the teaching and studying of Vietnamese overseas.

Addressing the ceremony, President of the Overseas Vietnamese Association in the Czech Republic Nguyen Duy Nhien said the community places importance on the preservation and maintenance of the Vietnamese culture and language serving its sustainable development.

According to him, community leaders have shown their commitment through various means, such as organising summer camps, promoting cultural programmes, and language competitions to help young members get access to the Vietnamese language.

Lao Front delegation pays working visit to HCM City

Permanent Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Committee of Ho Chi Minh City Nguyen Thanh Trung held a working session with Vice President of the Lao Front for National Construction (LFNC) Central Committee Ot Phongsavanh in HCM City on October 23.

Trung suggested the VFF Committee of HCM City and the LFNC Central Committee continue maintaining and developing cooperation activities, thus enabling future generations to continue fostering solidarity and building equal, friendly and cooperative relationships between the two countries.

Ot Phongsavanh said his working trip is an important effort to strengthen cooperation between the Parties, States and people of the two countries, contributing to further reinforcing the special relationship between the LFNC Central Committee, its local chapters and the VFF Committee of HCM City.

He proposed HCM City assist Laos in agricultural production and product processing, and boost trade exchange. He stressed the importance of facilitating the exchange of delegations to share experience, and sign agreements on technical cooperation and seek variety supply.

HCM City and Lao localities should enhance people-to-people exchanges, particularly among young generations of the two countries, he said, adding that this would contribute to fortifying and nurturing the growing special relationship between the two nations.

The two sides shared the results of cooperation between the VFF Committee of HCM City and LFNC chapters at the central and local levels, joint activities between HCM City and Lao localities in the agriculture sector. The cooperation activities include cow breeding in Vientiane, improving rice productivity in Champasak and Savannakhet provinces, and joint processing and distribution of agricultural products and promoting bilateral trade.

While in the city, the Lao delegation is due to work with municipal departments and agencies to share experience and seek opportunities in agriculture and other sectors, visit Hi-Tech Agricultural Park and learn about farm produce processing models of several cooperatives.

Phu Quoc welcomes arrival of 210 Kazakh tourists

A flight carrying 210 tourists from Kazakhstan’s capital Almaty touched down at Phu Quoc International Airport on October 23, said Bui Quoc Thai, director of the Department of Tourism of Kien Giang province.

The event is part of Phu Quoc island city’s latest efforts to revive the international tourism market. The delegation is expected to explore a number of famous tourist destinations throughout the island city. including Phu Quoc Safari, Grand World Phu Quoc area, and Hon Thom cable car.
  
Thai revealed that Phu Quoc will continue to welcome hundreds of Russian tourists to the island on October 24 and Octoer 25.

At present, the southern province of Kien Giang is in the process of stepping up tourism promotion activities both at home and abroad as part of preparations for the peak season when receiving international visitors during the year-end period.

The province has also disseminated information relating to visa exemption policies for international tourists heading to Phu Quoc, whilst also strengthenig co-ordination with diplomatic agencies and Vietnamese representative agencies abroad to elevate the image of Phu Quoc tourism closer to international visitors.

According to information given by the Kien Giang Department of Tourism, since the beginning of the year the province has welcomed over 548,000 international visitors, of which Phu Quoc island city is estimated to have received over 540,000 foreign arrivals from countries such as the Republic of Korea, India, China, Thailand, and Kazakhstan.

Search ends for missing Quang Nam fishermen
 
Rescue forces have ended their search for 13 missing fishermen from two sunken fishing vessels from Quang Nam Province after combing through waters near the Spratly Archipelago for more than 100 hours. 

According to the Quang Nam Provincial Border Guard Command, the rescue teams deployed on three ships ended their search on the evening of October 22 and no more fishermen have been found.

The search was earlier scheduled to end on the evening of October 21.

However, it was extended by one more day until October 22 following requests from families of the fishermen at a meeting held on October 21 to review rescue work.

At the meeting, Quang Nam Border Guard commander, Tran Tien Hien, said that despite facing strong winds and rough seas, rescue forces have been fanning out across the area. However, the official admitted that there was now a high chance that they may not find the missing fishermen.

The two fishing boats sank on October 16 and 17 due to bad weather off the Spratly Islands. In total, 78 fishermen were safely rescued by passing vessels, two died and 13 others remain missing.

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