VIETNAM NEWS

Hanoi City’s Department of Culture and Sports has launched plans to put on a wide range of cultural and arts activities throughout pedestrian streets around Hoan Kiem Lake in the heart of the capital.
 

 A wide range of cultural and arts activities will be held throughout pedestrian streets around Hoan Kiem Lake 
The cultural show is expected to last until late December.

Some of the international exchanges include a promotion of the Swedish culture from November 13 to November 15, and an exhibition displaying images and paintings from the Embassy of the Netherlands from November 20 to November 29.

Furthermore, visitors will also be able to sample local culture through a number of activities, such as UNESCO-recognised Gong performances from Dak Lak province. In addition, there will be a culture and tourism show of Hung Yen province from November 27 to November 29 and a promotion of the culture and tourism of Bac Ninh province from December 4 to December 6.

The occasion will also feature a launch ceremony of the SEA Games 31, a food festival, a street art festival, a running competition, and a Countdown Party on New Year’s Eve.

Hoan Kiem District will be responsible for monitoring and inspecting the organisation of events in order to ensure safety and security in accordance with COVID-19 prevention and control regulations.

Three more Ha Giang tourism sites recognised

Lung Khuy Cave and the H’mong Village Resort in Quan Ba district and the Mong ethnic community-based cultural and tourism village in Meo Vac district have been recognised as new tourism destinations in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang.

Located in Lung Khuy commune, the beautiful cave network, with magnificent stalactites, is said to be the most beautiful in the locality. Its pristine beauty and splendid, transparent stalactites are stunning, measuring from one to two metres in many strange forms.

Covering an area of 20 ha, the H’mong Village Resort is newly-opened and has 25 bungalows, four private rooms, and two dormitories with 13 single beds in each, providing visitors with comfortable services.

Meanwhile, the Mong ethnic community-based cultural and tourism village in Pa Vi commune’s Pa Vi Ha hamlet, at the foot of Ma Pi Leng Pass on the highway connecting Dong Van and Meo Vac districts, operates as a community-based tourism service cooperative model with the engagement of 30 local households. It contributes to promoting the cultural features of the Mong ethnic people and creating sustainable livelihoods.

The three destinations are expected to attract more holidaymakers to Ha Giang and contribute to further promoting local tourism development./.

Con Dao Park officially joins IOSEA turtle conservation network

Presenting the IOSEA certificate at Con Dao National Park on November 13.

Con Dao National Park on the Con Dao archipelago off the coast of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province has been officially recognised as a member of the Indian Ocean-Southeast Asia (IOSEA), becoming the 11th member of the marine turtles conservation network. 

A ceremony presenting a certificate of recognition from the IOSEA was held at Con Dao National Park on November 13.

Addressing the event, Tran Dinh Luan, head of the Directorate for Fisheries of Vietnam, noted that the recognition confirms the country’s goodwill towards conserving marine turtle species.

Nguyen Khac Pho, director of Con Dao National Park, said conservation efforts require the participation of both scientists and businesses in order to develop ecological tourism in a sustainable manner. He went on to say many firms have joined conservation in the park to protect the marine turtle species in an effective manner.

The Indian Ocean-Southeast Asia (IOSEA) recently hosted its 8th meeting in Da Nang city, during which the Vietnamese delegation made a proposal for Con Dao National Park to become a member of the IOSEA turtle conservation network.

The honour recognizes Vietnam’s great efforts to promote biodiversity conservation, sea turtle conservation in particular, while confirming the government’s strong commitment to protect rare species in both a sustainable and responsible manner.

Situated off the south-east coast, the waters of the islands are considered ideal feeding habitats for Green Turtles, Chelonia mydas, and Hawksbill Turtles, Eretmochelys imbricata, both of which feature on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Project on biomass gasification technology launched

A project on biomass gasification technology was launched on Tuesday in Thái Nguyên Province.

The project named BEST, providing sustainable energy solutions for agricultural processing and waste management in rural areas of Việt Nam, was launched by Oxfam in Việt Nam, the Centre for Creativity and Sustainable Study and Consultancy (CCS) and other partners.

Currently, most small and medium enterprises (SME) and households use coal and firewood in processing agricultural products. This method causes environmental pollution and harms people's health, as well as increases production costs and reduces product quality.

A large number of agro-forestry by-products are being treated as waste, which are then disposed or burned. 

Statistics from the Ministry of Industry and Trade in 2017 showed that the agricultural production industry in Việt Nam annually generated about 118 million tonnes of agricultural waste, and only 11 per cent of it is used.

With the appropriate biomass energy technology, those by-products can be turned into biomass fuel for heat generation to meet the needs of agricultural production households and supply cleaner, cheaper energy sources, and at the same time contribute to reducing rural pollution.

Currently, the Vietnamese market has some models of biomass energy equipment, but no model widely adopted by SMEs.

The BEST project, sponsored by the European Union, aims to address core issues through the promotion of small-scale biochemical technology to accommodate the financial and technological capabilities of the business, and develop local support service systems. The project utilises volumetric continuous biomass gasification (VCBG). From there, the model is feasible both in terms of technology and allowing the support system to become visible and widely adopted.

Vũ Thị Quỳnh Hoa, country deputy director of Oxfam in Việt Nam, said the BEST project would contribute to achieving global goals of access to sustainable energy, and sustainable growth of the green economy.

Specifically, the application of VCBG technology would reduce production pollution to a low level, improve energy efficiency, thereby promoting sustainable production, she said.

Koen Duchateau, head of Cooperation for the European Union Delegation in Việt Nam, said the European Union had been assisting Việt Nam in the transformation towards renewable energy and green energy at an appropriate cost.

In fact, Việt Nam had not fully exploited its real potential in clean energy production from biomass. The BEST project objectives were well suited to addressing this problem, he said.

The project will be implemented in four years from 2020 to 2024 in Thái Nguyên, Lào Cai, Tuyên Quang and Yên Bái.

The project will work with 2,500 agricultural processing households, 100 mechanical enterprises and 400 suppliers of biomass. Approximately 1.2 million people, with half of them women, will benefit in the four provinces.

The total budget of the project is 3,041,813 euros (US$3.6 million), of which the European Union funds 80 per cent, Oxfam in Việt Nam and CCS contribute the remaining 20 per cent ​​of the budget.

Kiên Giang steps up measures to protect, develop forests

The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Kiên Giang is taking measures to retain its forest coverage rate at 11 per cent, according to its Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Hoàng Văn Tuấn, deputy director of the department, said the province is promoting forest protection and forest fire prevention to relevant individuals and organisations.

It has strengthened inspections of violations of forest protection regulations, especially in important localities like the island districts of Phú Quốc and Kiên Hải and protective forests along coastal areas, he said.

Kiên Giang has more than 82,650ha devoted to growing forests. Of the figure, 46,230ha are natural forests, while 14,678ha are man-made forests. The remaining area has no forests.

The province, which has the largest land area in the Delta, has adjusted its zoning for special use forests, protective forests and production forests. It has turned a part of ineffective production forest areas into agricultural production areas.  

The province has achieved its target of growing forests every year, focusing on planting protective forests along coastal areas to prevent erosion and cope with climate change.

It has also allocated about 4,000ha of forested lands in coastal areas for local households and organisations to protect. The forest-allocated households have improved their incomes by exploiting forest resources and breeding aquatic species in forested land.

Forest tree nursery

The production of forest tree seedlings has offered high and stable income for farmers who participate in the Hamlet 8 Forest Tree Seedling Producing Co-operative Group in Sơn Kiên Commune in the province’s Hòn Đất District.

Farmers in Hamlet 8 have produced forest tree seedlings, including acacia and cajuput, for nearly 30 years and their income has been stable since joining the co-operative group, which was established in 2013 and is guaranteed outlets by companies.

Nguyễn Văn Bình, head of the co-operative group, said the group is the only one of its kind specialising in producing forest tree seedlings in the province.

The co-operative group produces more than 100 million seedlings a year and is guaranteed outlets at a price of VNĐ150 a seedling by companies in Kiên Giang and other provinces in the Delta.

Its membership has increased from 11 in 2013 to 20 now.

The members have been provided soft loans and advanced techniques to produce quality seedlings, so they now have stable profits.

Nguyễn Văn Dũng, a co-operative group member, said he had planted rice but his farmland was not large, and he did not have a high income.

After participating in the co-operative group, he was provided soft loans to buy seeds and has been guaranteed outlets.

“My family has a high income now, earning about VNĐ200 million (US$8,600) a year. The lives of my family are stable now,” he said.

It takes farmers about four months to produce seedlings after sowing. Farmers who produce seedlings often hire three to four labourers to tend the seedlings.

The co-operative group has created jobs for more than 100 local labourers with a monthly income of VNĐ4 – 5 million ($170 - 220).

Nguyễn Bích Diệu, deputy chairwoman of the Sơn Kiên Commune Farmers Association, said the production of forest tree seedlings has created a stable livelihood for locals.

The commune will encourage more farmers to participate in the co-operative group and expand their seedling production to improve income, she said.

Automatic rain gauging stations contribute to disaster prevention

Automatic rain gauging stations have been effective in forecasting and responding to weather events in central provinces for the last five years, according to a project review.

Since 2016, the Disaster Prevention Community Fund and the Natural Disaster Control Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development have installed 20 automatic rain gauging stations for early warning of flood and rain in four central provinces of Thanh Hoá, Nghệ An, Quảng Bình and Quảng Nam.

The gauging stations have not only provided information to grassroots-level disaster prevention agencies but also contributed to making the rain measurement monitoring system stronger which helped the meteorological sector and disaster prevention agencies have more analytical data for prediction and response.

From these first achievements, the project has become one of the fund’s annual funding mobilisation projects to support the community to improve capacity for natural disaster prevention.

This month, the fund provided 110 more stations for 11 central and Central Highlands provinces of Quảng Trị, Thừa Thiên Huế, Quảng Nam, Đà Nẵng, Bình Định, Phú Yên, Ninh Thuận, Bình Thuận, Kom Tum and Đắk Nông.

The automatic rain gauging system can provide timely information on rainfall as well as warnings of excess heavy rain for the communities where the stations are located.

Local people and commune officials can track rainfall in real-time via software on smartphones or computers.

This information not only helped the commune-level disaster prevention steering committees quickly prepare response plans but also people to be proactive to avoid damage from heavy rains and floods.

Rain monitoring data from this system is seen as accurate and timely data in real-time, as well as compatible with the monitoring system of the national hydro-meteorological and the natural disaster prevention agencies.

The automatic rain gauging stations have contributed to building an early rain warning system at the local level.

Thanks to this system, both people, local authorities and natural disaster prevention agencies could easily make decisions in response to heavy rains and floods.

The data from this system has been currently linked to the data portal of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control and the Việt Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration, making a contribution to forecasting, warning, and directing the responses to floods and rains nationwide.

During five years, the fund has mobilised nearly VNĐ15 billion (US$690,000) for the project.

UNICEF aids flood-affected people

In response to the devastating flooding in central Việt Nam, UNICEF is providing life-saving relief to vulnerable children and women in affected areas.

Regarding water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), UNICEF is working with the Vietnam Disaster Management Authority (VDMA) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) to provide critical supplies, including water filters and soap; improve access to hygienic latrines and safe water, particularly in schools and health centres; and deliver life-saving messages on hygiene and safe water.

UNICEF, together with the National Institute of Nutrition and the Ministry of Health, is helping ensure children aged zero to five are screened for detection of severe acute malnutrition and receive timely treatment services and micro-nutrient supplementation.

The organisation is also supporting the provision of health and nutrition counselling for pregnant and lactating women and awareness-raising on nutrition for the affected population, considering both gender and diversity issues; and working with the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to provide psychosocial support for affected boys and girls through child protection specialists, local social workers, teachers and other front-line workers and is raising awareness on personal safety and protection from violence, abuse and injury.

Together with the Ministry of Education and Training, UNICEF is procuring emergency education supplies, including Early Childhood Development kits to replace damaged toys and learning materials in pre-schools of the most affected communes, paying attention to the needs of boys and girls, ethnic minorities and children with disabilities.

To date, UNICEF has mobilised US$2.6 million to address the urgent needs of the most vulnerable children, their families and communities in the most affected provinces. The mobilised funds come from multiple sources, including the government of Australia – $715,000, the government of New Zealand $99,000 and the UN Central Emergency Response Fund - $1.2 million.

UNICEF and the VDMA are currently in central Hà Tĩnh and Quảng Bình provinces to distribute detergent and ceramic water filters for vulnerable children and their families, as well as schools and health centres. 

Dak Lak ready for Futsal HDBank National Cup 2020

The Central Highland province of Dak Lak is ramping up preparations to host the Futsal HDBank National Cup 2020, scheduled to take place between November 15 and 30.

During a meeting held among organisers, including the Voice of Vietnam (VOV), the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), and the Dak Lak administration, Nguyen Huu Thong, director of Dak Lak province’s sports training centre, noted that local authorities had spent VND7.2 billion on improving the competition hall in preparation for the event.

According to experts, as the tournament is held on a national scale, the province must meet necessary technology standards in order to broadcast games live to viewers across the country.

The Futsal HDBank National Cup 2020 will see the participation of 11 teams from across the country, including Cao Bang, Quang Nam, Da Nang, Sanatech, Sahako, Sana Khanh Hoa, Sai Gon, Thai Son Nam, Thai Son Bac, Vietfootball, and hosts Hung Gia Khang Dak Lak.

Each match  will be broadcast live by the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) and the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), with fans able to watch games from VOVlive.vn, VTC8, and VFF Chanel.

People with disabilities get digital skill support

Thirty-nine students with disabilities will develop the skills needed to take on digital employment opportunities to help them live independently, support their families and contribute to the digital economy.

More students with disabilities are expected to develop the skills to take on digital employment opportunities. — Photo courtesy of UNDP

This is the objective of a five-month “Digital Employment Training Programme for Persons with Disabilities Co-existing with COVID-19” that has been launched with the collective efforts of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the Government of Japan, and the Will to Live Centre.

“This is what we are contributing to the increased equal employment opportunities for persons with disabilities - the indicators of Article 27 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the Sustainable Development Goal No 8 on Decent Work For All,” said UNDP Resident Representative Caitlin Wiesen.

“We must ensure that existing inequalities and risks faced by persons with disabilities are not further deepened by COVID-19, and we can together build forward better toward a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 world, which will also be the theme of the approaching International Day for Persons with Disabilities”.

Two of the key findings of the UNDP’s recent study on employment policies and their implementation for persons with disabilities were that reasonable accommodation was not stipulated by law, and that persons with disabilities were not being trained in the skills necessary to meet the demands of the new labour market.

As part of the project, the Will to Live Centre can lead the way by making reasonable accommodation available and providing the latest digital skills for persons with disabilities to integrate in the dynamic economy of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

“Each people has their own ability and value,” said founder and CEO of the Will to Live Centre Nguyễn Thị Vân. “We need to create equal opportunities for everyone to unleash their potential,” she added, calling on students to find the strength to overcome all barriers and move forward.

“I wanted to go to university but there was no elevator there and my mum couldn't give me a piggyback up the stairs to my class everyday so I had to stay at home,” said Võ Thị Miên, 19, from Hà Tĩnh Province. “I was sad because I wanted to integrate into society. Digital skills training opens a second gate for me. I hope that I can find a decent job after graduation to support my family.”

“I can type and play games on the computer. I've completed junior secondary school. When I was 16 years old, I learnt tailoring and got a job, but I lost it during COVID-19,” said Sùng A Thắng, a 20-year-old from the Mong ethnic group.

“I would like to learn photoshop and video-making. My dream is to have a series of clothes shops so I want to take promotional photos/videos for my shops. I would like to learn English, too,” he said.

Persons with disabilities (Pwds) have been among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The UNDP's Rapid Assessment on Socio-Economic Impacts of COVID-19 on Persons with Disabilities that covered nearly 1,000 respondents showed that 72 per cent had a monthly income of less than VNĐ1 million; 30 per cent had been made unemployed due to COVID-19; 49 per cent had their work hours reduced, and 59 per cent had received a pay cut.

Meanwhile, 71 per cent of PwDs had seasonal/informal jobs or owned an informal business, so they were at risk of being ineligible to receive allowances from the Government’s social welfare response package.

Counterfeited luxury product factory busted in Hanoi

A factory in Ninh Hiep Commune, Gia Lam District, Hanoi has been caught red-handed producing counterfeited products for brands including Adidas, Gucci, and Channel.

Hanoi Department of Market Surveillance's Team 1 and the Vietnam Directorate of Market Surveillance inspected the textile factory at Ninh Hiep Industrial Park owned by Nguyen Anh Quyet. Quyet said he had the business licence issued by Gia Lam Department of Finance and Planning on September 24.

At the factory, the inspection team discovered many counterfeited products of many luxury brands from the EU and protected in Vietnam are being made.

Quyet admitted that he illegally made the counterfeited products. He doesn't have any permit from the brand owners and received orders from small traders.

The inspection team seized 124,101 clothing items and 35kg of fabrics and equipment at the factory.

The team will expand the investigation and verify the origin of the materials as well as the amount of sold products and operational methods.

Lobsters die en mass in Phu Yen following floods

Farmers in the southern central province of Phu Yen are facing huge losses as their lobsters have died en mass after the recent floods.

Ha Thi Loi in Song Cau Town cried while sitting by a pile of dead lobsters brought in from her farm. She was going to sell the lobsters which had an estimated value of nearly VND300 million (USD13,043) then the severe flooding triggered by the Storm Etau since November 10 killed them all.

Not only Loi, nearly 200 other farmers in the area are experiencing the same losses when their lobsters die en mass due to flood water shock.

Another farmer, Tran Yem, said that his cages were badly damaged by the floods and 20,000 lobsters have died.

"We've lost about VND 700 million (USD30,434)," Yem said.

On the morning of November 13, many farmers in Song Cau Town were trying to catch the dying lobsters as soon as possible and sell at all prices.

According to an initial report from the Song Cau Town People's Committee, as of November 12, over 350, 000 lobsters raised at over 1,500 cages by 169 farmers have died, leaving losses of over VND40 billion (USD1.7 million).

"Most of the dead lobsters are between 0.2-0.6 kilos, and the main cause was flood water shock," the report said. "Local authorities are considering a financial support package to help the affected farmers."

HCM City looks to boost cooperation with ADB

Ho Chi Minh City always considers the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as its important and long-term development partner, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Vo Van Hoan has said.

During a reception for ADB’s new Country Director in Vietnam Andrew Jeffries on November 13, Hoan expressed his belief that the official, with his working experience at ADB and extensive knowledge in economics and diplomacy, will contribute to further promoting the relationship between ADB and Vietnam in general, and between the bank and HCM City in particular.

Hoan said that projects using ADB loans have significantly contributed to the city’s socio-economic development and improvement of living conditions of local people.

While mentioning difficulties and challenges facing HCM City, the official said the city needs capital sources, including those from ADB to support its development, expressing his hope that Jeffries will help accelerate the disbursement of ADB loans, and create favourable conditions for the city to access its preferential loans.

Hoan also urged the two sides to continue to effectively implement the contents of signed cooperation agreements.

For his part, Jeffries affirmed ADB will be an important partner of HCM City, and accompany the city during its development process.

ADB is working on a Country Partnership Strategy for the next five years which is in line with the Vietnamese Government's socio-economic development strategy, with the hope of strengthening its partnership with Vietnam and HCM City, he said.

While recognising HCM City as Vietnam’s economic momentum, Jeffries said that ADB hopes to receive consultancy from the city, thus helping to build the strategy in accordance with the general orientations of Vietnam and meeting specific requirements of the city for its development objectives.

At the meeting, the two sides reviewed the implementation of underway projects funded by ADB’s loans and discussed cooperation orientations in the time to come.

Award ceremony for “Young Francophone Reporters” competition

VNA Deputy General Director Le Quoc Minh (R) and Chief Representative of the BRAP – OIF Chékou Oussouman (L) present first prize to Mai Khanh Ly (Photo: VNA)

Winners of the “Young Francophone Reporters” competition 2020, the fifth of its kind, were honoured at an award ceremony held in Hanoi on November 13.

The contest was launched by Le Courrier du Vietnam (CVN), a weekly French language newspaper of the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), under the auspices of the Asia-Pacific Regional Office (RBAP) of the International Organisation of the Francophonie (OIF); the embassies of France, Belgium, Morocco, Switzerland and Canada; the Francophone University Agency (AUF); and others.

The first prize, including a laptop and one-year free readership of Le Courrier du Vietnam, went to Mai Khanh Ly with two works "Comment les vendeurs ambulants vivent-ils pendant la crise du COVID-19? (How do street vendors earn a living during COVID-19?) and "Qu’ont fait les jeunes Vietnamiens pendant le confinement?" (What do young Vietnamese do during the social distancing period?”

The second prize, including a tablet and six-month free readership of Le Courrier du Vietnam, was granted to Nguyen Thi Ba Ninh with the work "COVID-19: La menace des déchets plastiques pour l’environnement!" (COVID-19: Threat of plastic waste to the environment!). 

Le Thi Doan Trang earned the third prize worth a smart phone and six-month free readership for the work "Les diplômés de la saison COVID-19: une génération chancelante" (Worry of graduates during COVID-19 era).

Two consolation and other auxiliary prizes were also presented. 

Speaking at the event, VNA Deputy General Director Le Quoc Minh said the competition contributes to encouraging youths to speak their feelings about Vietnam and its people during the fight against the global pandemic.

On the occasion, he affirmed the VNA’s support for the Francophone development in Vietnam, thus creating favourable conditions for Le Courrier du Vietnam to fulfill its important task.

Chékou Oussouman, Chief Representative of the BRAP – OIF and co-head of the organising board, said the event attracted 121 entries by 150 contestants from many countries who reflected their perspectives on the pandemic such as online learning, fake news, effective COVID-19 prevention and control measures.

Entries to the final round will be published on the special issue of the newspaper, which will be presented to embassies and Francophone organisations, universities at home and abroad, and all contestants.

Editor-in-Chief of Le Courrier du Vietnam Nguyen Thu Ha, co-head of the organising board, said the competition has helped spread French teaching and learning movement in Vietnam and creating a creative playing ground for Francophone youths./.

Vietnam presents rice to support Lao flood-hit people

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung, empowered by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, on November 13 handed over the token of the relief aid of 1,000 tonnes of rice from the Vietnamese Government to Lao Deputy Ambassador to Vietnam Chanthaphone Khammanichanh to assist flood-hit people in Savanakhet province.

Speaking at the hand-over ceremony held virtually in Hanoi and Vientiane, PM Phuc expressed his hope that the aid will help Lao people soon overcome consequences of the natural disasters and stablise their lives.

For his part, Lao PM Thongloun Sisoulith sincerely thanked the Party, State, Government, and people of Vietnam for the meaningful donation, saying that the aid is timely support for Lao people in general, and residents in Savannakhet province in particular, in the current difficult time.

He spoke highly of the cooperation between the two countries in recent years, affirming that the Party, State, Government and people of Laos will always do their best together with their Vietnamese counterparts to constantly nurture the Vietnam – Laos great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation.

The Lao PM took the occasion to congratulate Vietnam on its successful assumption of the role as ASEAN Chair in 2020, and wished the 37th ASEAN Summit a great success./.

RoK offers 10 mln USD to developing countries in COVID-19 vaccine support

The Republic of Korea (RoK) will provide 10 million USD in COVID-19 vaccine support to developing countries, President Moon Jae-in announced at the RoK-Mekong Summit, held online on November 13.

He said the scheme will be conducted through “COVAX” - a global initiative aimed at providing countries with equal access to safe and effective vaccines.

The RoK leader also pledged to work closely with Mekong nations in providing quarantine equipment and improving public healthcare capacity.

He lauded the efficiency of trade activities between the RoK and the five Mekong River nations - Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Thailand - despite the impact of COVID-19, as trade volumes so far this year are similar to those of last year.

The RoK will develop a bilateral project to restore the ecosystem along the Mekong River, manage water resources, and prevent natural disasters, he said, adding that Seoul will also seek the participation of international organisations such as the UN.

The RoK is also planning to raise its contribution to the Mekong-RoK cooperation fund, he said.

In the previous RoK-Mekong Summit in November last year, the RoK and Mekong countries adopted the Mekong-Han River Declaration, which called for the strengthening of cooperation in the fields of natural resources, agriculture, and environment through the sharing of the RoK’s experience in boosting rapid growth.

Lao media highlight 37th ASEAN Summit and related meetings

Lao newspapers devoted their front pages of November 13 editions to highlighting the 37th ASEAN Summit and related meetings, with a focus on appreciating the role of Vietnam, as ASEAN Chair in 2020, and ASEAN’s efforts to fight COVID-19 and boost economic recovery.

The Pasaxon newspaper - the mouthpiece of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party - said that during the summit, chaired by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, ASEAN leaders hailed the implementation of the bloc’s priorities under the role of Vietnam as ASEAN Chair, including intensifying intra-bloc solidarity, promoting the central role of ASEAN, and maintaining peace, stability, and cooperation in a rapidly-changing world.

It said that ASEAN leaders also lauded Vietnam’s role and affirmed that the country had contributed to enhancing the bloc’s unity and narrowing development gaps between member states.

The Vientiane Times quoted Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith as saying the summit that he greatly values ASEAN’s achievements and Vietnam’s chairmanship.

He called on member countries to speed up efforts to acquire supplies for treating people with COVID-19, as well as vaccines, along with cooperating in economic promotion within the bloc.

Improved trade supply chains and assistance for micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in obtaining financing and modern technology was also of major importance, he said.

Other priorities should include digitalisation and improved supply chains for better connectivity through land, maritime, and air transport, to accelerate the supply of consumer goods, he added.

Meanwhile, the Setthakit Sangkhome newspaper highlighted the approval of six important documents, including the Hanoi Declaration on a Post-2025 ASEAN Vision, the Hanoi Declaration on the Adoption of the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (2021-2025), the ASEAN Declaration on Digital Tourism, and the Ha Noi Declaration on Strengthening Social Work towards a Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN Community.

Lao media also ran articles on other summits held on November 12 within the framework of the ASEAN Summit, including the 23rd ASEAN-China Summit, the 23rd ASEAN-Japan Summit, the 21st ASEAN-Republic of Korea Summit, the 17th ASEAN-India Summit, and the ASEAN Women Leaders’ Summit./.

Vietnam plays marked role in defining regional peace, cooperation: Analyst

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc waves at regional leaders at the online 37th ASEAN Summit on November 12 (Photo: VNA)

As the Chair of ASEAN in 2020, Vietnam has played and will play a significant role in defining the region’s desire for peace and cooperation, according to an analyst from a US university.

In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency, Professor Surupa Gupta from the faculty of Political Science and International Affairs at the University of Mary Washington said the country has affirmed the importance of cooperation in seeking peaceful solutions to disputes in the East Sea.

She said Vietnam has done well in controlling COVID-19 and supported other countries and territories by providing resources such as medical equipment.

As the ASEAN Chair, she went on, Vietnam has used its own experience to focus on a number of issues, including the building of the bloc’s identity and connectivity in response to global and regional challenges such as COVID-19. Vietnam has also concentrated on creating an active form of intra-bloc backing to deal with regional and international issues as well as protect the interests of ASEAN, the region, and the international community.

As such, the bloc has continued to be built based on intra-bloc solidarity and economic integration.

As for the ASEAN-US strategic partnership, which passed the half-decade mark this year, the professor said that under Vietnam’s chairmanship, the two sides have forged engagement in health and human resources development. The US values ASEAN’s role and wants to step up cooperation with both the bloc and Vietnam, she added.

Existing ties have made substantial contributions to peace and sustainable development in the Indo-Pacific region, with parties sharing the common goal of fighting terrorism and pirates.

ASEAN is now the US’s fourth-largest trade partner, she said, while noting that both sides believe in the value of respecting territorial integrity and sovereignty and the rule of law. The US recognises ASEAN’s central role in handling regional issues, while both sides value transparency, good management, comprehensiveness, and openness, which are important to improving trade and investment in the region.

A review of policies issued by different administrations in the US, she said, shows that no matter who leads the nation, relations with ASEAN are respected and prioritised. She also expressed her hope that ties will continue to thrive in the time to come./.

Italian food under spotlight in Nha Trang

Italian food under spotlight in Nha Trang (Photo: https://baodansinh.vn/)

The Italian cuisine festival week in Vietnam is now underway in coastal Nha Trang city in the south-central province of Khanh Hoa.

Open from November 12-29, it will also tour three other cities - Hanoi, HCM City and Da Nang.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Italian Consul General to HCM City Dante Brandi said the festival aims to introduce the essence of Italian cuisine to Vietnamese and international friends.

He said he hopes the global COVID-19 crisis will be over quickly so that Nha Trang can again welcome large numbers of visitors.

Guests at the opening had the chance to enjoy dishes made by Manuel Reale, one of the world’s top 10 pizza chefs, as well as wine from various regions of Italy.

Dozens of Italian restaurants in Vietnam also introduced reasonably-priced menus throughout the event./.

Thailand underlines multilateral cooperation in ASEAN summits

Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Thailand Prayut Chan-o-cha underlined the significance of multilateral cooperation in bringing COVID-19 under control and sustainable economic recovery while attending the online 12th Mekong-Japan Summit.

Prayut highlighted cooperation reinforcement between Mekong countries and Japan in three areas.

The first one is strengthening public health cooperation to drive the Mekong sub-region towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) scheme, in which Thailand stands ready to share experience with all member countries.

The Thai PM also emphasised the country’s advocacy of affordable and equitable access to medicines and vaccines, and to make them global public goods.

Secondly, the countries need to enhance connectivity to strengthen seamless, resilient, and sustainable sub-regional supply chains, especially through infrastructure development, in which Japan could take part in.

Prayut also underscored the importance of and Thailand’s endorsement on the drafting of a master plan to promote regulatory and digital connectivity.

Promoting sustainable development and grassroots development in the Mekong subregion is also among the areas. He expressed Thailand’s readiness to co-host with Japan the first Mekong-Japan forum on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), where Thailand is pleased to share experience on the New Economy and Sufficiency Economy Philosophy the country has been adopting to promote sustainable development without leaving anyone behind.

In conclusion, the Thai PM congratulated Japan’s declaration for 2021 to be Mekong-Japan Cooperation Year, hoping to work closely with Japan in enhancing security, prosperity, and sustainability of the Mekong region.

During the second Mekong-RoK Summit held earlier the same day, Prayut commended the RoK’s continued support to the Mekong-RoK Cooperation Fund (MKCF) and expressed readiness to support the RoK’s initiative to elevate Mekong-RoK cooperation.

The Thai PM highlighted the need to strengthen public health cooperation through sharing of experience and best practices in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is in line with the recently approved project proposed by Thailand, under the 4th Batch projects under the MKCF.

Thailand also supports the safe, efficient, affordable and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines in the region, and the establishment of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) scheme, which is in line with the country’s policy to promote Public-Private-People Partnership, as well as Goal 3 of the SDGs.

Prayut also underscored the enhancement of connectivity to strengthen subregional supply chains.

Following the COVID-19 outbreak, there is a need to reconnect economies and the subregional supply chains which have been disrupted, and to promote the resilience of the supply chains to ensure sustainable post pandemic economic recovery.

On November 12, the Thai PM attended and delivered a speech via a teleconference at the ASEAN Women Leaders’ Summit under theme “Women’s Role in Building a Cohesive, Dynamic, Sustainable and Inclusive ASEAN Community in a Post COVID-19 World”.

According to Thai Government spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri, while addressing the event, PM Prayut commended Vietnam for recognising the importance of continually strengthening the capacity of women.

A wide range of views has been exchanged with fruitful conclusions at the ASEAN Leaders’ Special Session on “Women’s Empowerment in the Digital Age”, recently held this past June, contributing towards achieving the ASEAN Community Vision 2025.  

The Thai Government has implemented various measures to alleviate the suffering of women who are affected by social and economic impacts.

He suggested two issues that ASEAN needs to prioritise, in particularly, accessibility to capital and digital technology should be facilitated, in order to strengthen the role and capacity of women who own MSMEs to generate income and become self-reliant through the adaption of business development strategies to correspond with the COVID-19 situation.   

Furthermore, women’s role in public health should be promoted, both during and after the pandemic. In June, the Thai PM underlined the role of women as Village Health Volunteers, who have made a significant contribution in containing the spread of infection in local communities.

It is evident that the efforts carried out by millions of Thai women as Village Health Volunteers provides a strong foundation on which the Thai public healthcare system is based, and that they have become an important factor for Thailand in managing COVID-19 infections to a satisfactory level.

Source: VNA/VNN/VNS/SGGP/VOV/NDO/Dtinews/SGT/VIR