Day: June 19, 2021

Representatives of the Lao province of Oudomxay on June 18 handed over 260 million LAK (around 27,600 USD) to the Vietnamese Consulate General in Luang Prabang province to support the three Vietnamese provinces of Dien Bien, Son La and Lai Chau in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, a representative of the Oudomsay administration affirmed that the great friendship between Laos and Vietnam, expressing the belief that under the leadership of the provincial Party Committees and authorities, the Vietnamese provinces will soon contain the spread of the pandemic, and recover production and business activities, as well as socio-economic development.

For his part, Vietnamese Consul General Nguyen Dang Hung expressed his appreciation for the value assistance of the Lao locality to the Government and people of Vietnam, and saying that the donation will be sent to the three localities to serve their pandemic prevention and control work./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Police in Trung Khanh district of the northern mountainous province of Cao Bang on June 19 detected seven foreigners who were trying to illegally enter into Vietnam.

The immigrants were discovered in Duc Hong commune when they were hiding in a truck driven by Pham Van Tien, 27, residing in Thai Nguyen province. All of them are Chinese citizens. They failed to show legal immigration documents.

On the same day, My Thanh Tay Border Guard Station in Duc Hue district of the Mekong Delta province of Long An also detected three illegal immigrants.

Accordingly, the illegal immigrants, including a woman and her children, are Vietnamese citizens. They tried to enter into Vietnam from Cambodia by crossing trails.

These cases are under further investigation./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc congratulated Antonio Guterres on his reappointment by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly as UN Secretary-General in the 2022-2026 tenure, and proposed a number of measures to further foster the Vietnam-UN partnership during their phone talks on June 19.

Both leaders affirmed they treasure and are delighted at the fruitful development of the relationship between Vietnam and the UN over the past years.

President Phuc highly evaluated contributions that Guterres has made in the last term, and showed his support for priorities and directions of the UN Secretary-General in the next five years.

As a responsible member of the UN, Vietnam has made positive contributions to the common affairs of the UN by performing the role of a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and engaging in UN peacekeeping operations, implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and running for a seat in the UN Human Rights Council in the 2023-2025 tenure, said the Vietnamese leader.

Highlighting Vietnam’s efforts in implementing the “dual target” of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and boosting socio-economic development, President Phuc thanked the UN for supporting Vietnam over the recent times and proposed that UN organisations continue to assist Vietnam, especially in accessing vaccine supplies and post-pandemic recovery consultancy.

For his part, Guterres lauded Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements, especially its success in COVID-19 prevention and control.

Having recognised positive and responsible contributions that Vietnam has made to the UN and in global issues, especially in the UN Security Council’s operations, the implementation of the SDGs, climate change response and COVID-19 control, the UN leader said that Vietnam is an important factor that has contributed to the maintenance of peace and stability in the region.

Guterres highly appreciated Vietnam’s efforts in treating a UN staff member who had contracted COVID-19, which, he said, showed the international solidarity to overcome the pandemic.

Regarding regional and international issues, both leaders underlined the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, stability, and security, safety and freedom of navigation in line with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), affirming the central role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in dealing with regional issues.

Earlier, President Phuc also sent a letter of congratulations to the re-appointed UN Secretary-General, in which he expressed his belief that with his commitments, experience and prestige, the UN leader will continue to make contributions to enhancing the UN’s role in the common efforts to settle global challenges./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The HCM City People’s Committee has issued a plan to implement the city’s transport infrastructure upgrade project in the 2021-2030 period, which will require investment of 970.6 trillion VND (42.3 billion USD).

About 399.7 trillion VND will be funded by the State budget and the remaining nearly 571 trillion VND will come from other capital sources.

Under the plan, in the 2021-2030 period, the city will invest in over 650km of roads, 211km of railroads, 81 big bridges, 15 major intersections, and seven projects under the Smart Cities programme. It will also complete highways and national routes connecting the city with the Key Southern Economic Zone.

During the 2021-2025 period, the city will prioritise key and urgent projects with total investment capital of over 553 trillion VND (24 billion USD), of which the State budget will provide 181 trillion VND and other capital sources 372 trillion VND.

The key and urgent projects for the 2021-2025 period include the HCM City-Moc Bai Highway, Ring Roads No 2 and 3, National Highways No 1, No 22, No 50, and No 13, several elevated roads, main intersections and bridges in high-density urban areas.

A number of key and urgent infrastructure works will be completed by the end of this year, mostly in Thu Duc city.

The city has set a target of raising the ratio of traffic land to urban land to 12.76 percent in 2021, and the average density of roads out of the city’s land area reaching 2.26 km per sq km.

The HCM City People’s Committee has requested that sectors and localities develop specific programmes, plans, and projects on infrastructure development as part of their annual and five-year socio-economic development plans in the periods from 2021-2025 and 2026-2030 to ensure the effective implementation of the transport infrastructure upgrade project./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) on June 18 welcomed the first flow of gas from Su Tu Trang (White Lion) oil field in phase 2A.

Amid complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ceremony was held online, marking the operation of the project 16 days ahead of schedule.

Addressing at the event, PetroVietnam’s General Director Le Manh Hung said Block 15-1 is the flagship in oil and gas exploitation activities in Vietnam, bringing benefits to all involved parties, and contributing about 10.4 billion USD to the Vietnamese Government’s budget.

PetroVietnam highly valued efforts of Cuu Long Joint Operating Company (Cuu Long JOC) and its partners to completed the drillling of the oil-well on schedule, ensuring their commitments in the gas purchase and sale contract and field development plan, he said.

Cuu Long JOC’s General Director Nguyen Van Que attributed the success of the project to concerted efforts of Cuu Long JOC and its partners, along with the maximum support from PetroVietnam, PetroVietnam Exploration Production Corporation (PVEP) and relevant ministries.

On behalf of foreign partners, President of Perenco Vietnam Gilles d’Argouges affirmed that this is an important achievement and a symbol of the successful cooperation between Vietnamese businesses and foreign partners.

The oil and gas exploration contract of Block 15-1 was signed on September 16, 1998 between PetroVietnam and the contracting parties, including PVEP, Perenco, KNOC , SK and Geopetrol. The project is operated by Cuu Long JOC.

The White Lion field is located in Block 15-1 of the Cuu Long Basin off the southern coast of Vietnam. It is considered as one of the areas with the highest potential for oil and gas reserves in the continental shelf of Vietnam.

The plan to develop the White Lion oil field in phase 2A was approved by the Prime Minister on December 6, 2019, with a total expected consolidated capital expenditure (CapEx) investment of nearly 138 million USD./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu plans to expand large-scale production and the use of advanced techniques to improve agricultural yield and quality and raise farmers’ incomes from now to 2025.

The provincial People’s Committee targets production of 1.17 million tonnes of paddy, including 190,240 tonnes of organic paddy, a year by 2025.

It plans to expand large-scale rice fields to 100,000ha, or about half of the province’s total rice area. Farmers participating in large-scale rice fields will have contracts with rice companies that will ensure stable prices.

It also plans to produce 600,000 tonnes of seafood a year by 2025, with half of that being shrimp. About 20,500 tonnes of organic shrimp will be produced a year by 2025.

It targets breeding more pigs, buffalo, cows and goats, and 3.5 million poultry a year by 2025. The province, which is the delta’s largest salt producer, plans to produce 55,000 tonnes of salt a year by 2025, including 7,000 tonnes of high quality white salt.

It also targets having 103 new agricultural products certified under the country’s one commune – one product (OCOP) programme by 2025, taking the province total’s OCOP products to 171 products.

The second phase of its hi – tech agriculture zone for shrimp breeding is expected to be completed by 2025.

Pham Van Thieu, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said that zoning projects would be cancelled if they are not feasible, and land used in ineffective projects or by investors with insufficient financial capacity would be taken back.

The province will mobilise capital from official development assistance (ODA), foreign direct investment (FDI) and other sources, and develop insurance systems to reduce risks in agricultural production. It will also encourage startup investors in agriculture and rural development.

It will help farmers to access technology and markets, and transfer advanced techniques to farmers who grow rice and breed aquatic species and animals.

The province, which is one of the delta’s largest shrimp producers, breeds shrimp under intensive, super – intensive, and rice – shrimp farming models, among others.

The rice – shrimp farming model is used mostly in Phuoc Long and Hong Dan districts and Gia Rai town. It offers farmers a high profit of 40 – 50 million VND (1,700 – 2,200 USD) per hectare a crop, according to the district’s Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Farmers have learned how to create shrimp ponds, manage the breeding environment, and use advanced breeding techniques.

The province has encouraged rice farmers to use new varieties like ST 24 and ST 25. These are two of the best rice varieties in the world and are highly resistant to saltwater intrusion, alum affection and disease.

Infrastructure investment

To reach its goals, the province plans to speed up investment in many infrastructure projects, including irrigation and climate-change adaptation.

Luu Hoang Ly, Director of the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said: “The province will put into use major projects that cope with climate change.”

These include new river embankments in Bac Lieu city, erosion-prevention embankments in estuary and coastal areas in Ganh Hao town and Dong Hai district, and erosion-prevention embankments in Bac Lieu city’s Nha Mat sea.

A sluice system to prevent tides and flooding in Bac Lieu city and nearby areas will also be built.

The province will also create mud flats and plant mangrove trees to prevent erosion near the Nha Mat sea, and recover protective forests along the province’s coast.

It will build fishing ports that also serve as storm shelters for fishing boats. Other natural-disaster prevention projects will be launched, and investment priority will be given to upgrading and building river and sea embankments.

The province will also mobilise investment capital from ODA and public – private partnership (PPP) resources to develop logistics infrastructure, especially the Bac Lieu – Ha Tien expressway and the Ho Chi Minh Road section.

Bac Lieu is co-operating with the neighbouring provinces of Soc Trang, Hau Giang, Kien Giang and Ca Mau to build transport projects that will promote linkages in the delta. It is also speeding up the widening and upgrading of many roads in its commune and rural areas./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency