Category: General

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held an online discussion on September 30 to look into the characteristics of the world amid the COVID-19 pandemic and impacts on Vietnam.

The event was attended by more than 280 domestic and overseas researchers of the ministry, along with six speakers who are expatriate specialists in politics and international economics.

It was part of a series of activities calling on overseas Vietnamese to join hands with the homeland to surmount the pandemic.

Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Hieu, Chairman of the State Committee on Overseas Vietnamese, said the webinar was one of the activities held to implement the Politburo’s Resolution No 36-NQ/TW, dated March 26, 2004, on overseas Vietnamese affairs and Conclusion No 12/KL-TW, dated August 12, 2021, on overseas Vietnamese affairs in the new context.

It helped collect expatriates’ opinions on political and economic issues and their proposals for recovering, promoting, and developing the country’s economy in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, he added.

Appreciating the opinions, Hieu noted the recommendations by participants will be considered during the formation of the foreign policy in the time ahead.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc hosted separate receptions in Hanoi on September 30 for the Ambassadors of Uruguay, Finland and Austria who came to present their credentials.

Receiving Ambassador of Uruguay Raul Juan Pollak Giampietro, President Phuc affirmed that Vietnam treasures its partnership with Uruguay and wished that the two countries would further strengthen cooperation and facilitate the exchange of all-level delegations.

Giampietro vowed to do his best to lift bilateral ties and hoped that two-way trade will double the current figure.

Uruguay also wants to cooperate with Vietnam in climate change, poverty reduction and other fields, he said, adding that he hoped Vietnam will consider opening an embassy in the South American country.

President Phuc, for his part, said Vietnam will soon open its embassy in Uruguay suggested both sides create favourable conditions for Vietnam’s products to access the Uruguay market. He also proposed Uruguay assist Vietnam in penetrating the MERCOSUR market and affirmed that Vietnam is ready to help Uruguay access ASEAN and markets in which Vietnam join.

The State leader proposed offering all possible support for the two countries’ business communities to explore business and investment opportunities as well as maintaining mutual support and coordination at multilateral forums.

Meeting Ambassador of Finland Keijo Ensio Norvanto, President Phuc affirmed that Vietnam attaches importance to ties with Finland.

He suggested Finland fully tap trade and investment opportunities from the European Union – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), soon approve the EU – Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), and urge the EU to remove of yellow card warning against Vietnam’s seafood.

The President expected Finland to increase investment in hi-tech, telecommunications, digital economy, renewable energy and environment in Vietnam. He also asked the ambassador to convey his invitation to the Finnish President to visit Vietnam soon.

In his meeting with Ambassador of Austria Hans-Peter Glanzer, the President said Vietnam always treasures traditional and multifaceted collaboration with Austria.

He held that both countries need to boost two-way trade and suggested the European country soon ratify the EVIPA. The State leader also thanked the Austrian Government for providing official development assistance for Vietnam over the past years.

On the occasion, President Phuc conveyed his invitation to the President and the Prime Minister of Austria to visit Vietnam when conditions allow.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Vietnamese Government continues to consider official development assistance (ODA) as an important capital source and allocate part of it for socio-economic development in the mid-term public investment plan, said Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh.

Minh made the statement during a meeting between the Government and six foreign development banks in Hanoi on September 30 to discuss their recommendations about ODA, foreign preferential loans and a draft Decree replacing the Government’s Decree dated May 25, 2020 on the use and management of ODA and preferential loans provided by foreign sponsors.

Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Quoc Phuong said 2021 is the first year to perform tasks in the mid-term public investment plan for the 2021-2025 period. Since late 2020 and especially mid-May, the COVID-19 pandemic has broken out again in localities, thus affecting the progress of foreign capital disbursement.

Data from the Finance Ministry showed that about 287.6 million USD of foreign capital was disbursed in the first nine months of this year, or 12.69 percent of the yearly capital plan.

Representatives from development banks spoke highly of the Vietnamese Government’s efforts in the process of institution building, project implementation and ODA disbursement. Some of them suggested approving projects with regional connectivity and on a large scale in each locality to achieve efficiency.

World Bank Country Director in Vietnam Carolyn Turk expressed her wish to cooperate with the Vietnamese Government in big projects with greater impacts.

Minh said several laws regarding ODA and public investment are being proposed for amendment.

The Vietnamese Government will consider simplifying procedures while ensuring the efficiency of projects, he said, expressed his hope that six development banks and agencies, including the WB, ADB, JICA, KEXIM, AFD and KfW, would consider harmonising their procedures with Vietnam’s ones.

About ODA mobilisation for 2021-2025, Minh said the Vietnamese Government built priority areas in need of ODA and hoped that the banks will offer loans to projects that match Vietnam’s development goals in the period.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Hue Monuments Conservation Centre in the central province of Thua Thien – Hue has announced that it will re-open a number of tourist sites such as the Hue Imperial Citadel (Dai Noi), and Minh Mang, Tu Duc and Khai Dinh mausoleums to visitors on October 1.

A representative of the centre said this is a step to gradually restore the local tourism industry after a long time being heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Visitors will only be able to visit outdoor areas.

To ensure COVID-19 prevention and control, visitors must strictly follow the 5K message: khau trang (face masks), khu khuan (disinfection), khoang cach (distancing), khong tu tap (no gatherings), and khai bao y te (health declarations), and scan QR code for medical declaration before their tours. Particularly, visitors from other localities are required to complete medical quarantine as required.

The locality is applying a 50-percent discount on entry fees to relic sites in the UNESCO-recognised Complex of Hue Monuments.

The local tourism sector recently has also actively promoted the locality’s image through publishing photos and videos of attractive tourist destinations on social networks, with the aim of further attracting holiday-makers to the locality after the COVID-19 pandemic is under control. According to the provincial Department of Tourism, the locality is basically controlling well the pandemic. In the last three days, the locality has not recorded any new cases of COVID-19

As of September 29, as many as 124,378 people in Thua Thien – Hue have received at least one shot of vaccines against COVID-19, with 57,000 of them getting full two shots./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs To Anh Dung on September 30 held a virtual political consultation with Serbian Acting Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Bilateral Cooperation Vladimir Maric to discuss bilateral relations and international issues of common concern.

Dung affirmed that Vietnam always attaches importance to consolidating and developing its traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Serbia.

He thanked the Government of Serbia for its donation of 20,000 doses of Sputnik V vaccine to Vietnam and suggested Serbia consider transferring vaccine production technology to and providing medical equipment for the Southeast Asian country.

For his part, Maric welcomed the results of the phone talks in August between Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and his Serbian counterpart Nikola Selakovic.

The diplomat affirmed that the Serbian Government highly appreciated Vietnam’s achievements in economic development and international integration as well as its efforts in COVID-19 prevention and control. He highlighted Serbia’s desire to further promote multi-faceted cooperation with Vietnam, especially in the fields of politics-diplomacy, economy-trade, and investment.

The officials agreed to increase exchanges and regular meetings between high-ranking leaders of the two countries, and closely coordinate in organising activities to celebrate the 65th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2022.

They reviewed the focuses and orientations of economic-trade cooperation for the next period in the areas where Serbia has demand and Vietnam has advantages. The two sides agreed to boost bilateral collaboration in agriculture, defence, and labour in the time to come.

They also held that Vietnam and Serbia should continue to coordinate together at international organisations and forums, especially within the framework of the United Nations.

Regarding the East Sea issue, the two sides emphasised the importance of ensuring safety, security, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the region as well as settlement of disputes via peaceful means on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

As an ancient capital with tangible and non-tangible heritages of humanity, and favourable geographical location in transportation in the central key economic region, Thua Thien-Hue must province capitalise on its strengths and advantages for stronger socio-economic development, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

PM Chinh made the statement during an online working session with the Standing Board of the provincial Party Committee on September 30 to review the province’s socio-economic performance in the first nine months of this year and the implementation of the Politburo’s Resolution dated December 10, 2019 on the locality’s construction and development till 2030 with a vision to 2045.

The development of Thua Thien-Hue province must closely follow local characteristics, he said.

About future tasks, the PM asked the province to immediately embark on socio-economic and sectoral planning, restructure the economy in the direction of services, trade; intellectual, green, circular and digital economy, culture and entertainment industry.

He also suggested continuing to step up the building of institutions, human resource and infrastructure development, and administrative reforms.

The local authorities proposed the Government issue a resolution on several special mechanisms and policies for Thua Thien-Hue’s development, offer financial assistance to complete the second stage of relocation of households in areas within the Complex of Hue Monuments, and invest in several projects in the province such as Chan May liquefied natural gas-fueled power plant and a biotechnology institute in Hue University.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The World Bank (WB) and partners on September 29 launched a project aiming to reduce economic and health vulnerability of older persons in Vietnam, under a 2.75-million-USD grant, funded by the Government of Japan through the Japan Social Development Fund.

The project, implemented by HelpAge International in collaboration with Association of the Elderly in Vietnam, will support the scale up of a community-based model for elderly care that promotes economically productive, healthy, and active ageing.

It is estimated that 27,000 people in six provinces will benefit from the project’s interventions, 70 percent of them are elderly.

“As one of the most rapidly aging countries in the world which will see the 65 age group increase by 2.5 times by 2050, Vietnam needs a different approach to make health and social care systems fit for a growing older population,” said Carolyn Turk, the WB Country Director for Vietnam. “We are pleased to support Vietnam in putting in place innovative, cost-effective and affordable interventions to provide long-term senior care.”

A core activity of the project is to expand the Intergenerational Self-Help Club (ISHC) network through building at least 180 new clubs. This model, first implemented in Vietnam in 2006 and whose effectiveness has been recognised by the government and included in national policies, adopts a holistic approach to meet the multiple needs of older persons. These self-managed clubs, which host 50-70 members, runs a variety of inter-generational activities to help members boost incomes, improve physical and mental wellbeing, and know their rights.

As of now, 3,500 ISHCs have been established covering 61 out of the 63 cities and provinces in Vietnam but quality and coverage varies. The innovation of this project, which will run until September 2024, is that it will help fill some of these gaps and also facilitate better linkage with Government service providers.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Starting 6:00pm on September 30, Ho Chi Minh City will further revise COVID-19 preventive measures in the direction of gradually easing social distancing rules, in accordance with the local development of COVID-19 and the Ministry of Health’s guidance on risk assessment, the city’s Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control said at a press conference on September 30 morning.

The reopening must be based on a number of principles to ensure the city will fulfill its twin goals of keeping the coronavirus at bay and step-by-step recovering and developing the economy, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Le Hoa Binh told the press conference.

Local residents will not need travel permits to go out after September 30, Binh said, but they are still required to show proof of vaccination via QR codes on VNEID and “Y Te Thanh pho Ho Chi Minh” (HCM City’s Healthcare) mobile apps before the national single app for COVID-19 prevention and control PC-COVID is officially put into use.

Otherwise, people must provide, when requested by competent authorities, written documentation of recovery from COVID-19 within less than 180 days or vaccination with at least one doses of COVID-19 vaccine for a minimum of 14 days, he said.

The HCM City People’s Committee urged all residents not to travel outside the city, he continued. Inter-provincial mobility for priority groups, including people performing public duties, factory workers, experts and those seeking medical attention; transport of workers back to the city; and other emergency cases, must adhere to the guidelines set by the municipal Department of Transport, he added.

To prepare for the “new normal,” the city has ordered all governmental organisations, businesses and services providers to apply for a QR code at http://antoan-covid.tphcm.gov.vn, which must be scanned by their customers, staff and visitors to check in before entering their premises, starting from October 15.

HCM City will reopen step-by-step in a careful and cautious manner, with safety put first, he emphasised, noting that the city may tighten or relax social distancing rules, depending on the COVID-19 situation.

Source: Vietnam News Agency