Category: Politics

Similarities in culture, historical linkage, and the friendly sentiments that people of Vietnam and Japan give each other as well as many shared interests have closely connected the two nations, stated Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang at a ceremony held by the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam on February 23 to celebrate the 63rd birthday of Japanese Emperor Naruhito.

Extending greetings to the Emperor, the Empress, the Royal Family as well as the Government and people of Japan, Quang underlined that the relations between Vietnam and Japan were initiated in the eighth century when ‘Phat Triet’ (Buttetsu) who came from Champa, an ancient kingdom that extended across the coast of what is today central Vietnam, introduced Rinyu-gaku – a composite ritual art comprising orchestral music and dance – to Japan.

Japanese merchant boats came to Hoi An in the 16th century, contributing to the formation of the bustling trading area in Vietnam and leading to the romantic love story between Japanese trader Araki Sorato and Vietnamese Princess Ngoc Hoa, he said.

The Deputy PM noted that Japan is one of the first countries to set up diplomatic relations with Vietnam. The bilateral ties have grown fast and strongly across all fields, especially as the two sides established their extensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia in 2014, he said.

He emphasised that Japan has always been one of the leading strategic partners of Vietnam, with regular exchanges of delegations at high and all levels. The two countries provided practical and helpful support to each other during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said, adding that Japan is the largest ODA provider of Vietnam and the second biggest partner in labour, third in investment and tourism, and fourth in trade.

Vietnam, Japan enjoy strong connectivity: Deputy PM hinh anh 2

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (L) and his Japanese counterpart Kishida Fumio. Vietnam and Japan have maintained regular exchanges at high and all levels (Photo: VNA)

Local cooperation is a bright spot in the bilateral ties with more than 70 pairs of localities sharing cooperation agreements. Currently, the nearly 500,000-strong Vietnamese community in Japan has become the second largest foreign one in the country, he noted.

Deputy PM Quang said that Vietnam and Japan have coordinated closely at multilateral forums and mechanisms at regional and global levels such as the UN and Mekong Sub-Region, while working closely in economy and trade facilitation through the implementation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

The Vietnam-Japan relationship is in prime time with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties this year, he said, expressing his belief that the bilateral extensive strategic partnership will enter a new development period with more comprehensive, effective and sustainable partnership, meeting the aspirations and interest of the people of both sides and contributing to peace, stability and development in the region and the world.

Japanese Ambassador Yamada Takio said that the Japan-Vietnam relationship is in its peak in the history. Despite changes in the region and the world, the two sides have still considered each other as important strategic partner and expanding their ties to all fields.

The diplomat affirmed that Japan hopes to work with Vietnam in promoting activities for peace and prosperity in the region, underlining that Vietnam is one of the important partners in the implementation of Japan’s free and open Indo-Pacific strategy.

Expressing his hope that Japanese firms will increase investment in Vietnam and launch new projects, the diplomat said that this will create a positive circulation for each country’s economy.

In 2023, along with investment and trade, Japan aims to beef up bilateral ties in the fields of infrastructure, ODA, digital transformation, green transition, industrialisation and modernisation, and human resources development to create momentum for the growth of the ties, he said./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The search and rescue team of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) left Turkey on February 22 (local time), concluding its working trip to join recovery efforts in the earthquake-hit nation.

Speaking at a farewell ceremony held for the team at Hatay airport, Vietnamese Ambassador to Turkey Do Son Hai noted that the VPA group, along with another from the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security, has been highly appreciated and won the trust of local residents and authorities as well as international forces.

Their presence in Turkey has contributed to fostering the relations between the two countries, the diplomat said.

Maj. Gen. Pham Van Ty, Deputy Chief of the Office of the National Committee for Incident and Disaster Response, Search and Rescue and Deputy Director of the VPA’s Department of Search and Rescue, reported that from February 13-22, the VPA team searched 31 locations in Antakya, helping to discover 15 sites with victims trapped under the rubble, including two places with signs of survival. They handed over the sites to the local rescue force to bring 28 dead bodies out.

During that process, they coordinated with the Bahraini and Mexican teams to find out three sites with 10 corpses, he added.

The team is scheduled to arrive at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on February 23 afternoon.

The 76-strong search and rescue team of the VPA, along with 35 tonnes of cargo, departed for Turkey on February 12 night to assist the country in recovery efforts following the devastating earthquake.

Meanwhile, the 24-member team of the Ministry of Public Security engaged in search and rescue efforts in the Turkish southeastern city of Adiyaman after they arrived in the country on February 10. The group returned home on February 19 after outstandingly fulfilling their tasks./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnam always stands ready to perform international missions such as UN peacekeeping and most recently search and rescue operations in earthquake–hit Turkey, according to Palestinian Ambassador Saadi Salama, head of diplomatic corps in Vietnam.

A 24-member team of the Ministry of Public Security engaged in search and rescue efforts in the Turkish southeastern city of Adiyaman after they arrived in the country on February 10. The group returned home on February 19 after outstandingly fulfilling their tasks.

Meanwhile, a 76-strong rescue team of the Vietnam People’s Army is still assisting Turkey in recovery efforts following the devastating earthquake.

In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), Salama appreciated Vietnam’s support, and lauded the Vietnamese Government’s sound decision to dispatch search and rescue forces to Turkey.

Palestinian ambassador praises Vietnam’s willingness for int’l missions hinh anh 2

A 24-member team of the Ministry of Public Security engage in search and rescue efforts in the Turkish southeastern city of Adiyaman after they arrived in the country on February 10. (Photo: VNA)

It demonstrated the Vietnamese people’s sentiments to people around the world, as well as their commitment to working together for friendship and cooperation, the diplomat continued.

The presence of Vietnamese soldiers in Turkey also reflected a high sense of responsibility for international humanitarian missions, he said, praising them for their courage, dedication and readiness.

Salama noted that apart from contributions to search and rescue efforts, the Vietnamese forces have also given spiritual encouragement to local residents in Turkey and Syria.

The Turkish Government and the international media and community have lauded their contributions, he emphasised.

The ambassador used this occasion to call for contributions to prosperity of nations, and peace for all, and expressed his hope that Turkey, Syria and Palestine, and countries affected by natural disasters will overcome difficulties by their determination in national reconstruction./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The tank landing ship RSS Persistence of the Singapore Navy led by Colonel Ang Jeng Kai docked at Cam Ranh International Port, Khanh Hoa province on Monday for a four-day visit to Vietnam and exchange with the Vietnam People’s Navy.

The Singaporean naval delegation paid a visit to the leaders of Khanh Hoa province and the Command of Naval Region 4.

They attended seminars and joined training, sports games, food and cultural activities with the Vietnam People’s Navy, and visited a number of scenic spots in Nha Trang city.

Source: VOV5

Politburo member and Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Dinh Tien Dung has affirmed that Hanoi always gives high priority to the development of friendship and cooperation with Lao localities, especially the capital city of Vientiane.

During a working session with Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee and chief of the LPRP Central Committee’s Office Thongsalith Mangnomek on February 17, Dung informed the guest about comprehensive achievements made by Hanoi last year, including a 8.89% growth in gross regional domestic product – a record in a decade.

He said Hanoi had pooled the involvement of the entire political system and people in all of its programmes, unlocked resources for development effectively, arranged the right personnel for the right jobs, enhanced inspection and supervision to win public trust.

According to him, ties between the two capital cities as well as between Hanoi and Lao localities have kept growing on various channels with effective projects, including in economy, health care, education, agriculture, military and people-to-people exchange.

Mangnomek, for his part, said his visit aims to share experience between the two offices of the Party Central Committees and sign a cooperation agreement between them.

He said Hanoi’s development lessons are invaluable experiences for Vientiane in the coming time.

As scheduled on February 18, Permanent Vice Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Nguyen Thi Tuyen will take the Lao delegation to an outstanding cooperative model in the outlying district of Gia Lam./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Ordinary passports with electronic chips will be issued for Vietnamese citizens from March 1, 2023, according to the Ministry of Public Security’s Immigration Department.

A passport with an e-chip attached to its back cover stores encrypted information of the passport holder and the signature of the issuer, aiming to facilitate travel and raise the efficiency of state management in immigration and meet the country’s requirements in international integration.

Apart from the holder’s written information such as name, date of birth and nationality, the passport also shows his/her biometric information like fingerprint scan, face and blood type, which helps to accelerate customs procedures.

Moreover, those with the passport will be prioritised by foreign agencies in visa granting.

More than 100 countries and territories worldwide have used e-passports. Notably, the Visa Waiver Programme of the US, which has been applied for 39 countries and territories, requires e-passports.

Ordinary passports with and without e-chips will be used simultaneously. Vietnamese citizens above 14 years of age are free to choose either passport on their application forms./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang received Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yamada Takio in Hanoi on February 15.

The Deputy PM asked the two countries to soon sign an agreement on new-generation official development assistance (ODA) with more preferential terms for Vietnam in 2023, when they celebrate the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations.

Yamada affirmed that Japan attaches great importance to the promotion of ODA projects in Vietnam and is ready to participate in new projects in the country.

Japan is always a leading strategic partner in terms of ODA, providing 30% of all capital foreign sponsors have provided for Vietnam, about 29.3 billion USD, including 1.8 billion USD in non-refundable aid.

Addressing the Vietnam – Japan Economic Forum 2023 earlier the same day, Deputy PM Quang highlighted all-round strides in bilateral connections.

In particular, partnerships in economy, trade, and investment have always been a bright spot and an important impetus for the countries’ relations to become substantive and generate practical benefits for their people and businesses.

Japan is currently the biggest ODA supplier, the second biggest partner of labour cooperation, and the third largest investor and tourist source of Vietnam. It also ranks fourth among trading partners of the Southeast Asian nation./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Quang Hieu, who is also Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs (COVA), has extended sympathy to and shared earthquake-induced difficulties of the Vietnamese community in Turkey.

In a letter sent to the community on February 14, the official said no casualties among Vietnamese in Turkey have been reported so far, but the life of some of them has been seriously affected.

Following the natural disaster, the Vietnamese Embassy in Turkey and the Vietnamese Embassy in Iran and Syria have updated the situation and coordinated with the provisional executive board of the Vietnamese Association in Turkey to prepare measures in support of overseas Vietnamese in the country.

Given the lingering impacts of the earthquake, the committees hopes that the community will continue staying united to overcome the difficulties, and support local residents in recovery efforts as possible, according to the letter.

The committee, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Vietnamese Embassy in Turkey always accompany the community, Hieu affirmed.

In case of emergency, citizens may contact the embassy by phone: 90 (312) 446 80491 or email: vnemb.tr@mofa.gov.vn; the citizen protection hotline of the Consular Department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: 84 981 84 84 84, email: baohocongdan@gmail.com; and the committee: 84 24 38240 401, email: vu1.ubnv@gmail.com./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency