Day: June 22, 2021

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Deputy PM proposes UK further facilitate Vietnam’s access to COVID-19 vaccine supplies

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh has proposed the UK’s Government further facilitate Vietnam’s access to COVID-19 vaccine supplies and consider transferring its vaccine production technology to the Southeast Asian country.

At a reception in Hanoi on June 22 for Dominic Raab, British First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Minh said the UK is a leading nation in COVID-19 vaccine research and development and is one of the countries which have contributed the most to the COVAX Facility.

The Deputy PM spoke highly of the positive development of the Vietnam – UK strategic partnership in the recent past and expressed his belief that Raab’s current visit would create a new driving force for the bilateral cooperation.

Raab, who has been on an official visit to Vietnam where he also attended the Asia – Europe Meeting (ASEM) High-level Policy Dialogue, affirmed that Vietnam is an important strategic partner of the UK, particularly when the European nation has enhanced its engagement and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region in the post-Brexit period.

To step up cooperation in line with the “Joint Declaration on the Vietnam – UK Strategic Partnership: Forging Ahead for Another 10 Years”, the two sides agreed to soon resume the exchange of delegations, especially high-ranking ones, and cooperation mechanisms when the conditions allow.

Minh took this occasion to suggest the UK to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese exports to enter its market in a bid to tap opportunities brought about by the UK – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA).

He also affirmed that Vietnam is willing to create best conditions for British firms to expand their investment, particularly in potential fields such as renewable energy, digital economy, banking, insurance, financial services, and education – training.

The Deputy PM said the two nations should continue their cooperation at international forums such as the UN Security Council (UNSC) during 2020-2021, when Vietnam works as a non-permanent member of the council, and ASEM.

Minh pledged that Vietnam would work closely with the UK to ensure the success of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) hosted by the UK in November this year.

Raab thanked Vietnam for supporting the UK’s efforts to secure the ASEAN Dialogue Partner status, as well as in negotiations to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

Having emphasised the importance of ensuring the freedom of navigation and overflight, security and peace in the East Sea, the two officials noted that the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is the legal framework for all activities at sea and ocean./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

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President urges deepening Vietnam-UK strategic partnership

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc has urged Vietnam and the UK to continue deepening their bilateral strategic partnership to meet the interests of the two countries and contribute to regional and world peace, stability and cooperation.

The President made the remark at a reception for First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the UK Dominic Raab in Hanoi on June 22, who is on an official visit to Vietnam and attending the high-level policy dialogue of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM).

He said the two sides should give priority to the effective implementation of the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) towards creating breakthroughs in trade and investment cooperation, affirming that Vietnam will create all possible conditions for UK businesses to invest in potential fields such as banking, insurance, financial services, digital services and renewable energy.

Phuc hailed the UK as a leading country in Europe and the world in researching, developing and administering COVID-19 vaccine, and asked the UK to help Vietnam access vaccine supply and production technology.

Secretary of State Raab underlined that the UK attaches importance to developing relations with Vietnam as the UK is adjusting its policy towards the Indo-Pacific region post Brexit. He informed President Phuc that he had discussed with Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son measures to implement the content of the bilateral strategic partnership, with a focus on the resumption of delegation exchange, cooperation mechanisms and orientations for coordination to optimize opportunities brought by the UKVFTA.

The official said he was impressed by Vietnam’s work in controlling COVID-19, and affirmed that the UK is ready to contribute vaccine to global efforts to control the pandemic, including providing vaccine to friendly countries and strategic partners like Vietnam.

He thanked Vietnam, with its rising role in the region, for actively backing the UK in promoting its cooperation with ASEAN and negotiating on joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

The two sides agreed to work closely at important multilateral forums in 2021 such as the UN Security Council, ASEM and the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26).

President Phuc spoke highly of the UK’s role and contribution to peace, security, and maritime freedom in the region and the world.

The UK official affirmed the importance of ensuring maritime and navigation freedom, security and peace in the East Sea, and emphasized compliance to international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982)./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

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Vinh Long seeks investment in major projects

The Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long is soliciting investment in large projects that use modern and environment-friendly technologies and bring high added value.

It is calling for investment of over 24.37 trillion VND (1.06 billion USD) in 10 projects in all three main sectors of the economy.

Le Minh Tan, director of its investment promotion and enterprise support centre, said the province is inviting investment in key projects, including the 2.9 trillion VND (126.1 million USD) Binh Tan Industrial Zone (IZ) in Tan Quoi town with an area of 400ha.

In the agricultural sector, it is soliciting investment of around 250 billion VND (10.87 million USD) in a 50-100ha high-tech agricultural project in Vinh Long city.

It is also promoting an agricultural production and processing project in Binh Minh town on an area of 10.6ha and costing 400 billion VND (17.4 million USD).

In the housing sector, the province is looking for investment of 8.05 trillion VND (350 million USD) in the 500ha My Hoa new urban project in Binh Minh and My Hoa communes and Binh Minh town.

There is also an urban and administrative project worth 7.5 trillion VND (326.1 million USD).

The province is mobilising resources to promote tourism with the aim of turning it into a key economic sector by 2030.

Its tourist and tourism revenues are increasing by 11.6 per cent and 25.7 percent a year on average.

The province has also begun to attract investment in supporting industries such as the production of automobile parts.

This conforms with its desire to foster industrial production.

To improve the quality and effectiveness of foreign investment, it is working to attract strategic investors from markets such as Japan, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan (China), Singapore, and the EU, Tan said.

South Korea now has 18 investment projects worth nearly 90 million USD in the province, while Japan and Taiwan have invested 102.5 million USD and 239.2 million USD respectively.

The province also targets major projects and those with high-added value and using advanced and environment-friendly technologies, especially in agri-industry, human resources training and agricultural-based tourism, he said.

Local authorities would create optimal conditions for investors to know about key projects and incentives, and help them resolve investment obstacles, he added.

They have been announcing support and incentives to encourage investment in tourism, building infrastructure, tweaking planning for tourist areas to attract more investments, and developing unique tourism products.

Vinh Long last year issued investment certificates for 26 projects with a total investment of 4.35 trillion VND and over 104 million USD, including six foreign-invested ones./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

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Nearly 36 percent of public investment for agriculture disbursed in six months

The agricultural sector has disbursed about 3.52 trillion VND (152.98 million USD) of public investment in the first six months of 2021, completing 35.83 percent of its yearly target, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

The MARD has planned to roll out a number of measures to remove difficulties and speed up the disbursement of capital for programmes and projects, thus boosting production and preventing natural disasters.

Along with convening online meetings to seek ways to deal with problems in each project, the ministry has reviewed the plans for the implementation of particular projects for timely adjustments.

The ministry has made flexible capital amendments for projects to ensure their highest disbursement. In May alone, it issued two documents on the adjustment of capital worth 412 billion VND for projects using Government bonds and official direct assistance (ODA) loans.

It is likely to disburse 100 percent of the domestic capital allocated for 2021.

According to the MARD, this year, the sector is allocated over 9.8 trillion VND (425.91 million USD) of capital, including 2.84 trillion VND worth of ODA./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

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Vietnamese movies screened at Asian Film Festival

Four Vietnamese movies – Bac Kim Thang (Home Sweet Home), “Bo Gia” (Dad, I’m sorry), “Tiec trang mau” (Blood moon party) and “Rom” are being screened at the Asian Film Festival within the framework of the Vietnamese film screening day in Rome, Italy.

These films have won high box office revenues in the past time.

Among the films mentioned above, “Bac kim thang” by director Tran Huu Tan is among the few domestic horror films.

Meanwhile, the remainders were prominent representatives of Vietnamese cinema in 2020.

The Asian Film Festival in Italy is organised by the Roberts Bresson Film Foundation which selects the best films in East Asia, with special attention given to young directors.

A total of 28 feature films and two short films from 11 East Asian countries such as Japan, the Republic of Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam and Singapore, are featured at the event.

The films mainly reflect the abuse and bullying of minors, family relationship and climate change in parts of East Asia./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

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Indonesian extremist cleric sentenced to death over 2016 Starbucks attack

The Indonesian court sentenced extremist Islamic cleric Aman Abdurrahman to death on June 22 over his role in a 2016 terror attack that saw a suicide bomber blow himself up at a Jakarta Starbucks cafe.

Last month, prosecutors demanded that Abdurrahman be handed a death sentence for his role in the attack, which caused four deaths and was first claimed by an IS group in Southeast Asia.

Abdurrahman is considered the head of all IS supporters in Indonesia and the spiritual leader of local extremist network Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD).

Authorities said JAD was involved in the 2016 attack and the wave of suicide bombings in Indonesia’s second-biggest city Surabaya last month. Abdurrahman has not been charged over the Surabaya attacks, which killed 13 people.

According to analysts and authorities, despite being imprisoned since 2010, the man has recruited militants to join IS. He is thought to have been in communication with IS and is the main translator for IS propaganda in Indonesia.-VNA

Source: Vietnam News Agency

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Vietnam’s artillery team stands ready for 2021 Army Games

A delegation of the Department of Military Training under the General Staff and the Artillery Arms of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) on June 21 visited the artillery team, which is under training in Vinh Phuc northern province for the 2021 International Army Games.

The team will compete at the Masters of Artillery Fire category at the event.

Maj. Gen. Thai Van Minh, Director General of the Department of Military Training, spoke highly of the team members’ sense of responsibility, determination and endeavours to surmount difficulties during training.

For his part, Commander of the Artillery Arms Maj. Gen. Nguyen Hong Phong said that members of the team need to bolster practice and sharpen their skills in a bid to obtain the best result in the upcoming Games.

According to the Ministry of Defence of Russia, this year’s Army Games will be held from August 22 to September 4. A total of 277 teams from 41 countries and territories will compete in 34 categories.

Teams from the VPA gained outstanding results and surpassed their set targets at the 2020 Games./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

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Ruling parties of Vietnam, Singapore seek stronger cooperation

Chairman of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Le Hoai Trung received Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and head of the external relations commission of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) of Singapore, in Hanoi on June 22.

Congratulating the Vietnamese people’s achievements under the CPV’s leadership, particularly in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic and sustaining socio-economic growth, Balakrishnan said Vietnam, which was one of a few nations recording positive growth in 2020, is a trustworthy destination of Singaporean investors.

He stressed that good relations between leaders of the two countries are a solid political foundation that creates conditions for bilateral cooperation in all other fields. The collaboration between the two ruling parties is an important factor of the Vietnam-Singapore strategic partnership, the official noted.

Trung, who is also a member of the CPV Central Committee, said Balakrishnan’s current visit to Vietnam is an important milestone and contributes positively to relations between the two ruling parties as well as the Vietnam – Singapore strategic partnership.

Host and guest discussed measures to promote cooperation between the two parties and the two states.

Exchanging their views on regional and international issues, the two officials agreed to continue to sustain mutual coordination and consultation at regional forums such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum to maintain a regional environment of peace, stability, friendship, cooperation and development./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency