Day: June 26, 2021

State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and former President Nguyen Minh Triet on June 26 expressed profound condolences over the death of Greek Hero of the Vietnam People’s Armed Forces Kostas Sarantidis.

The same day, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh also did the same, while Minister of National Defense Senior Lieutenant General Phan Van Giang, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, and President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations Nguyen Phuong Nga sent messages of condolences to the family of the 94-year-old deceased.

Sarantidis, was born in 1927 in Athens. The Greek was 16 when he was sent to the German army in 1943. After World War II, he could not return home for having no identity documents and later joined the French Foreign Legion and was mobilised to Indochina.

Since Sarantidis set foot on Sai Gon (now Ho Chi Minh City) in 1946, he decided to follow the Viet Minh (the short name for Vietnam Doc Lap Dong Minh or Vietnam Independence League) as he had witnessed invaders’ crime to innocent Vietnamese and realised the aspirations of the Vietnamese revolution.

The soldier, with the Vietnamese name of Nguyen Van Lap, had made various accomplishments during his service and was presented with awards from the Party and State.

He was honoured with the Friendship Order and received Vietnamese citizenship in January 2011.

In 2013, Lap was awarded with the title of Hero of the People’s Armed Forces of Vietnam./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Addressing a meeting of the UN Security Council (UNSC) on June 25 to discuss the political progress in Syria, Vietnam called for the maintenance of humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people as the political process in this country is still facing a deadlock.

Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, head of the Vietnamese Mission to the United Nations (UN), emphasised the need to build trust among the parties to accelerate the political process, highlighting the support of the international community through promoting dialogue and ironing out existing differences.

The diplomat also called on all the parties to exercise restraint and maintain a favourable security environment for promoting political solutions and emphasised the need for coordination in the fight against terrorism to ensure respect for international law, including international humanitarian law.

According to the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen, there should be a consensus in finding a political solution to the crisis in Syria on the basis of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254. He called on the international community to establish new dialogue mechanisms to help solve the situation. He said that he is maintaining close communication with international and regional partners to support this negotiation process.

The official reiterated UN Secretary-General’s call on international community to maintain the cross-border aid mechanism to Syria for another 12 months to provide humanitarian assistance to the people in the Northwest region./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc has sent his greetings to President of Madagascar Andry Rajoelina on the African nation’s 61st Independence Day (June 26, 1960-2021).

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son also cabled a message of greetings to his Malagasy counterpart Tehindrazanarivelo Djacoba A. S. Oliva.

Vietnam and Madagascar established diplomatic relations on December 19, 1972.

Madagascar is the fourth largest island country in the world, with a coastline of 4,828 kilometres and a population of 24.5 million people. The country’s economy relies on agriculture, mining, tourism, and garment and textiles./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

High-ranking officials of Ukraine’s Odessa province attended the opening ceremony of Vietnam new honorary consul office on June 25.

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Ukraine and Moldova Nguyen Hong Thach said the opening of the office is a vibrant demonstration of the fact that that Vietnam always attaches importance to traditional and friendly relations with Ukraine; as well as Vietnam’s wishes to strongly develop all cooperation channels between the two countries.

Ambassador Thach said the Minister of Foreign Affairs’ decision to appoint Nguyen Van Khanh as the Honorary Consul General of Vietnam to Odessa province shows the recognition of Khanh’s prestige in the community as well as local administration. He expressed his hope that Khanh and his office will make positive contributions to the consolidation and strengthening of the Vietnam – Ukraine relations, and support to the Vietnamese community in Odessa.

The diplomat on May 27 presented the Minister of Foreign Affairs’ decision to appoint Khanh as the Honorary Consul General of Vietnam to Odessa province./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Numerous German states presented the token of over 190,000 COVID-19 quick test kits to Vietnam during a ceremony held at headquarters of the Federal Council (the German Upper House) on June 25.

The assistance was raised by the four states of Hamburg, Bremen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and Sachsen-Anhalt. It will be flown to Vietnam by national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and arrive early next week.

At the ceremony, representatives of the states spoke highly of the Vietnamese Government’s achievements in the fight against COVID-19, and voiced their belief that with efforts by the Government and people, Vietnam will soon bring the pandemic under control.

When COVID-19 broke out in Germany and face masks were scarce, the Vietnamese Government, organisations and individuals, as well as the Vietnamese community in the European country, helped local people battle the outbreaks by offering hundreds of thousands of masks, and meal portions to medical workers in the frontline, they recalled.

For his part, Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Nguyen Minh Vu underlined that the aid is a symbol of the countries’ solidarity and friendship, especially as Vietnam and Germany are celebrating the 10th year of the strategic partnership.

Even against the backdrop of COVID-19, the relations between Vietnam and German states will continue to flourish in multiple aspects, the diplomat affirmed.

He took the occasion to express his gratitude to Dr. Kambiz Ghawami, Executive Chairman of the World University Service (WUS) non-governmental organisation, for supporting the Embassy of Vietnam in receiving and sending the assistance to the Southeast Asian country.

According to Ghawami, other German states are to present quick test kits to Vietnam in the time to come./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) and the Ministry of Finance (MoF) announced the adjustment of petrol prices at 3pm on June 26.

Accordingly, the price of bio-fuel E5 RON 92 is 19,760 VND per litre, an increase of 712 VND; and that of RON95-III, 20,916 VND, a rise of 752 VND per litre. The ceiling price of diesel 0.05S is 16,119 VND, up 671 VND; while that of kerosene is not higher than 15,051 VND, and that of mazut, 15,449 VND.

According to the two ministries, with the recovery of production and business activities after being heavily affected by the COVID-19, the sharp increase in the world’s demand for gasoline will have an impact on the price of petroleum products in the coming time.

Announcements regarding fuel price changes are scheduled every 15 days to keep up with swings in the global market./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The upcoming visit to Vietnam by Lao Party General Secretary and State President Thongloun Sisoulith is of great significance, reaffirming the stance of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party in continuing to maintain, nurture and promote the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States and peoples, Lao Ambassador to Vietnam Sengphet Houngbounnuang has stated.

Talking to the media on the threshold of the official friendship visit from June 28-29, the ambassador noted that this is the first foreign trip by Sisoulith after he was elected to his positions.

The visit also aims to implement Laos’ consistent foreign policy of preserving and promoting the special collaboration between Laos and Vietnam, and reflects the special relationship of the two countries, he added.

Over the past time, despite complicated and unpredictable developments of the regional and international situations, the two countries have actively coordinated in and organised the implementation of cooperative agreements and plans, which has brought about substantive results in all areas.

Political relations continue to be strengthened, defence – security and diplomatic cooperation remains one of the most important pillars in the bilateral relationship, and cooperation in economics, culture, health care, and science – technology has made positive changes, he stated.

The Lao diplomat suggested the two Parties, States and peoples intensify cooperation and promote the tradition of special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation, support each other, and continue to carry out the revolutionary cause towards the goal of socialism.

According to him, in the coming time, the bilateral cooperation should focus on the priorities of continuing to strengthen cooperation in politics, defence – security and foreign affairs, raising the common awareness of the two Parties, States and peoples of the strategic importance of the special relationship between Laos and Vietnam.

The diplomat also highlighted the mutual support in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic between the two nations, affirming that the exchange of experience between a delegation of Vietnamese medical experts and Lao doctors and nurses has helped Laos basically control the pandemic./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Overseas investment by Vietnamese firms neared 547 million USD in the first half of 2021, rising close to 2.5 folds against the same period last year, according to the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

As many as 24 new projects with a combined registered capital of 143.8 million USD were granted investment certificates in the months, equivalent to 77.6 percent of the same period last year.

Over 403 million USD were added to nine existing projects in H1. They included two projects of the Vingroup conglomerate and its automobile arm Vinfast which were adjusted up by 300 million USD and 32 million USD in the US and Germany, respectively.

Among the 12 fields of investment, Vietnamese firms channeled 270.8 million USD into science-technology projects, accounting for nearly half of the total. Wholesale and retails came second with 148.6 million USD.

The US was the top destination for Vietnamese capital in the period with 302.8 million USD, holding a lion’s share of 55.4 percent.

Cambodia ranked second with 89.2 million USD, followed by Canada and France.

As of June 20, Vietnam had 1,420 valid overseas projects totaling 21.8 billion USD, mainly in the sectors of mining (36.4 percent of total capital) and agro-forestry-fisheries.

Laos was the largest recipient of Vietnam’s overseas investment, making up 23.7 percent of the total capital, followed by Cambodia (13.1 percent) and Russia (nearly 13 percent)./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency