Day: September 21, 2021

Vietnamese Minister of Construction Nguyen Thanh Nghi and Cuban Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment Rodrigo Malmierca Díaz, co-chairs of the Vietnam-Cuba Inter-Government Committee, had a working session in Havana on September 20 to seek ways to strengthen partnership between the two countries through this mechanism.

Both sides reaffirmed that they will work closely together to hasten ministries and sectors of the two countries to implement high-level agreements reached by President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, while fostering their collaboration in all fields to match the sound relations between Vietnam and Cuba.

Concluding the session, Minister Nghi symbolically handed over to Minister Rodrigo Malmierca 5,000 tonnes of rice as gifts from the Vietnamese State and people to the Cuban people, along with 1,000 tonnes of rice presented by Vietnamese construction enterprises.

The two ministers also witnessed the signing of two memoranda of understanding between Cuban tourism firms Gran Caribe and Cubanacán and Vietnam’s City Land real estate company on cooperation in forming two joint ventures in construction and hotel, as well as a solar power purchase deal between Thai Binh company and Cuban state-owned power company Unión Eléctrica (UNE).

Earlier, Rodrigo Malmierca Díaz had a meeting with Vietnamese Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung and Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien, during which the ministers sought ways to promote bilateral trade and investment ties in the future.

The Vietnamese side suggested that Cuba design preferential policies and create favourable conditions for Vietnamese businesses investing in the country. Minister Rodrigo Malmierca Díaz underlined Cuba’s wish to promote economic, trade and investment cooperation with Vietnam.

Both sides shared belief that the Vietnam-Cuba economic and trade ties will be further bolstered in the time to come with more practical outcomes.

Vietnam will continue to consolidate its position as the largest investor from the Asia-Oceania region in Cuba and provide products of Cuba’s demand such as consumer goods, footwear, garments and construction materials. Meanwhile, Cuba wishes to export more products of its strength to Vietnam, including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology products and medical services.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The National Assembly Standing Committee gave opinions on the draft Law on Mobile Police during its third session in Hanoi on September 21 under the chair of NA Vice Chairman Tran Quang Phuong.

At the event, Deputy Minister of Public Security Le Quoc Hung delivered a report on the bill while Chairman of the NA Committee on National Defence and Security Le Tan Son presented a report examining the bill.

Participants basically agreed with a need to issue the law, and suggested further clarifying the role and position of mobile police force compared to others in the people’s public security sector, thereby highlighting the necessity to issue a law for them more persuasively.

Concluding the event, Phuong said after collecting feedback from the committee, the draft law has met criteria to be submitted to the legislature for the first time during its second meeting.

He asked compiling agencies to acquire relevant feedback, then report to the Government and submit it to the NA in its second meeting as directed by NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Da Nang has been giving COVID-19 vaccinations for foreigners and overseas Vietnamese living in the central city to ensure they are injected at least one dose, said an official on September 21.

Director of the municipal Department of Foreign Affairs Huynh Duc Truong said over 4,800 foreigners and overseas Vietnamese with different nationalities living in the city.

According to the official, many of them, including those work at foreign consulates general, industrial parks, and non-governmental organisations, among others, have received their first jabs.

As of August 30, the department’s hotlines received 180 calls, emails, and texts from foreigners, mostly asking for assistance in purchasing food, necessities, and medicines; in travelling to vaccination sites; and in making appointments related to health checkups and visa extension, among others. Prompt support was delivered to them.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan visited and presented gifts to frontliners in the fight against COVID-19 in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang on September 21.

In Cai Lay township, Xuan hailed frontliners for their determination in the effort. She asked the provincial authorities to offer timely support and commendation to individuals and organisations for their contributions in the work.

She also asked the province to ensure social welfare for residents, come up with specific plans to restore key industries and offer incentives to firms in the new normal.

As of September 21, the province had recorded 13,270 infections, 77.8 percent of them recovered and 327 died from the disease. Four out of 11 districts and townships had gone through seven days without local transmissions, reported the provincial Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

On the occasion, she handed over 5,000 COVID-19 test kits and five houses to the province. The Vietnam Fatherland Front also presented 3 billion VND to Tien Giang and 220 million VND to Cai Lay township in support of the local pandemic fight.

In the morning the same day, the leader also visited and offered gifts to frontliners in the COVID-19 treatment hospital No.2.

Later in the afternoon, she also presented gifts to disadvantaged workers and trade union members in the Dai Thanh fishery company based in the Song Thuan industrial zone in Chau Thanh district.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Team Dastronaut from RMIT University Vietnam will represent the country at the virtual Regional Finals of ASEAN Data Science Explorers (ASEAN DSE) 2021 slated for October 6, 2021.

The team came first at the ASEAN DSE 2021 National Finals held online recently. It was followed by two teams from the British International School, and Foreign Trade University and Vietnam National University. The three winners were judged based on their ability to design a best all-round concept that tackles ASEAN socio-economic issues, driven by data insights. The judging criteria look at the creativity, feasibility, innovation, and the team’s ability to demonstrate the solution’s implementationTeam Dastronaut comprises Phan Le Minh An and Vuong Anh Chien, whose project is aimed at revolutionising urban waste through a combination of mandatory rules and incentives to promote trash sorting habits from residents, setting up an e-commerce waste app – where companies can log in and purchase waste products as input materials for their manufacturing process.

Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, ASEAN DSE continues to equip youth across the region with essential digital skills by organising its key activities, such as enablement sessions and data analytics competitions, virtually. Running for the fifth year, ASEAN DSE has a renewed focus on sustainable development goals (SDGs) that target climate and sustainability.

In addition, the programme has also collaborated with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in ten ASEAN countries to deliver in-person enablement sessions to youth with limited access to technology and youth with disabilities.

Speaking at the national finals, Ambassador Nguyen Hai Bang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to ASEAN, said that ASEAN DSE is a learning platform for young people, helping them hone important skills of the 21st century such as digital science, creativity, teamwork and effective communication, and leveraging these skills to deliver data-driven solutions to help ASEAN overcome socio-economic challenges and achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The People’s Committee of the northern province of Thai Binh on September 21 signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Vuon Thoi Dai Vietnam (Times Garden Vietnam) JSC on cooperation in planning work for the province in the 2021 – 2030 period, with a vision to 2050.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Khac Than highlighted the significance of the event, saying that the cooperation is expected to help the province meet planning goals in alignment with the vision and development strategy set by the local authorities.

Thai Binh province has been working hard to realise planning tasks and objectives stated in the Resolution of the 20th provincial Party Congress, he said.

A steering committee for implementing planning tasks of the locality, and a working team led by Chairmen of People’s Committees of districts and Thai Binh city to direct relevant tasks were established, he said.

Than suggested Times Garden Vietnam JSC and consulting units arrange high-quality human resources to ensure the schedule of planning work.

He requested that the planning should closely follow the development orientation stated in the 20th provincial Party Congress’s Resolution, adding that the units should also help the locality determine and formulate development plans for important sectors such as infrastructure development, tourism, trade and services, especially in Con Vanh area.

On the occasion, a consultant consortium of several domestic institutes also signed a cooperation agreement with Roland Berger and Surbana International Consultant Vietnam Co., Ltd on providing consultation services related to planning work for Thai Binh.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Cuba has never felt alone thanks to the country’s time-tested solidarity with Vietnam, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez has said in an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency.

Regarding the significance of the historical relations between Cuba and Vietnam as well as of the official friendship visit to Cuba by President of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc, he affirmed that the heroic Vietnamese people are always among the most sincere friends of Cuba in complicated times, expressing his gratitude to Vietnam’s consistent support for Cuba’s struggle to end the unjust economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the US.

The countries celebrated 60 years of the establishment of diplomatic ties last year, he said. Since the revolutionary government of Cuba set up relations with Vietnam on October 2, 1961, the special and steadfast relationship had been nurtured by leaders Fidel Castro and Raul Castro of Cuba and Ho Chi Minh of Vietnam, during difficult times of the struggle for national liberation and reunification as well as the national construction of the Vietnamese people.

Many schools, public squares and facilities in Cuba have borne Vietnamese names as symbols of an era and mutual feelings of a sound and long-standing solidarity between the nations.

Cuba takes pride in being the first country to recognise the National Liberation Front for South Vietnam and accept a permanent mission of the Front in Havana. 1967 was named the “Year of Heroic Vietnam” in Cuba, and two years later the Caribbean nation was the first one to recognise the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam and opened an embassy in deep forest, President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez recalled.

Many Vietnamese students have been studying in Cuban universities, he added.

Under the leadership of the Communist Parties, both countries have stayed consistent on the path of building socialism based on their respective realities. They have regularly shared experience, demonstrating a rare mutual political trust supplemented by the bilateral cooperation across all fields.

In the context of the ongoing pandemic, Cuba welcomes the visit by President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and the leaders have reached consensus on the unchanged target of the comprehensive development of the bilateral relations.

It is noteworthy that the ongoing pandemic cannot hinder political dialogues at the highest level between Cuba and Vietnam, the Cuban leader underlined.

He said that high-ranking leaders will continue to pay attention to and give top priority to the exemplary relationship of the two nations.

The top leader of Cuba said the two countries will step up cooperation in potential fields of food security, information work and the fight against hostile communication campaigns.

They will also join hands in the conservation of historical memories and strengthen close collaboration in spheres of mutual concern among outstanding international issues.

The special relations and long-lasting cohesion between the two nations, Parties and Governments serve as a solid foundation to elevate economic, commercial and financial ties on par with the sound political relations.

The nations are expected to lift trade exchange and economic cooperation to a higher level with the signing of the plan of action to implement the middle-term economic agenda for the 2021-2025 period.

With the supply and technology transfer of Cuba’s Abdala COVID-19 vaccine for Vietnam, the countries’ friendship has been strengthened as Cuba and Vietnam tighten partnership in health care and biotechnology, he stated.

The Cuban leader believed that Vietnam holds potential in enhancing its position as the largest Asia-Oceania investor in Cuba.

For its part, Cuba will continue creating a favourable business climate for the same goal based on the potential of Vietnamese firms operating in the country.

Vietnam and Cuba may also expand collaboration in other fields such as energy, tourism, medical services, industry-agriculture and food industry, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez said.

He cited Cuban leader Fidel Castro’s saying “For Vietnam, Cuba is willing to shed its blood”, adding that now Cuba stands ready to supply and transfer production technology of COVID-19 vaccines for Vietnam.

“In the face of global challenges, Cuba and Vietnam will definitely win when we are united,” he reiterated.

Source: Vietnam News Agency