Day: October 12, 2021

The final gala of a singing contest for Vietnamese people in Europe was held in Prague, the Czech Republic, on October 10, gathering 17 outstanding contestanats from many European countries.

Addressing the event, President of the Union of Vietnamese Associations in Europe Hoang Dinh Thang said that the contest not only aims to seek talents in Bolero singing, but also contributes to strengthening the connectivity and solidarity among the Vietnamese community in Europe, and fostering their ties with the homeland.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Thai Xuan Dung lauded the organisation of the contest, which helps maintain and promote cultural and art movements among the Vietnamese community, strengthening relations between the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic and those in the rest of Europe.

Speaking to the Vietnam News Agency’s correspondent in the Czech Republic, Ho Ngoc Nga, an overseas Vietnamese in Hungary, who is an advisor of the contest, said that after two years hit by COVID-19, the contest drew more than 17,000 contestants from 17 European countries.

This is not only a singing contest but also a place for the Vietnamese community to support each other amid COVID-19 pandemic, she said.

Concluding the contest, the organisation board presented one special prize to Tran Phuong Quyen in the Czech Republic, along with three gold, five silver and seven bronze prizes, and four prizes for singers receiving the highest votes from audiences.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

About 60 poorest families of Vietnamese-Cambodians in Preah Sihanouk province on October 11 received relief aid, worth some 20 USD each.

These families have been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters.

The aid was donated by a group of Vietnamese workers in Cambodia and presented to the disadvantaged people via the Vietnamese Consulate General.

In early October, the southwestern region of Cambodia was struck by prolonged torrential rains, making Vietnamese Cambodians in Preah Sihanouk, who were already affected by COVID-19, struggle even harder.

Thanking the donors for their donation, Vietnamese Consul General Vu Ngoc Ly said their kind-hearted gesture would provide motivation for the poor families in times of hardship.

According to Tran Van Nam, Chairman of the Khmer-Vietnamese Association in Preah Sihanouk, most of Vietnamese people living in the province have been given COVID-19 booster shots.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Nguyen Minh Vu visited Lingen town and Emsland district of the federal state of Niedersachsen, Germany, from October 8 to 10 to seek ways to promote nursing cooperation.

The ambassador had working sessions with Lingen Mayor Dieter Krone and District Administrator of Emsland Marc-André Burgdorf. He also visited and met with leaders of the St. Bonifatius Hospital Society and the Emsland economic association.

At the events, Vu updated the German side about the two countries’ cooperation, noting that Vietnam currently ranks first among ASEAN trade partners of Germany while the latter is also the leading EU partner of the Southeast Asian nation. Bilateral cooperation has covered various fields, from technology, investment to energy and environmental protection.

He held that Vietnamese localities’ partnerships with Lingen and Emsland could be expanded to such fields as new energy and training of nursing manpower.

The ambassador noted with a young population, Vietnam is able to meet German localities’ demand for nursing personnel, adding that the two sides can also work together in climate change adaptation as Vietnam is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change.

The leaders of Lingen and Emsland expressed their hope for stronger cooperation with Vietnamese localities, especially in the field of nursing manpower.

Ansgar Veer, General Manager of the St. Bonifatius Hospital Society, said about 60 Vietnamese are learning and working as nurses at establishments of this hospital, but the demand for nursing manpower is still on the rise amid population aging.

Bonifatius chose Vietnam as the supply source of nurses given the Vietnamese people’s hospitality, respect for the elderly, learning capacity, the readiness for learning, and industriousness, according to him.

Ambassador Vu said Germany views Vietnam as one of its main supply sources of nursing manpower, and this strategy has been included in the work programme of the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy. Therefore, German localities can seek support from the Federal Government to find nursing personnel from Vietnam.

At a separate meeting, the Vietnamese diplomat and representatives from the Emsland economic association discussed cooperation opportunities with Vietnam in manpower supply, trade, and investment. He said his embassy is ready to help German enterprises in seeking cooperation and investment opportunities in Vietnam.

Germany is among the most important partners of Vietnam in terms of vocational training. Via vocational training programmes, the number of Vietnamese studying and working in the nursing, tourism, hotel, and technical sectors in the European nation has been growing. By the end of 2019, more than 1,000 nurses from Vietnam came to learn and work there, and they received high evaluation.

Germany is forecast to need 200,000 foreign nurses between now and 2030.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Foreign tourists and Vietnamese people in other countries hope to enter Vietnam for travelling and visiting relatives as soon as possible, according to Vietnamese diplomatic representative agencies abroad.

At a recent online round-table held by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on the reopening of the international tourism market, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Doan Van Viet said that the tourism sector will implement a “Roam Phu Quoc” communication programme as an opening of a tourism promotion and recovery scheme in the 2021-2022 period themed “Live Fully in Vietnam”.

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Foreign tourists expect to visit Vietnam soon (Source: baovanhoa.vn)

He said that the demand for travelling to Vietnam and Phu Quoc island in particular is high currently.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the Republic of Korea (RoK) Nguyen Vu Tung said that Korean visitors are much interested in Vietnam, adding that the embassy has received many questions regarding tourism in Phu Quoc.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Mai Phuoc Dung said that Vietnam is among top choices for Singaporean visitors.

Hoang Thi Thanh Nga, Minister Counsellor at the Vietnamese Embassy in the US, said that more than 70 percent of people aged from 18 years old in the host country have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, making the US an important tourism market for Vietnam.

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Foreign tourists in Hoan Kiam Lake of Hanoi (Photo: VNA)

Nguyen Tung Lam, Minister Counsellor at the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia, said that after a long period of restrictions, Russians are showing high demand for travelling. He said that Russian people are sseking Asian destinations for visiting, including Vietnam.

Similarly, representatives from the Vietnamese Embassies in Spain, the UK and Germany, said that visitors in the host country expected Vietnam to open its tourism market soon for them.

However, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, due to complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism sector has yet to define the exact time to reopen for international visitors, and will take gradual steps in the process to ensure the utmost safety.

Currently, the sector is preparing plans to welcome foreign tourists to Phu Quoc island in the Mekong delta province of Kien Giang. But the time for the implementation of the scheme depends on the COVID-19 control situation in Phu Quoc as well as its vaccination progress and readiness.

The tourism sector is also considering the reopening of a number of other destinations meeting safety requirements such as Khanh Hoa, Quang Nam and Da Nang, according to the administration.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

A scientific webinar themed “Ho Chi Minh trail at sea – historical miracle and lesson for national construction and defence cause” will be held on October 19, heard a press conference on October 12.

As part of activities to celebrate the 60th anniversary of launching the Ho Chi Minh trail at sea, the event will virtually connect participants of the northern city of Hai Phong and those from military zones, the Army Academy, the Army Officer Training College 2, and Military Commands of provinces and cities nationwide.

Colonel Nguyen Van Sau, Vice President of the Military History Institute of Vietnam, said the workshop aims to affirm and clarify the policy of building strategic logistics lines – the Ho Chi Minh trails in the mainland and at sea, which was a great success in leading and directing the resistance war against the US to save the country of the Vietnam Workers’ Party (now the Communist Party of Vietnam) and President Ho Chi Minh.

The Ho Chi Minh trail at sea is a shining symbol of patriotism, willpower and determination for liberation of the South and national independence of the entire Party, people and army, as well as unyielding revolutionary spirit, heroic tradition, creativity and international solidarity against the common enemies of people of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, Sau said.

Opinions to be raised at the event will contribute to affirming the role of the Ho Chi Minh trail at sea for the battlefields of the three Indochinese countries, coordination between their forces, and the special solidarity against their common enemies, while spotlighting the historical significance and value of the trail for Vietnam’s national construction and defence and international solidarity at present.

On the sidelines of the webinar, a incense offering ceremony will be organised at Wharf K15 in Hai Phong, the starting point of the Ho Chi Minh trail at sea.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Vietnam Social Security (VSS) has paid 371 billion VND (16.29 million USD) worth of unemployment insurance benefits to pandemic-hit labourers nationwide so far, the agency reported.

The amount was paid to 117,000 labourers paying unemployment insurance premiums and over 42,500 others having their premium payment period reserved.

The move is part of efforts to realise the Government’s Decision No.116/ND-CP and the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 28/NQ-CP on the implementation of support policies for employees and employers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, using the unemployment insurance fund.

Under the scheme, about 30 trillion VND (1.31 billion USD) from the fund will be used to support labourers who are covered by unemployment insurance as of September 30, 2021, excluding employees in State agencies, socio-political organisations, people’s armed forces and public non-business agencies who are paid by the State budget.

Meanwhile, so far, the VSS has responded to requests from 728 units in 56 localities nationwide with over 133,000 labourers on the suspension of payment to the retirement and survivor benefit fund with total amount of 912.3 billion VND.

At the same time, the agency has verified a list of 1.8 million labourers subjected to support policies from 53,000 units nationwide. Of the total, nearly 1.37 million labourers have their working contract suspended or are on unpaid leave.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnam has made progresses in development of information and communication technology (ICT), especially the creativity of applications that Vietnam is developing, said General Secretary of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Zhao Houlin.

In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency, Zhao said Vietnam’s remarkable achievements in ITC development, including its national strategy for digital transformation, make the country an excellent example for the region and developing countries in the world.

He highly valued Vietnam’s hosting of the ITU Digital World in 2020, and acknowledged its role as a leading provider of information and communication technology and digital economy in ASEAN, as well as an important partner in many markets, from Asia and Africa to Latin America and the Caribbean.

Assessing Vietnam’s ability to realise its digital transformation goal in the near future, Zhao said that Vietnam is currently implementing e-Government and this effort has received the support of the people.

Vietnam is a good example of digital transformation, he noted.

This is not only the aspiration and goal of the Vietnamese Government but also of all people. With these joint efforts, Vietnam will surely succeed, he stated.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnam is resolved to work together with other countries to strengthen solidarity, trust and cooperation, for peace and development in Asia and the world, Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Hoang Giang said at the Sixth Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) held virtually on October 12.

The Vietnamese delegate suggested the CICA maintain its focus on promoting dialogues and building trust between Asian nations to address regional and global challenges, while affirming Vietnam’s commitments to the CICA’s process and targets.

The Deputy FM highlighted ASEAN’s centrality in the regional security architecture, and the grouping’s efforts in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, implementing its five-point consensus on Myanmar, realising the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and early concluding negotiations on a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS).

The meeting saw the attendance of 15 ministers, five deputy ministers and representatives from 27 CICA member countries, observer states and international organisations.

Delegates shared the view that Asia is facing a range of big challenges such as multi-dimensional impacts of COVID-19, climate change, terrorism, cross-border crime, cyber security and armed conflicts.

They lauded the CICA’s role to peace, security, cooperation and development in Asia, and suggested it carry forward its role as a regional organisation to adapt to changes in the region and the world by supporting multilateralism, boosting cooperation and dialogues, and building trust and solidarity between countries, for the region’s common interests.

The CICA, set up in 1992, is a multi-national forum for enhancing cooperation towards promoting peace, security and stability in Asia. It was an initiative by the First President of Kazakhstan – Nursultan Nazarbayev.

Vietnam joined the CICA in 2010.

Source: Vietnam News Agency