Day: November 2, 2021

The central province of Quang Nam, home to the world cultural heritage sites of Hoi An ancient city and My Son Sanctuary, will pilot a programme to welcome international tourists back from this month as the COVID-19 pandemic is put under control in the locality.

Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Thanh Hong said that the department had submitted a draft plan to welcome foreigners from potential and safe markets such as Northeast Asia, Europe, the US, the Middle East, and Oceania.

The pilot programme will be implemented in three phases. The first phase starts from November only for those who use combo packages and visit several selected destinations such as Hoi An ancient city, My Son Sanctuary and Hoiana Complex

The second phase starting from January 2022 expects to welcome more arrivals through chartered and regular commercial flights. After completing a seven-day tour in the first destination, tourists can visit several destinations in Da Nang city, and Kien Giang, Khanh Hoa and Quang Ninh provinces.

In the third phase, full re-opening will be decided based on the pandemic’s developments and the results of the two previous phases.

Foreigners and overseas Vietnamese must have a certificate of full vaccination recognised by Vietnam’s authorities. Travellers are also required to have a certificate proving they are negative for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR/RT-LAMP within 72 hours prior to departure. They must have travel insurance that covers COVID-19 with a minimum liability of 50,000 USD, and must purchase a tour package from a travel agency.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is temporarily recognising ‘vaccine passports’ of 72 countries and territories, and is in discussions with nearly 80 others on mutual recognition for the ‘vaccine passport’.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has called on countries to make strong commitments to reduce greenhouse emissions on the basis of common responsibility that suit their conditions and capacity, adding that there should be fairness and justice in climate change issues.

The Vietnamese leader made the call while delivering a keynote speech at the first working day of the Climate Summit, held within the framework of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland (the UK) on November 1 (local time).

He affirmed that the negative impacts of climate change are seriously affecting food and water source security, and sustainable development, and even threatening the survival of many countries and communities.

It requires the international community to take stronger and more responsible actions without delay on a global scale, the PM stressed.

This is a global issue that requires a global approach, he said, adding that the issue affects everyone so a universal approach is needed.

The PM affirmed that response to climate change and natural recovery must become the top priority in every development policy, the highest ethical standard of every sector, business and person.

Science and technology must take the lead while financial resources must be used as a lever to promote the transformation of development models toward a green, circular, sustainable, inclusive and humane economy, he said.

According to the PM, every action must be based on nature and put people at the centre and consider people as the subject and driving force for sustainable development so that no one is left behind.

PM Chinh held that climate finance, technology transfer and capacity improvement play an important role in successfully carrying out the Paris Agreement.

Developed countries must fully deliver on their financial commitments while setting out more ambitious financial goals after 2025.

The Government leader affirmed that, despite being a developing country that has just carried out its industrialisation over the past three decades, Vietnam, with advantages in renewable energy, will build and implement strong measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by using its own resources coupled with the cooperation and support of the international community, especially from developed countries, in terms of finance and technology transfer. Such measures include the implementation of mechanisms under the Paris Agreement to achieve zero emissions by 2050, he said.

The PM said Vietnam is making great efforts to respond to climate change, develop its economy, ensure a better life for all people, and make responsible contributions to the international community.

Vietnam wants to strengthen cooperation with the international community in sustainable investment and development programmes and projects in the time to come, he stated.

PM Chinh’s speech was highly evaluated by international friends and partners who affirmed their willingness to cooperate with Vietnam in deploying measures to promote green growth, circular economy, and support communities, especially vulnerable groups, in a bid to increase resilience and adaptability to unusual and extreme weather phenomena caused by climate change.

As a large-scale and top important international conference on climate change, the event drew leaders and representatives of 197 parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), including over 120 heads of state and prime ministers, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, and leaders of international organisations and financial institutions, multinational corporations and non-governmental organisations.

At the event, leaders expressed their concern over the increasingly serious impacts of climate change on the Earth. They reaffirmed that the international community needs to take urgent actions right now, make stronger commitments and strive more to cope with the current climate crisis.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam on November 2 urged Hanoi to stay highly alert as the COVID-19 pandemic has already “penetrated very deeply into the community”.

At a meeting with local official about the pandemic combat, Deputy PM Dam, who is also deputy head of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, said the city must flexibly but also safely adapt to the pandemic, so it still has to stay ready for worse cases.

Particularly, the principles set out at the start of the COVID-19 fight, which is “prevention, detection, quarantine, sealing off, curbing transmission, and early treatment”, remains unchanged, he noted.

He asked Hanoi to prepare standard procedures for home quarantine and treatment in case the coronavirus spreads on a large scale.

Regarding school reopening, the Deputy PM requested that local authorities consider gradually resuming in-person teaching and learning activities based on people’s demand.

Once accepting to living with COVID-19, the entire health monitoring system, including schools and health establishments, must raise their pandemic alert to a higher level compared to the past, according to the official.

Reporting on the local COVID-19 situation, Director of the municipal Health Department Tran Thi Nhi Ha said the pandemic in Hanoi is currently under control, but the virus transmission from localities with complex pandemic developments remains a risk.

Hanoi has administered 9,664,917 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to local residents. About 92.3 percent of the people aged 18 and above have been given at least one shot, accounting for 69.4 percent of its total population. Meanwhile, 55.4 percent of the people in the age group, or 41.6 percent, have been fully vaccinated.

At the meeting, Vice Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Van Phong said Hanoi will build a COVID-19 response plan at a higher level than the current one and devise appropriate measures to manage infection cases and those having close contact with them in accordance with the city’s situation.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended and delivered remarks at the launch of the Global Methane Pledge under the co-chair of US President Joe Biden and President of the European Commission (EC) Ursula von der Leyen in Glasgow, the UK, on November 2.

He thanked the organising board, the US President, and the EC President for inviting Vietnam to take part in the Global Methane Pledge initiative.

The Vietnamese PM pointed out that methane is a result of unscientific and unsustainable production, use, and waste treatment, leading to global warming. Given this, all people should stay united and unanimous and join hands to reduce methane emissions.

This is a global issue which requires a global approach, he noted, adding that as it affects every people, an all-people approach is needed.

The PM called on developed countries, with the richest being the US and the European Union (EU), to share and support developing and poor nations in training and innovation as well as technology, finance, institutional building, and administrative sciences, among other fields, thereby helping them participate in the process of reducing methane emissions.

The pledge to reduce global methane emissions was signed by nearly 90 countries, aiming to reduce the potent greenhouse gas methane by 30 percent by 2030 compared to the 2020 level.

According to the UN, steep cuts in methane emissions this decade could help the world avoid 0.3 degrees Celsius of warming by 2040.

Earlier, Chinh attended the Leaders Action on Forests and Land Use session chaired by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the government leaders of the UK, Germany and Croatia in Glasgow on November 1 evening (London time) on the sidelines of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26).

Meeting with the UN Secretary-General, PM Chinh stressed that Vietnam highly values the UN’s central role and hopes to enhance comprehensive cooperation with the body.

Guterres applauded the country’s participation in international affairs, including climate change response and engagement in the UN peacekeeping force, as well as its responsible performance as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council during 2020 – 2021.

Talking about considerable climate change impacts on Vietnam, PM Chinh reaffirmed the country’s strong commitment to the fight against climate change.

The UN Secretary-General spoke highly of Vietnam’s commitment at COP26 to achieving net zero emissions, which is a meaningful contribution to the world’s common efforts to cope with the climate crisis. He expressed the readiness to assist the country during the transition to a green and circular economy and renewable energy development, and to help Vietnam and other countries along the Mekong River to deal with land erosion and saltwater intrusion, among others.

Also on late November 1, the Vietnamese leader met with British PM Boris Johnson, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Croatian PM Andrej Plenkovic.

The leaders expressed their delight at Vietnam’s bilateral cooperation with the European countries, whose leaders spoke highly of PM Chinh’s speech at the COP26 and described Vietnam as a good example for the international community.

They pledged to continue assistance for Vietnam and other countries in the Mekong River basin to handle land erosion, saltwater intrusion, and other issues to ensure food security and sustainable development. They said Vietnam’s commitments have helped strengthen investors’ trust, and that they are ready to help the country during the transition to a green and circular economy and renewable energy development.

The leaders of the UK, Germany, and Croatia added they are willing to keep supporting Vietnam with vaccines and medical supplies in the time ahead.

On this occasion, PM Chinh offered sincere thanks to the British, German, and Croatian governments for providing Vietnam with vaccines.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Vietnam Technological and Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Techcombank) has successfully concluded its largest ever offshore syndicated loan facility at 800 million USD, a record size and landmark structure among Vietnamese banks.

This is Techcombank’s second approach to the offshore loan syndication markets after its maiden accomplishment last year, which also set a record.

The fully underwritten syndication was launched in June this year at an original deal size of 500 million USD with a pre-funding option. The facility amount was upsized to 800 million USD to accommodate the strong market response.

The dual tranche senior unsecured facility comprises a 600 million USD 3-year tranche and a 200 million USD 5-year tranche. The facility offers an interest margin of 135 basis points per annum on the 3-year tranche and 162 basis points per annum on the 5-year tranche, over US dollar London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR).

The 5-year tranche is a landmark for Vietnamese banks. The outstanding success of this transaction reaffirms the market’s trust and confidence in Techcombank, its robust risk management and customer-centric business strategy.

Techcombank’s exemplary track record has attracted the largest pool of liquidity for a Vietnamese financial institution to date. A total of 28 prestigious international banks and development finance institutions participated in the transaction.

Loan proceeds, which are for general corporate and working capital purposes, will bolster Techcombank’s ability to meet the increasing medium- and long-term funding needs of its customers in both foreign and local currencies.

Standard Chartered Bank (SCB), which initially underwrote the financing, was joined by fellow Mandated Lead Arranger Banks and Underwriters: Cathay United Bank, Maybank Kim Eng, State Bank of India, and Taishin International Bank.

Bryan Liew, Head of Leveraged and Acquisition Finance Syndicate of SCB, said the transaction was a landmark for the Vietnamese loan market, given its profile, size and tenor.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

As many as 211 fishing vessels in the southern province of Tra Vinh have installed vessel monitoring systems (VMS) as of the beginning of November, accounting for 92 percent of the total boats.

According to Tran Van Dung, deputy director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), in response to European Commission (EC)’s recommendations related to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and in a bid to remove the EC’s yellow card, the provincial agricultural sector has strengthened dissemination to boat owners and captains to observe related laws and regulations, especially not violating foreign waters.

Currently, the province has 230 fishing vessels with more than 15m in length, which are subject to installing VMS equipment as regulated.

The provincial department has set a goal that the province will complete the installation of monitoring equipment for all vessels by December 31.

Along with strictly complying with regulations on fishing at sea, the Tra Vinh Fisheries sub-department under the provincial department will continue encouraging fishermen to participate in the establishment of offshore fishing groups to support each other in the exploitation, thus increasing incomes and protecting the country’s sovereignty over sea and islands.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnam’s Becamex IDC signed a cooperation programme with The Connected Places Catapult (CPC) of the UK on developing the Binh Duong smart city, the Innovation Region and the Science-Technology Industrial Park in the southern province of Binh Duong during an online ceremony on November 1 (Vietnam time).

The event saw the attendance of Vietnamese Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung, Secretary of the Party Committee of Binh Duong Nguyen Van Loi, and Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Vo Van Minh, and British Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Emily Hamblin, among others.

Standing Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Binh Duong Mai Hung Dung said that the province welcomes the cooperation between the two firms, considering it an ideal chance for the southern industrial hub to foster connections with UK technology and innovation businesses, thus making full use of UK technologies in boosting the development of Binh Duong in the new period. Objectives of cooperation between the two sides include forming a complete model of investment attraction with core values. It comprises the establishment of a science-technology centre with the coordination among local government, businesses and research institutions; the promotion of industrial sectors with high science-technology content and high added value; and the development of renovation programmes and the attraction of high-quality foreign direct investment to Binh Duong.

Addressing the ceremony, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung underlined that Vietnam is a promising market for UK firms.

He held that the CPC’s collaboration with the Vietnamese partner will pave the way for Vietnam and Binh Duong in particular to draw more British investors.

Source: Vietnam News Agency