Day: November 9, 2021

A get-together was held by a Vietnamese charitable organisation in Prague, the Czech Republic, on November 7 (local time).

Head of the organisation Nguyen Thi Dung said after eight years, the charity has had more than 370 members and become a trustworthy destination that connects donors and sponsors in the Czech Republic with overseas Vietnamese and disadvantaged people at home.

Since COVID-19 broke out in the Czech Republic in particular and Europe at large in early 2020, the charity has carried out its activities to support the Vietnamese community and people at the European nation.

Its members made and presented face masks to centres for children with disabilities and medical workers, and raised fund for bereaved families of COVID-19 victims.

In addition, the organisation launched various activities in line with the Vietnamese tradition of ‘the haves helping the have-nots’ to support Vietnamese and Czech families victimised by natural disasters in Morava region of the Czech Republic and Thua Thien-Hue of Vietnam, as well as offer aid for the disabled and orphaned.

It has to date raised more than 550 million VND (24,300 USD).

Speaking at the get-together, Vietnamese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Thai Xuan Dung appreciated efforts made by the charity over the recent past.

He hoped that the organisation will arrange more activities to uphold tradition of Vietnamese people to help those are in distress surmount difficulties, and contribute to promoting the images and role of the Vietnamese community in the country.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

A brocade fashion show themed “The Eternal Flow” will take place on December 30 at the World Expo 2020 Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The programme, which aims to feature the overall picture of a colourful Vietnam with cultural characteristics stretching across the country, will be implemented by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the People’s Committee of the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong.

The organizers said the programme will contribute to promoting the cultural value of traditional brocade weaving, introduce products of ethnic minorities in Vietnam, and bring these products to international markets, towards building a national brand in the brocade-based garment and culture industry.

Through activities such as traditional art performance, displaying and introducing handicraft products as well as dishes and culinary arts, international friends will have the opportunity to know more about Vietnam with achievements in economy, society, science and technology, helping to promote trade, tourism and investment in the coming years.

In the framework of the expo, each country will organize a national day. Vietnam’s Day will be held on December 30 with events to promote the country in many fields.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is coordinating with relevant ministries, sectors and units to plan activities such as a ceremony to raise the Vietnamese flag, a parade to show the national flag, a film week, a painting exhibition, and a programme to provide information about Vietnam’s foreign policy, economy, investment, trade and tourism.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore Chee Wee Kiong co-chaired the 14th political consultation between the two nations via videoconference.

Both sides reviewed the progress of bilateral cooperation in various areas and discussed what they will focus on to develop Vietnam-Singapore strategic partnership in a more effective manner, especially following COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the negative impacts of the pandemic from early 2020 to September 2021, Singapore became the biggest foreign investor in Vietnam with 402 new projects worth 11.4 billion USD.

Dung highlighted the significance of strengthening connectivity between the two economies, boosting cooperation to ensure supply chain, and expanding connections to new fields such as digital transformation, smart development, e-commerce, and developing Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIPs) into hi-tech, creative and environmentally friendly ones.

Chee Wee Kiong, for his part, affirmed that Singapore will assist Vietnam in vaccines via COVAX Facility. He suggested the two sides soon complete negotiations on mutual recognition of vaccine passports, put into operation priority travelling mechanisms, resume flights and facilitate travelling between the two nations.

On regional and global issues of shared concern, they spotlighted the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, maritime and aviation safety and freedom in the East Sea, as well as peaceful settlement of disputes in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

They also expressed support for serious and full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and negotiations between ASEAN and China to reach a practical, effective and efficient Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordance with international law.

Concluding the event, both sides held a ceremony to symbolically present anti-COVID-19 medical supplies to Vietnam. They pledged to increase the sharing of information and conduct joint studies on COVID-19 vaccines and medicines.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Supply chains in Southeast Asia are racing to recover to full strength after months of factory stoppages and production cuts, including Vietnam which is seeing a rapid return to normality, according to an article published on Japan’s Nikkei newspaper.

The article reported that about 200 factories in the country contracted to make sportswear for Nike have resumed operations.

An executive of an industrial park in Ho Chi Minh City was quoted as saying that plants operated by Samsung Electronics and Intel will “provide assistance so that both companies’ facilities will return to full production this month”.

Companies that produce electrical and electronic components essential for the auto industry are also returning to full strength, much to the relief of manufacturers around the globe.

Japan’s Furukawa Electric expects to return to full capacity at its Vietnamese plants. Its three factories there make wire harnesses for automobiles, with the Ho Chi Minh City site alone staffed with about 8,000 workers. The impact from the COVID restrictions has been particularly damaging to Southeast Asia’s automotive industry. Vietnam has a high concentration of wire harness factories, while Malaysia is a production hub for automotive semiconductors.

Vietnam was the source of about 40 percent of Japan’s wire harness imports in 2019. Suppliers Yazaki and Sumitomo Electric Industries are restoring production at their Vietnamese plants as well. This trend is expected to support a production comeback in Japan’s auto sector, said the article.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Minister of Public Security General To Lam suggested Vietnam and Australia enhance cooperation in all spheres, including national defence and security, at a reception for Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women Marise Payne in Hanoi on November 9.

Lam said over the past years, with the support of the Australian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, cooperation between the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security and law enforcement agencies of Australia has been strengthened in crime combat, immigration management and legal assistance, among others.

According to the minister, the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security and the Australian Department of Home Affairs have been effectively implementing signed cooperation documents and the minutes of the second Vietnam-Australia Vice-Ministerial Security Dialogue that took place in Hanoi in December 2019.

He added that the third dialogue is set to be held after the COVID-19 pandemic is put under control.

Minister Lam suggested the two sides should work to effectively roll out the 2018 agreement on the transfer of sentenced persons, the 2013 treaty on extradition, and the memorandum of understanding between the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security and the Australian Federal Police regarding the fight against cross-border crimes and cooperation between public security forces of the two countries.

For her part, Payne expressed her belief that cooperation between the two countries in general, and law enforcement agencies of Australia and Vietnam in particular will produce further achievements in ensuring social order and safety, and combating crimes.

She pledged to do her best to promote cooperation between Australian partners and the Vietnamese ministry, regarding this as an important factor to raise trust and boost collaboration between the two countries.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Vietnam Railway Authority has proposed the Ministry of Transport call for foreign investments in six projects.

The rail projects comprise one running to the northern port city of Hai Phong, the Bien Hoa-Vung Tau and Trang Bom-Hoa Hung projects, the eastern ring railway in Hanoi, the light railway from Thu Thiem to Long Thanh International Airport, and the Vung Ang-Tan Ap-Mu Gia rail route.

The agency said foreign investors can provide capital, cooperate, transfer technologies, set up join ventures or purchase shares The above-said projects in Hai Phong, Dong Nai, Quang Binh, Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Hanoi have been included in the railway network planning for 2021-2030, with a vision towards 2050.

Under the planning, apart from the current seven railways, there will be 18 new ones, including the North-South express railway, with a total length of 6,354km.

The scheme also includes national and priority projects for 2021-2030, with combined capital of 240 trillion VND (10.6 billion VND).

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Three ministers – the Minister of Industry and Trade, the Minister of Planning and Investment and the Minister of Finance – have presented explanations on issues of National Assembly deputies’ concern during the NA’s plenary meeting on November 9, the second working day of the second phase of the 15th legislature’s second session, which is being held in the in-person form.

The NA spent the entire day examining the outcomes of the socio-economic development plan for 2021; the draft socio-economic development plan for 2022; and a report on COVID-19 response and the implementation of the NA’s resolution No.30/2021/QH15.

The implementation of the State budget in 2021, the estimate State budget and budget allocation for 2022, and the three-year State financial-budgetary plan for 2022-2024 were also tabled for discussion during the day.

The day’s meeting was broadcast live on Radio The Voice of Vietnam, Vietnam Television and the legislature’s TV channel.

As scheduled, the NA will hold a question-&-answer session on November 10 focusing on the fields of health care and labour-invalids-social affairs.

The Q-&-A session will be broadcast live on national radio and television and the NA’s TV channel.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Despite the challenges facing Vietnam in the fourth wave of COVID-19, many experts and businesses remain confident that the country’s economic outlook will become bright again soon.

Warrick Cleine, Chairman and CEO of KPMG in Vietnam and Cambodia, said Vietnam has secured macro-economic and social stability, a strength for the country to attract foreign investment and recover growth in many areas, especially when most of business leaders and investors are always attracted by a safe and predictable investment and business environment.

Apart from other advantages, economic growth stories and the interaction between the Government and the domestic and foreign business communities will also encourage business leaders and investors to access the market, he noted.

Predicting the recovery progress of the Vietnamese economy, Alain Cany, Chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce (EuroCham) in the country, held that thanks to solid fundamental factors, the economy will revive gradually in at least the next six months before the growth pace becomes stronger in the latter half of 2022.

Some sectors have still benefited from the outbreaks such as e-commerce, which posted a growth rate of 18 percent and revenue of over 11 billion USD in 2020 and is forecast to continue enjoying breakthrough expansion this year.

Besides, the free trade agreements that Vietnam has joined are also expected to facilitate production and export activities in many industries like seafood, coffee, apparel, footwear, and mechanical equipment, Cany said.

Truong Gia Binh, Vice Chairman of the advisory council for reforming administrative procedures, head of the research committee for developing of the private economic sector, and Chairman of the FPT Group, said since the Government changed the anti-COVID-19 policy in October, the economy has reopened quickly.

The Government is planning a new relief package to help with economic recovery, and it has also been applying technology to put the pandemic under control, he noted, adding that more measures, including using artificial intelligence and technology, will be taken to quickly control the situation and shore up the economy.

Source: Vietnam News Agency