Day: December 20, 2021

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E-racing becomes a category of SEA EC 2021

E-Racing has officially become a category of the Southeast Asian eSports Championship 2021 (SEA EC 2021) besides PUBG Mobile, League of Legends: Wild Rift and Valorant, according to Vietnam Recreational E-sport Association (VIRESA).

Racers participating in this sport will compete on the RaceRoom platform.

According to Do Viet Hung, director-general of SEA EC 2021, through the inclusion of E-Racing in SEA EC 2021, VIRESA as well as other e-sports federations in the region hope to create new experiences and creations for those who love e-sports and speedy sports.

Regarding the selection method, Alex Yoong, former Formula 1 racer and founder of eRacing GP, said that the eRacing GP rankings on RaceRoom for SEA EC 2021 will open on December 24 and be completely free, VIRESA said.

Competitors are encouraged to register online. The top two competitors from each country in the region will qualify to compete in the final in January 2022, including both individual and team events, it said. In addition to the opportunity to participate in SEA EC 2021, the finalists will also be invited to compete in the Challenger Cup – a prestigious tournament of racing simulation to be held later in 2022.

Earlier, VIRESA announced at a press conference held in October that the organisation committee is considering including E-Racing in the tournament which is co-organised by the association and VNG Joint Stock Company.

The qualifying round for the SEA EC 2021 held virtually is slated for November and December and the final round will take place in January 2022. It is expected to draw the participation of 58 teams representing 10 e-sports federations in the region. The winner will walk home with a prize worth more than 140,000 USD.

According to Hung, two of the three games of SEA EC 2021 are included in the 31st Southeast Asia Games. Therefore, the upcoming e-sports tourney is hoped to offer chances for athletes to test their skills before the major regional event

Source: Vietnam News Agency

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Football tournament of Vietnamese community in Japan held

FC Real Robama has become the champion at the football tournament of the Vietnamese people residing in Japan’s Kanto region in 2021 (FAVIJA Kanto up).

The tournament, which wrapped up on December 19, attracted the participation of 80 teams divided into 16 groups. The runner-up belonged to FC AE38 while FC Tokai and Sao Vang JP FC grabbed third place.

The total value of the prizes at the tournament is 4.9 million JPY (43,100 USD). The winning team also received a ball signed by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh during his recent visit to Japan.

FAVIJA President Do Quang Ba, who is also head of the organising board, said safety for the event is a top priority amid COVID-19 risks. All players must be fully vaccinated, with the second shot being injected at least 14 days before the tourney, or test negative for COVID-19.

The tournament is not only a sports playground for health training and community engagement but is also meaningful when the organisers approved the tournament to raise funds to support disadvantaged Vietnamese people in Japan, especially those facing difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The annual tournament is organised by the football association of Vietnamese people in Japan (FAVIJA) under the auspices of the Embassy of Vietnam in Japan. It is the largest culture-sport event of the Vietnamese community in Japan at large and Kanto, in particular, this year, as the COVID-19 situations in the region improved within the past month.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

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Conference reviews ties between Vietnam, Middle East – Africa

The Foreign Ministry chaired a mid-term review conference in both online and offline formats on December 20 on the implementation of a project on developing ties between Vietnam and the Middle East – Africa countries for the 2016-2025 period.

The event drew 200 delegates from 20 ministries, agencies and nearly 50 cities and provinces nationwide.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Quang Hieu affirmed that Vietnam always treasures strengthening friendship and cooperation with the Middle East – Africa. Over the past five years, bilateral political ties have laid a solid foundation for promoting all-around collaboration in the fields of economy, investment, trade and science.

Delegates stressed that the potential of cooperation between Vietnam and the region remains huge given the region’s great potential in economy, finance and trade. Many countries in the region are promoting a Look East policy and attach importance to ties with Vietnam.

Economic and investment ties between Vietnam and the region have seen big progress, with two-way trade between both sides surging nearly 1.4-fold over the past five years. A number of regional development funds have provided official development assistance for infrastructure and poverty reduction projects in Vietnam’s remote and mountainous areas.

Cultural and people-to-people exchange has been expanded via the organisation of Vietnam Culture Days and photo and book exhibitions popularising Vietnam and its culture in countries in the region. Vietnam’s peacekeeping activities in the United Nations missions have been highly valued by the international community.

Amid COVID-19 pandemic, the Vietnamese Government and firms have provided traditional friends in the region with medical masks and supplies. Many Middle East nations also provided vaccines and medical supplies for Vietnam.

However, participants agreed that such outcomes still fail to match the potential and cooperation demand of both sides, mostly due to the geographic distance, political instability in some countries in the region, and a lack of up-to-date information on the region and regional countries’ policies. The COVID-19 pandemic also disrupted many exchange activities and supply chains.

Concluding the event, Deputy Minister Hieu said the Foreign Ministry will actively coordinate with ministries, sectors and agencies to support localities and enterprises in enhancing cooperation with countries in the Middle East – African region.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

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Cultural diplomacy strategy till 2030 launched

The Foreign Ministry held a conference in Hanoi on December 20 in both online and offline formats to popularise the content of a cultural diplomacy strategy till 2030 which was promulgated by the Prime Minister on November 30, 2021.

Chaired by Deputy Foreign Minister and Chairman of the Vietnam UNESCO National Committee Dang Hoang Giang, the event drew the participation of over 250 delegates from ministries, agencies, 63 cities and provinces, and overseas representative agencies, along with a number of major domestic enterprises.

Speaking at the event, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son said the strategy is a product of collective brainpower, which clarifies the contents and tasks of cultural diplomacy in service of the foreign policy and cultural development policies.

The event was also meant as a step in implementing Party and State leaders’ directions at recent important meetings such as the National Cultural Conference, the National Conference on Foreign Affairs and the 31st Diplomatic Conference, he said.

Participants at the event discussed measures to effectively carry out the strategy, with localities, people and businesses as a centre, contributing to popularising images of the country, people and products.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

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Exhibition promotes Vietnamese Pangasius exports in Australia

The Viet Nam Pangasius Expo, held by the Vietnamese Embassy in Australia, has offered Australian visitors 100 virtual stalls of Vietnamese processed tra and basa (Pangasius) fish products.

Taking place between December 16 and 20, the online exhibition was part of a series of activities to build the trademark of Vietnamese tra and basa fish in the market.

It is scheduled to reopen on the website www.onlineworldexpo.com throughout January 2022.

According to the Vietnamese Trade Office in Australia, Vietnamese Tra and basa fish products have gained favour of local consumers for years.

Under the trade mark building programme, the embassy has so far conducted a promotion week in Melbourne, issued a report on a study on trademark building and market development for the products, run activities to invite consumers taste fish and chips dishes made from the fish, and advertise the goods on social networks, among others.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

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Vietnam, Cambodia foster economic, science and technology partnership

Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn co-chaired the 19th meeting of the Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Committee on economic, science and technology cooperation via videoconference on December 19.

Addressing the event, Son expressed his delight at the good progress of the sound neighbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive, stable and long-term cooperation between the two countries in all fields since the previous meeting in December 2020 despite COVID-19 impacts.

Prak Sokhonn noted that the friendly neighbourliness and comprehensive partnership between Cambodia and Vietnam have been reinforced and deepened. He welcomed the effective collaboration and mutual support between the two countries in pandemic fight, underlining that the meeting is a chance for both sides to improve their coordination at regional and international forums.

Vietnam, Cambodia foster economic, science and technology partnership hinh anh 2

The meeting (Photo: VNA)

They shared pleasure with both sides’ close cooperation in preparing for a State visit to Cambodia from December 21-22 by President Nguyen Xuan Phuc as well as events to celebrate the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Year 2022 and the 55th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties in 2022.

They discussed cooperation outcomes among ministries and sectors over the years across all fields of politics-diplomacy, defence, security, border control, economy, trade, investment, transport, education-training, culture, sports, tourism, health care, and justice as well as among localities.

Both sides agreed to continue maintaining regular high-level meetings and exchanges, promoting the efficiency of existing bilateral cooperation mechanisms, coordinating closely in organising events within the framework of the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Year 2022, educating the youth in the bilateral ties, and implementing agreements on defence and security, speeding up the search and repatriation of remains of Vietnamese voluntary soldiers and experts falling down in Cambodia.

They concurred to continue working together to strengthen economic connections and deal with difficulties facing businesses of both countries, while fostering partnership in transport, tourism, agro-forestry-fisheries, telecommunications and information technology, labour, natural resources and environment.

Minister Son thanked the Cambodian side for supporting the Vietnamese community in the country, suggesting that both sides strengthen coordination in reaslising bilateral deals to build a shared borderline of development and friendship.

They shared pleasure at close coordination at international and regional forums, especially within the ASEAN and UN frameworks as well as sub-regional cooperation mechanisms, including collaboration in effective and sustainable use of Mekong River water resources.

Son affirmed that Vietnam will support Cambodia in completing its role as ASEAN Chair in 2022.

A minute of the meeting is expected to be signed in Phnom Penh on December 21 during the State visit to Cambodia by President Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

The next meeting of the committee is scheduled to be held in Vietnam in 2022.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

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Reference exchange rate down 13 VND at week’s beginning

The State Bank of Vietnam set the daily reference exchange rate at 23,184 VND/USD on December 20, down 13 VND from the last working day of the previous week.

With the current trading band of +/-3 percent, the ceiling rate applicable to commercial banks during the day is 23,879 VND/USD and the floor rate 22,488 VND/USD.

The opening-hour rates at commercial banks saw increases.

At 8:20 am, BIDV listed the buying rate at 22,840 VND/USD, up 25 VND, and the selling rate at 23,210 VND/USD, up 115 VND from December 17.

Vietcombank raised both rates by 10 VND, listing at 22,800 VND/USD (buying) and 23,110 VND/USD (selling).

Source: Vietnam News Agency

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Germany supports VGU students amid COVID-19

The World University Service (WUS) and authorities of Hessen state of Germany will provide scholarships worth 205,000 EUR (230,625 USD) to students of the Vietnamese-German University (VGU) who are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

WUS President Dr. Kambiz Ghawami said the WUS has suggested the Hessen Ministry of Science and the Arts grant the scholarships to VGU students amid the pandemic spread.

In a thank-you letter to Minister Angela Dorn, Ghawami said the programme acknowledges achievements the university has recorded at the international level.

The VGU is a scientific bridge between Vietnam and Germany, and a lighthouse of the bilateral strategic partnership, he stressed.

It is the first public university in Vietnam formed under an agreement between the two governments.

Since its inception in the southern province of Binh Duong in 2008, the VGU has been regarded as a key project between the two governments as well as the most successful tertiary educational cooperation project of the German government and the Hessen authorities.

Source: Vietnam News Agency