Day: December 23, 2021

Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade in collaboration with the Vietnam Trade Office in Japan on December 23 organised a trade exchange to connect businesses of Vietnam and Japan in the field of food processing.

According to Le Hoang Tai, deputy head of Vietrade said given the complicated development of COVID-19, the exchange, held virtually, will create opportunities for businesses of the two countries to strengthen business cooperation and recovery in the new situation. They will learn more about each other’s needs and capabilities, reaching an agreement on collaboration development between enterprises of the two countries, contributing to enhancing the Vietnam-Japan bilateral relationship.

Ta Duc Minh, Trade Consular at the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan said with a population of more than 125 million people, Japan is a large consumption market for agricultural, aquatic and food products.

Vietnam is considered to have strengths in the above-mentioned products and has good supply capacity for the Japanese market. Moreover, the number of people from Asian countries living and working in Japan is also up to 10 million, in which, the number of Vietnamese people increased rapidly with nearly 500,000 people in 2020. Therefore, agricultural products imported from Vietnam have been warmly received by Japanese, Vietnamese and people of other Asian countries, he said.

It showed that there still have a lot of potential for Vietnamese agricultural products to export to Japan in the future, Minh said.

Addressing the event, Keisuke Kobayashi, deputy director-general at Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), said Vietnam and Japan have been each other’s important trading partners for many years. The two countries have maintained a stable import-export relationship in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trade exchange held to connect Japanese, Vietnamese firms hinh anh 2

Illustrative image. (Photo: VNA)

The total import-export turnover between Vietnam and Japan reached 38.4 billion USD in the first 11 months of this year, up 7 percent over the same period last year. Notably, Japanese investment capital into Vietnam increased by 54 percent against last year’s figure.

The fact that the two countries are members of many free trade agreements including the Vietnam-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (VJEPA), Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and Regional Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP), creates many opportunities to expand trade cooperation, especially participating in the regional and world’s supply chain.

According to a representative of Kome Co.Ltd – a wholesaler and supplier of Vietnamese food in Japan, the Northeast country is facing the problem like other developed countries. That is population decline and ageing.

Due to the lack of labour force, Japanese manufacturers tend to look for factories in foreign countries like Vietnam to meet the domestic market. This is also an opportunity for Vietnamese agro-fishery enterprises to seek cooperation, the representative said. However, he suggested that Vietnamese firms work closely with importers to have full information on additives or ingredients that are used to ensure eligibility before exporting, adding that there were differences between Vietnamese and Japanese markets in terms of standard.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc presented Labour Order to the Ministry of Public Security’s press agencies during a ceremony in Hanoi on December 23.

The event marked the 75th anniversary of the first issue of the Public Security newspaper (November 1), the 40th anniversary of the Public Security Publishing House (February 10) and the 10th anniversary of the Public Security Television (December 11).

Speaking highly of their past achievements, he asked them to continue serving as a pioneering force on information and communication front about national security, sovereignty, social safety, order and fairness.

Press and publishing agencies of the public security force must take the lead in fighting behaviours of degradation in political thought, moral virtue, lifestyle as well as “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” phenomena in internal affairs, corruption and negative behaviours while objecting to distorted and hostile viewpoints.

Amid the emergence of new crimes and toxic information on cyber space, he asked them to make in-depth analyses into crime trends, thus helping residents raise vigilance and form good habits for common progress of the entire society.

Political and ideological work is a soft tool significant to the protection of the Party ideological foundation, together with other important tasks of public security sector, he stressed.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Vietnam Blind Association on December 23 held a workshop collecting ideas to serve the supplementation and adjustment of policies and laws on health and education for people with disabilities (PWDs).

The event is part of a project on raising legal awareness and aid on labour, employment, enforcement of administrative procedures in health and education for PWDs funded by the European Union through the Justice Initiatives Facilitation Fund (JIFF) whose governing body is the Ministry of Justice.

Speaking at the seminar, Deputy Chief of Office of the Vietnam National Committee for People with Disabilities Dinh Thi Thuy affirmed that both health and education play an important role in the lives of disabled people; therefore, policies on these two areas will have direct effects on them.

However, there are still regulations that do not suit reality, she noted, adding that the results of the workshop will help complete the proposal to amend and supplement the Law on People with Disabilities as well as several policies on education and health care for them in the time to come.

Ta Ngoc Tri, deputy head of the Ministry of Education and Training’s steering committee on education for children with disabilities and those living in difficulties, said that society’s awareness about education for PWDs has changed in a positive direction, thus helping them feel more confident.

He proposed devising a new concept on PWDs, having a representative of the Ministry of Education and Training in the council of determining the disability level, and considering allowances and benefits for disabled students to meet their actual needs.

The Vietnam Blind Association suggested issuing a policy on supporting health insurance for people with mild disabilities to help them access better health care, while health insurance for people with severe and especially severe disabilities should cover more high-tech treatment and functional rehabilitation equipment.

It also proposed adjusting or removing the age limit for entering school for people with disabilities, and expanding education forms for them.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Ministry of Planning and Investment presented 3,000 white canes to the Vietnam Blind Association (VBA) at a ceremony on December 23, as part of the ministry’s initiative on supporting blind and visually impaired people.

The canes are expected to benefit members and blind people at the association’s centres for rehabilitation training for the blind across 17 provinces and cities nationwide, including Thai Nguyen, Phu Tho, Bac Giang, Nghe An, Thua Thien-Hue, Can Tho, and Ho Chi Minh City.

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc said she hopes the initiative will continue expanding and receiving support from the community in its journey to assist the group.

VBA President Pham Viet Thu vowed to deliver the canes to people in need and organise training sessions on its usage.

Initiated in December 2019, the project aims to offer 1 million white canes to blind and visually impaired people, facilitating their travel and daily activities. Training on the usage of the cane and awareness-raising communications activities are also part of the project. More than 4,100 canes have so far been presented to many northern localities to date.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The first Cambodia visit by President Nguyen Xuan Phuc in his new capacity has demonstrated the Vietnamese Party’s foreign policy of treasuring and giving the top priority to developing ties with neighbouring countries, as well as the Vietnamese Party, State and people’s sentiments to fraternal Cambodian people.

It was stated by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung in an interview recently granted to the press.

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President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and PM Samdech Techo Hun Sen witness signing ceremony (Photo: VNA)

The Deputy FM said the President was also the first head of state to pay a State visit to Cambodia since the COVID-19 outbreak. The host leaders’ hospitable reception for the President reflected their appreciation for and high priority to fine neighbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation and long-term sustainability between the two nations.

The visit has contributed to further tightening traditional neighborliness and trust between the two nations, during which they reached high consensus on major orientations and measures to continue deepening bilateral relationship, starting the Vietnam – Cambodia, Cambodia – Vietnam Friendship Year marking the 55th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties next year. They also agreed to work closely together at regional, sub-regional and international forums.

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President Nguyen Xuan Phuc (L) and Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni (Photo: VNA)

About major orientations to promoting Vietnam – Cambodia ties in the near future, Dung said the two sides will effectively realise signed high-level agreements and documents, enhance trade and investment cooperation, strengthen connectivity between the two economies, and work closely together on regional and global issues during Cambodia’s assumption of its role as ASEAN Chair 2022, especially amid complicated and uncertain developments in the region and the world.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

An award ceremony of the 2021 Hack4Growth Unlimited took place on December 22 in Hanoi.

The event was held by the Global Association of Vietnamese Scientists and Experts (AVSE Global) and AVSE Corporation Vietnam, with the endorsement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese.

Nanoneem, which studied herb-based pesticides for green agriculture and the application of nano-technology to improve pesticide efficiency, brought home the first prize worth 10,000 USD.

The second prize of 7,000 USD was awarded to a project of CRE Vietnam which aims to prevent transmission of carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae (CRE) in hospitals.

The team also bagged a sub-prize presented by Devtify.

SoBanHang project which supports small- and micro retailers to activate e-commerce, clinched the third prize worth 5,000 USD.

Winners of 2021 Hack4Growth Unlimited honoured hinh anh 2

Promotional image of the contest (Photo courtesy of the organisers)

After eight months, nearly 200 entries by Vietnamese living in 12 countries and territories were submitted to the programme.

Addressing the award ceremony, deputy head of the committee Ngo Huong Nam said in response to the Government’s call, Vietnamese intellectuals overseas have joined various innovation contests.

Hack4Growth is expected to become more popular and uphold the innovative spirit of Vietnamese people across the globe, contributing to the country’s sustainable development, he added.

After the contest, project developers can maintain connection with mentors and investors via AVSE Global’s V-space platform https://vspace.global

The top 10 teams are eligible to take part in the Global Mentoring Program for V-Startups, a 1:1 start-up consultation programme between Vietnamese experts worldwide and start-ups slated next March.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Chairman of the National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue paid a working visit to the northern province of Vinh Phuc on December 23.

Taking into account key socio-economic achievements of the province since its re-establishment, particularly in 2021, the top legislator wished Vinh Phuc to become a developed industrial province and a centrally run city in the near future.

Hue requested the provincial Party Organisation and authorities to effectively implement the resolutions of the national and provincial Party congresses, as well as flexibly and effectively fulfill the goals of COVID-19 prevention and control and socio-economic recovery.

It is also necessary to speed up the application of the 4th industrial revolution in building digital government, social management, and digital economic development; and to improve the quality of education and human resources, he noted.

In the afternoon of the same day, the NA Chairman attended ceremonies to start the construction of the Logistics ICD Vinh Phuc centre and to inaugurate the FLC Vinh Phuc hotel and international convention center complex.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue emphasised the professionalism and standards of deputies as well as the structure of full-time deputies while speaking at a working session on improving the legislature’s operational quality in Hanoi on December 23.

The working session aimed to implement the scheme to develop a strategy for building and perfecting a rule-of-law socialist State till 2030 with orientations to 2045.

The top legislator laid stress on the structure of the Council for Ethnic Affairs and other committees of the NA.

For the NA Standing Committee, he agreed with the proposals raised by the compiling board of the scheme that the committee should gradually take over some functions of the legislature.

Regarding election campaigns and meetings with voters, Hue said more attention should be paid to socialist democracy in activities of NA deputies as well as democracy in the legislative body’s operation.

Meetings between deputies and voters and people need more reforms, the NA Chairman said.

He took note of the need to increase question and answer activities at the Standing Committee and other committees of the NA, and improve the collection of votes of confidence.

The leader also mentioned the relations between the NA, the Standing Committee and People’s Councils.

Source: Vietnam News Agency