Day: February 19, 2022

The Australian government is preparing for the pilot export of the country’s peaches and nectarines to Vietnam in the coming months, Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud has said.

“Vietnam is a priority market for our premium produce and pleased that the completion of technical negotiations will mean our peaches and nectarines will be able to access this valuable market,” he said.

Summerfruit Export Development Alliance Chairman Ian McAlister said the reopening of the Vietnamese market was a good development for the industry.

He emphasised that with the right promotion, the Vietnamese market could be a significant destination for Australia.

According to McAlister, the Australian and Vietnamese governments have completed the signing of the necessary protocols for the trial export of nectarines and peaches.

The first shipment of these fruits will be delivered to Vietnam in March and April, paving the way for a larger volume to arrive in early December.

McAlister also expressed his hope that Australia will soon be able to export plums to Vietnam.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Politburo on February 19 held a meeting with former leaders of the Party, State and Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) on the occasion of the Lunar New Year.

Speaking at the meeting, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong briefed the participants on the country’s major events last year, notably the 13th National Party Congress, as well as achievements in social welfare, anti-corruption, and Party and political system building.

He attributed the outcomes to great efforts of the entire Party, people, army and the political system, and lauded valuable contributions of former Party and State leaders.

Contributions by the previous generations of leaders should be remembered and carried forward, the Party chief stressed, expressing his hope that the former leaders will continue to play a role in the revolution of the Party, State and people.

The participants spoke highly of achievements Vietnam recorded last year despite a range of difficulties, especially adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on socio-economic activities.

They also made proposals to improve the quality and efficiency of the Party leadership in 2022 and the coming years.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

A handbook on doing business and investment in the Algerian market in 2021 has been introduced by the Vietnam Trade Office in Algeria.

The book aims to help Vietnamese businesses better understand Algeria’s policies on trade and investment, thus enhancing business exchange and investment activities between the two countries in the coming time.

Algeria is Africa’s fourth-largest economy with a population of more than 44 million. The country has to import most of goods, half of them being food. The Algerian market has a demand for Vietnam’s key products, especially coffee, pepper, cashew nuts, and seafood.

Statistics from the General Department of Vietnam Customs showed that trade between the two countries amounted to 300 million USD in 2017, of which Vietnam exports reached about 281 million USD. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and Algeria’s import restriction policy, Vietnam’s export turnover to this market was only 153 million USD last year, with main products being agricultural products and food.

Regarding investment cooperation, PetroVietnam Exploration and Production Corporation (PVEP), has collaborated with partners from Thailand and Algeria to set up a joint venture to explore and exploit oil and gas at Bir Seba oil field in the Sahara desert, southern Algeria. The project was put into operation in 2015 and delivered positive results.

Vietnamese Trade Counselor in Algeria Hoang Duc Nhuan said the book will support domestic enterprises to access and penetrate the Algerian market, adding that it will facilitate their investment as well as export to this North African country.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnam confirmed 41,980 new COVID-19 cases on February 19, including 12 imported infections.

The capital city of Hanoi continued to record the highest number of infections nationwide with 4,869 cases, followed by northern Bac Ninh province with 3,040 and northern Quang Ninh province with 1,990.

The national case tally has now reached 2,740,293 since the start of the pandemic.

There are 3,017 patients in critical condition while an additional 65 deaths were recorded, taking the number of COVID-related fatalities to 39,423.

A total of 6,840 patients were given the all-clear on the day, taking the total number of recoveries to 2,268,020.

As many as 190,919,218 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered nationwide since the start of the pandemic.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Overseas Vietnamese intellectuals and scholars and French friends gathered at an get-together in Paris on the occasion of the Lunar New Year, as initiated by NGO-FOLLIOT Thi My Hanh, head of the Vietnam section of the Vietnam legal association and bar committee in Paris.

Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang said the get-together was intended to tighten the friendship between Vietnamese and French friends, and called on them to make more contributions to the relations between the two countries.

The diplomat also expressed his hope that they will engage in activities marking the 50th founding anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties and 10 years of the Vietnam-France strategic partnership in 2023.

The event took place with a wide range of activities like poem reading and the introduction of upcoming exhibitions and projects by Vietnamese businesses in France.

Source: Vietnam News Agency