Month: March 2022

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Long An soldiers strive to find martyrs’ remains in Cambodia

A team of soldiers from the Military High Command of southern Long An province is striving to search for remains of Vietnamese volunteers and experts who laid down their lives during the wartime in Cambodia.

The head of the team, Sen. Lieut. Col. Tran Chi Cong, said that it recently had working sessions with authorities of Cambodia’s Pailin and Battambang provinces where the soldiers perform their mission.

Representatives of the two provinces pledged to create all favourable conditions for the team, showing their hope to continue tightening solidarity and friendship between Pailin and Battambang and Long An, and between Cambodia and Vietnam at large.

On February 26, the team unearth remains of two martyrs in Sala Krau district of Pailin province.

They expect to find remains of another 80 during this dry season which will last until the end of April.

Since 2001, the team has detected and repatriated remains of about 280 matyrs./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

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VinFast, LeasePlan ink deal on car rental services in Europe

Vietnamese automaker VinFast announced its signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with LeasePlan, one of the world’s leading car-as-a-service companies, on February 28 at the Mobile World Congress 2022 (MWC 2022) – the most influential technology and mobile exhibition in the world that runs from February 28 to March 3 in Barcelona, Spain.

According to the MOU, Lease Plan will provide Vinfast’s products and services to business and individual customers in European countries such as Germany, France and the Netherlands. LeasePlan will become the preferred partner of VinFast to provide operational leasing, fleet management and remarketing to B2C and B2B customers.

This collaboration will help VinFast expand its access to major markets, helping it quickly establish its brand in Europe, which is a key market in the company’s global strategy.

Nguyen Thanh Thuy, CEO of VinFast in Europe, said the announcement is further evidence of the rapid progress VinFast is making towards its European launch, as well as its commitment to offering optimal financing solutions to customers./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

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Cambodia calls for talks between Russia and Ukraine

Cambodia as Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) hopes Russia and Ukraine to hold negotiations and find appropriate solutions to avoid the use of military forces and nuclear weapons that will kill innocent civilians, the Cambodian Government’s spokesman Phay Siphan was quoted by the Khmer Times as saying.

Cambodia will remain neutral and encourage both sides to hold talks for the benefit of both nations and their people, he said on February 28.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Hun Sen on February 27 said that the only way out is to negotiate a peaceful settlement and it should be implemented immediately to avoid prolonging the pain for people who are now fleeing, Fresh News reported.

He also called for dialogue and a peaceful solution to the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

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Thailand strives to evacuate citizens from Ukraine

As many as 142 Thai nationals have been evacuated from Ukraine, with 103 being already safe in Warsaw, Poland, and 39 others in Bucharest, Romania, the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on March 1.

The ministry said 38 evacuees departed from Bucharest on March 1 and would arrive home on Thai Airways International’s flight TG923, due at 6.25am on March 2.

The second group of 58 people would fly from Warsaw on March 1 and arrive on Emirates flight EK384, due at 12.55pm on March 2.

Other Thai citizens stranded in Ukraine remained safe, and 35 had already left cities, including Kiev for Lviv, for Lvov. Most Thais leaving Ukraine were using trains because traveling by car was risky and very slow because of congestion, the ministry said./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

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At least 80 percent of total communes hoped to be new-style rural areas by 2025

The national target programme on new-style rural area building for 2021 – 2025 has recently been approved by the Prime Minister, aiming to have at least 80 percent of the communes nationwide earning the status by 2025.

The overall goal of this programme is pressing on with new-style countryside building in tandem with effective agricultural restructuring, rural economic development, and urbanisation; improving rural residents’ material and spiritual life; promoting gender equality; developing uniform and gradually modern socio-economic infrastructure in rural areas; ensuring a green, clean, beautiful, and safe environment and landscape; and boosting traditional culture preservation, climate change adaptation, and sustainable development in the areas.

Among the detailed targets for 2025, the programme looks to have at least 80 percent of the communes recognised as new-style rural areas, with about 40 percent meeting advanced standards and at least 10 percent being model areas.

At least 50 percent of the district-level localities are hoped to earn the new-style countryside status, with at least 20 percent meeting advanced standards or named model areas.

In this programme, Vietnam will also strive for about 17 – 19 provinces and centrally-run cities completing the building of new-style rural areas.

At least 196.332 trillion VND (8.6 billion USD) from the State budget will be earmarked for the work, including 39.632 trillion VND from the central budget and 156.7 trillion VND from the local budget. A total of over 2.455 quadrillion VND is set to be mobilised for the programme during 2021 – 2025./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

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Deputy PM requests inter-sectoral inspections in ensuring aviation security

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh has requested inter-sectoral inspections in ensuring aviation security, as well as in preventing and combating terrorism and illegal intervention in civil aviation activities in provinces and cities with airports.

In a notice dated March 1, Minh, who is Head of the National Civil Aviation Security Committee (NCASC), praised agencies and member units of the NCASC, the People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities with airports and aviation enterprises for their efforts to complete the tasks last year, especially amid complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The number of flights, passengers and the volume of cargo decreased sharply last year and production and business activities of aviation firms was seriously affected by the pandemic. However, ministries, agencies and localities have focused their resources on pandemic prevention and control and effectively implemented measures to ensure aviation security, he said.

The Deputy PM said the country’s economy will recover this year so aviation activities will rise strongly due to high traveling demand. It means the task of assuring aviation security and safety will be tougher in the coming time.

The most important task this year is to continue reviewing and completing relevant regulations, including the Civil Aviation Law, decrees and directives of the Prime Minister, he said, adding that the communication work should be promoted to enhance awareness and responsibility in ensuring aviation security.

The NCASC was requested to organise training for its members in line with the pandemic situation as well as conduct inter-sectoral inspections over coordination in guaranteeing aviation secuirty, and terrorism prevention and combat.

The Ministry of Transport will take the prime responsibility in ensuring safety in the aviation sector in line with international norms.

The Deputy PM assigned the Ministry of National Defence to coordinate with ministries, agencies and localities in mapping out plans to respond to the emergence of unmanned and ultralight aircrafts that illegally interfere in civil aviation activities.

The People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities were asked to fully coordinate with other agencies in ensuring aviation security and preventing the operation of unauthorised taxis at airports./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

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Gov’t sets up appraisal council for press network planning

An appraisal council with representatives of several ministries and agencies has been established to evaluate the development plan for press, radio and television, electronic information and publishing networks for 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050.

The appraisal council will be headed by Nguyen Manh Hung, Minister of Information and Communications and Pham Anh Tuan, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications will be the council’s vice chairman, according to Decision 276/QD-TTg signed by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam.

The council’s members include leaders of ministries of Public Security, National Defence, Justice, Planning and Investment, Finance, Home Affairs, Natural Resources and Environment, Culture, Sports and Tourism, as well as representatives from the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Popularisation and Education, Nhan Dan newspaper, Vietnam News Agency, Radio The Voice of Vietnam and Vietnam Television, among others.

The council will be responsible for organising the appraisal of the master plan on development of the network of press, radio, television, electronic information and publishing for 2021 – 2030 period, with a vision to 2050 in accordance with provisions of the law on planning.

It will be dissolved once the plan is approved by Prime Minister./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

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Prompt moves taken to ensure safety for Vietnamese citizens in Ukraine: spokeswoman

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has been working with relevant authorities, domestic airlines, and representative agencies in Ukraine and surrounding areas to make plans for ensuring security, safety, and conditions necessary for evacuating Vietnamese citizens from war zones and repatriating them if they wish.

MoFA Spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang made the remark on March 1 in response to reporters’ question about Vietnam’s reaction to the tensions in Ukraine and moves to protect its citizens there.

She noted that Vietnam has paid close attention to and kept a close watch on the developments in Ukraine, as well as the situation of Vietnamese people in this country. There are about 7,000 Vietnamese people in Ukraine at present, and they have not suffered from any damage.

Prioritising the ultimate safety of the lives, property, and legal and legitimate interests of Vietnamese citizens and legal entities in Ukraine, since tense developments began, the MoFA has promptly moved to protect citizens.

The ministry has directed the Vietnamese Embassy in Ukraine to keep frequent contact with the Vietnamese community there, operate hotlines around the clock so as to receive information and provide timely support, ask the host country’s authorised agencies to assist and ensure safety for Vietnamese citizens and businesses, and coordinate with agencies in Vietnam to have citizen protection plans ready, according to Hang. She added the MoFA and the embassy have also issued recommendations and safety guidance for the overseas Vietnamese. The State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs set up a communication channel with Vietnamese associations in Ukraine to stay updated on their situation and give them safety guidance while requesting associations in nearby countries to prepare for helping Vietnamese people in Ukraine.

Vietnam’s representative agencies in Poland, Russia, Romania, Hungary, and Slovakia have been ordered to keep the citizen protection hotlines available; liaise with the host countries’ agencies to update information about the Vietnamese coming from Ukraine; ask for the facilitation of Vietnamese people’s entry, transit, and temporary stay; provide evacuated Vietnamese with essential goods; and coordinate with Vietnamese associations to aid the evacuation.

The MoFA has also asked authorities of the relevant parties to create a “safe corridor” for Vietnamese people to evacuate, the spokeswoman went on, saying that Vietnam has called on agencies of the United Nations and the host countries to help provide the conditions necessary for citizen safety and evacuation.

As of March 1 noon, about 200 Vietnamese were helped to move out of war zones. The Vietnamese Embassy in Ukraine is continuing to gather the citizens’ needs in order to carry out appropriate plans, Hang added./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency