Day: May 14, 2022

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited Hue Nghiem and Minh Dao pagodas in Ho Chi Minh City on May 14 on the occasion of Lord Buddha’s 2,566th birthday, extending his greetings to local Buddhist dignitaries and followers.

President Phuc affirmed that since Buddhism was introduced into Vietnam, Lord Buddha’s birthday has become a sacred holiday for Buddhists nationwide, and also a common spiritual and cultural festival of the society, bringing a message of love, solidarity, harmony and development.

The consistent policy of the Party and State regarding religions is to respect and ensure people’s right to freedom of belief and religion, and create favourable conditions for dignitaries and followers of religions to well perform their spiritual practice and fulfill their duties to the nation, he affirmed.

The State leader also expressed his hope that the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) will continue to demonstrate its role and prestige in building the great national unity and the solidarity among religions; promote the power of religions, beliefs and culture; and affirm and spread the preeminent values of a peaceful religion, thus contributing to further developing the country.

Most Venerable Thich Tri Quang, Acting Supreme Patriarch of the Patronage Council of the VBS and head of Hue Minh pagoda, and Most Venerable Thich Thien Nhon, Chairman the VBS’s Executive Council and head of Minh Dao pagoda, expressed their gratitude for the attention paid by the State leader and all-level authorities. They said they hope the President will continue caring for and creating favorable conditions for the Buddhist community in Buddhist activities and joining hands in building a more prosperous Vietnam.

Also on May 14, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Do Van Chien visited the office of the VBS at Quang Duc Zen Monastery in District 3 and the Vietnam Pure Land Buddhist Association at Hung Minh Tu pagoda in District 6 of Ho Chi Minh City.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan and Marc Mealy, Senior Vice President for Policy at the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC), co-chaired a seminar connecting agricultural enterprises of Vietnam and the US on May 13 in Washington D.C.

The event took place on the sidelines of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s trip to the US to attend the ASEAN-US Special Summit. It was attended by representatives from agencies, businesses and associations in the agricultural sector of the two countries and several banks and investment funds, and representatives from some major US industry associations such as the Soybean Export Council, the Grains Council, the National Pork Producers Council and multinational agricultural corporations.

At the seminar, a representative of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development informed participants about the priority strategy for the development of Vietnam’s agricultural sector in the coming time as well as opportunities and challenges in promoting bilateral investment and trade.

With the desire that the two sides will become a reliable and sustainable partner of each other, representatives from businesses and industry associations straightforwardly exchanged ideas, especially about difficulties and obstacles in production, business and investment in Vietnam.

Minister Le Minh Hoan pledged to accompany US businesses and investors in handling difficulties and barriers so as to create a favourable production, business and investment environment for the international business community in general and US firms in particular.

At the event, four cooperation agreements were signed, namely a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture in Vietnam (PSAV) with Pepsico and Care International on enhancing food production cooperation in Vietnam; an MoU between Bac Giang province and ERG group on promoting trading of local agricultural products; an MoU between Moc Thinh Phat furniture production joint stock company and Grasslands Farms company on promoting trade in agricultural products; and an MoU between Nevist Vietnam International Import-Export Company and AGP on trade and investment promotion in the sector.

Enterprises of the two countries also discussed the possibility of cooperation to promote trade, seek investment opportunities, transfer technology, and explore the possibility of cooperation between large US and multinational groups to bring Vietnamese agricultural products to the global value chain.

Source: Vietnam News Agency