Day: July 23, 2022

Hanoi is taking actions to preserve and keep alive traditional trade villages, as heard at a July 23 workshop on solutions to the conservation and development of craft villages in the capital city in the 2021-2025 period.

The city wants to create a breakthrough in the production and export of handicrafts and the development of craft village tourism, said Nguyen Van Chi, Director of the Hanoi Rural Development Division.

In order to preserve and develop craft villages, the municipal People’s Committee has directed the implementation of recognition of the titles of Hanoi craft villages and traditional ones, and propose the State confer the titles of people’s artisan, meritorious artisan to Hanoi’s artisans.

The division’s deputy head Tran Sy Tien cited the result of a 2020 survey as saying that at that time, Hanoi had 1,350 craft villages, of which 544 disappeared and 806 were in operation.

Among the 806 villages, 318 are recognised in 23 districts, towns and cities, including 270 craft villages, 48 traditional ones.

These craft villages and traditional ones have been actively contributing to restructuring, developing rural economy, creating jobs, increasing incomes for labourers, and creating a premise for the successful implementation of the one commune, one product (OCOP) programme and the building of new-style rural areas, Tien affirmed./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela, in collaboration with “Heladería 1000 sabores” – an ice cream parlor of 1000 flavours – in the state of Mérida, has recently organised an event to introduce “Hanoi Ice Cream” (Helado Ha Noi) to further promote Vietnamese cuisine.

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador Le Viet Duyen expressed his desire to connect the cultures and peoples, as well as strengthen to the traditional friendship of the two countries.

Da Silva, the owner of Heladería 1000 sabores which twice won the Guinness record for the most number of ice cream flavours in the world in 1991 and 1996, said she hopes to cooperate with Venezuela-Vietnam Chamber of Commerce (CAVENVIET) to open a restaurant system promoting Vietnamese cuisine as well as Hanoi’s ice cream in Caracas and states in Venezuela.

The presence of Vietnamese ice cream, made from green beans, in the famous ice cream parlor is expected to help promote Vietnamese cuisine to locals and international tourists, and make the image of Vietnam closer and closer to the daily life of Venezuelans./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Businesses and agencies are operating 140 stalls at a trade fair promoting agricultural and One Commune, One Product (OCOP) goods of Hanoi and other localities, which opened in the capital’s Hoan Kiem lake pedestrian area on July 22’s evening.

Participating in the event are 29 provinces and cities nationwide, including Ha Giang, Bac Kan, Lang Son, Tuyen Quang, Quang Ninh, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Dien Bien, Son La, Bac Ninh, Ha Nam, Hai Phong, and Hung Yen. Of the total stalls, 20 are from Hung Yen and 15 from Nghe An.

In particular, the host Hanoi is introducing visitors the local coffee, milk and yogurt, herbal tea, and handicrafts, among others.

The neighbouring province of Hung Yen, meanwhile, has brought to the show honey, lotus seeds, longan, dried banana products, Dong Tao chicken, and curcumin powder.

The northern province of Bac Kan is showcasing its tea, honey, and wax gourd, while Gia Lai, Lam Dong, and Dak Nong are running stalls offering coffee, macadamia nuts, strawberry juice, and raspberry juice.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Director of the Hanoi Centre for Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Nguyen Anh Duong stated the key trade promotion programme is expected to be an opportunity for participating units to popularise their products among tourists and consumers in Hanoi.

According to Duong, it aims to support enterprises involved to develop production, connect consumption, stimulate shopping, and develop the domestic market, in contribution to ensuring social security.

Through this activity, the centre will support businesses to introduce and connect OCOP products to OCOP points of sale in the capital city, creating chances for interested units to access the modern retail system, he noted.

Lasting until July 24, the fair also features tasting and hand-one experience activities.

In 2021, the capital city recognised 595 OCOP products, including 367 rated four stars and 228 rated three stars.

So far, Hanoi has recognised 1,649 OCOP products, including four products rated five stars, 1,098 others rated four stars, and 534 rated three stars. It is taking the lead nationwide in terms of the numbers of OCOP products and five-star OCOP products.

Apart from product assessment and rating, the city has also paid attention to organising events, fairs and workshops to increase connectivity under value chains and advertise those products to other localities in Vietnam and international partners. Many showrooms of OCOP products have also been opened in tandem with the development of craft village tourism and rural tourism.

By 2025, Hanoi looks to have an additional 2,000 OCOP products rated at least three stars, all communes that meet advanced criteria of the new-style rural area building programme having OCOP products, and at least 70% of OCOP product makers being cooperatives, cooperative groups and businesses.

From now to the end of 2022, four events are planned to take place in different districts of Hanoi to introduce OCOP products of not only the city but also other provinces in the northern, central, Central Highlands and southern regions./

The OCOP programme was initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in 2008, based on Japan’s “One Village, One Product” and Thailand’s “One Tampon, One Product” programmes. It is an economic development programme for rural areas and also to help implement the national target programme on new-style rural area building.

OCOP products are made basing on the combination of local resources, traditional culture, and advanced technology, thus promoting product diversification, quality, packaging, and origin traceability.

The programme has provided farmers with the chance to come together to form cooperatives, which in turn have enabled farmers to create goods with better quality, design, and packaging that meet higher standards and match market demand./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnamese automaker VinFast and IRONMAN have freshly announced a global partnership for the former to become the first ever naming rights partner of the IRONMAN U.S. Series from 2022.

Under the agreement signed in Nha Trang city, the central province of Khanh Hoa, on July 23, VinFast will also become the title partner for the 2022 IRONMAN® World Championship and the 2023 IRONMAN® 70.3® World Championship, each continuing through 2025, as well as the Exclusive Electric Vehicle Partner of the IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 Series in U.S., Europe, and Asia through 2025.

Moreover, VinFast will be the exclusive automotive vehicle, electric vehicle, electric scooter, and electric bus partner, providing electric vehicles, including scooters, cars, and buses for IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 events.

“The IRONMAN Group is delighted to have developed with VinFast a comprehensive and far-reaching partnership, inclusive of our pinnacle IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship events,” said Andrew Messick, President and Chief Executive Officer for The IRONMAN Group.

Regarding the strategy behind the partnership, Le Thi Thu Thuy, Vingroup Vice Chairwoman and VinFast Global CEO stated: “We are certain that our electric mobility will strongly underpin the journeys of IRONMAN athletes around the world to be boundless.”

IRONMAN events are globally known for being one of the world’s most challenging single-day sporting competitions. With more than 40 IRONMAN triathlon races and 90 IRONMAN 70.3 triathlons worldwide, hundreds of thousands of athletes from around attempt to qualify for the respective IRONMAN World Championship and IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Tanzania is an area capable of meeting Vietnam’s needs in terms of raw materials and fuel supplies, diversifying export markets for goods, services, human resources and investment, said Vietnamese Ambassador to the African country Nguyen Nam Tien at a recent hybrid investment forum.

The July 21 event attracted the participation of more than public personnel from the two countries as well as representatives of their business communities. It was co-organised by the embassy, Tanzania Investment Center (TIC), Institute for Africa and Middle East Studies (IAMES), and Vietnam-Africa Economic Alliance (VAECA).

In his opening speech, Tien affirmed that the nations have much potential for cooperation and complementary advantages for mutual development.

According to the diplomat, Vietnam and Tanzania have created a legal framework as a basis for collaboration, with Vietnamese enterprises looking for investment opportunities in Tanzania. However, the bilateral economic and trade relations remain modest and are not commensurate with their potential.

He expressed his wish that through this networking forum, participating businesses will take advantage of opportunities, promote strengths, and overcome difficulties and challenges to enhance exchanges serving the implementation of effective and practical cooperation projects.

Tien stated that the embassy always stands ready to be a bridge linking the business communities.

Vietnamese and Tanzanian participants introduced their capacities and discussed matters of common interest in trade and investment at the event.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc attended a ceremony in the central city of Da Nang on July 23 to award the title of Hero of the People’s Armed Forces during the anti-American resistance war to the Civil Medicine Division of Zone 5.

The ceremony was held on the occasion of the 75th War Invalids and Martyrs Day (July 27).

The history of founding and development of the Civil Medicine Division was associated with the difficult and arduous war against US imperialists after the Military and Civil Medicine Board was separated into two divisions: military medicine and civil medicine in 1962.

Speaking at the event, President Phuc expressed his profound gratitude to the generations of doctors and staff of the Civil Medicine Division who overcame difficulties and fierceness of the war to be present in all battlefields to take care of and treat the wounded soldiers and people.

He emphasised that, during the process of construction and growth, the Civil Medicine Division has made important contributions, especially in research and production of vaccines for disease prevention and control, drugs and equipment.

He affirmed that the “Hero of the People’s Armed Forces” title is a testament to the recognition of the Party and State for particularly outstanding achievements made by generations of officers , doctors, and soldiers of the Civil Medicine Division during the resistance war against US imperialists.

The State leader also requested localities to pay special attention to officers, doctors and soldiers of the division./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Phu Yen boasts potential to build a geopark accredited by the UNESCO, said experts at a conference held in the south-central province on July 23 regarding international cooperation for the local development of a geopark and sustainable tourism.

They said the province possesses three main values to form a geopark – geological heritage, cultural heritage and biodiversity. Phu Yen is characterised by metamorphic rocks dating back about 2.5 billion to 542 million years ago; architectural works showing the Champa – Vietnam – Hoa – Europe cultural interference, coastal sand ecosystems, lagoons, and rich coral reefs.

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Dao My said that the authorities has determined the goal of building the Phu Yen geopark towards achieving the global-geopark accreditation by UNESCO in order to preserve and promote its heritage values and promote sustainable economic and social development.

Director of the Geology Museum Truong Quang Quy clarified that the proposed area for the establishment of the Phu Yen geopark covers 1,575 km2, including Tuy Hoa city, Song Cau town, Dong Hoa town, Tuy An district and parts of Phu Hoa and Son Hoa districts.

Dr. Bui Viet Hung from the European Research Institute affirmed that the building of a global geopark is a catalyst for sustainable tourism development.

Concluding the conference, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Tran Huu The said currently, Phu Yen is implementing its plan for 2021-2030 with a vision to 2050, creating a favorable condition to make a detailed blueprint for the geopark project./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on July 23 survived a no-confidence vote in parliament – his last major test ahead of a general election next year.

General Prayut received 256 votes in favour and 206 against with nine abstentions.

Prayuth, 68, came to power during a 2014 coup and was later elected in 2019 general elections.

This is his fourth no-confidence vote since he assumed office./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency