Day: August 25, 2022

Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Vuong Dinh Hue received new Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Shawn Perry Steil in Hanoi on August 25.

Congratulating the diplomat on assuming his post in Vietnam, the host leader expressed his belief that relations between the two countries, including the two parliaments, will continue to flourish during the ambassador’s term.

Steil also held that Vietnam – Canada ties will continue developing strongly on the basis of existing foundations, adding he hopes there will be more cooperation activities between the countries’ parliaments in 2023, when they mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

Chairman Hue highlighted the progress made in the Vietnam – Canada comprehensive partnership as seen in mutual visits and meetings on the sidelines of international conferences, along with the vigorous growth in bilateral trade, which reached 6 billion USD in 2021 (up 18.5% from 2020) and over 2.9 billion USD in the first five months of this year. Canada is currently the second largest American trading partner of Vietnam, which in turn is its biggest trading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

He asked the ambassador to actively promote bilateral economic, trade, and investment links, stressing that their cooperation potential is huge.

The NA of Vietnam supported Canada’s enhancement of relations with Vietnam and other ASEAN countries, he noted, recommending the two sides should further capitalise on opportunities generated by the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

The top legislator agreed on the organisation of parliamentary cooperation activities to mark five years since the establishment of the comprehensive partnership and the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2023.

Both countries should further boost their parliamentary cooperation on par with the comprehensive partnership, he said, asking Steil to help step up mutual visits between the two parliaments, parliamentary friendship groups, and legislators of Vietnam and Canada to share experience and support each other at international parliamentary forums.

At the meeting, the Canadian diplomat voiced his delight at the thriving bilateral trade, particularly since they joined the CPTPP.

He affirmed that Canada views Vietnam as an important partner in the Asia-Pacific and hopes the latter will support the elevation of its ties with ASEAN to a strategic partnership later this year.

Steil also said he hopes with the COVID-19 pandemic under control, more delegations from the Vietnamese NA will pay working visits to Canada.

Sharing his guest’s view, Hue affirmed that Vietnam welcomes Canada’s promotion of connections with Asia-Pacific, Vietnam and ASEAN, suggesting that the two sides increase dialogue and substantive cooperation to facilitate the upgrade of ASEAN – Canada relations./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnamese Minister of Public Security Gen. To Lam on August 25 attended a groundbreaking ceremony for buildings of the Lao People’s Public Security Political Academy, the gift of Vietnam for Laos, as part of his working visit to the neighbouring country.

Speaking at the event, Lam highlighted the flourishing cooperation between the two Ministries of Public Security, saying that their forces have maintained close cooperation in exchanging information and sharing experience.

The two side have also coordinated to implement the cooperation plans of the two ministries, and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) between the public security departments of Vietnamese and Lao localities, he said, adding that police forces in border regions of the two countries have worked closely to enhance communication activities, thus raising awareness of law observance for people living and doing business in border areas.

They have also coordinated to defeat all sabotage plots and activities by hostile forces; effectively prevent transnational crimes; solve problems related to free migrants and unregistered marriage, illegal entry and exit cross the border. The two sides have paid special attention to training personnel and increasing the exchange of research teams and experience learning, contributing to the enhancement of the combat capacity for the two countries’ police forces.

The project is a symbol of special solidarity between the two parties, states and people of the two countries in general, and between their police forces in particular, helping to consolidate and step up the bilateral relations, he stressed.

Lam affirmed that the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security is willing to accompany and support its Lao counterpart in building a training programme and a contingent of lecturers, thus help the academy can immediately begin training activities after the work is completed.

In his speech, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Security of Laos Gen. Vilay Lakhamphong thanked the Vietnamese ministry for its support for the project, expressing his hope that the work will help the Lao security force complete its task, especially in training political theory.

In the morning of the same day, the Vietnamese delegation attended a photo exhibition, which spotlights the comprehensive cooperation between the police force of the two countries over the last six decades./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnam rejects the so-called “nine-dash line” and maritime claims that run counter to international laws, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang reiterated on August 25.

She was speaking at a routine press conference, referring to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)’s website that uses a map of China showing the “nine-dash” line.

Hang dismissed propaganda and popularisation of content and images infringing Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos as well as its established sovereign rights and jurisdiction over related waters in the East Sea in line with UNCLOS, saying they are all null and void.

“Vietnam requests other countries and organisations to respect its sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa and the surrounding waters in the East Sea,” she said, asking for the removal or modification of such content.

Hang further said that Vietnamese Permanent Representative to the UN, World Trade Organisation (WTO) and other international organisations in Geneva has discussed the matter with the WMO./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Vietnam-US Friendship Association of Hanoi held its sixth congress for the 2022-2027 tenure on August 25, during which it defined major tasks for the new term with a focus placed on expanding cooperation between the two countries in education, cultural heritage preservation, health and tourism, as well as twinned relations between the capital and US cities.

The association will take measures to increase the number of chapters and members, improve the quality and efficiency of its operations, and step up the dissemination of information on cultural-art exchanges and international cooperation.

It will also advise the municipal People’s Committee to select several US cities to expand friendship and economic ties, and continue introducing Hanoi’s investment potential and opportunities as well as its socio-economic situation. Speaking at the event, Standing Vice President of the Union of Friendship Organsiations of Hanoi Tran Thi Phuong appreciated the association’s efforts to help strengthen friendship, cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between Vietnam and the US in the 2017-2022 tenure.

The congress approved a 32-strong executive committee, with Dinh Hong Phong, Standing Vice Secretary of the Party Committee of Hoan Kiem district, elected as president of the association in the new term./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Cua Ong Temple Festival, which was recognised as national special intangible cultural heritage in 2016, is set to take place in Cam Pha city, the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh, on August 27-30 or the four day of the 8th lunar month.

Cua Ong Temple, the venue of the event, is dedicated to Tran Quoc Tang (1252 – 1313), a hero in the resistance wars against the Mongol invaders and guarding the country’s northeastern region under the Tran Dynasty (1225 – 1400). He was the third son of General Tran Quoc Tuan, who led Dai Viet (the name of Vietnam at that time) to two of the three victories against the Mongol invaders, in 1285 and 1288.

The festival is held to commemorate Tran Quoc Tang’s contributions to defeating enemies and brought peace to the region.

This year, the festival will be organised on a large scale, covering an opening and closing ceremonies, rituals, a palanquin procession and a folk games festival.

It will also treat visitors to a concert performed by local artists and the Vietnam National Academy of Music.

So far, all related preparation works have been completed. The festival is expected to welcome approximately 3,000 attendees from across the nation.

Cua Ong Temple is located on a hill that is about 100 metres high in Cua Ong ward of Cam Pha city, the northeastern province of Quang Ninh. It is around 40km to the northeast of downtown Ha Long, another city of Quang Ninh.

The spiritual place, formally called Cua Suot Temple, is one of the famous vestiges of the Tran dynasty in the northeast region. It has three areas: Lower Temple, Middle Temple and Upper Temple, facing the majestic Bai Tu Long Bay which is close to the World Heritage Ha Long Bay. Cua Ong Temple was just a small shrine when it was first built over 700 years ago. It has been restored and expanded for many times in history. Apart from Tran Quoc Tang, the complex also worships his father Tran Quoc Tuan, also known as Tran Hung Dao, along with many other contributors to the triumphs over the Mongol invaders in the 13th century like Pham Ngu Lao, Da Tuong, Yet Kieu, Nguyen Khoai, Huyen Du, Cao Mang, Do Hanh, and Tran Quoc Toan. The gods’ stories, royal appointment documents, as well as statues dating back to the 19th century kept at Cua Ong Temple are valuable historical records that tell later generations about the national construction and safeguarding process of the Tran Dynasty.

One of the temples in this complex is dedicated to the Mother Goddesses. The practices related to the Vietnamese people’s beliefs in the Mother Goddesses of Three Realms (heaven, water, and mountains and forests), which have been passed down from generation to generation, were inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2016. The worship of the Mother Goddesses also contributes to the appreciation of women and their roles in society.

At present, Cua Ong Temple is one of the most famous destinations of spiritual tourism in Quang Ninh province and also among the most beautiful temples in Vietnam, attracting tens of thousands of tourists every year. In addition, its festival, held in every even year, is the biggest of its kind in Cam Pha, attracting crowds of visitors from far and wide.

In recent years, efforts have been made to conserve and promote the value of the temple complex. Notably, a project by Cam Pha city starting in 2017 has expanded the site by 180,000 sq.m. Its cost neared 800 billion VND (34.16 million USD)./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency