Day: September 8, 2022

Low-cost carrier Bamboo Airways was the most punctual airline in the first eight months of this year, with an on-time performance (OTP) rate of 95.2%, or 31,957 flights, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam.

Bamboo Airways has held the title since 2019.

Pacific Airlines and Vietravel Airlines followed with both on 93%, or 10,451 and 2,944 flights, respectively.

Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air recorded the lowest OTP rates with 84% and 84.8%. They also cancelled the most flights, with 644 by Vietnam Airlines and 162 by Vietjet Air out of the total 896 cancelled during the period.

In the first eight months, 208,242 flights were launched, up 103% year-on-year. Of which, 78,202 were operated by Vietnam Airlines, 76,513 by Vietjet Air, and 33,583 by Bamboo Airways.

In August alone, airlines ran 30,167 flights with 26,719, or 88.6%, on time, up 5.8% from July.

A total of 3,448 flights were delayed, equivalent to 11.4%. Vietnam Airlines recorded the most delayed flights with 1,640, accounting for 14.7%. It was followed by Vasco with 82 flights, or 12.4%, Vietjet Air 10.6%, Vietravel Airlines 9.4%, Bamboo Airways 7.4% and Pacific Airlines 7.3%.

During the month, Pacific Airlines and Vietravel Airlines did not cancel any flights

Source: Vietnam News Agency

A Vietnamese language faculty will be opened at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, deputy spokesman of the Foreign Ministry Doan Khac Viet said on September 8.

Viet said at the ministry’s regular press briefing that Vietnam and Cambodia are close neighbours whose peoples and governments want to promote extensive cooperation in all fields, including education and training.

“We believe that this meaningful event will promote cooperation in education, trade and investment, enhance understanding and exchanges between the two peoples, and make positive contributions to comprehensive relations, traditional and long-term friendship between Vietnam and Cambodia,” said the deputy spokesman.

On August 23, speaking at a graduation ceremony for students at the Asia Euro University in Phnom Penh, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said the establishment of the Vietnamese faculty will be beneficial to the Cambodian people and help strengthen relations between the two countries.

He added that the new establishment will encourage Cambodians to turn their attention to Vietnam, benefit those living in areas bordering Vietnam, and boost trade and job creation. It will also allow Cambodian students to learn the language before pursuing their education in the neighbouring country./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc hosted separate receptions in Hanoi on September 8 for the Ambassadors of the UK, Norway, Denmark and Czech Republic, who came to present their credentials.

Meeting UK Ambassador Iain Frew, Phuc congratulated the country for having a new Prime Minister, and expressed a wish that the two countries will continue to further deepen their cooperation.

Noting that 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties, he suggested the two countries’ agencies jointly hold celebrations, especially exchanging high-level visits.

The President said economic-trade-investment cooperation continues to be a pillar of the Vietnam-UK strategic partnership, with good developments under the effect of the Vietnam – UK Free Trade Agreement. Last year, two-way trade rose by 18% annually to nearly 6.6 billion USD.

Phuc wished both sides will continue working closely together to capitalise on the Vietnam – UK Free Trade Agreement, thus fueling growth following the pandemic.

Apart from green transition and growth, he hoped the UK will expand collaboration with Vietnam in promising fields such as digital transformation, education, finance-banking, and national defence-security.

Frew, for his part, said with its strengths, the UK is ready to help Vietnam with energy transition and work together with Vietnam for the sake of peace and stability in the region and the world.

Talking to Norwegian Ambassador Hilde Solbakken, the President wished that the diplomat will actively work with Vietnam to hold trade and investment promotion activities to attract Norwegian companies to invest and do business in Vietnam, especially in green growth, clean and renewable energy, and marine-based economy.

Speaking highly of Norway’s efforts to boost international cooperation in climate change response, the President also expressed desire to enhance bilateral ties in this field. He also proposed both countries resume the exchange of all-level visits to leverage cooperation in various areas.

Hailing Vietnam’s commitments at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference, Solbakken promised to work towards stronger collaboration in green economic growth, renewable energy and sustainable development.

At the meeting with Danish Ambassador Nicolai Prytz, the Vietnamese State leader said despite COVID-19 last year, two-way trade still increased by 18% annually to nearly 600 million USD. He hoped that the figure will triple by the end of the ambassador’s tenure.

Prytz said both countries have reinforced ties in agriculture and energy while Denmark’s investment in Vietnam has gone up recently. He added that Denmark wants to promote its comprehensive partnership with Vietnam and become a green partner of the country.

In his conversation with Ambassador Hynek Kmonicek of the Czech Republic, Phuc highlighted the need for a direct flight service between the two countries. He hoped that the diplomat will step up working on this issue.

He proposed the Czech Republic, as President of the EU Council in the latter half of this year, urge other EU member states to approve the Vietnam – EU Investment Protection Agreement.

Kmonicek expressed his wish that a Czech auto brand will debut in Vietnam soon as SKODA had formed a joint-venture to manufacture automobiles in Quang Ninh province.

He also hoped that a Czech Centre will be launched in Hanoi soon to facilitate cultural exchange between the two peoples./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Association on September 8 handed over cash donations worth 392 million VND (16,600 USD) to the Cuban Embassy in Hanoi to address the aftermaths of the recent oil storage facility fire in Matanzas.

The funding was donated by the staff of the Duc Minh Medical Joint Stock Company, which has cooperated with Cuba’s leading biological centres over the past 20 years, and the Vaccine Company Limited of Da Lat Pasteur (DAVAC).

Thanking the two companies’ staff for their donations, Cuban Ambassador Orlando Nicolas Hernandez Guillen said that the fire caused great losses of not only assets but also human to Cuba.

The Vietnamese people’s practical actions for the Cuban people at this time are extremely valuable, he stressed.

The severe fire at Cuba’s largest oil storage facility early last month, the worst in Cuba’s history, killed 16 people and injured 132 others./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

A conference was held in Tokyo on September 8 to promote Japanese investment in the Mekong Delta province of Long An.

Speaking at the event, permanent Vice Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Nguyen Thanh Hai said the province had held working trips to Tokyo and the prefectures of Hyogo, Ibaraki and Kanagawa. As a result, the province signed a joint statement with Hyogo on cooperation in trade and investment promotion, tourism, support industry, logistics and human resource training. It also reached consensus with Ibaraki on the development and supply of workforce.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam said with a strategic location, convenient transport system, abundant young workforce and synchronous infrastructure, Long An is well-positioned to draw investment in industry, urban areas, trade-services, tourism, hi-tech agriculture and become a hub of services, industry and logistics in the Mekong Delta.

Manabu Tsukada from the Japan External Trade Organisation said Long An is now one of the biggest sources of Japanese investment in Vietnam with 50 million USD last year.

Speaking highly of Long An’s strengths and business environment, a representative of Sapporo Beer Co. Ltd said the local authorities offered all possible support to the company to do business.

Concluding the event, Hai witnessed the signing of cooperation agreements between the two countries’ enterprises./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Deputy Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc has stressed that Vietnam is ready to promote comprehensive partnership with the US in an effective and practical manner on the basis of respecting each other’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and political regime.

In a reception in Hanoi on September 8 for US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs Bonnie D. Jenkins, Ngoc spoke highly of bilateral ties in various areas, especially in economy-trade, war aftermath overcoming, health care, education, climate change and energy transition.

Hailing the US as one of the top important partners, Ngoc suggested the US Department of State continue with the exchange of delegations and high-level visits, enhancing cooperation to overcome war consequences as well as in regional and global issues, for the sake of peace, stability and development in the region.

Jenkins, for her part, praised Vietnam’s contributions to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. She expressed her wish to reinforce collaboration in fields of mutual concern, especially in overcoming the consequences of war, health care and pandemic prevention, aviation security, nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, and promotion of women’s role in peace and security.

During her stay, Jenkins is scheduled to hold working sessions with leaders of the Transport Ministry and the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, meet students of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, and visit several localities to step up cooperation in overcoming war aftermaths./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

An Ireland-Vietnam Agriculture Conference was organised in Hanoi on September 8 under the theme “The Adoption of Agritech 4.0”.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Duy Dong emphasised that Vietnam’s agriculture still has ample room for development, especially in organic and processed products with high added value and high technology application.

Therefore, promoting cooperation in agricultural development as well as agricultural business linkages between Vietnam and Ireland is of great significance in the current context, because their strengths can complement each other for mutual development, he said.

Kevin Ryan, Director in charge of ASEAN at Enterprise Ireland, stated that Ireland holds a lot of experience in the transition from an agricultural country to a modern industrial country with the use of advanced technology and applied scientific research achievements to increase the added value of agricultural products.

It is practical for Vietnam to exchange experience and promote cooperation in the agricultural field with Ireland, thus contributing to better supporting the two countries’ businesses, he added.

At the conference, representatives of Irish businesses presented technological solutions and advanced machinery for husbandry and processing industry, and warehouse management./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

A delegation of Da Nang city led by Vice Secretary of its Party Committee and Chairman of the People’s Council Luong Nguyen Minh Triet paid a working visit to the United Kingdom (UK) from September 6-8, with the aim to promote cooperation with partners and businesses in the fields of tourism, investment, finance, education and health.

The focus of the business trip was the “Da Nang Business Roundtable” held on September 7 in London to introduce the city’s investment, trade and tourism environment along with key projects calling for investment to potential enterprises and investors.

Speaking at the event, Triet said that currently, the city has 933 FDI projects with a total registered capital of 3.92 billion USD. However, there are only 21 projects of UK investors with a total registered capital of 1.9 million USD.

Therefore, Da Nang wants to invite British businesses and Vietnamese expatriates to the city, he said, noting that the areas in which British businesses have strengths are also the fields that Da Nang wishes to attract investment such as information technology, high technology, finance, education and tourism.

He affirmed that the city will exert its efforts to improve the business and investment climate, upgrade infrastructure, increase the quality of services so as to become a more attractive destination.

The leader also pledged to create favourable conditions for and accompany businesses in carrying out investment projects and doing business in the city.

On September 6, the Da Nang delegation worked with the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO) to promote the organisation of the Asia Golf Tourism Convention in the city in 2024.

On September 8, the delegation visited the University of the West of England, Bristol (UWE Bristol) to boost cooperation programmes in training and education./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency