Day: December 11, 2022

The Ministry of Transport recently approved a project on Vietnamese merchant fleet development, aiming to handle as much as 10% of the country’s exports by 2026, and 20% by 2030, given the current market domination by foreign shipping lines.

 

A 2021 report by the Vietnam Maritime Administration (VinaMarine) showed that the volume of goods through Vietnam’s seaports has grown steadily for many years with an average rate of 13.8%. Despite the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2021, it increased 2% year on year, reaching more than 703 million tonnes. The volume of container cargo was estimated at nearly 24 million TEU, up 6% year-on-year.

 

As of December 31, 2021, Vietnam’s fleet had 1,502 ships, including 1,032 cargo vessels – down from the 1,267 cargo ships of 2016.

 

In terms of the fleet structure, just a small part of the Vietnamese-flagged merchant fleet are container ships. That means that the fleet is mainly suitable for the domestic or short regional coastal routes. They cannot compete in the international shipping market, where the world is tending to develop larger ships to optimise costs, according to the transport ministry.

 

Therefore, the project’s main goals include the development of a modern fleet, improvement of efficiency and quality and greater integration into the international market.

 

The immediate focus is to build a fleet of container ships to work in the Asia-Pacific, with an objective to gain operational experience and set the foundation for long-haul trips in the future.

 

In recent years, the country’s ports have been developed considerably in size, and are now able to accommodate the world’s largest ships./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

Newspapers in Luxembourg ran articles featuring Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s official visit to the country on December 9-10, all affirming that the trip will help intensify the bilateral relations.

 

The Zeitung vum Lëtzebuerger Vollek (ZLV) posted an article summarising Chinh’s activities in Luxembourg, including his talks with his Luxembourg counterpart Xavier Bettel, during which they exchanged views on the bilateral ties, the EU-Vietnam relations, and international issues.

 

After a meeting with President of the Chamber of Deputies Fernand Etgen, the Vietnamese Prime Minister visited the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and attended the Vietnam-Luxembourg Economic Forum where he witnessed the signing of various letters of intent on cooperation between the two countries.

 

The article also stressed that with a total capital of 2.6 billion USD, Luxembourg is the European Union’s third largest investor in Vietnam and one of the first to ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement.

 

The Vietnamese leader’s Luxembourg trip was also spotlighted by Tageblatt and Luxemburger Wort daily newspapers./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

Erina Hanawa from Japan was crowned Miss Tourism World 2022 at the beauty pageant’s finale held in Vinh Yen city, the northern province of Vinh Phuc, on December 10.

 

Justine Beatrice Felizarta of the Philippines and Le Thi Huong Ly of Vietnam were named the first and second runners-up.

 

Meanwhile, the third and fourth runners-up were the contestants from Russia and Nigeria, respectively.

 

Prior to the finale, 35 contestants from different countries had engaged in a 20-day tour of Hanoi and the northern provinces of Ninh Binh, Phu Tho, Son La, and Vinh Phuc to explore cultural heritage of Vietnam.

 

Outstanding destinations in their trip included Tran Quoc Pagoda, the Temple of Literature, the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, and Bat Trang pottery village in Hanoi; the Trang An Landscape Complex, Hoa Lu ancient capital, and Bai Dinh Pagoda in Ninh Binh; the Hung Kings Temple complex in Phu Tho; Moc Chau Plateau, the hot spring of Moong village, Dai Yem Waterfall, and Pa Uon Bridge in Son La; and the Tay Thien landscape complex and Tam Dao tourism zone in Vinh Phuc.

 

They also helped popularise Vietnam’s tourism attractiveness to people around the world and promote the country as a safe destination after the COVID-19 pandemic./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

A friendship cycling journey took place in Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem district on December 11 with a view to raising public awareness of environmental protection.

 

The event, drawing nearly 300 Vietnamese and international participants, was held by the Hanoi Union of Friendship Organisations (HAUFO) and local authorities.

 

In her opening remarks, Nguyen Lan Huong, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Hanoi and President of HAUFO, said developing a “bright, green, clean, beautiful, and civilised” capital city remains one of the consistent targets of Hanoi.

 

Such activities as the cycling journey aim to improve the awareness among local residents and foreigners living in the city about environmental protection and climate change response, and encourage the use of bicycles and other green transport vehicles to help achieve sustainable development, she added.

 

Highly valuing the event, Venezuelan Ambassador to Vietnam Tatiana Pugh Moreno affirmed diplomatic corps and international organisations’ pledge to work closely with HAUFO to strengthen friendship among countries and contribute to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.

 

On this occasion, the organising board presented bicycles to five disadvantaged students with outstanding academic results to support their learning efforts./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

The practical implementation of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) has shown that it is an effective mechanism for the peaceful settlement of disputes at sea, said Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Hong Thao, a member of the International Law Commission (ILC) for the 2023-2027 tenure.

 

He stressed that the signing of the convention on December 10, 1982, marked the first time a set of rules for sea and ocean activities was established, thus helping build a new legal order at sea.

 

According to him, the convention best represents the codification of international custom and the progressive development of international law in the maritime field, and one of its greatest contributions is the establishment of a new effective mechanism for the settlement of maritime disputes.

 

The UNCLOS 1982 has laid the foundation for resolving maritime disputes from maritime delimitation, fisheries disputes, navigation, marine scientific research, undersea cable and pipeline installation to other sea-related disputes, Thao said, adding that over one-third of the 500 overlapping seas have been resolved so far.

 

The ambassador also stated that in the spirit of complying with the provisions of the convention, Vietnam is the most successful country in the region in terms of addressing maritime disputes with the most diverse tools. Vietnam creatively applied the principle of fairness in delimiting the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf with Thailand in 1997, the Gulf of Tonkin with China in 2000, delimiting the continental shelf with Indonesia in 2003. It also applied the mode of win-win cooperation and joint exploitation of fisheries with China in the Gulf of Tonkin  in 2004, with Malaysia in 1995, and Cambodia in 1982, and is continuing negotiations to resolve maritime delimitation outside the Gulf of Tonkin, and on the delimitation of an exclusive economic zone with Indonesia.

 

Meanwhile, Veeramalla Anjaiah, a senior journalist and currently a senior research fellow at the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS) of Indonesia, said that the UNCLOS, considered the ‘Constitution of the oceans’, has laid down a comprehensive law and order regime in the world’s oceans and seas, and established rules for managing all activities of using oceans and marine resources.

 

Therefore, the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), as well as the building of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordance with international law, including this convention, is of great significance.

 

According to him, over the past 40 years, the UNCLOS 1982 has proven to be an important document in dealing with all issues related to international navigation.

 

Gregory Poling, Director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the US-based Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), highlighted the important role of this convention for small and developing countries.

 

He emphasised that the UNCLOS 1982 creates a more equal system for all states to access and manage marine resources and enjoy their rights. The document has given developing countries and coastal states a greater voice, at least in the East Sea.

 

It is the most widely accepted international treaty after the United Nations Charter. Therefore, every member of the international system has a role to play in shaping this convention, he added./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) should intensify cooperation in agriculture and energy which are key fields of the Western Asian country, Vice Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) Tran Quang Phuong recently told Hamad Ahmed Al Rahoumi, First Deputy Speaker of the UAE Federal National Council (FNC).

 

Phuong, who was on a working visit to the UAE on December 7-8, congratulated the country on its 51st National Day (December 2), and appreciated its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, and active participation in the international political life for peace, stability and development.

 

Welcoming the Vietnamese NA delegation, Al Rahoumi said he believes that the visit will contribute to promoting the bilateral relations, especially as the two countries are preparing to celebrate the 30th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties next year.

 

He proposed the two sides step up delegation exchanges, exert efforts to bring two-way trade to 10 billion USD, maintain coordination at multilateral parliamentary forums, soon sign a cooperation agreement between the two parliaments, and consider the establishment of a friendship parliamentarians’ group.

 

During his stay, NA Vice Chairman Phuong also met Majed Sultan Al Mesmar, Director General of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), who affirmed his willingness to share experience with Vietnam in building e-Government through an open mechanism, and suggested the two countries sign a memorandum of understanding to promote cooperation in this field.

 

Phuong said that Vietnam pays great attention to developing information technology and digital transformation, so as to better the management and administration of the Government, State agencies and the National Assembly to serve production and business activities. businesses and meet the needs of the people.

 

He expressed his hope that Vietnam and the UAE will intensify the exchange of experience in this field.

 

The NA Vice Chairman also met with staff of the Vietnamese Embassy and representatives of the Vietnamese community in the UAE./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

No cases of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing have been recorded by Tien Giang province’s fishing vessels since the beginning of 2022, thanks to the Mekong Delta locality’s efforts to step up communications work to raise fishermen’s awareness, according to the provincial Department of Fisheries.

 

Colonel Tran Van Le, Commander of the Tien Giang Border Guard, said that before a ship goes out to sea, its owner must sign a commitment not to violate foreign waters, while its cruise monitoring device will be carefully inspected.

 

In addition, the unit also steps up dissemination on mass media, and deliver leaflets to fishermen, especially captains, requesting them to obey regulations on IUU fishing prevention and control, and the Fisheries Law.

 

As of November 30, all the 958 operating fishing ships had been equipped with the vessel monitoring device.

 

In the coming time, local authorities will continue to closely monitor the journeys of offshore fishing vessels, especially those operating near the sea boundary, in order to detect and warn in a timely way any possible IUU fishing-related violations, with an aim to develop sustainable and professional fisheries./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency