Day: January 10, 2023

Thailand has ranked first in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the latest Sustainable Development Report, according to Thipanan Sirichana, deputy government spokeswoman.

The kingdom scored 74.13% in the assessment of its progress towards achieving the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs), she said. Thailand came top in ASEAN for the fourth consecutive year, followed by Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos.

The 17 SDGs cover areas of human development, economic development, environment, peace and justice and partnership for development and others.

According to Thipanan, Thailand performed best in poverty reduction and it was on track to obtain four SDGs, namely education quality; clean water and environmental sanitation; industrial innovation & infrastructure; and responsible consumption and production, the Bangkok Post reported.

SDGs were in line with the country’s 20-year national strategic plan, and the ranking reflected the government’s and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s vision for national development.

She affirmed that the criteria and indicators are the international standards, adding that it showed that the government under Gen Prayut’s leadership is on the right path.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Pasaxon (The People), the official newspaper of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, on January 10 front-paged an article spotlighting the good relationship between Laos and Vietnam, affirming that it has been increasingly consolidated and cultivated.

The article said the time has clearly proved that the good traditional relationship between the two countries has been improved increasingly in quality, and recorded fruitful achievements.

The bilateral cooperative relations are an important factor contributing to the success of the national construction, development and defence cause of each country, it stressed.

It recalled the past struggles for national liberation of the Vietnamese and Lao people, during which they stood shoulder to shoulder for the victory of the liberation and reunification revolution of both countries.

The article also highlighted the development of the special relations between the two countries, especially the signing of the Vietnam-Laos Treaty of Amity and Cooperation on July 18, 1977 in Vientiane, saying that the document was a legal basis for further strengthening the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States and their people in the new era.

The special relationship has been promoted via new forms and principles on the basis of the relationship between the two independent and sovereign countries, it said.

In recent times, the comprehensive cooperation between the two countries has developed fruitfully across areas, the article said, noting that mutual visits at all levels have created conditions for the two sides to have substantive and detailed cooperation and share experience to each other.

The special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries will be preserved as a valuable heritage for future generations, significantly contributing to the mission of protecting peace, stability, and cooperation in the region and the world, the article affirmed./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

A workshop discussing measures to promote business cooperation between Vietnam and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) of China was held in Hanoi on January 10.

The event was jointly organised by the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) of the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (CGCC), the GBA Union, and the Hong Kong – Vietnam Chamber of Commerce (HKVCC) .

It focused on introducing Hong Kong’s recent development, and Vietnam’s investment environment and incentives, aiming to call on Hong Kong enterprises to increase their investment in Vietnam.

In his opening speech, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Duy Dong highlighted the significance of the workshop as offering a chance for the two sides to share new investment and trade trends and solutions to improve Vietnam’s investment environment, and presenting an opportunity to propose measures to better the efficiency of cooperation between the two sides.

The MPI will always create favourable conditions for foreign investors, including those from Hong Kong, to invest and do business effectively in Vietnam, he said.

The official expressed the hope that the economic relations between Vietnam and Hong Kong will develop to new heights, towards prosperity and sustainable development of their business community. Jonathan Choi, Chairman of the CGCC, HKVCC, and Union, said cultural and geographical proximity also facilitates cooperation between Vietnam, Hong Kong and the Hong Kong – Guangdong – Macau region in many fields, especially trade, investment and tourism.

There will be ample room for bilateral cooperation, especially in the fields of farm produce, financial services, technology and innovation, he stressed.

On the occasion, the FIA inked a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in trade and investment promotion with the CGCC, GBA Union and HKVCC.

According to the MPI, the trade and investment cooperation between Vietnam and Hong Kong has greatly contributed to strengthening bilateral economic relations.

Vietnam is Hong Kong’s eighth largest trading partner. In 2021, the two-way trade reached 13.5 billion USD. By November 2022, Vietnam raked in 10 billion USD from exporting goods to Hong Kong, while spending 1.78 billion USD on importing from it.

Meanwhile, Hong Hong remains the fifth largest foreign investor in Vietnam with 2,164 projects worth nearly 29.5 billion USD, mainly in processing, manufacturing, real estate, production and distribution of electricity, gas, and water./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Singapore will carefully restore air connectivity with China and continue with a cautious approach to ensure passengers have a safe and smooth experience, Transport Minister S. Iswaran said on January 9, a day after China reopened its border for international travellers under new “no quarantine” rules.

According to him, Singaporean and Chinese airlines have applied to operate more flights between the two countries, and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) is evaluating these applications.

Singapore has paced the resumption of flights to ensure that Changi Airport has the capacity to support the anticipated flight and passenger flows, he said.

There are currently 38 weekly flights between the two countries, including two recently approved flights to Beijing. This figure is less than 10% of the number of flights pre-COVID between the two countries and about 1.5% of the total handled by Changi at present, stated Iswaran.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Presidential Office of the Philippines on January 9 announced that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has chosen a former military chief who led the country’s fight against the coronavirus as his new defense minister.

Carlito Galvez, 60, headed the Philippines’ COVID-19 task force and was the leader of the military’s Western Mindanao Command in 2017.

He replaces Jose Faustino, whose resignation as acting defence chief was announced by the president’s office, without providing a reason.

Galvez, who served as armed forces chief in 2018, will be responsible for protecting the Philippines maritime territory and its exclusive economic zone.

The defence ministry has been pushing to modernise the military and upgrade its outdated air and sea assets.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said his two-day official visit to Indonesia at the invitation of President Joko Widodo has met its objectives.

At the conclusion of the visit on January 9, Anwar said various issues were addressed in his meeting with Widodo as well as joint discussions held with several Indonesian ministers.

Among them were matters involving the economy and bilateral investments, the development of Indonesia’s new capital Nusantara, border demarcation issues that had dragged on for 60 years, and the issue of Indonesian manpower in Malaysia.

In a session with businessmen, the PM assured investors about the changes taking place in Malaysia, including the ease of doing business and the fast pace of investment approvals.

Within the framework of the visit, Anwar and Widodo witnessed the signing of nine memoranda of understanding, and the handover of 11 letters of intent involving 10 Malaysian companies that planned to participate in the development of Nusantara.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released a book on the Paris Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam (Paris Peace Accords) which was signed 50 years ago (January 27, 1973).

Titled “1973 Paris Peace Accords – A Turning Point Towards Peace”, the Vietnamese-English bilingual book was compiled and published by the VNA Publishing House on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the agreement.

Photos in the book spotlight the negotiations and signing of the agreement in 1973 – a glorious feat of arms won by the Vietnamese diplomatic sector during the fight against the US, with invaluable lessons in diplomatic struggle drawn.

They vividly capture the talks, which lasted for four years, eight months and 14 days, with more than 200 public and tens of secret meetings, offering insight into the complex situation before and during the negotiations, the signing and the implementation of the agreement.

The signing mirrored the outstanding strides of the Vietnamese diplomatic sector in the Ho Chi Minh era, and was seen as an important turning point in the struggle by the Vietnamese people and an important premise for the liberation of the south and national reunification two years later.

The more than 260 photos and documents were provided by National Archives Centres, the VNA, domestic museums, press agencies and witnesses of the event.

Notably, the book includes an article by Nguyen Thi Binh, former Vice President, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam and former head of its negotiating team. Binh was one of the four signatories of the agreement.

With such valuable documents, the book is expected to help readers understand more about the historic event, the glorious chapter of Vietnam’s revolution and the diplomatic sector, and the “fight-and-talk” strategy employed by Vietnam.

Apart from the article by Binh, the book also includes an introduction by Vo Van Thuong, Politburo member and permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat.

The 196-page book features the background of the Paris Conference on Vietnam, the implementation of the agreement, and opinions of leaders, scholars and experts on the agreement.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Thailand on January 9 rescinded a policy announced recently requiring visitors to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination.

Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul said requiring visitors to show evidence of vaccination was inconvenient and a panel of experts had resolved that it was unnecessary as enough vaccinations had been administered globally.

Anutin added that visitors who have not vaccinated would also be granted entry without restriction.

The country’s aviation authority on January 7 announced the restrictions, effective on January 9, ahead of an expected deluge of visitors from China, where COVID-19 cases have surged.

One of Asia’s most popular travel destinations, Thailand is enjoying an influx of tourists during its first peak season since the removal of tight entry restrictions last year.

In November, it recorded 1.75 million visitors, quadruple the number received for the whole of last year when flights and foreign arrivals were limited.

Anutin said Thailand was now expecting 7-10 million Chinese visitors, compared to an earlier estimate of 5 million.

Thailand’s tourism authority is expecting arrival numbers to have exceeded 11.5 million this year, just over a quarter of the record of nearly 40 million in pre-pandemic 2019, who spent about 1.91 trillion baht (55.17 billion USD).

Source: Vietnam News Agency