Day: February 14, 2023

Indonesia, as the chair of ASEAN this year, is preparing a roadmap to support the full membership of Timor Leste in the regional association.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo made the announcement in a joint statement issued with Timor Leste Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak at Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java province on February 13.

The President said that in principle, Timor Leste has been accepted as a member of ASEAN. A roadmap for full membership is being readied, led by Indonesia as the current chair of ASEAN.

He expressed he was pleased with the acceptance of Timor Leste as a member of ASEAN, in accordance with the results of the ASEAN Summit 2022 in Cambodia.

Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi said she believes that Timor Leste’s ASEAN membership could contribute to improving the stability and prosperity of the region.

Earlier, Foreign Affairs Minister of Timor Leste Adaljiza Albertina Xavier Reis Magno had joined the 32nd ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC) meeting in Jakarta on February 3, 2023, as an observer.

However, the ACC still needs to discuss the further steps for Timor Leste to obtain ASEAN’s full membership after the country’s initial participation in the meeting.

Prime Minister Ruak’s visit on February 13 was his third official visit to Indonesia. He had earlier visited Indonesia as the President of Timor Leste in 2014 and 2015.

During the visit, four memorandum of understanding (MoUs) in the economy, education, and industry sectors were inked by the two countries../

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Nearly 500 artifacts and images of ancient pagodas and towers are on display at an exhibition that recently opened in the Tay Yen Tu spiritual and ecological tourism complex in the northern province of Bac Giang. The exhibition also includes images about the process of archaeological excavation at relics, vestiges of ancient religious works associated with Truc Lam Zen Buddhist sect in Tay Yen Tu (West Yen Tu).

The exhibition, themed “The sacred Buddhist land of Tay Yen Tu – A thousand-year-old relic from the ground,” was held by the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism as part of activities within the Bac Giang Culture-Tourism Week 2023.

The artifacts and images on display at the exhibition feature pagodas and towers built from the Ly – Tran Dynasties (11th-14th century), the Le Trung Hung (Revival Le) Dynasty (the 17th-18th century) and the Nguyen Dynasty (19th century) in five districts of Yen Dung, Luc Nam, Luc Ngan, Viet Yen and Yen The.

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Visitors at the exhibition (Photo: VNA)

The organisers also introduced the detail of pagodas, relic sites and images on the process of archaeological excavation at relics, vestiges of ancient religious works associated with Truc Lam Zen Buddhist sect in Tay Yen Tu. The exhibit reveals the size and scale of a Buddhist religion that thrived from the 11th to 14th century in the Tay Yen Tu area.

The event aims to introduce the values of typical and unique cultural heritage of Bac Giang, and promote the province’s potential in tourism development. It should serve to help in building and developing the locality’s tourism trademark, contributing to boost the growth of the local tourism sector as well as the socio-economic integration and expansion.

Vice Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Si Cam said that Tay Yen Tu is an area on the west of Dong Trieu bow, in the territory of Bac Giang province. Since ancient times, Yen Tu was chosen by Kings of the Ly – Tran Dynasties as the place to build pagodas. In the Tay Yen Tu area, a system of monuments and landscapes is still preserved with rich and diverse types. This system of relics spans over the area of four districts of Yen Dung, Luc Nam, Luc Ngan and Son Dong, including religious and belief works associated with the history of nation building and defence in different periods from the Ly – Tran Dynasties (11th-14th centuries) to Le – Nguyen Dynasties (17th-19th centuries).

Particularly, the western side of Yen Tu of Bac Giang province in the Tran Dynasty is also home to a series of relics closely related to the formation and flourishing of the Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen sect. These were founded by the leaders of Truc Lam Zen Buddhist sect such as Vinh Nghiem, Am Vai, and Ho Thien pagodas. However, over time and under the destruction of war, some ancient pagodas have been damaged.

Cam said that over the years, his department has coordinated with the Vietnam Institute of Archaeology and the Vietnam Archaeological Association to conduct excavations and has collected many artifacts detailing the history, scale and structure of religious relics built in the Ly-Tran Dynasties in Bac Giang.

This is also part of efforts to restore the pagodas and revive the religious space of Bac Giang, while providing scientific evidence for the building of dossiers to seek UNESCO’s recognition for the Yen Tu Monuments and Landscapes Complex in three provinces of Quang Ninh, Hai Duong, and Bac Giang collectively as a world cultural heritage./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on February 13 gave the green light to the establishment or merger of some district- and communal-level administrative units in 10 provinces.

The approval was made at the onging 20th session of the Standing Committee.

Presenting the Government’s proposal, Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra pointed out the necessity to establish or merge urban administrative units of nine provinces, namely Binh Duong, Bac Ninh, An Giang, Quang Nam, Vinh Phuc, Thai Nguyen, Ben Tre, Bac Kan, and Dak Lak.

The move aims to meet local Party committees, administrations, and people’s requirements in management, planning, construction, transport, and environmental protection.

Meanwhile, the adjustment of the administrative boundary of Long Khanh and Ngu Lac communes in Duyen Hai district, Tra Vinh province, is necessary to create favourable conditions for local residents’ daily life and authorities’ administrative management, meeting the approved planning and local Party committees, administrations, and people’s aspirations.

Representating the verification body, Chairman of the NA’s Committee for Legal Affairs Hoang Thanh Tung said the committee agreed on the need to set up one city (Tan Uyen of Binh Duong province), three district-level towns (Thuan Thanh and Que Vo of Bac Ninh province, Tinh Bien of An Giang province), 34 wards (in cities and towns of Bac Ninh, An Giang, Quang Nam, and Vinh Phuc provinces), and 11 communal-level townships (in districts of An Giang, Quang Nam, Vinh Phuc, Thai Nguyen, Ben Tre, Bac Kan, and Dak Lak provinces); the merger of Quan Chu commune into Quan Chu township of Dai Tu district in Thai Nguyen province; and the adjustment of the boundary of two communal-level administrative units in Tra Vinh.

That will raise the nationwide urbanisation rate by 0.47%, helping achieve the target of at least 45% by 2025 set in the Politburo’s Resolution No 06-NQ/TW, issued on January 24, 2022, he added.

Later, the NA Standing Committee ratified 10 draft resolutions on the establishment of the district- and communal-level administrative units./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

A delegation of the Vietnam People’s Army, including 76 soldiers who bring with them six service dogs, arrived in Antakya city of Turkey’s Hatay province on February 13 evening (local time), to join search and rescue activities for earthquake-hit victims.

At the airport, the delegation talked to representatives from the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority to learn about the needs of the host country.

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Vietnam People’s Army soldiers arrive in Hatay (Photo: VNA)

Earlier, a 24-member team of the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security engaged in search and rescue efforts in the Turkish southeastern city of Adiyaman, which is among the localities bearing the brunt of the earthquake, after they arrived in Istanbul International Airport on February 10.

As of 9pm on February 13 (Vietnam time), the deadly disaster had killed more than 37,000 people in not only Turkey but also Syria.

According to the Vietnamese embassies in Turkey and Syria, so far, there was no information on Vietnamese citizens dead or injured in the disaster./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Politburo member and Minister of Public Security To Lam received visiting US Trade Representative Katherine Tai in Hanoi on February 13.

Considering the US a top trade partner and export market of Vietnam, Lam affirmed that the Party, State and Government of Vietnam have consistently created favourable conditions for foreign and foreign-invested enterprises, including those from the US, to promote investment attraction and economic development.

The official said Vietnam supports efforts to deepen bilateral relations as well as multilateral cooperation mechanisms and initiatives led by the US that are beneficial to ensuring peace, stability, and development regionally and globally, including the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF).

He suggested the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) continue to promote its role in connecting the two Governments to strengthen the Vietnam – US Comprehensive Partnership; as well as create favourable conditions in terms of finance, technology, and human resources development in areas where Vietnam has needs such as digital economy, high technology, clean energy, health, environment, and infrastructure.

It is also necessary to research and promote bilateral and multilateral cooperation regarding the fight against fake news, especially given the strong growth of social networking platforms combined with advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), he noted.

The official told the USTR to closely work with Vietnamese law enforcement agencies in the investigation, exchange and verification of information on economic cases involving foreign elements via mutual legal assistance in criminal matters; cooperation in preventing and combating transnational and economic crimes; and strict handling of economic law violations such as smuggling, trade fraud, and counterfeit goods, among others.

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At the meeting (Photo: VNA)

For her part, Tai said a host of bilateral activities are awaiting the nations this year, with economic pillars expected to be strongly boosted. She pledged close collaboration with Vietnam in the field of e-commerce.

Expressing her delight at the Southeast Asian country’s achievements in the protection of intellectual property rights, she proposed the two sides mobilise experts in this area serving their exchange and cooperation./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

A delegation of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) led by Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Communist Review Vu Trong Lam paid a working visit to Venezuela at the invitation of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV).

Hosting the delegation, First Vice President of PSUV Diosdado Cabello Rondon said his country attaches special importance to the relations with Vietnam, which is growing fruitfully. He showed a desire to find solutions to further promote cooperation between the two parties and the two nations.

Rondon stressed the need for Venezuela and Vietnam to narrow the geographical distance through closer cooperation, especially strongly promoting economic cooperation on par with the bilateral political relations.

Venezuela is ready to create the best conditions for Vietnamese businesses to invest in the country, he stated, expressing his hope that the countries will expand cooperation in personnel training and research and introduction of President Ho Chi Minh’s ideology.

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At the working session with the Venezuela – Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians Group (Photo: VNA)

For his part, Lam affirmed that as a close comrade of PSUV, the CPV is delighted at the achievements that the PSUV has obtained over the past time, especially the successful organisation of its 5th National Congress.

He expressed his belief that the Venezuelan party will successfully implement the teachings of leader Hugo Chávez, building Venezuala into a prosperous socialist country.

Vietnam wishes to further deepen the comprehensive partnership between the two nations in a practical way in the coming time, Lam said.

Since the two countries established diplomatic relations in December 1989 and upgraded their ties to a comprehensive partnership in 2007, the bilateral relations have been maintained and promoted through the exchange of delegations and phone calls.

Over the past time, the two countries have established mechanisms and agreements to promote multifaceted cooperation. By October 2022, two-way trade surged by 700% year-on-year to over 50 million USD.

They aim to step up their friendship and comprehensive cooperation in the coming time, especially developing relations between the two parties as a favourable political foundation for the bilateral ties.

Lam took the occasion to present Rondon a Spanish copy of the book “Some theoretical and practical issues on socialism and the path towards socialism in Vietnam” by CPV chief Nguyen Phu Trong, and ask him to give another to President of the PSUV and President of Venezuala Nicolas Maduro.

During their visit, the delegation had a working session with the Venezuela – Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians Group, and offered flowers in tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his statue in Bolivar Avenue, Caracas. The delegation also paid homage to late Venezuelan revolutionary leader Hugo Chávez, and visited the Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

A special music show marking the 80th anniversary of the “Outline of Vietnamese Culture”, the first platform on culture launched by the Communist Party of Vietnam, is scheduled to be held at Hanoi Opera House on February 28 evening.

Themed “Outline of Vietnamese Culture – Historical imprints”, the 70-minute event will be directed by Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong and conducted by the Department of Performing Arts.

It will see performances by artists of the Vietnam Contemporary Art Theater in collaboration with the Central Science and Documentary Film Studio, the Vietnam National Academy of Music, the Vietnam Dance Academy, the Ministry of Public Security’s drum troupe, the Ministry of National Defence’s ritual art troupe, the Hanoi University of Culture and the National University of Arts Education.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung said it will be not only an art show but also a political and cultural event.

In 1943, by applying Marxism and the guidelines of the Party and leader Nguyen Ai Quoc, Party General SecretaryTruong Chinh wrote the Outline on Vietnamese Culture (also known as the 1943 Outline on Culture), stressing that the content, nature, organization and development orientation of a cultural revolution can only be associated with the national liberation revolution and a cultural revolution can be realized when the political revolution has succeeded.

The document defined that Vietnamese culture, consisting of ideology, learning, and arts, “will be liberated by the democratic revolution and freed from shackles and could catch up with the world’s neo-democratic culture”./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Hieu has visited Bahrain and co-chaired the first deputy ministerial-level political consultation between the two foreign ministries.

While stay in Bahrain from February 11-12, Deputy FM Hieu had meetings with Hamad Bin Salman Al-Khalifa, Assistant Undersecretary for Domestic and Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and Vice Chairwoman of the ASEAN-Bahrain Council Feryal Abdullah Nass.

At the meetings, the two sides shared delight at the first political consultation between the two foreign ministries since they signed a memorandum of understanding in 2007, as well as the development in bilateral cooperation, especially in politics-diplomacy. However, they agreed that economic collaboration between the two countries has yet to match their potential and aspirations.

Deputy FM Hieu and Undersecretary for Political Affairs at the Bahrain Foreign Ministry Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Khalifa agreed that the two Foreign Ministries should work closely together in implementing measures to enhance the efficiency of bilateral partnership, including increasing the exchange of delegations at all levels, especially high level, and promoting people-to-people exchange.

At the same time, the two sides will coordinate with and support each other at international and regional forums and organisations, while encouraging businesses of both sides to increase their connectivity and engage in trade and investment promotion activities to explore business opportunities, and enhancing cooperation among business associations of the two sides, including the ASEAN-Bahrain Council and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), creating favourable conditions for the import and export of strong products of each country to each other’s market.

The two countries should expand partnership to potential areas such as oil and gas, energy, tourism, logistics and Halal industry, and negotiate for agreements that facilitate legal cooperation, they said.

On the occasion, the two sides also discussed a number of regional and international issues of shared concern.

Hamad bin Salman Al Khalifa, Assistant Undersecretary for Domestic and Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, highlighted Bahrain’s economic cooperation strategy towards ASEAN countries, including Vietnam. He said that the two countries share many similarities in boosting major development areas, and pledged to actively assist ministries, sectors and enterprises of the two sides to partner with each other.

Hieu suggested that the Ministry of Industry and Commerce continue to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese goods to enter Bahrain, and assist Vietnamese firms to expand operations in the country. He also gave proposals on specific cooperation among ministries, sectors and economic agencies of the two sides.

At the meeting with Vice Chairwoman of the ASEAN-Bahrain Council Feryal Abdullah Nass, Hieu lauded the council’s active role in promoting the economic ties between Bahrain and ASEAN countries. He asked for the council’s support in connecting businesses of both sides, and invited members of the council to visit Vietnam to seek cooperation and investment chances.

Feryal Abdullah Nass said that leaders of the council are interested in Vietnam, and committed to coordinating with the Vietnamese Embassy in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain to conduct trade promotion activities in the time to come.

Hieu took this occasion to meet representatives of a number of businesses of the host country and some Vietnamese entrepreneurs in the country./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency