Category: Government Policy

Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha on January 17 joined leaders of global enterprises in a discussion, and met with senior foreign officials as part of his activities at the 53rd World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

The discussion with leaders of global enterprises was an event WEF held specifically for Vietnam at this year’s meeting. It attracted about 20 executives of WEF member businesses operating in such fields as energy, green technology, and finance – banking.

Opening the event, Ha underlined Vietnam’s development viewpoint that people are the centre, key player, goal, and momentum of sustainable development; the country will not pursue pure economic growth at the expense of social equality, progress or the environment; and it stays steadfast in implementing the strategic breakthroughs in infrastructure, regulations, and human resources.

He called on global business leaders to enhance cooperation with Vietnam to help the country create and maintain a stable macro-environment for development while actively and flexibly adapting to unpredictable changes, stabilise the macro-economy, and improve the economy’s resilience; build an independent and self-reliant economy with extensive, effective, and practical integration into the world; and increase the optimisation of new growth drivers, maximise domestic and international financial and technological resources through climate agreements, carry out green transition, shift to a circular and low-carbon economy with digital transformation, strongly develop science – technology and innovation, and build an innovation and startup ecosystem.

At a meeting with WEF Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab, Ha expressed his hope that WEF will continue bringing into play its pioneering role in promoting public-private partnership, shaping new cooperation ideas and models, and assisting developing countries, including Vietnam.

He noted Vietnam’s economic achievements, attributing that success partly to support from international friends, including WEF.

Schwab considered the country as a bright spot in economic recovery and growth amid global economic crisis.

Both sides expressed their delight at the increasingly practical Vietnam – WEF cooperation.

Ha asked WEF to cooperate with Vietnam during the building of a green, circular, and low-carbon economy via the National Innovation Centre. Also on January 17, the Vietnamese Deputy PM had a meeting with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He.

They voiced their satisfaction of the new and comprehensive progress in relations between the two Parties and countries, especially since the official visit to China by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong.

They agreed that in the time ahead, Vietnam and China will coordinate to properly implement important common perceptions and agreements reached during the trip, unceasingly consolidate political trust and traditional friendship, enhance connectivity of their development strategies, and intensify practical cooperation in all fields.

Liu asked the two sides to step up partnerships in economy, trade, green and sustainable development, and innovation.

Talking to US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, Ha affirmed that Vietnam considers climate change response as one of the strategic cooperation areas between the two countries.

Vietnam highly valued efforts by the US Government and Kerry to promote global efforts in response to climate change. It also appreciated the US and some development partners’ support for energy transition in Vietnam, he said.

The Deputy PM asked Kerry to promote the US and development partners’ transfer of renewable energy technology to Vietnam, provision of green loans at reasonable interest rates, sharing of governance experience, and assistance for improving the Mekong Delta’s resilience.

Kerry highlighted the two countries’ flourishing relations and spoke highly of Vietnam’s efforts and determination to realise the commitments at COP26, boost energy transition, and build a low-carbon economy.

Meeting with Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Achim Steiner, Ha thanked UNDP for helping with Vietnam’s reconstruction and socio-economic development over the last nearly 50 years.

He called for continued policy consultation and technical cooperation with UNDP in the fields of Vietnam’s concern, including green transition, carbon neutralisation, and post-pandemic socio-economic recovery in a green and sustainable manner.

Vietnam is determined and will actively carry out the commitments at COP26, including achieving net zero emissions by 2050, he said, asking UNDP to continue giving advice so that the country can successfully implement the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) agreement, manage and efficiently use water resources, and strengthen the resilience and climate change response in the Mekong River basin.

Steiner highly valued Vietnam’s effective implementation of socio-economic programmes and policies on green transition and climate change response.

UNDP is proud to be a cooperation partner of Vietnam and ready to assist the country in priority areas, he added.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on January 18 extended his congratulations to Alain Claude Bilie By Nze on being appointed as Prime Minister of the Gabonese Republic.

On the same day, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son sent a congratulatory message to Michael Moussa Adamo on being re-appointed as Foreign Minister of the Gabonese Republic.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Vietnamese Government always values the development of traditional friendship with Portugal, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs Joao Gomes Cravinho during a reception in Hanoi on January 18.

PM Chinh suggested both sides facilitate visits, especially those at high level to raise mutual understanding and political trust, as well as fully and effectively tap existing cooperation mechanisms and build new ones to step up collaboration in promising areas that match their interests.

On multilateral cooperation, he proposed working closely together and offering mutual support at multilateral forums and international organisations, making active contributions to dealing with regional and global issues.

About economic ties, the host asked Portugal to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese farm produce to navigate the country. He wished the two nations would continue taking advantage of opportunities from Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement to raise two-way trade, toward lifting it to 1 billion USD in the near future.

On the occasion, he suggested Portugal soon approve the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) to facilitate fair and win-win investment relationship between the two nations, urge the European Commission’s early removal of yellow card warning on Vietnam’s aquatic products to meet interests of Portuguese and EU consumers as well as ensure livelihoods for hundreds of thousands of workers in the Vietnamese aquaculture industry.

Cravinho, who is on Vietnam visit from January 17-19, affirmed that Portugal always considers Vietnam an important partner in the region and expects to further develop all-around ties with the country.

He agreed to enhance collaboration in fields of Portugal’s strength and Vietnam’s demand such as marine economy, maritime, renewable energy, circular economy and digital transformation.

The FM vowed to continue realising contents of Vietnam-Portugal tourism cooperation agreement and sharing experience in tourism development, boost sport exchanges, particularly football training and increasing scholarships to students specialised in tourism management, and discuss the signing of labour cooperation deals.

He expressed his support for Vietnamese PM’s proposals related to joint work to fight climate change toward fulfilling goals set at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference.

Portugal will create favourable conditions for Vietnamese community living in the country, open the market for Vietnamese farm produce and have a say with the EC on the IUU yellow card, he said.

Regarding the East Sea issue, host and guest underscored the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea, settling disputes by peaceful means in line with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai has recently signed a decision to supply rice from the national reserves to the provinces of Binh Phuoc, Ha Giang, Quang Ngai, Quang Tri, Bac Lieu, Dak Lak and Gia Lai for the upcoming Lunar New Year festival and between-crop period.

Accordingly, nearly 6.3 million tonnes of rice will be earmarked for the above localities for Tet while more than 591,000 tonnes will be provided for Gia Lai during between-crop period.

The Deputy PM assigned the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to bear responsible for related information and data reported.

The People’s Committees of the localities are in charge of making correct reports and allocating the aid in a timely manner in line with regulations, according to the decision.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan will undertake the role of acting President of Vietnam until the National Assembly elects a new President, the NA Standing Committee made the announcement to agencies, organisations at home and abroad, voters and people nationwide.

On behalf of the NA Standing Committee on January 18, NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue signed the Notice No. 404/TB-UBTVQH15 on the exercise of the right of the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

The announcement is pursuant to the Constitution; the Law on the Organisation of the NA No. 57/2014/QH13, which has been amended and supplemented with a number of articles under the Law No. 65/2020/QH14, the Resolution No. 83/2023/QH15 dated January 18, 2023 adopted at the 15th NA’s third extraordinary meeting.

It is also pursuant to the Politburo’s conclusion on the assignment of a member of the Party Central Committee to the role of acting President of the Vietnam.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Ambassadors and Chargé d’affaires to Vietnam of the G4 countries, namely New Zealand, Canada, Norway and Switzerland, recently visited Village Chance – a complex of schools and apartments for the disabled, poor and orphaned children, in Ho Chi Minh City ahead of the Lunar New Year (Tet) festival.

They played sports with disabled children and conveyed New Year wishes which were recorded in a video clip lasting over three minutes.

Founded in 1993, Village Chance is part of Maison Chance project invested by Maison Chance whose founder is Tim Aline Rebeaud, a Swiss woman dedicated to the disabled and the poor in Vietnam, and the HCM City Sponsoring Association for Poor Patients. It has supported hundreds of the less fortunate in Vietnam since its establishment.

New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam Trendene Dobson called for mitigating barriers to the handicapped in their daily lives, adding that an inclusive society is the one that recognises and respects all individuals, including those with disabilities, as equal partners.

Undertaking his mission in Vietnam in May 2022, Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Shawn Steil expressed his support for an inclusive education in Vietnam which enables everyone to make the most of their potential.

In the video clip, Norwegian Ambassador to Vietnam Hilde Solbakken was seen to draw cat and décor paintings for Tet. She said sustainable employment is key to ending poverty and ensuring social integration. She wished that everyone would have a chance to integrate into and proudly join labour force this year, toward achieving a prosperous and inclusive society.

Stressing that solidarity brings about a stronger and richer society, Swiss Chargé d’affaires to Vietnam thanked Maison Chance for creating a shelter for those in need and inviting all to act in unity together.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son on January 18 held talks with his Portuguese counterpart Joao Gomes Cravinho, who is on an official visit to Vietnam on January 17 – 19.

During the talks, FM Son said the visit marks a new milestone in cooperative relations between the two countries, contributing to bringing the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Portugal to a new stage of development.

He suggested the two sides work closely to maximise opportunities brought by the EU – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), and foster cooperation in areas that Portugal is strong in and Vietnam needs, such as the marine economy, renewable energy, tourism, and information technology.

He wished that Portugal would create favourable conditions for Vietnamese agricultural products to access the Portuguese market.

He expressed his hope that Portugal will soon ratify the EU – Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), and urge the European Commission (EC) to remove the illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing yellow card warning on Vietnamese seafood products.

For his part, Cravinho spoke highly of Vietnam’s socio-economic development achievements, and the increasingly important role and position of Vietnam in the region and in the world.

He appreciated the potential for economic cooperation between the two countries, and updated Portugal’s ratification process of the EVIPA, while affirming that his country will discuss the IUU-related issue with the EC.

The Portuguese FM wished to promote cooperation with Vietnam in the overall policy of Portugal towards the Asia-Pacific region.

He also welcomed FM Son’s proposal to establish a tripartite cooperation mechanism on agriculture, while suggesting Vietnam soon complete procedures for Portuguese meat products to be exported to the Vietnamese market.

He also expressed his desire to promote twinning relations between the two countries’ localities in order to strengthen people-to-people exchange, including Porto and Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Tri city and Miranda city.

The two sides agreed to strengthen exchange of delegations at all levels and continue to closely coordinate and support each other at multilateral and international forums. They also agreed to promote the role played by the two foreign ministries in order to further expand cooperation, and continue maintaining the Vietnam – Portugal political consultation mechanism and implementing the Memorandum of Understanding on tourism cooperation signed in 2015. They agreed to step up cooperation in education – training, sports, culture and tourism, and in responding to global challenges.

The two sides also discussed regional and international issues of common concern. They emphasised the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea, and settling disputes by peaceful measures on the basis of international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Speaker of the National Assembly (NA) of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Kim Jin-pyo and his wife left Hanoi on January 18, concluding their seven-day official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

While in Vietnam, the RoK leader paid tribute to late President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum; paid a courtesy call to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong; met with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh; and held talks with NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

At these meetings, the Vietnamese leaders said the two countries share a long-standing relationship and many common interests, complementary potential and strengths, and sound growth achievements in the past three decades. There remain potential and large room for the bilateral relations to develop further in the near future, they stressed.

The Vietnamese leaders urged the two sides to continue working together for the effective and practical development of the bilateral cooperation, particularly via increasing the exchange of high-level visits and meetings as well as collaboration between their ministries, sectors and localities.

They said the two countries should promote progress recorded in their parliamentary cooperation over the past time, and exchange and share experiences in legislation to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese businesses and people living and working in the RoK and vice versa.

For his part, Kim lauded the rapid growth of the bilateral relationship, particularly the recent upgrade of the ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership, and hoped that the two sides will build on the achievements of the bilateral relations in politics, economy, culture, people-to-people exchange, and defence-security.

The RoK highly valued Vietnam’s position in the region’s new strategies and initiatives, including the Korea-ASEAN Solidarity Initiative, the Speaker affirmed, pledging to make further contributions to the future growth of the RoK-Vietnam ties. The Vietnamese and Korean leaders agreed to make efforts to lift two-way trade to 100 billion USD in 2023 and 150 billion USD by 2030 by capitalising on their existing bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements. They consented to step up cooperation in the fields of semiconductor, digital transformation, energy security, and just energy transition.

The Korean leader also visited the southern economic hub of Ho Chi Minh City, Ninh Binh province and Hai Phong city in the north. In Hanoi, he and Hue cut the ribbon to inaugurate the headquarters of the Vietnam – Korea Institute of Science and Technology, a symbol of sci-tech and innovation cooperation between the countries.

Source: Vietnam News Agency