Vietnam Newswire

The Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRC)’s Central Committee has launched a campaign to assist disadvantaged people who are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and frontline forces in the fight against the COVID-19.

The campaign, entitled “Connecting the community – overcoming challenges”, will be carried out from August to November 2021 with its peak time from mid-August to mid-September.

To implement the campaign, the VRC Central Committee will use 4.3 billion VND (nearly 190,000 USD) from the reserve fund to support 20 localities, focusing on three main activities including providing “Red Cross family bags”, each worth 500,000 VND (22 USD), in 20 provinces and cities, providing meals for patients with difficult circumstances being treated in hospitals in Hanoi and cash support for migrant workers in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi who lost their jobs and are living in difficulties.

The campaign aims to connect activities to help people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic of provinces and cities, improve the effectiveness of support and make positive contributions to the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic in localities.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s visit to Laos held significance, contributing to fostering great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos, said Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung.

In an interview recently granted to the press, Dung said both countries give the top priority to strengthening and developing bilateral friendship, special soldiarity and comprehensive cooperation.

About the outcomes of the visit, Dung said the two countries’ leaders reached high consensus on major policies and measures to further deepen bilateral ties in an effective and practical manner.

Phuc highlighted a message that Vietnam and Laos stand united together, firmly move forward socialism on the basis of Marxism-Leninism and similar thoughts by Presidents Ho Chi Minh and Kaysone Phomvihane.

The two sides agreed to designate 2022 as “Year of Vietnam – Laos Solidarity and Friendship” to celebrate the 60th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties and the 45th anniversary of the signing of Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.

They committed to working closely together at regional and global forums, building an united Community and ASEAN’s central role in dealing with common challenges, including the East Sea issue and COVID-19 pandemic response.

Dung mentioned other important results such as the signing of seven cooperation agreements in the fields of justice, national defence-security, drug combat, education, locality-to-locality coordination.

The visit also contributed to encouraging the Vietnamese community and enterprises to do business in Laos amid difficulties caused by the pandemic, Dung said.

He concluded that with comprehensive and substantive results, the official friendship visit by President Phuc has been a success, making important contributions to further consolidating bilateral special ties in the near future.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The 15th Government for the 2021 – 2026 tenure convened its first meeting on August 11 under the chair of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

Working on the implementation of 13th National Party Congress’s Resolution and the 15th National Assembly’s Resolution on socio-economic development for 2021 – 2025, the session saw the attendance of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue. Leaders of 63 cities and provinces nationwide join the meeting via video conference.

In his opening speech, PM Chinh said the meeting is important, aiming to reach agreement on key issues related to the implementation with determination to build a Government of innovation, integrity, action, and efficiency, serving the people.

The meeting heard Government leaders briefing on 13 groups of central tasks and solutions of the 15th Government in implementing the above-said resolutions.

The groups consist of more than 400 specific programmes and missions.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is scheduled to delivered a speech that offers guidance and orientations and delegates tasks for the Government during its 2021 – 2026 tenure.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed determination to build an innovative, transparent, action-oriented and effective Government in service of the people during the first meeting of the 15th Government that was held virtually nationwide on August 11.

Attending the event were Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and other leaders.

PM Chinh stressed that the Government is resolved to not achieve economic growth at the expense of social progress and justice, and environment. It will keep improving material and spiritual lives of the people, consistently and resolutely fight corruption and negative behaviours, consolidate national defence-security; firmly safeguard independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity; ensure social safety and order, enhance external relations and global integration, and improve the country’s role, position and prestige on international arena.

During the 2021-2025 period, the Government targets rapid and sustainable economic growth which is higher than the 2016-2020 average growth. By 2025, Vietnam is expected to be a modern-oriented industrialised nation, take synchronous measures to effectively cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, ensure peace and well-being of the people in the spirit of “leaving no one behind”.

The Government set 23 targets for 2021-2025, including about 6.5-7 percent economic growth. The rate of manufacturing and processing sector will account for 25 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP), digital economy around 20 percent and State budget deficit 3.7 percent. The rate of poor households under multidimensional poverty standards will be reduced by 1-1.5 percent annually, 95 percent of the population will be covered by health insurance while the rate of forest coverage will not be lower than 42 percent.

To such end, the Government outlined 13 key tasks and measures for the period.

Speaking at the event, Party General Secretary Trong gave orientations and directions to the Government for the 2021-2026 tenure and the next period.

As Vietnam is building a socialist-oriented market economy, he suggested the Government, its agencies and all-level administrations pay special attention to apparatus building and personnel work, improve the efficiency and effectiveness of decentralisation and collaboration among agencies.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Top leaders of Cuba have sent messages of congratulations to Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on their re-elections at the first session of the 15th National Assembly. The senders included First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel, and Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Rear Admiral Tran Thanh Nghiem, Commander of the Vietnam People’s Navy, attended the 15th ASEAN Navy Chiefs’ Meeting held via videoconference on August 11 under the chair of Commander of the Royal Brunei Navy, First Admiral Dato Seri Pahlawan Spry bin Haji Serudi @ Haji Seruji.

Sharing his views on the topic “Blue economy: We care, we prepare, we prosper”, Nghiem said that as the world and the region are facing the unprecedented challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical shifts, economic recessions, natural disasters and climate change, the interest in the development of the blue economy will be one of the keys to overcome difficulties, develop together, and realise a goal for a sustainable and inclusive ASEAN community which leaves no one behind.

Developing the sea-based economy sustainably is both the right and responsibility of each country, region and the whole world, he stressed.

With the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and strategic competition among major countries, traditional and non-traditional security threats such as piracy, terrorism, transnational crime, cyber security, illegal immigration, sovereignty disputes, illegal fishing, climate change and pollution of the marine environment may directly affect peace, stability and development of the marine economy in particular and the region in general.

This requires the navies of ASEAN countries to strengthen solidarity and unity, continue to promote cooperation in maritime security, and contribute to sustainable marine economic development, stated Nghiem.

To achieve that goal, the Vietnamese navy chief suggested the navies of ASEAN countries actively coordinate in and contribute to maintaining a peaceful, secure, stable and law-ruled marine environment; create favourable conditions for countries in the region and the international community to focus resources on pandemic prevention and control and economic development; and take advantage of the opportunities brought about by the fourth industrial revolution.

Regarding the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, he proposed the navies of ASEAN countries share information and disseminate and replicate good practices and experiences in order to contribute to the efforts to fight the pandemic of each country as well as of the whole region.

At the meeting, participants heard a report updating the regional maritime security situation presented by a representative of the Information Fusion Centre (IFC) of the Singapore Navy, and the results of the Working Group of the ASEAN Navy Training Experience Exchange Program (ANTEEP) presented by a representative of the Vietnam People’s Navy; and discussed cooperation activities of the ASEAN navies in the coming time.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam has paid a working visit to Niigata to seek measures to foster economic partnership between the Japanese prefecture and Vietnamese localities.

During the August 10 visit, Ambassador Nam had a meeting with Niigata Governor Hideyo Hanazumi, during which the Vietnamese diplomat expressed his hope that COVID-19 will be controlled soon, so that businesses of both sides can promote their cooperation activities.

Hideyo Hanazumi said that the Niigata administration and other localities highly value the Vietnamese Embassy’s role in connecting firms of Niigata and Vietnam, and pledged to create optimal conditions for improving investment efficiency of Niigata businesses in Vietnam.

At a talk with leaders of Sanjo city of Niigata and a number of local firms investing in Vietnam, Nam said that Vietnamese consumers are interested in steel products of Japan, expressing his hope that the city will continue to support businesses investing in Vietnam, especially in overcoming the pandemic.

Sanjo Mayor Ryo Takizawa said that the city is pleased to become the major unit to implement cooperation projects using the Japanese government’s ODA in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Takizawa said that the Sanjor Chamber of Commerce and Industry signed a cooperation document on human resources training with the Ba Ria-Vung Tau Department of Industry and Trade in 2017.

Local firms in Sanjo spoke highly of online exchange events between business communities of Sanjo and Ba Ria-Vung Tau in May.

The embassy is working with relevant agencies to report the difficulties facing Niigata firms in cooperating with Vietnam, especially those caused by COVID-19, to the Prime Minister, thus seeking timely solutions, Ambassador Nam told Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Tokyo after the visit.

As part of the trip, Ambassador Nam visited a number of economic and cultural facilities of Niigata.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The macro economy was basically stabilised in the first seven months of this year, with remarkable achievements recorded in many spheres, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said on August 11.

Speaking at the Government’s regular meeting, held via teleconference, the PM said attention has been paid to cultural and social affairs, while social security has been ensured.

“This is also the common assessment of international organisations and institutions,” he noted.

Regarding the fight against COVID-19, PM Chinh said the pandemic is till under control, adding major pandemic clusters have been contained.

Some localities have effectively implemented the Government’s Resolution No. 68, providing timely support for employees and employers affected by the pandemic, the PM continued. He asked agencies and localities to raise public awareness and responsibility, and encouraged residents to seriously observe COVID-19 prevention and control regulations.

All-level Party Committees and the entire political system should carry forward their role to strictly implement the PM’s relevant directives, the government leader said.

“Each agency, enterprise, commune and ward must be a fortress to fight against the pandemic, and each citizen must be a soldier in the combat,” he stressed.

For the vaccine issue, the PM affirmed Vietnam’s sound vaccine strategy, further explaining that apart from imports, the Government and concerned agencies are working hard to accelerate the transfer and research of COVID-19 vaccine production technology to produce the vaccines domestically.

Although the work is going smoothly, domestic vaccine production and recognition requires more time and must follow strict scientific and legal procedures, according to the PM. For businesses, the PM stressed the need to avoid any disruptions in the supply chain while regulations on goods circulation are strictly observed.

PM Chinh said it was time to focus on combating the pandemic because a successful fight against the COVID-19 would promote socio-economic development and facilitate socio-economic recovery.

However, he said, economic development should be maintained to have resources to prevent and control the pandemic.

He asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to promote vaccine diplomacy and the Ministry of National Defence to support the pandemic prevention and control.

The Ministry of Public Security was assigned to assist the frontline forces and ensure security and order for the people while the Ministry of Information and Communications was directed to strengthen dissemination campaigns on the work and counter false allegations of hostile forces.

The PM noted that ministries, agencies, and localities must step up the fight against corruption, refrain from acts that cause troubles for the people, and prepare documents for submission to the upcoming second session of the 15th National Assembly.

Source: Vietnam News Agency