Party, Government, NA foreign affairs bodies forge stronger tiesThe foreign affairs bodies of the Party, Government and National Assembly have agreed to continue working closely to implement the country’s external relations tasks in 2018. Overview of the meetingThe agreement was reached at a meeting in Hanoi on February 28 between the Foreign Ministry, the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations and the NA Committee for Foreign Affairs. Addressing the event, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh stressed the need for effective foreign relations activities in 2018 towards the goal of maintaining a peaceful environment for development in parallel with resolutely and persistently struggling to safeguard the territorial sovereignty. International integration and multilateral foreign relations were enhanced, while national sovereignty was firmly protected. Meanwhile, parliamentary external relations activities were plentiful with the receiving of 43 parliamentarian delegations, the sending of 26 delegations abroad to attend major forums and meetings.

Vietnam welcomes over 2.86 million foreigners in 2 monthsMore than 2.86 million foreigners was estimated to visit Vietnam in January and February, up 29.7 percent from the same period in 2017. The number of Chinese visitors, which accounted for 30 percent of the total tourist arrivals in Vietnam during the period, grew by 38.5 percent annually. The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism said it aims to serve between 15 and 17 million foreigners and 78 million domestic travellers this year, with total revenue expected to hit 620 trillion VND (27.28 billion USD), up 21.35 percent on year. Vu The Binh, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association, said Northeast Asia, including China, the Republic of Korea (RoK), Japan, Taiwan (China), will continue to be the major sources of tourists to Vietnam. Last year, China and the RoK sent 4 and 2.4 million visitors to Vietnam.

Song Lam Nghe An FC faces JDT of Malaysia in AFC Cup’s Group HSong Lam Nghe An (SLNA) are set to meet Johor Darul Tazim (JDT) of Malaysia in the second match of AFC Cup’s Group H on February 28 at Vinh stadium in the central province of Nghe An. “For me and many other SLNA players, it is the first time we have taken part in the AFC Cup. The team won four titles of Vietnamese Super Cup, three trophies of the national premier league and were the winners of the National Cup three times. However, the match with JDT will be a great challenge for SLNA as the Malaysian squad are very strong. They also won the 2015 AFC Cup.

Nhon brings home World Boxing Council titleVietNamNet Bridge – Nguyen Ke Nhon won the World Boxing Council (WBC) title after defeating Russian Sergei Belik in Bangkok’s Luminee Stadium on February 27. Nguyen Ke Nhon (right) wins Vietnam’s first World Boxing Council title on February 27. Nhon’s win is the first WBC title for Vietnam. Earlier, Tran Van Thao had won a WBC Asian zone title. To date, Nhon has won four professional matches.

U16 team to compete in ASEAN football in JapanVietNamNet Bridge – The national U16 team will compete in an international friendly tournament, ASEAN 2018, to be held in Miyazaki, Japan from March 8-12. The Vietnam national U16 team. The hosts will have two representatives: Japanese U15 team and Miyazaki. Ten U16 teams will come from ASEAN countries including Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia. The Vietnam U16 squad secured a ticket to the AFC’s finals after being one of the top six second-placed teams in qualification matches.

Real estate sector expects record FDI in 2018FDI flows into real estate have been very high so far this year, and a new record is expected to be set this year. FDI flows into real estate have been very high so far this year, and a new record is expected to be set in 2018. “The real estate market has mostly attracted FDI through M&A activities,” Nguyen Hoang, R&D director, DKRA Viet Nam, told Viet Nam Investment Review newspaper. Nguyen Thi Van Khanh, investment director, JLL Viet Nam, said: “FDI in real estate will set a new record this year. Last year, FDI in real estate was worth 8.5 per cent of the city’s total FDI of $3.05 billion.

HCM City’s key infrastructure projects face delaySite clearance has hindered several key infrastructure projects in Ho Chi Minh City. Work on the tunnel segment of the intersection project near the Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City in District 9 has yet to be started. Slow land clearance and compensation has also troubled An Suong Crossroads project in the city’s northwest gateway. Also, the city’s much-awaited flood prevention project is going to miss its April deadline due to relocation issues in the area designated for construction. The project covers 100 hectares in Districts 1, 4, 7 and 8, Binh Chanh District and Nha Be District.

Three SOEs to hold March IPOsThree State-owned enterprises (SOEs) will make initial public offerings (IPOs) in March, floating VNĐ2.5 trillion (US$110 million) worth of stakes in the market in the second wave of SOEs IPOs in 2018. The corporation will auction 114.8 million shares, an equivalent to 23 per cent of its charter capital of VNĐ5 trillion. Petrol dealer Thanh Le General Import-Export Trading Corporation (Thalexim) and Investment and Industrial Development Corporation (Becamex IDC) made IPOs in the last quarter of 2017. After three successful IPOs in January—of Bình Sơn Refining and Petrochemical, PV Power and PV Oil—the two latest IPOs of Viet Nam Rubber Group and EVN Generation Corporation 3 have failed to attract investor attention. Thus, the outlook for the next three IPOs is uncertain in the context of the volatile stock market.

EU gives 108m euros for Vietnam's energyThe European Commission and the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) officially launched the European Union (EU) – Viet Nam Energy Facility worth 108 million euros on Tuesday in Hanoi. Tran Tuan Anh (left) and Stefano Manservisi (right) discuss the EU’s Energy Sector Policy Support Programme. This is a technical assistance facility to support implementing the EU’s Energy Sector Policy Support Programme, aimed at enhancing access to sustainable energy in rural areas in Việt Nam and contributing to a more sustainable energy sector through promoting efficient, clean and renewable energy available to all citizens. The energy sector of Viet Nam has developed rapidly and sustainably over the past years, which is a key factor to maintain the high socio-economic growth of the country. The EU indicative grant allocation of 346 million euros supporting the energy sector in Viet Nam for the 2014–20 period is the largest grant contribution provided by the EU so far to a single country in support of sustainable energy.

Technology investment needed to improve hydro-meteorology forecastingInvesting in technology is essential to increase the quality of hydro-meteorological anticipation to prevent natural disasters and mitigate their damages, heard a seminar in Hanoi on February 27. He suggested increasing information and experience exchanges and communications in the field to reduce losses from natural disasters. This allows management agencies to build plans for climate change adaptation in fields such as agriculture, health care, tourism, forestry, industry and infrastructure building. Vietnam is one of the countries hardest hit by natural disasters, climate change and sea level rise. The Southeast Asian country experienced severe natural disasters in 2017, resulting in 386 dead and missing and some 60 trillion VND (2.6 billion USD) worth of damage.-VNA

Gov’t funds won’t rescue loss-making projectsThe Government will not use public funds to rescue 12 loss-making projects under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue said. “Thanks to the efforts from the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) and projects of the Vietnam National Chemical Group (Vinachem), like DAP Dinh Vu, they’ve started to report profit. At the same time, a number of projects have resumed operation after long periods of delay and suspension. Currently, PVTex’s partners expected that the Government committed to ensuring their rights in the co-operation process, applying technical barriers for polyester imports and ensuring a stable electricity source at Dinh Vu Industrial Zone. He said Vinachem’s DAP Dinh Vu Plant had profits of VNĐ16 billion in 2017 and 66 billion VND in the first two months of the year.

Dong Nai finds jobs for 2,000 workers left unpaidThe Labour Federation of Dong Nai Province said they contacted local enterprises to find new jobs for nearly 2,000 labourers who hadn’t received salaries and year-end bonus as their foreign employers had fled the country. The team tried to contact leaders of the South Korean textile company KL Texwell Vina for solutions. Thuy said she felt something was wrong when the company divided workers’ December salary into three separate payments. Many workers said that they wanted to switch jobs, but they were required to get back their social insurance books from the KL Texwell Vina in order to start new jobs. South Korean KL Texwell Vina registered for an investment licence in garment and textiles in December 2015 and employs more than 1,900 workers.

VINACAS: cashew import from Africa halts due to high pricesVietnamese importers have stopped buying raw cashew from Africa due to high prices, a representative of the Vietnam Cashew Association (VINACAS) said at a conference in HCM City on February 27. VINACAS President Nguyen Duc Thanh speaks at the conferenceDang Hoang Giang, VINACAS Vice President, said raw cashew prices in Africa climbed 30 – 40 percent to a record 1,956 USD per tonne last year, while cashew nut prices grew only 10-15 percent in the global market. The increasing trend continued in February, therefore Vietnamese importers stopped buying cashew from the country, as did Indian firms. Amid the changes in raw cashew prices, VINACAS and its members will focus more on increasing quality, processing and developing the domestic market. Firms will face losses if they buy raw cashew at high prices to fulfill the target export value of 4 billion USD in 2018, Nguyen Duc Thanh, VINACAS president explained.

Da Nang to set “livable city” criteriaA set of criteria to build a “livable city” was in the final stages at a consultation conference hosted by the Da Nang City Commission for Publicity and Education on Tuesday. Hundreds of types of flowers bloomed on the 2018 Da Nang City Spring Flower Street. The set includes groups of criteria divided into six categories: human development, public management, public infrastructure, business environment, living conditions and socioeconomic affairs. Therefore, becoming a smart city was both Da Nang City’s goal and motivation, he stressed. Unlike the larger metropolises of Hanoi and HCM City in which infrastructure was first built long ago, Da Nang City takes the advantage of starting afresh, the institute’s press release emphasised.

Gov’t cracks down on Hoi An bars, restaurantsBars in Hoi An ancient city in the central province of Quang Nam must reduce the volume of music from 10pm and stop serving before midnight every day, Nguyen Van Son, deputy chairman of the city People’s Committee told tuoitre.vn online newspaper. Therefore, from February, the city People’s Committee required owners of restaurants to restructure their business operations and obey the law. Specifically, bars and restaurants must close by midnight and owners must inform customers of the closing time 15 minutes before that. Hoi An City People’s Committee also prohibits all forms of buying and selling stimulants such as laughing gas and methamphetamine for tourists. The People’s Committee also urged restaurants to take measures to ensure the safety of intoxicated guests.