ASEAN, UNOPS cooperates in fighting marine plastic pollution
Illustration. (Photo: Reuters)ASEAN and the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) have signed an agreement to support ASEAN member states in combating marine plastic pollution through the joint implementation of the World Bank’s 20 million USD grant project: Southeast Asia Regional Program on Combating Marine Plastics ( SEA-MaP ).The five-year project aims to reduce plastic consumption, increase recycling, and minimise leakages to prevent land and sea-based marine plastic pollution. Working across Southeast Asia, the project will provide holistic support to develop and harmonise regional policies, as well as create regional platforms for innovation, investments, knowledge, and partnerships.The project activities will contribute to the implementation of the ASEAN Regional Action Plan on Combating Marine Debris and the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Blue Economy, to realise ASEAN’s commitment towards sustainable, resilient and inclusive use, management, conservation and governance of oceans, marine and coastal resources and ecosystems.With support from the World Bank and UNOPS, ASEAN will advance cooperation at both regional and country levels to strengthen policies and regulatory frameworks governing the production and use of plastics in Southeast Asia.Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Ekkaphab Phanthavong welcomed the timely initiative, saying that “the programme will add to ASEAN’s continuing efforts in addressing marine plastic debris and in promoting a transition to a circular economy.”Samina Kadwani, UNOPS Director for Thailand, Indonesia and the Pacific, said the partnership offers a path towards significant regional solutions, guided by mutual interests in promoting sustainable practices and protecting marine and coastal ecosystems across Southeast Asia.”SEA-MaP will be implemented by ASEAN Secretariat with support from UNOPS, in close collaboration with ASEAN member states and partners, aligned with the Bangkok Declaration on Combating Marine Debris in ASEAN Region (2019) and the ASEAN Regional Action Plan for Combating Marine Debris (2021)./.
Source:Viet Nam News
September 16, 2022 22:08 UTC
ASEAN, India look for closer economic cooperation
Hanoi (VNA) – Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and India on September 16 held the 19th consultation meeting on economic cooperation in Cambodia under the chair of Cambodian Minister of Commerce Pan Sorasak and India's Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Anupriya Patel. Participants at the event agreed that trade and economic relations between ASEAN and India are starting to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, citing preliminary ASEAN data for 2021 which showed that two-way trade between ASEAN and India reached 91.5 billion USD, up 39.2% year-on-year while total foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows from India increased from 200 million USD in 2020 to 2 billion USD in 2021. They noted that the post-pandemic economic recovery remains vulnerable to global economic challenges, and expressed deep concern over geopolitical tensions and continued risks to the economy. The officials acknowledged the significant progress in ASEAN’s post-pandemic recovery efforts, including through the implementation of the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework. To carry out this task, the meeting activated the AITIGA Joint Committee to undertake the review of AITIGA expeditiously./.
Source:Viet Nam News
September 16, 2022 20:56 UTC
VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES SEPTEMBER 16
Rescue drill helps strengthen defence ties among Vietnam, Laos, CambodiaThe first joint rescue exercise of the militaries of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia took place in Vientiane on September 15. Nobumitsu highly evaluated the policies, orientations and achievements of Vietnam in socio-economic development as well as its post-pandemic recovery policies. The governor affirmed that in his position, he and JBIC will continue partnering with Vietnam in developing socio-economic infrastructure, thus contributing to the enhancement of bilateral ties between Japan and Vietnam. Ngoc Chau, who was crowned Miss Universe Vietnam 2022 with a height of 1.74 metres and measurements of 81-63-93, was chosen 11th in the overall list. She was the winner of Miss Supranational Vietnam 2018, Vietnam's Next Top Model 2016, and crowned Miss Universe Vietnam 2022.
Source:Viet Nam News
September 16, 2022 09:52 UTC
Vietnam’s 500 most profitable enterprises in 2022 revealed
Nhập mô tả cho ảnhViettel Military Industry and Telecoms Group (Viettel) is among 10 enterprises honoured in the Profit500 list (Photo: Viettel)Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam Report JSC and VietNamNet online newspaper on September 15 announced the Profit500 list featuring the top 500 most profitable enterprises in Vietnam this year. Prominent in the list are Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (Petrovietnam), Samsung Electronics Thai Nguyen Co. Ltd., Hoa Phat Group JSC, Viettel Military Industry and Telecoms Group (Viettel), Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank), Vietnam Technological and Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Techcombank) and Vietnam Electricity (EVN), Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade (VietinBank), Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MB) and Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Agribank). It is attributed to solid growth in exports of manufactured and processed industrial products to traditional markets. A survey of the most profitable enterprises in Vietnam conducted by Vietnam Report in August also recorded a very positive recovery. More than two-thirds of the businesses said their revenue has returned or exceeded pre-pandemic levels./.
Source:Viet Nam News
September 16, 2022 04:51 UTC
Vietnamese farm produce seek to conquer Netherlands, Northern Europe
Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – A forum was held in Hanoi on September 15 to boost farm produce consumption connectivity in the Netherlands and Northern Europe. Director of the Trade Promotion Centre for Agriculture Nguyen Minh Tien said Vietnam’s exports to Northern Europe and the Netherlands are impressive, especially rice, coffee, fruit and cashew nuts. However, Vietnamese farm produce in the European Union only accounts for 4-5% of the 160 billion USD the bloc's imports. Vietnamese Commercial Counsellor in Sweden Nguyen Thi Hoang Thuy said that Nordic people are increasingly favouring organic products that have less impact on the environment. She asked firms to pay attention to environmental protection, the circular economy, sustainable production with social responsibility, and fair trade if they want to conquer Northern Europe.
Source:Viet Nam News
September 16, 2022 00:32 UTC
Rescue drill helps strengthen defence ties among Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia
The joint rescue exercise is the first to be held among the militaries of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia . (Photo: VNA)– The first joint rescue exercise of the militaries of Vietnam, Laos , and Cambodia took place in Vientiane on September 15.The drill, held under an agreement reached at a meeting of the three countries’ defence ministers in Hanoi in 2019, saw the presence of General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith, Vietnam ese Defence Minister Gen. Phan Van Giang, Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Gen. Chansamone Chanyalath, and Cambodian Deputy PM and Defence Minister Gen. Tea Banh.Focusing on water and land rescue, it was participated in by nearly 500 military officers and soldiers of the three countries who exercised search and rescue in response to flooding, landslides, building collapses, and chemical leaks.Vietnam engaged in most of the contents.The organising board described the drill as successful and a practical activity in defence cooperation among Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, thus helping promote cooperation, solidarity, and friendship among the countries, including their militaries.It noted through the drill, the three militaries’ rescue forces would become more proactive in coordinating with and assisting one another in disaster response to guarantee peace and security for their people./.
Source:Viet Nam News
September 15, 2022 21:13 UTC
Vietnam looks to lure more investment in education
Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Education and Training on September 15 held a conference on cooperation and investment in education with the aim of mobilising social resources for education development in Vietnam. In his opening remarks, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Van Phuc said the education sector has already taken a series of measures and achieved important results in mobilising resources for education development. The development of high-quality educational programmes in Vietnam helps attract not only Vietnamese students but also regional and international peers, he stressed, noting that there is great potential for investment in education in Vietnam. As of December 31, 2021, Vietnam had 605 valid foreign-invested education cooperation projects with a total investment of over 4.57 billion USD, an increase of 321 projects and 3.5 billion USD compared to five years before. Accordingly, to successfully invest in education in Vietnam, investors need to regularly update relevant legal regulations, conduct surveys on the demand of localities, and implement quality projects./.
Source:Viet Nam News
September 15, 2022 16:59 UTC
Vietnam news agency marks 77 years of contributions to the nation
From then on, there was not a major event in the country that was not reported to its compatriots and abroad by VNA, a modern multimedia news agency with more than 30 correspondent offices abroad and 63 others distributed across Vietnam. Recognized as a leading national news agency in the region, VNA currently maintains cooperative relations with more than 40 international news agencies and press organizations. It is an executive board member of the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA). Upon marking its first 77 years in a context of solid development of digital media and fierce competition, the Vietnam News Agency is undertaking several innovations to adapt to new trends while maintaining its core values as an official national media. According to VNA General Director Vu Viet Trang, promoting strengths and diversifying resources are important elements to achieve solid development and make progress in the agency’s long-term strategy.
Source:Viet Nam News
September 15, 2022 15:27 UTC
Vietnam News Agency a reliable news source in cyberspace
Vietnam News Agency a reliable news source in cyberspaceThe Vietnam News Agency (VNA) is developing as a mainstream multimedia organisation. In addition to traditional publishing, it has taken the initiative in posting information on social media to distribute official news, as part of contributing to fulfilling the political task of updating regulations and policies from the Party and the State.
Source:Viet Nam News
September 15, 2022 06:53 UTC
VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES SEPTEMBER 14
Vietnam is one of the cheapest countries to visit, and among the most underrated, the magazine said. PM Chinh affirmed that Vietnam supports and believes Cambodia will successfully perform the chairmanship of ASEAN and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) in 2022. Entries invited to 2023 ASEAN TourismThe Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) has called on departments of tourism across the country to nominate candidates for the 2023 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Tourism Awards. The awards will be presented at the 2023 ASEAN Tourism Forum slated for January next year in Indonesia, the VNAT said. Thanh made the promise at a reception for Kim Jung-in, CEO of Sein I&D Vietnam, in Hanoi on September 13.
Source:Viet Nam News
September 14, 2022 20:47 UTC
Exhibition introduces paintings by retired Vietnam News Agency journalists
At the exhibition (Photo: VNA)HCM City (VNA) - An exhibition featuring paintings by retired journalists of the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) kicked off in Ho Chi Minh City on September 12 on the occasion of the 77th founding anniversary of the VNA (September 15, 1945 - 2022). On display are 70 art works with a variety of themes such as still life, landscape, portrait and abstract. Journalist Nguyen Tien Le, former director of the VNA’s office in the southern region, who is exhibiting 22 paintings at the exhibition, said that through the event, he wanted to introduce beautiful natural sceneries at home and abroad to the public. Former war correspondents Kim Son, Le Cuong and Quang Minh, who are also famous photographers for Vietnam Pictorial, are showcasing their works. The exhibition will run until September 16./.
Source:Viet Nam News
September 13, 2022 01:06 UTC
Vietnam's garment exports to the UK increase
Making garment products at Thagaco Garment JSC in Thai Nguyen (Photo:VNA)- Vietnam's garment exports to the UK increased in August as Vietnamese enterprises take advantage of the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) to expand their presence in this market.The latest data of the General Department of Vietnam Customs shows Vietnam shipped 92.4 million USD worth of garment products to the UK in August, up 3% month-on-month and up 88.6% over the same month in 2021.Ending August, the country's garment export reached 560.4 million USD, registering a year-on-year growth of 45%.The figure for the whole industry was 26.3 billion USD in the past eight months, up 24.3% over the same period of last year.According to Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association's vice chairman Truong Van Cam, despite challenges in some main exporting markets, Vietnam 's textile and garment industry is set to earn 45 billion USD in exports in 2022 compared to 40.3 billion USD last year.Vietnam is currently the world's third largest exporter in this sector. Its main markets include the US, the Republic of Korea, Japan and Europe.Cam said the industry is facing many difficulties at the end of this year, including steep fall in export orders due to soaring inflation in major markets and rising input cost. China's strict pandemic control, where more than 50% of raw materials for the Vietnamese textile and garments are sourced, has pushed up input costs.In addition, the EU introduced new regulations on the textile industry, including replacement rates, green products and switching from fast fashion to sustainable fashion, which makes it harder for Vietnamese apparel products enter this region.In this context, the UK is emerging as a promising market. Research by Kantar from the Guardian shows that despite rising living costs, UK shoppers are spending more on clothing, defying expectations of a slowdown in non-essential products.Kantar's data showed Brits are spending almost a fifth more on clothing than last year, taking the value 1% ahead of the pre-pandemic figure.The UK is among the top 10 largest markets for Vietnam's garment export, with a value of around 600 million USD in 2021, accounting for less than 2% of Vietnam's total export value. However, with the advantage of lower tariffs thanks to the UKVFTA , Vietnam has a big chance to expand its market share.Under UK VFTA, about 42.5% of Vietnamese textile and garment exports will be liberalised at entry into force, while some garment products will see tariffs eliminated after six years.However, according to market insiders, Vietnamese exporters should strictly comply with the UK's requirements on the origin of products and other technical barriers such as input materials, labour and environment./.
Source:Viet Nam News
September 13, 2022 00:16 UTC
VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES SEPTEMBER 12
As of August 22, the city's disbursement of public investment capital only reached 27.1% of the plan assigned by the municipal People's Council. Most of these subjects were brokered and organized by some Vietnamese people to illegally enter Vietnam through the Northern border. HCM City issues fine on Miss Vietnam Peace 2022 organiserThe organiser of the Miss Vietnam Peace 2022 pageant has just been fined VND55 million for holding the competition without license. The fine was issued to Minh Khang Vietnam Trading and Service Co., Ltd by the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee. Minh Khang announced at its recent press conference that the finale of the Miss Peace Vietnam 2022 was scheduled to take place in Danang City on September 11.
Source:Viet Nam News
September 12, 2022 07:23 UTC
Events held in American countries to mark Vietnam’s 77th National Day
Argentinian Deputy Foreign Minister Pablo Anselmo Tettamanti (L) talks to Vietnamese Ambassador Duong Quoc Thanh at the celebration on September 9. (Photo: VNA)Vietnamese Ambassador to Mexico Nguyen Hoanh Nam (fourth from right) and guests pose for a photo at the ceremony on September 8. (Photo: VNA)– Different events have taken place in Argentina , Mexico, and Cuba to celebrate the 77th National Day of Vietnam (September 2).Addressing a celebration on September 9, Vietnamese Ambassador Duong Quoc Thanh highlighted the milestones since the foundation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, on September 2, 1945.Regarding the Vietnam - Argentina relations , he said despite difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the two countries have been promoting their comprehensive partnership strongly.Argentinian Deputy Foreign Minister Pablo Anselmo Tettamanti extended congratulations on the National Day of Vietnam and expressed his admiration for the country’s socio-economic achievements.He noted amid the complex international situation, the two countries have maintained their friendship and solidarity while expanding cooperation to many potential fields and strengthening their position as important partners of each other.He expressed his hope that both sides will further step up bilateral cooperation for the sake of the two peoples.At another ceremony marking the National Day on September 8, Vietnamese Ambassador to Mexico Nguyen Hoanh Nam said over the last 77 years, Vietnam has received substantial support and assistance from peace-loving people and progressive forces around the world, including Mexico.Noting the flourishing cooperation and friendship in all spheres, he added the countries have continually supported each other at multilateral forums, including the United Nations, and that their relevant agencies are actively working to lift bilateral relations to a new level.Fernando Gonzalez Saiffe, Director General for Asia-Pacific at the Mexican Foreign Ministry, affirmed that to his country, Vietnam is always a priority partner and a trustworthy friend.Although bilateral trade has been thriving over the last decade and approximated 9 billion USD in 2021, the two countries have yet to fully capitalise on their cooperation potential, the official pointed out, calling for stronger partnerships in politics, economy, culture, and education to work towards a comprehensive partnership.In Cuba, the Asian museum of the Historian Office of Havana held a literature and painting contest on Vietnam and its late President Ho Chi Minh for children.Director of the museum Yamir Macías Aguiar said the contest, launched in July, attracted more than 50 children, most of whom were students of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam School and the Carlos Paneque school.Vietnamese Ambassador to Cuba Le Thanh Tung emphasised that the contest helped Cuban people, especially children, learn more about the Vietnamese people’s struggle for national independence, national development process, and heartfelt sentiment towards the Cuba people./.
Source:Viet Nam News
September 11, 2022 23:34 UTC
Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia hold joint search and rescue exercise
Vietnamese military officers gather at the opening of the joint search and rescue exercise with Laos and Cambodia on September 10. (Photo: VNA)Military officers are putting a fake victim on an ambulance at the scene of the drill. (Photo: VNA)The defence ministries of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia launched a joint search and rescue exercise in Vientiane, the capital city of Laos , on September 10.It is the first drill organised under an agreement inked at a defence ministers’ meeting among the three countries in Hanoi in 2019. It will run through September 15.In his opening address, Lao Deputy Minister of National Defence Lt. Gen. Chanthong Sonate-at said the three countries’ governments and armed forces give priority to preventing and responding to threats by natural disasters and climate change-related issues, for examples flooding, storm, tsunami, earthquake, landslide, drought and others.He highlighted the significance of the exercise, noting it not only aims to build capacity and expertise in responding to natural disasters in any circumstance, but also provides an opportunity for the three sides to step up experience and cultural exchanges, contributing to strengthening the solidarity and trust among them.Close to 500 military officers from the three countries gathered for the drill which focuses on search and rescue in areas hit by floods and landslides, and where there are collapsed buildings and spills of toxic chemicals.Senior Colonel Pham Hai Chau, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Search and Rescue Department at the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence’s General Staff, said Vietnam takes part in most of the event’s categories. Vietnam has deployed its engineering and air forces, helicopters and boats in water search and rescue, he said, adding that modern, multi-purpose vehicles and military medicinal forces have been mobilised for the drill in building collapses and toxic chemical spills./.
Source:Viet Nam News
September 11, 2022 20:38 UTC