Social News 17/9 Central Highlands makes progress in new-style rural construction The number of recognised new-style rural communes in the Central Highlands has reached 95, equal to 15.83 percent of the total communes in the region, according to the Central Highlands Steering Committee’s Standing Board.  Since the beginning of this year, 34 communes in the five regional provinces – Dak Lak, Lam Dong, Gia Lai, Kon Tum and Dak Nong – have met criteria of a new-style rural area.  The region also has one recognised new-style rural district - Don Duong district in Lam Dong province.  As many as 78 communes in the region have completed between 15 and 18 criteria, 206 others 10 to 14 criteria and only 22 less than five criteria.  Lam Dong takes the lead in the movement with 25 communes and one district getting the status.  The Central Highlands has mobilised 90 trillion VND (4 billion USD) for building new-style rural areas. Local businesses and people have voluntarily donated money, land and working hours to upgrade rural roads as well as build and repair many public works.  The regional provinces have built thousands of intensive farming models and applied high technology in coffee, tea and fruit production, contributing to raising the income of local ethnic residents. Despite positive achievements, the region still faces a lot of difficulties as it has a large number of communes with high poverty rate and poor infrastructure. Therefore, the Steering Committee urged the regional provinces to better the mobilisation of capital resources for the programme and effectively use them for agricultural and rural development. Poetry CD launched by couple A new CD of sung poems has just been released by a popular couple in Vietnamese literary circles. Tiếng Rao (Hawkers’s Cry) is a compilation of six poems by mathematician Đinh Hoàng Anh, sung by her husband, painter Thái Tĩnh. The poems were chosen from Anh’s published and unpublished collections. The CD is the couple’s first published work after performing poems on tour throughout the country earlier this year. “A song has its music outline,” Anh said, “Many composers compose music for poems. But they often have to change the poems a little bit to make them fit their music outline.” “Sung poems are different. Poems take the leading part. The singer should sing the music inside the poems.” In the past, there have been many ways of singing poetry, including ca trù (chamber music), hát  xẩm (singing by blind beggars), poem reciting and singing lullabies. But those ways of performing poetry are most suitable for poems written in old forms with classical language and thoughts. Anh has written many four-line poems in six-eight-word-distich metre, as well as poems with four-, five-, six- and eight-word lines and freestyle poems. “My language and topics do not follow old thoughts. So my poems are not always suitable for reciting,” she said. Anh learned to play piano at a young age, so her poems contain musical notes. Her husband Tĩnh sings well and enjoys singing her poems. The sung poems on the CD are accompanied by piano, saxophone, violin and guitar music. Musicians cotributing to the CD include pianist Tuấn Nam and guitarist Hữu Hiệp. “I have met many people who love poetry. Many of them like my poems and the way my husband sings my poems. We made this CD for them and for us,” Anh said. The CD is the first in a series. Many of Anh’s poems are scheduled to be recorded as sung by Tĩnh. She has also composed some songs that will be released soon. Anh earned her PhD in natural science in Minsk, Belarus. But she quit working in the natural science field many years ago. She has published eight poetry collections and two collections of short stories. Painter Thái Tĩnh studied at Huế Fine Arts University. He has hosted three solo exhibitions and a group exhibition in Việt Nam.  Da Nang launches video clip competition The central city of Da Nang has launched “Impressive Moment", a video clip competition marking the 20th anniversary of its recognition as a central government city. The contest is open to all Vietnamese, overseas Vietnamese and foreigners. Submissions consist of a three-minute video clip and script about the landscape and people of Ðà N?ng or about the city’s achievements and development. Foreign contestants may submit their scripts in English with Vietnamese subtitles. The best video clip will be aired on the city’s television station. The event’s organising committee will present cash prizes totalling VNÐ80 million (US$3,600). Ðà N?ng was recognised as one of five central government cities in 1997 along with Hà Noi, HCM City, Hai Phong and Can Tho. It was designated a ‘First Class’ Vietnamese city in 2003. The former capital of the then Quang Nam-Ðà Nang Province is expected to play a prominent role in ASEAN and Asia in the future. The city will host the 2017 APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation) Summit and the annual Ðà Nang International Fireworks Competition next year. Int’l DJs to perform at EDM festival An electronic dance music festival called the “Land of Dreams Escape” on September 25 will feature DJs and music producers from Russia, the US, the UK, New Zealand and Netherlands. DJ trio Swanky Tunes of Russia, who has been involved in the EDM scene for 17 years, will perform. The group has played music at the world’s most popular EDM festivals, including Tomorrowland and Ultra Music Festival, and has performed along with leading DJs Tiesto and Ajofrack. The event will include German-American DJ and music producer Markus Schulz, who is best known for his weekly radio show Global DJ Broadcast. He is also the founder of the label Coldharbour Recordings and Schulz Music Group. Also on hand will be DJs Ajam and Pharreal Phuong of the UK, Jaycen Amour and Bee of New Zealand, and David Ph?m of Netherlands. The event will start at 5pm at the Sài Gòn Exhibition Convention and Centre in District 7. Tickets are VNÐ339,000 – 399,000 and can be bought at www.ticketbox.vn. 7th International Kite Festival to be held in December The 7th International Kite Festival will be held in early December in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau. The event is expected to attract around 60 artists from 25 nations and territories and 50 domestic artists. With the theme “Dance of peace”, the festival consists of a chain of activities such as tours around the province, and performances of art kites, flute kites, aerodynamic kites and sport kites. The event helps promote traditional art and sport activities in the province and attract more visitors to the province.  Public diplomacy in digital era The Department of Press and Information, under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has cooperated with the New Zealand’s Embassy to organize a workshop on public diplomacy in Ha Noi on September 13-14. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the event, Chief of Office of Ministry of Foreign Affairs Duong Chi Dung highlighted the meaning of the public diplomacy in the process of nations establishing cooperative and peaceful relation and as well as efforts of the international community in addressing global issues. Public diplomacy works in Viet Nam in different period of the history, play a huge role in the national liberation, protection and development process, he asserted. He highly valued the New Zealand’s cooperation and assistance in organizing the workshop, regarding it a proof for the close relationship between the two nations. For his side, Kiwi Ambassador Haike Manning referred to the importance of the public diplomacy, which has become an international voice for Viet Nam and support promotion of Vietnamese interests including products and services. Moreover, the public diplomacy is considered as a useful tool in responding to consular crisis and back international campaigns and initiatives. Topics discussed at the workshop includes factors to create effective digital diplomatic strategies, social media trends in Viet Nam and measures to set up contents attracting public and press concerns and strategic media skills. HCM City to tighten grip over canal encroachments Ho Chi Minh City Vice Chairman Tran Vinh Tuyen said the authorities show an aggressive approach to illegal encroachment of thousands of households along canals to deal with the city’s flooding problem. On September 14, Vice Chairman Tran Vinh Tuyen led an inspection team to District 7 and Nha Be District. He said the local authorities must be strict and make individuals and organisations return the encroached areas. "We can't let personal interests flood the city," he said. District 7 People's Committee was urged to build and submit a ground clearance plan so that the city can arrange the capital. New and recent cases must be dealt with immediately to be a deterrent for other people. "The city has over 20,000 encroached buildings on canals in which 2,200 cases are in District 7 and 10,000 in District 8," he said. Tuyen said the city had planned to relocate 20,000 households and restore the canals to their original sizes within five years. Currently, there are five projects to repair and upgrade the drainage system. Three of which have entered their second phase and will be allocated VND6 trillion (USD269 million). "I proposed that two other projects that are still being prepared should be implemented quickly too," Tuyen said. It is estimated that the city would need VND1,000 trillion (USD44.84 billion) to develop the infrastructure until 2025. HCM City will call for private sector investment along with the city budget to cover the cost. At least 47 places in the city are usually flooded after one heavy rain and the flooding is getting worse because much of the drainage system has been encroached upon. HCM City Chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong asked four of his vice-chairmen to conduct field surveys to find solutions this September. Hanoi may not fulfil six yearly targets   Hanoi may not be able to fulfil six out of 22 targets of this year, including four economic targets, according to deputy head of the municipal Department of Planning and Investment Tran Ngoc Nam. Reporting to a delegation of the municipal People’s Council on September 16, he said the city’s regional gross domestic product (RGDP) growth in 2016 is estimated at 7.73 percent, lower than the set target of 8.5-9 percent, and the per capita GRDP is predicted at about 85 million VND compared to the target of 87 million VND. Total social investment is expected to increase by only 9.9 percent instead of the target 11-12 percent, he said. The city’s export value is predicted to shrink 0.4 percent, while the target is an increase of 7-8 percent. The official attributed the lower-than-expectation economic performance to unfeasible plans and ineffective management measures. In addition, inadequate attention to the development of industrial parks and export processing zones coupled with high investment costs and land price have made Hanoi less attractive to investors. Nam also pointed to some bright spots in the city’s socio-economic situation in the first ninth months of 2016, with State budget collection totaling 121.3 trillion VND, or 71.6 percent of yearly estimate. The city attracted 131.4 trillion VND (5.9 billion USD) of foreign investment in the period, he noted. In order to fulfil socio-economic goals for 2016, the Planning and Investment Department has rolled out a number of solutions, including expanding industrial parks and designing policies to support the training of workers. At the same time, the city will continue improving its investment environment and removing obstacles facing production and business, striving for a 10.5 percent growth in the remaining months of the year, he said. Hanoi will speed up capital distribution and enhance the efficiency of public investment to ensure the completion of the goal in budget collection and spending. Chairwoman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc urged the department to devise more specific measures in order to achieve the best possible outcomes in carrying out the yearly targets. Balloons explode, nine people burned Nine people, most being children, were hospitalised after being severely burned when balloons exploded at the Mid-autumn Festival in central Quảng Bình Province yesterday. The victims were playing in front of Tam Tòa Church in Đồng Hới City when two young men set fire to a strings of balloons so they might give the balloons to the children, causing severe burns to those people standing nearby. Dr Trần Văn Sơn, deputy head of Việt Nam-Cuba Hospital’s Emergency Department, said three children had suffered light injuries and were discharged from the hospital. The other children were seriously injured and still receiving treatment. Party chief underscores resources for Can Tho development Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong underscored the importance of human and material resources for development during a working session in Hanoi on September 15 with the standing board of the Party Committee of Mekong Delta Can Tho city.  The session mulled over the 10-year implementation of the Politburo (ninth tenure)’s Resolution on developing Can Tho city during the industrialisation and modernisation.  The Party leader asked Can Tho to continue restructuring the economy, renewing growth model with top priority being given to the service sector while simultaneously developing high-quality industry and high-tech agriculture.  Between now and 2020, Can Tho needs to rally all possible resources, seek new momentum for growth to deserve its reputation as a socio-economic hub and a driver of the Mekong delta regional economy, he said.  He suggested Can Tho take the lead in further upgrading transport infrastructure to strengthen regional connectivity and attract tourists, and improving business climate by hastening administrative reform.  To that end, workforce training is a must, he stressed, adding that Party members and officials need to abide by the resolution on Party building adopted at the fourth plenum of the 11 th National Party Congress.  The Politburo discussed Can Tho’s development targets and tasks as well as its proposals.  Over the past 10 years, the city’s economy has grown 13.98 percent annually on average. The gross domestic product per capita amounts to 3,636 USD per year while the rate of poor households has been reduced to 1.71 percent.  Social welfares have been ensured and the Party building has seen positive results. More members of VAT invoice traders ring prosecuted The Hà Nội Police on Thursday said they had decided to prosecute five more people who are part of a ring accused of printing, publishing and trading value-added tax (VAT) invoices. They are Nguyễn Thúy Hằng, Phùng Thị Dung, Nguyễn Thị Trang, Đỗ Văn Sáng and Dương Hoàng Đức, aged between 23 and 46. Last month, the police arrested three people, Hoàng Lệ Hằng, Vũ Kim Oanh, and Nguyễn An Tuấn, who were part of a ring that used “ghost” businesses to illegally trade VAT invoices. Hằng, 45, residing in Hai Bà Trưng District, headed the 10-person ring, which comprised her relatives and acquaintances. Her office was based in Yến Cafe on Cảm Hội Street. Their modus operandi was to buy businesses incurring losses and then modify the business details or they would establish ‘ghost’ companies operating in different fields, including construction, tourism, services and trade. (These businesses would be used) to sell VAT invoices, according colonel Phùng Anh Quang, head of the investigation division. Hằng bought businesses at prices ranging from VNĐ30 to 40 million each, including their stamps and invoices, the police officer said. She and her accomplices then sold VAT invoices for VNĐ200,000-300,000 (US$8.9-13.4) per one, he added. The police also seized 36 company stamps, nearly 200 invoice books, several other documents and VNĐ757 million ($33,000) in cash. Since June 2014, the ring had sold more than 3,000 VAT invoices, worth VNĐ780 billion ($35 million), to 500 companies, under the names of 33 companies. The illegal trading in VAT invoices caused tax losses of VNĐ78 billion ($3.4 million) to the state budget, the police said. The police are investigating the case further. Tay Ninh Cao Dai Church holds “Yen Dieu Tri Cung” Festival The Cao Dai religious festival “Yen Dieu Tri Cung” was held at the Tay Ninh Cao Dai Holy See in Hoa Thanh town, southern Tay Ninh province on September 15, the 15 th day of the eighth lunar month.  Representatives of the Government’s Committee of Religious Affairs, local authorities and the Vietnam Fatherland Front of Tay Ninh and tens of thousands of Cao Dai followers attended the ceremony.  “Yen Dieu Tri Cung” festival is the biggest annual religious festival of the Cao Dai religion, with the main activities including a Great Mother and Nine Goddesses procession, a five-fruit banquet offering and prayer.  To prepare for the festival, followers displayed 90 booths of gifts, fruits and flower lanterns to pay their respects to the Great Mother and Nine Goddesses.  At the ceremony, Nguyen Thanh Ngoc, Vice Chairman of the Tay Ninh People’s Committee, wished the Church’s executive board and Cao Dai dignitaries and followers health and happiness and encouraged them to engage in socio-economic and cultural development.   Apart from observing the procession of Great Mother and Nine Goddesses, festival attendees enjoyed dragon dances and traditional musical performances.  Worship for children, the Church’s executive board, dignitaries and followers took place on September 16 at the Holy God Temple, followed by gift presentations to children. Vietnam firms win at Mekong tourism awards At the 2016 Mekong Tourism Alliance Awards (MTAA) announced last week, Vietnam Airlines shared Best Airlines of the Year with Cambodia’s Angkor Air, Lao Airlines, Myanmar Airways International and Thai Airways. Vietnam’s flagship carrier has made it to the list for three consecutive years, joined by other veterans like Vietravel (Best Outbound Travel Operator of the Year) and Saigontourist (Best Inbound Travel Operator of the Year). The MTAA recognises and honours tourism agencies, hotels, resorts, airlines and e-commerce sites in the Mekong region comprising Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar. Vietnamese winners at this year’s MTAA also include Best Five-star Hotel of the Year (JW Marriott); The Best Resort of the Year (The Nam Hai, Hoi An); Best Tourism Website of the Year (Rex Hotel Saigon); Broadcast Excellence Award for Destination Promotion (Oxalis Adventure Tour); and Best Festival of the Year (Southern Gastronomy).  Rex Hotel Saigon; Oxalis Adventure Tour; and Southern Gastronomy are first-time winners. Can Tho urged to become a smart city in 10 years The Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee has called on the Can Tho Party Committee to pass a resolution to develop the city into a smart city in the next 10 years. Speaking at a seminar held in the Mekong Delta city earlier this week, the committee’s Chairman, Nguyen Thien Nhan, said the resolution would identify 10 tasks, including developing a common data base for use by the public, businesses and State agencies. There are 17 sectors for which the data should be developed - population, labour and family, water supply, investment, industry, agriculture, construction and housing, trade, tourism, transport, environment, education and training and human resources development, science and technology, health, social and health insurance and social security - he said. It would be used to draft the city’s smart zoning plan, he said. The city has to review and upgrade zoning plans once in six months, and by doing this it would have forecasts for its development for the next five years, he said. It should focus on improving its economic efficiency and developing indexes for provincial competitiveness, labour productivity, water resources, human resources and culture, he said. Last year Can Tho ranked third behind HCM City and Hanoi in labour productivity among the country’s five centrally administered cities. It ranked 14th in the Provincial Competitiveness Index. But the city’s dynamism and competitiveness – two of the most important criteria in a market economy – ranked below the national average. This year the city’s economy has grown at 7.5 percent, according to its People’s Committee. Vientiane’s Vice Mayor studies Binh Duong’s development experience The Vice Mayor of the Lao capital of Vientiane, Keophilavanh Aphaylath, visited the southern province of Binh Duong on September 16 to learn from its experience in developing infrastructure and policies on attracting investment.  He was introduced to the locality’s socio-economic development as well as its investment attraction policies by Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Mai Hung Dung at their meeting.  According to Dung, Binh Duong is one among the top five localities in Vietnam in foreign investment attraction with 2,700 projects worth over 25 billion USD from 49 countries and territories.  The province has to date established relations with nine localities across the world and is preparing to become a centrally-run city before 2020, Dung stated.  Keophilavanh Aphaylath said that he hopes more Vietnamese enterprises, including those from Binh Duong province will invest in Laos so as to contribute to Laos’s socio-economic development.  Earlier, the guest visited the An Thai hi-tech agricultural zone and several companies operating in the locality.  Connectivity necessary for southeast region’s sustainable development Officials and economic experts have emphasized regional connectivity as the key to sustainable economic development in the southeast region.  Addressing the Southeast Region Economic Forum 2016 in HCM City on September 16, Cao Duc Phat, deputy head of the Party Central Committee’s Economic Commission, noted that the region’s economic development has not met its potential and advantages and pointed to growth quality, human resources, infrastructure and regional connectivity as areas in need of improvement.  Despite its status as one of key economic regions, institutions and mechanisms for economic coordination and linkage are absent, he said. Doan Duy Khuong, Vice President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the region should strive for strong intra-region economic linkage in order to optimize its advantages.  Dang Xuan Quang, Deputy Director of the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, stressed the need to increase linkages with other regions, particularly the Mekong Delta and the Central-Central Highlands regions, to expand market and create supply chains.  He also stressed the need to train a workforce of regional and international capability, considering it as one of breakthrough solutions to ensure the region’s sustainable development.  Phat said the region should look at other economic hubs in ASEAN, Asia and the world to understand the need to reform mechanisms, policies and institutions to compete effectively and connect with other big economic centres in the region and the world.  He also urged the region to clarify the direction for industrial development, suggesting it give priority to high-tech and clean industries and those of highly-added value.  The southeast region, which includes HCM City and Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Binh Duong and Dong Nai provinces, accounts for nearly 60 percent of the country’s total export value and nearly half of foreign direct investment capital.  It is expected to become the locomotive of the country’s economy under a master plan to 2020. Vietnamese association in Cambodia convenes congress The General Association of Vietnamese Cambodians (GAVC) convened its second congress for the 2016-2021 tenure in Phnom Penh on September 16, with the participation of 126 delegates representing members in 25 cities and provinces across the country. GAVC President for 2011-2016 Chau Van Chi said the association has set up 19 executive boards in Cambodian cities and provinces, and representative boards in five other localities in the country. More than 11,100 people joined the association between 2011 and 2015. The association has paid heed to relations with Cambodian authorities at all levels to garner their support in protecting legitimate rights and interests of the Vietnamese community in accordance with local law, while enhancing coordination with ministries and agencies back in the homeland, he said. It has also placed importance on cultural, educational and charitable activities, along with human resources development, Chi added. Regarding the GAVC’s operation orientations in the time ahead, he said the association will propose competent agencies at home continue granting higher education scholarships to Vietnamese students in Cambodia, and call on Vietnamese localities to help with the construction of schools and communal houses for Vietnamese communities in Cambodia. Speaking at the congress, Ambassador Thach Du affirmed that the Vietnamese Party and State consistently consider overseas Vietnamese an integral part of the nation. The diplomat expressed his belief that the Vietnamese community in Cambodia will be more stable and further develop in the coming time. The congress re-elected Chau Van Chi as President of the new 68-member Executive Committee for 2016-2021. The GAVC was set up in February, 2003 and a provisional executive committee made its debut in early 2008. At present, the association is an official member of the National Council of Solidarity Fronts for the Development of Cambodia’s Motherland and a member of the Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Association. Policies to ensure health, safety for sex workers discussed A policy dialogue on “Harm reduction in prostitution – safety, health and human rights protection” was held in Hanoi on September 16.  According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Vietnam has around 161,000 businesses providing “sensitive” services with hundreds of thousands of employees.  Workers at possible prostitution centres often encounter with labour right violations such as working without labour contracts and salary, being forced to drink wine and beer, or even suffering from violence.  They also face a high risk of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases, participants said, adding that good working conditions and application of health safety measures will help reduce the risk.  Addressing violations in health and safety should be included in the national programme to minimise harms caused by prostitution, the panels added.  Through the ratification of some ILO conventions, the Vietnamese Government has pledged to protect all workers so that they can work in a healthy, safe environment, ensuring no forced labour, child labour and discrimination.  These are the fundamental rights of workers in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals theme of “leaving no one behind”.  Since 2003, the guarantee of labour rights at service businesses has been recognised by the Vietnamese Government and it is also mentioned in the ordinance on prostitution prevention.  The national anti-prostitution programme in 2016-2020 also underlines the protection of labour rights at “sensitive” service businesses.  Participants discussed challenges in the field and the role of social organisations in protecting those working in these establishments.  They proposed the Party, State and Government soon promulgate a law on anti-prostitution towards punishing businesses that are unwilling to cooperate with competent agencies in reducing harms to and ensure human rights for their employees.  It is essential to have policies to support HIV/AIDS infected prostitutes to buy health insurance, they suggested.  The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs need to review a pilot anti-prostitution model for nationwide implementation and continue studying policies providing loans for prostitutes to change jobs and integrate into the community. Wildlife protection law enforcement strengthened A training course on strengthening the enforcement of the law on wildlife protection was held in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong from September 13-16. Jointly organised by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the Forest Protection Department Zone 4 and the Vietnam Programme , the three-day course was designed for officers of forest protection departments and border guard forces from seven cities and provinces in the Central Highlands and southeastern regions. Hoang Bich Thuy, manager of the WCS programme in Vietnam said the course aimed at increasing effectiveness of forest protection activities and intensifying international cooperation between border provinces and neighbouring countries, including Cambodia and Laos, in preventing and combating wildlife-related crimes. Nguyen Dinh Thang, an official from the Forest Protection Department Zone 4, revealed that since 2010, forest rangers nationwide detected and handled over 4,300 cases violating regulations on wildlife management, and confiscated thousands of kilograms of wildlife products and 60,217 wild animals, including 3,418 listed as endangered and rare species. Central Highlands provinces are considered as the crime hotspots with numerous endangered species and wildlife products being smuggled through their borders with Cambodia and Laos, he added. He also stressed the importance of intersectoral coordination in preventing and fighting crimes related to wild animals. Cultural programme highlights Vietnam-Norway ties Vietnamese art performances and a photo exhibition were held in the Norwegian capital of Oslo on September 15 to celebrate the 45 th anniversary of Vietnam-Norway diplomatic ties. Addressing the event, State Secretary of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tone Skogen said Vietnam and Norway have enhanced cooperation in various fields, including energy, climate change, gender equality, culture and sports. The two countries are working on establishing a partnership framework as stated in the Vietnam-Norway joint statement issued during Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg’s official visit to Vietnam in April 2015, she added. Vietnamese Ambassador to Norway Le Thi Tuyet Mai took the occasion to express thanks to the Norwegian Government and people for the support to the Vietnamese community. Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Culture, Sport and Tourism Le Khanh Hai hailed the contribution of Norway in the cultural sector in Vietnam through the Transposition project, in which 12 leading art organisations in the countries held art exchanges. About 300 people, including representatives from the Norwegian Government and organisations as well as international diplomatic missions in the host country attended the performances by artists from the Vietnam Contemporary Art Theatre. Vietnam, France join hands to preserve cultural heritage A workshop with focus on the preservation of cultural heritage and wastewater treatment in downtown areas was held in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on September 15. The event, as part of the ongoing 10th cooperation conference between Vietnamese and French localities, drew experts from Vietnamese localities and Nimes City of France. Participants discussed the impacts of using global water resources, saying that countries worldwide need to work together to protect water resources. The Interdepartmental Syndicate for Sanitation of Greater Paris shared its experience in upgrading the water drainage system in Hue City, contributing to protecting the ancient imperial city’s heritage. The two nations have been implementing a project on developing ecotourism and preserve heritage in the Bach Ma national park in Thua Thien – Hue province. French and Vietnamese experts agreed that time and urbanisation have taken a huge toll on cultural structures and heritage in Hanoi, Thua Thien – Hue and Ho Chi Minh City. France has also provided support for Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in preserving and upgrading old apartment buildings. Communication is needed to enhance public awareness of protecting heritage, experts said. The same day, an international trade fair alongside the conference, featuring nearly 300 booths of French and domestic enterprises. The event offers special products of the localities. The Vietnamese – French Culture Days are also being held from September 15-17 to promote mutual understanding and cultural and tourism exchange between the two nations’ localities. Vietnamese, French localities boost tourism cooperation Vietnamese and French localities discussed expanding cooperation with a focus placed on tourism at a workshop held on September 14 on the sidelines of the 10th Conference on cooperation between the two countries’ localities in Can Tho city. Participants at the workshop focused on developing eco-tourism and visa policies. After the Vietnamese government issued a 15-day visa exemption policy for five Western countries, including France, French tourist arrivals to Vietnam in the first half of 2016 increased 16 percent from the previous year. 2014 figures from France’s Embassy in Vietnam showed that about 11,000 visas were granted to Vietnamese citizens, up 62 percent from 2013. To promote tourism cooperation between Vietnam and France, Vietnam asked France to assist Vietnam in promotion activities and human resource training. It also encouraged French companies to invest in tourism. France invested 175 million USD in 19 projects in hotels and tourism by 2014. Also at the workshop, participants discussed economic cooperation. They shared experience in implementing cooperation programmes and seeking ways or solutions for the future cooperation. According to Dominique Cap, Deputy Major of Brest city, Hai Phong and Brest have only developed cooperation in a few fields like seaports, health and culture. In 2015, Hai Phong participated in a project on supporting the government in fighting climate change in which the French Development Agency and the Brest Technopolis assisted Hai Phong to protect small fish species and species in danger near Cat Ba island. VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri/VNE