VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES JULY 31
09:39
Drawing spreads love amid pandemic
A drawing with the words “Our family
has enough food, please give it to anyone in need” has gone viral on social
networks recently. This small but meaningful act spreads a message of love,
solidarity, and sharing with Vietnamese people facing difficulties, helping
to magnify the determination to win out against the pandemic. The smile on
the little girl’s face is also from belief and hope that one day Ho Chi Minh
City and the whole country will return to some semblance of normality. The
simple but meaningful action has helped ease people’s anxiety about the
disease./. Japanese city popularises Vietnam ahead of Paralympic Games Authorities
of Kokubunji city, west of Japan’s Tokyo capital city, on July 31 held an
event to help local people understand more about Vietnam prior to the 2020
Tokyo Paralympic Games. In an interview
with the Vietnam News Agency’s correspondent, Mayor Izawa Kunio said as Japan
and Vietnam have been nurturing a sound friendship, local residents want to
cheer for the Vietnamese teams at the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, hoping
that the athletes will spare no efforts to achieve outstanding results. The event
will be held on August 1, 28 and 29. Participants will write their
encouragement messages to the Vietnamese athletes. In 2019, the
city and the Vietnam Sports Administration inked a memorandum of
understanding on training for Vietnamese swimmers with disabilities ahead of
the Paralympics. The Tokyo
2020 Olympics, started on July 23, will close on August 8. Meanwhile, the
Paralympics will take place from August 24 to September 5./. More skills needed for Vietnam's labour force The quality
of skilled labour in Vietnam is still not meeting minimum standards,
according to Le Thi Xuan Quynh, an official from the Central Institute for
Economic Management. Quynh said
currently, the quality of Vietnam’s labour resources was still very low,
reaching only 46 out of 100 points, ranking it number 103 in the world and
far behind the ASEAN-4 group. The
country’s vocational education and training sector was equipping learners
with fundamental theoretical knowledge but was lacking in skills related to
specific occupations, she said. Do Thi Thuy
Huong, a member of the Vietnam E-Business Association said that low labour
costs and natural resources would no longer be an advantage for Vietnamese
electronic businesses moving forward. Businesses
instead would require highly skilled workers and vocational education and
training institutions needed to develop a programme of equipping workers with
"soft” skills such as loyalty, responsibility, and communication, Huong said. In May 2020,
the Prime Minister issued a directive on promoting the development of skilled
human resources that would contribute to improving labour productivity and
increasing national competitiveness. Localities
were tasked with effectively implementing mechanisms and policies to develop
vocational education and human resources. The directive said they should
focus on undergoing digital transformations including developing online
training. Regular
training and retraining of the workforce were also recommended. It was
recommended that learners get professional, digital, and entrepreneurship
skills as well as in foreign languages. Vietnam has
set the targets that the vocational education sector will reach the level of
ASEAN-4 countries of Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines by
2030 and by 2045 reach the level of G20 countries./. Cuban leader thanks Vietnam, int’l friends for support First
Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) Central Committee and
President of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermudez has expressed his gratitude to
Vietnam and other international friends for their support for the Caribbean
nation in times of hardship. In his
Twitter account, the Cuban top leader wrote that the solidarity between Cuba
and others has been strengthened during difficult times, voicing his
gratitude to governments and peoples that have helped Cuba. He also
shared an article of Granma daily newspaper, the official mouthpiece of the
PCC, which highlights assistance for Cuba in the last few days. The
newspaper cited an announcement by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh
on presenting 12,000 tonnes of rice to Cuba, in which he said that Vietnam
will stand side by side with the Carribean country. Other
countries such as Bolivia, Mexico, Nicaragua and Russia and numerous
organisations have sent aid to Cuba, Granma reported./. Vietnamese PhD students in Russia research post COVID-19
recovery model An
experience exchange on treatment and management during the COVID-19 pandemic
combined with the introduction of post-COVID-19 recovery model for patients
with severe pneumonia was organised at Pletnev hospital, Moscow. Vietnamese
Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi and other health practitioners, officials
of the Embassy of Vietnam in Russia, and academicians of the Russian Academy
of Sciences attended the event. On behalf of
the research team, Vietnamese PhD student at Moscow Medical University 2
Truong Thi Tuyet introduced a model of pulmonary rehabilitation utilising
three gases including Helium, Hydrogen and Nitric Oxide. According to the
report, this breathing support model has shown very positive results in the
treatment of patients, helping their lungs recover significantly in a short
time. Speaking at
the event, Ambassador Khoi said Vietnam has taken interests in the experience
of Russia scientists in combating the pandemic. The two sides had detailed
and specific discussions regarding the application of COVID-19 treatment and
prevention measures to curb the spread of the disease and bring people’s
lives back to normal./. Vietnamese, Cambodian police enhance ties amidst COVID-19 Police of
the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong on July 30 presented gifts and
medical supplies worth 100 million VND (4,300 USD) to help their counterpart
in Cambodia’s Mondulkiri province fight COVID-19. The
hand-over ceremony was held at a border marker along the Vietnam-Cambodia
border in Tuy Duc district. Colonel Bui
Quang Thanh, Director of Dak Nong’s Police, suggested the two sides work
harder to guarantee security and order along the border, thus tightening the
friendship between the two provinces as well as the fine neighbourliness
between Vietnam and Cambodia. Lauding
cooperation between the forces of the two provinces over the past time, Thanh
expressed his hope that the relationship will be lifted to a new high in the
time ahead. Lieutenant-General
Lao Sokha, Director of Mondulkiri’s Police, thanked his Vietnamese colleagues
for their sentiments and timely, practical support which, he said, serve as a
source of encouragement for his staff to full their tasks. Mondulkiri’s
police will continue the close coordination with their counterpart in Dak
Nong across spheres, contributing to ensuring security and order along the
common border, he pledged./.
Finnish education programme offers scholarships for Vietnamese
high school students Finnish
educators are looking forward to welcoming more and more Vietnamese
high-school students to study in their country, which is known as the world’s
happiest nation and for having high standard of education. The Finland
High School Programme (FHSP), an initiative by Finest Future of Finland, a
multi-national consultant company to promoting Finnish high school education
in Vietnam and others countries in Asia, is providing hundreds of
scholarships for outstanding international students, particularly those from
Vietnam for the 2022 intake. The 2022
intake has opened applications until September 30, 2021. It expects to
welcome as many Vietnamese students as possible to join. “The FHSP
connects international students with Finland high schools and offers them
opportunities to start their academic journey there. Students joining the
programme will be sponsored with 100 per cent of tuition fees for all high
school years,” said Peter Vesterbacka, FHSP programme manager and Finest
Future Chairman. Vietnamese
students including those in the 9th and 10th grade, joining the scholarship
programme will have free access to high school study, as well as enjoy the
advantages of a high-quality curriculum and modern facilities in schools
across Finland, according to the FHSP. Parents
sending their children to study in Finland can also apply for a resident
permit to live with them during their high school years. After
completing the three-year education, the students are prioritised to have
more chances to get free access to world-renowned higher education such as
universities and appliant colleges. They can also choose to study in a high
school offering a straight pathway to a partner university or stay and start
working in Finland. CEO of
Finest Future Vietnam JSC Tuomas Tiilikainen said: "We are constantly
building more partnerships with Finnish high schools as we want to provide
this opportunity on a large scale in Vietnam." Vietnamese
Ambassador in Finland, Dang Thi Hai Tam who has especially supported the
programme, highlighted the efforts by FHSP and the Finest Future team in
helping Vietnamese students to access the Finnish high school education. “To
implement the FHSP is hard work. But within a year, Finest Future and its
team had achieved very encouraging initial results. I say 'hard work' because
high school age is a transitional milestone for every human being. Many
parents think that this time is too early for their children to leave the
family, especially in Asian culture which has long-term parental protection
and not focusing on teaching children to live independently from a young
age,” said Tam. “However,
this is the time when you can acquire knowledge in a fundamental way, a big
decision for your strength in your studies and career later. If you have
access to a good education like Finland and have your own determination and
motivation, I believe that participating in this programme will open up a
bright future for you.” The high
school programme is flexible, from two to four years, with 150 credits. After
graduation, there are always open pathways for any student to get a permanent
residency and become a Finnish citizen. The
programme successfully piloted the first version- FHSP 2021- when it welcomed
about 16 Vietnamese and Uzbekistan students to study in Finland. Seven
Vietnamese students receiving the FHSP scholarships were selected from hundreds
of candidates across the country. They have now arrived in Finland and are
ready to prepare for their opening school year. For more
information about the programme visit the Finest Future website or email
hello@finestfuture.org. Finland is
home to 380 high schools of equally top quality, regardless of the size and
location of the school. All students will study with master-certificated
teachers using innovative teaching methods, allowing them to have equal
growth and gain an entrepreneurial mindset./. “Zero VND supermarket” provides great joy to needy
The
Hanoi Labour Confederation launched a “zero VND supermarket on a bus” to
support workers affected by COVID-19. A few days on, the buses have brought
essential items to help more than 2,500 pandemic-hit workers under quarantine
or facing difficult circumstances. Workers at
SEI Electronic Components Vietnam LTD at the Thang Long Industrial Park in
the capital are now under 21-day quarantine after a worker contracted
COVID-19. The “zero VND supermarket on a bus” has gone a long way to
easing the burden many face during these tough times. Members of
the labour confederation and furloughed workers will each receive a 8.75 USD
gift of essential items. To put the support packages together, the city’s
Labour Confederation worked closely with relevant organisations as well as
businesses to help members of the confederation in a timely fashion. The measure
will be piloted for ten days, providing support to some 20,000 workers. Meanwhile,
the staff of Command of Military Region 9 organised a “zero VND” booth in Can
Tho city from July 28 to 30, distributing 500 support packages worth 500,000
VND (21.80 USD) each to the disadvantaged in the city. Such ‘Zero
dong supermarkets and booths’ are expected to provide joy to pandemic-hit
workers during the fourth wave of Covid-19 in Vietnam./. 2021 a very special year for Swiss-Vietnamese partnership:
Ambassador On the
occasion of the National Day of Switzerland (August 1), the upcoming visit to
Vietnam by the European country’s Vice President and Foreign Minister Ignazio
Cassis, and the 50th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic relations, Swiss
Ambassador to Vietnam Ivo Sieber wrote an article describing 2021 as a “very
special” year for the Swiss-Vietnamese partnership. Following is the full
text: Commemorating
a national day is an exceptional event for any country. On August 1, Swiss
nationals in Switzerland and all over the world proudly remember the founding
of their country in 1291. Observing this year’s Swiss national day here in
Vietnam is singularly special. Not only is Switzerland reminiscing the 730th
centenary of its foundation. This year, Vietnam and Switzerland are also
looking back on half a century of bilateral diplomatic relations. Moreover,
2021 also marks three decades of Swiss-Vietnamese development cooperation. Today, we
look at a wide range of cooperation between the two countries, including
between companies and individuals from academia, culture and civil society at
large. Economic relations have taken a central stage, as Vietnam has been
very successful in spurring its economic development and is an attractive
partner for Swiss business. Global challenges like climate change and the
COVID-19 pandemic not only offer but ask for new cooperation modalities -
cooperation that is geared towards a more inclusive growth and a better
environment. The global need to change the way we lead our life and do
business is opening up a wide field for interesting discussions. One area I
would like to personally promote are discussions on promising new
technologies that not only address environmental challenges but also help
ensure that the economy continues to provide jobs and incomes. In short, this
comes down to searching for a new kind of prosperity, one that gives more
weight to humans and the earth. Famed Swiss Bertrand Piccard has put together
1,000 innovative tech solutions that he is ready to present here in Vietnam.
Another area close to my heart is the field of peace promotion and mediation:
I see also here good opportunities for Vietnam and Switzerland to work
together, learn from each other and jointly progress and offer their share to
global peace. The COVID-19
pandemic has created countless challenges for both Vietnam and Switzerland.
Both have and continue to take great strides to meet the challenges and
protect public health while doing their best to keep the economy running.
Difficulties still lie ahead and cooperation in all its forms is the key to
overcoming the global challenges. The partnership between Switzerland and
Vietnam is working well and will continue doing so also in the post-pandemic
recovery. We are
commemorating the Swiss National Day and the 50th anniversary of Swiss-Vietnamese
diplomatic relations with impressive achievements. What we have accomplished
together is the solid basis for a stronger and tighter partnership on the
path ahead. As Swiss Ambassador to Vietnam, I extend to the Swiss nationals
and our numerous friends in Vietnam my very best wishes on the occasion of
the Swiss National Day./. JICA presents medical devices for COVID-19 treatment to HCM City The Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on July 30 announced that it will
present some medical devices for COVID-19 treatment worth about 120 million
JPY (1.1 million USD) to Ho Chi Minh City. The aid,
granted per request of the HCM City-based Cho Ray hospital, is in the
framework of the agency's activities to support Vietnam in the fight against
the pandemic. The medical
devices include extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machines and
ventilators, among others. They will be sent to a newly-established COVID-19
resuscitation centre at the city’s Oncology Hospital 2. Meanwhile,
testing equipment will be presented to Cho Ray hospital. This is the
second medical device aid package for Cho Ray hospital after the first one in
July 2020. JICA, along
with the Japanese government, has pledged to further support Vietnam in
battling COVID-19. Cho Ray
hospital has bolstered collaboration with Japan since the 1970s and JICA has
conducted numerous activities to support the Vietnamese hospital./. Vietnam treasures traditional friendship with Romania: PM Vietnam
attaches importance to its traditional friendship with Romania, which has
been nurtured by generations of leaders and people of both countries over the
past more than seven decades, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has said. He thanked
the Romanian Government for its donation of 100,800 doses of AstraZeneca
COVID-19 vaccine to Vietnam, which, he said, demonstrates the time-honored
friendship between the two countries, as well as the wholehearted and
close-knit ties between the two peoples. The PM
expressed his belief that the timely and valuable support will practically
contribute to Vietnam’s COVID-19 fight, and suggested the Romanian side
consider transferring its abundant vaccines to Vietnam as much and as soon as
possible. The
ambassador promised to convey the Vietnamese Government’s proposal to
Romania’s high-ranking leaders for consideration. PM Chinh
also thanked Romania for its support in accelerating the signing of the
EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the EU-Vietnam Investment
Protection Agreement (EVIPA) when the country held the rotating EU Presidency
in June 2019. Romania was also one of the first three EU countries to ratify
the EVIPA, he added. The PM urged
the ambassador to coordinate with Vietnamese and Romanian ministries and
agencies to effectively implement a number of orientations and measures to
strengthen the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation in
potential spheres between the two countries, especially in economy, trade,
investment, education-training and labour. Regarding
bilateral trade ties, PM Chinh said the two countries’ exports are
reciprocal, suggesting the two sides maximise advantages presented by the
EVFTA. At the same
time, the two sides should coordinate to seek flexible and suitable forms of
sea, rail and air transportation to facilitate the exchange of goods,
especially the export of Vietnamese coffee, seasonal fruits and aquatic
products to Romania, he said. Vietnam also
stands ready to work as a gateway for Romania to bring its products to the
ASEAN market, the government leader added. Regarding
regional and international cooperation, PM Chinh and Romila shared the view
that Vietnam and Romania need to step up cooperation at multilateral and
regional forums. For the East
Sea issue, they emphasised the importance of ensuring security, safety and
freedom of navigation and aviation in the sea, and settling disputes on
sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction through peaceful solutions and
measures in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of
the Sea (UNCLOS). Romila
pledged to make efforts to contribute to consolidating and tightening the
traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two
countries, especially amidst the complex developments of the COVID-19
pandemic./. HCM City speeds up COVID-19 vaccinations All people
above 18 years old living in Ho Chi Minh City will be vaccinated against
COVID-19, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Duong Anh Duc
told a meeting on July 30. Duc said
Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen had set the target
of administering vaccine to two-thirds of the city’s population above 18
years old in August. To speed up
the work, the city will set up mobile inoculation groups besides fixed
vaccination sites, he said, adding that the vaccinations would be conducted
even at night. According to
the official, most of the vaccines in HCM City now are allocated by the
Ministry of Health. One million doses of sponsored vaccines are expected to
arrive at Tan Son Nhat International Airport on July 31. Between July
22-30, the city administered about 490,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses. To reduce
COVID-19 infections in the city, it is necessary to extend the social
distancing period under the Prime Minister’s Directive No. 16 by one-two
weeks, after August 1 and the municipal administration will make an official
announcement soon, Duc said./. Hanoi University presents Honorary Doctor Degree to Hong Kong
businessman Lam Kin
Chung, President of Zhang Yang Group Holdings Ltd Hong Kong (China), was
awarded the Honorary Doctor Degree by the Hanoi University during a ceremony
held at the Consulate General of Vietnam in Hong Kong on July 30. On behalf of
the Hanoi University, Vietnamese General Consul Pham Binh Dam presented the
degree to Lam, voicing a hope that the businessman will further contribute to
the Vietnamese university's development as well as exchange activities and
education cooperation between Vietnam and Hong Kong. The diplomat
believed that with efforts and assistance from individuals like Lam and many
other organisations, together with the development of the Vietnam-Hong Kong
relations, education cooperation between the two sides will make strides in
the time to come. Via a video
conference, Rector of the Hanoi University Assoc. Prof., Dr Nguyen Van Trao
spoke highly of Lam’s outstanding achievements in socio-cultural activities,
his sentiments and practical contributions to the university over the time, hoping
that he will continue to help the university connect with global academicians
and businesses. For his
part, Lam pledged to continue accompanying the Vietnamese university’s
development in the future. He has partnered with Hanoi University since 2010./. Prime
Minister Pham Minh Chinh receives congratulation from Cambodian Government
leader Cambodian
Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on July 29 sent a message of
congratulations to Pham Minh Chinh on his election as the Prime Minister of
Vietnam. In his
message, the Cambodian PM said that Chinh's re-election as Prime Minister of
Vietnam in the 2021-2026 tenure by the 15th National Assembly demonstrates a
high level of trust by the Party, State and people of Vietnam in his
contributions for a prosperous and modern nation under the leadership of the
Communist Party of Vietnam. He expressed
his delight at the development of the two countries’ relations over the past
time in the spirit of good neighbourliness, friendship and solidarity and
mutual understanding and benefit. The
Cambodian PM voiced his wish to work closely with his Vietnamese counterpart
to further promote the Cambodia-Vietnam comprehensive cooperation for the
interests of the two countries' people, contributing to peace, stability,
sustainable development and prosperity in the region and the world./. Indian community supports HCM City in COVID-19 fight The Indian
Business Chamber in Vietnam (Incham) on July 30 virtually signed a contract
with the Viet Gia Medical Equipment JSC on the purchase of an extracorporeal
membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine imported from Germany. The machine
will be presented to the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases,
with the aim of facilitating the treatment for severe COVID-19 patients in
the city. It will be
purchased using the money contributed by the Indian community living and
working in HCM City and other southern localities of Vietnam, together with
assistance from the Consulate General of India in the southern hub and
Incham. At the
signing ceremony, Indian General Consul Madan Mohan Sethi underlined that
India and Vietnam have a close-knit traditional friendship and always support
each other in times of hardship. He voiced
his hope that the ECMO machine presented by the Indian community will help
medical workers and experts cure COVID-19 patients who are in grave
conditions, helping to prevent and push back the pandemic in the city./. New approach, solutions needed in COVID-19 fight: PM Prime
Minister Pham Minh Chinh said it is necessary to have a new approach and new
solutions in the fight against COVID-19 as the pandemic situation remains
complicated in the country, especially in Ho Chi Minh City, central and
southern provinces. He made the
statement at an online Government meeting on July 30 with local authorities
on COVID-19 prevention and control. Representatives
of ministries, branches, and localities discussed the pandemic situation,
analysed causes of outstanding problems, assessed the leadership and measures
applied in the past time. They also made forecast on the situation and tasks
to be implemented in the coming time. The Prime
Minister acknowledged that the pandemic prevention and control have achieved
positive results and praised ministries, agencies and localities for their
great efforts. He said the
Government will issue a resolution on urgent measures to prevent and control
COVID-19 following the newly-adopted NA resolution which allows stronger
measures, including those not yet provided for in laws. At the same
time, he pointed out the limitations in the prevention and control of the
COVID-19 pandemic over the past time. While
affirming that the pandemic situation is still complicated, Chinh emphasised
that the government will continue to strive for the "dual goals",
in which effective disease prevention and control and protecting people's
health are the first and foremost tasks. Regarding
solutions to pandemic prevention and control in the coming time, the Prime
Minister directed all localities where social distancing is implemented to
ensure the supply of necessities and health care service for residents. For those
with risks of high fatality rate, restriction measures must be enforced
strictly, he said. The Prime
Minister asked related sectors and units to step up research, production and
import of drugs to treat COVID-19 patients, and promote the transfer of
ventilator production technology. In addition
to continuing to carry out the "vaccine strategy", Chinh directed
agencies and localities to change their priority in vaccination. Accordingly,
along with frontline forces, priority should be given to localities with
complicated development and key areas such as HCM City, Hanoi and provinces
with many industrial parks and export processing zones./. President visits pandemic-hit Binh Duong province President
Nguyen Xuan Phuc on July 30 asked the southern province of Binh Duong, one of
the localities hardest hit by the ongoing fourth wave of COVID-19 infections,
to ensure food and medical services for local people during the period of social
distancing and lockdown. Binh Duong
holds an important role in the country’s goods supply chains, has high
population density, houses many factories, and serves as a gateway between
the southern largest economic hub of Ho Chi Minh City and Southeastern
localities, the State leader said during his field trip to the province. Therefore,
he stressed, Binh Duong needs to take measures to complete the dual goal of
pandemic containment and economic development, with ensuring public health
being the top priority. President
Phuc agreed with the Health Ministry’s proposal to impose effective policies,
which are being rolled out in HCM City, in Binh Duong to ease overload at
local hospitals. Binh Duong
must observe the social distancing order seriously, the President requested,
suggesting the province mobilise retired doctors and private hospitals in the
pandemic fight, apart from temporary hospitals. The Party
and State always accompany HCM City, Binh Duong and other southern localities
in the fight against COVID-19, he said./. Resolutions on appointment of Cabinet members issued National
Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue has issued a resolution on adopting Prime
Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s proposal on the appointment of Pham Binh Minh, Le
Minh Khai, Vu Duc Dam and Le Van Thanh as Deputy Prime Ministers for the
2021-2026 tenure. The NA
chairman also signed a resolution on passing State President Nguyen Xuan
Phuc’s proposal on the appointment of Vice President and members of the
National Defence and Security Council. Under the resolution, Prime Minister
Pham Minh Chinh assumes the post as Vice President of the council. NA
Chairman Hue, Minister of Public Security To Lam, Minister of National Defence
Phan Van Giang and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son are its members. The NA
chairman also passed a resolution on the appointment of 22 ministers and
other Cabinet members for the 2021-2026 tenure at the proposal of Prime
Minister Chinh. They are
Minister of Public Security To Lam, Minister of National Defence Phan Van
Giang, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, Minister Home Affairs Pham
Thi Thanh Tra, Minister of Justice Le Thanh Long, Minister of Planning and
Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, Minister of Finance Ho Duc Phoc, Minister of
Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien, Minister of Agriculture and Rural
Development Le Minh Hoan, Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The, Minister of
Construction Nguyen Thanh Nghi, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment
Tran Hong Ha, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung,
Minister of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung, Minister of
Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung, Minister of Science and
Technology Huynh Thanh Dat, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son
and Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long. The Cabinet
has four heads of ministerial-level bodies, namely Minister-Chairman of the
Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs Hau A Lenh, Governor of the State Bank
of Vietnam Nguyen Thi Hong, and Inspector General of the Government
Inspectorate of Vietnam Doan Hong Phong and Minister-Chairman of the
Government Office Tran Van Son. The
resolutions took effect on July 28./. Diplomats urged to boost vaccine diplomacy to help achieve ‘twin
targets’ Pushing
ahead with vaccine diplomacy is among the tasks Vietnam’s overseas
representative bodies have been asked to perform so as to help achieve the
“twin targets” in the last half of 2021. The Ministry
of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) held a teleconference on July 29 to discuss
measures for stepping up economic diplomacy to serve the COVID-19 combat and
efforts to achieve this year’s socio-economic development targets. Addressing
the event, which gathered all the 96 ambassadors and heads of overseas
representative agencies of Vietnam, Minister Bui Thanh Son said the brightest
spot of economic diplomacy in the first six months was vaccine diplomacy,
which has helped persuade partners to provide the country with over 14
million doses of COVID-19 vaccine. The MoFA has
made proactive moves and coordinated with relevant parties to deal with
issues emerging in Vietnam’s economic relations with other countries and to
connect many foreign investors with Vietnamese localities and enterprises, he
noted. He held that
the pandemic will not end soon but develop more complicatedly, and that it
will ease thanks to vaccination, which will create conditions for the economy
to reopen. Asking
diplomats to take proactive and creative action to perform their duties, Son
said apart from promoting vaccine diplomacy, they also need to keep a close
watch to discover new trends during and after the pandemic so as to advise
the Government about national development strategies and orientations;
further expand and intensify Vietnam’s economic ties with important partners
and capitalise on free trade agreements; step up locality and business
matching activities, adapt external economic activities to the COVID-19
pandemic; and proactively propose plans and road maps for resuming economic
activities and travel between Vietnam and other countries. To carry out
these tasks, the minister called on the entire diplomatic sector to exert
every effort and resource for the realisation of national development goals. For their
part, the heads of Vietnam’s overseas representative bodies said they are
aware of the their responsibility towards the homeland and the people amid
the entire nation striving to obtain the “twin targets” of curbing the
pandemic and recovering and boosting socio-economic development./. President works with leaders of HCM City State
President Nguyen Xuan Phuc had a working session with leaders of Ho Chi Minh
City on July 30 as part of his visit to the current biggest COVID-19 hotspot. At the
session, the President underlined the most important targets of protecting
people’s health and safety and minimising death toll. It is
crucial to mobilise all resources to complete these goals, while continue to
applying the Prime Minister’s Directives No. 15 and 16 to curb the pandemic,
he said. He asked the
city to withdraw lessons from the current implementation of Directive No.16
for better performance in the work, settling the situation in which a large
number of local residents still travel in the streets despite the COVID-19
prevention and control measures. He stressed
that social distancing must be implemented in parallel with ensuring living
conditions for people so as to enable them to strictly follow and implement
pandemic control measures. He clarified
that the State and the Vietnam Fatherland Front as well as organisations and
the political system at the grass-roots level and charity organisations must
join hands together in the work. Meanwhile, HCM City should be more active in
issuing travel cards to those who transport and deliver goods and medical
supplies. The State
President stressed efforts to focus COVID-19 treatment and reduce the number
of infections at the same time, thus minimising death toll. Social distancing
measures must be put in top priority in efforts to reduce the number of new
COVID-19 cases, he stated. Holding that
the current outbreak in HCM City may peak in the next days, he requested the
city to continue to strictly comply with Directive 16, while speeding up the
vaccination scheme. At the
session, President Phuc said that donors inside and outside the country have
donated 103 billion VND (4.49 million USD) and 10 ventilators to support HCM
City, along with a large number of medical supplies./. Private medical sector asked to join in COVID-19 fight The Health
Ministry on July 30 sent Dispatch No.6140/BYT-KCB to Chairpersons of the
People’s Committees of centrally-run cities and provinces regarding pooling
the involvement of private medical examination and treatment establishments
in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic. Amid the
complicated developments of the pandemic, the ministry made the appeal to
increase resources for the fight in accordance with Articles 48 and 55 of the
Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases and Articles 39 and 53
of the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment. Chairpersons
of municipal and provincial People's Committees will be responsible for
directing Health Departments to request private medical establishments to
receive and treat COVID-19 patients when requested. They are
also required to create favourable conditions for private medical sector in
the effort, equip them with medical equipment and provide support for their
staff in line with regulations. As of July
30 morning, Vietnam had documented 133,405 COVID-19 infections./. Party chief’s article asserts soundness of Vietnam’s path
towards socialism: Chinese scholar Vietnamese
Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s article “Several theoretical and
practical issues on socialism and the path towards socialism in Vietnam”
affirms the soundness of the path towards socialism of Vietnam, said a
Chinese official. In his
recent article on Vietnam’s contributions to human civilisation, Han
Fangming, Vice Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chinese
People’s Political Consultative Conference, and Chairman of Chahar Institute,
a well-known think tank of diplomacy and international relations, the article
systematically analyses the original ideal and development of socialism in
Vietnam from the perspective of its reality. It points to
the origins and goals of as well as persistence and firmness in a number of
theories of Vietnam’s socialist-oriented market economy and the
human-centered development strategy. Han wrote
that the socialist-oriented market economy initiated by Vietnam is a new plan
for the cause of contemporary socialism, a new development in the
Vietnamisation of Marxism, and the expansion of Ho Chi Minh Thought. The
Vietnamese Party chief’s article summarises the experience of Vietnam’s
socialism development and the essence of his thoughts on governance, which
are helpful for the theoretical exchanges and wisdom sharing among political
parties around the world, and provide more governance solutions for the
international community to learn from, Han stressed. The Chinese
scholar also mentioned to the time-honoured relations between China and
Vietnam. The
sustained, healthy and stable development of China-Vietnam relations is
conducive to the prosperity of the cause of socialism, safeguarding regional
and world peace and stability, promoting economic prosperity, and
contributing more wisdom and solutions to human civilisation, he affirmed. In the face
of major changes unseen in three thousand years, China and Vietnam should
join hands to make greater contributions to regional peace, civilisation
progress, and system construction, he added./. Official: Popularisation, education sector actively joins
COVID-19 fight Head of the
Party Central Committee’s Commission for Popularisation and Education Nguyen
Trong Nghia talked about tasks of the sector in the current fight against
COVID-19 pandemic in an interview on the occasion of the 91st anniversary of
its Traditional Day (August 1). Nghia said
amid the pandemic, the sector raised public awareness of the twin goal of
fighting COVID-19 and promoting socio-economic development, ensuring social
welfare. In over six
months of this year, the sector actively, proactively and creatively joined
in the fight against the pandemic. It closely followed directions by the
Politburo, the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat, the Party General
Secretary, the State President, the National Assembly, the Government, the
Prime Minister, the National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and
Control, actively gave consultations to Party units to issue documents
guiding dissemination about the anti-pandemic work based on realities. From the
onset of the COVID-19 outbreak, the commission on February 3 last year issued
guidelines on COVID-19 prevention and control. It also
worked closely with the National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention
and Control, the Ministry of Information and Communications, and the
Vietnamese Journalists’ Association to direct the launch of column pages and
teams of reporters in charge of covering the fight. Each press agency and
journalists became soldiers in the frontline, contributing to strengthening
public trust on the Party and State leadership in the effort. Amid the
complicated developments of the pandemic, the commission actively built and
issued a plan on the information work about COVID-19 prevention and control
to meet its new requirements, reflecting determination and efforts of the
entire political system and inspiring the sense of solidarity for the
community, creating common consensus on both awareness and actions among the
public to perform the important task. The sector
asked press agencies to strengthen information discipline, fight and object
to distorted allegations about the work. It also
actively grasped information and international opinions about Vietnam’s
pandemic fight, thereby suggesting attention to issues regarding information
and populariation to promote the country’s images and pool the international
community’s support to the effort./. UAVS competition calls for innovative technological ideas The United
Associations of Vietnamese Students in Australia’s New South Wales (UAVS-NSW)
has launched its IT idea competition UAVS Hackatrix "Fix the
Glitch" 2021. Participating
teams are set to develop ideas on their technological products and compete
against one another in terms of innovation and application in tackling issues
in health, society, finance-banking, services, and technology. Three teams
with the most outstanding ideas will pocket awards worth up to 20,000 AUD in
total. High school
graders, university and postgraduate students in Vietnam and Oceania are
eligible to join in groups of between two and five members each. Individuals
can also register and will be supported by the organisers to form teams. The
four-round contest will run from July to October. UAVS-NSW
President Nguyen The Anh said the competition follows a series of activities
targeting Vietnamese students in Australia initiated by the association since
it was established three years ago. The event
focuses not only on the IT arena but also is open to students from different
fields, he noted. A
sustainable and potential technological project sees the contribution of
people from various sectors, he explained. As part of
the contest, the online workshop UAVS "Techtalk - Hello Future" is
slated for August 7, gathering top-expert speakers to answer queries on the
competition and provide latest IT trends./. Vietnamese community abroad supports HCM City in fighting
COVID-19 The Steve
Bui and Friends Foundation on July 30 presented 30,000 N95 medical masks to
Ho Chi Minh City to support the city in controlling COVID-19 pandemic. The gift has
been handed over to the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of HCM City to
deliver to Thu Duc city, Tan Binh district, the Medical Centre of District 6,
and hospitals for COVID-19 treatment. President of
the foundation Steve Bui, an overseas Vietnamese in Japan, said that he hopes
the present will help HCM City, the current biggest COVID-19 hotspot in
Vietnam, to stem the pandemic. The gift
reflects the sentiments of the Vietnamese community abroad towards the city
through the foundation, he said, expressing his wish that life in the city
will resume to normal soon. Vietnamese
community abroad supports HCM City in fighting COVID-19 hinh anh 2 Besides, the
Steve Bui and Friends Foundation in HCM City has also presented the People’s
Committee of District 7 12,000 sets of kits for rapid COVID-19 testing with a
total value of nearly 2 billion VND (87,228 USD). The
activities were in response to a letter from the Chairman of the HCM City
Commission for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs calling on the Vietnamese
community abroad to join hands with the city in controlling COVID-19
pandemic./. Vietnamese projects win three “Impactful Social Innovative
Concepts” awards Three
Vietnamese projects were among the top five to win the “Impactful Social
Innovative Concepts” awards in the Social Business Creation 2021 competition. Social
Business Creation 2021 is a global competition to promote social business
creation organised by HEC Montréal Canada, a public Canadian business school,
and professor Muhammad Yunus, who won a Nobel Peace prize in 2006. Among
Vietnam’s three projects, International University in Ho Chi Minh City had
two projects, including one on herb-based pesticides for green agriculture
and the other on a website platform using artificial intelligence (AI) to
detect Alzheimer’s disease. The project
Nanoneem, which protects neem forests while assisting local people, was led
by Dr. Duong Nguyen Hong Nhung, lecturer from the International University's
School of Biotechnology, along with the school's students and others from the
Foreign Trade University in Hanoi. Brain
Analytics is a website platform using artificial intelligence (AI) to detect
Alzheimer’s disease. The project is run by a group of students from the
International University’s School of Biomedicine under the guidance of Dr. Ha
Thi Thanh Huong, head of the department of regenerative medicine at the
school. The third
award went to Cereal Straws of Vinastraw, a manufacturer of biodegradable
drinking straws, whose representative is Do Thi Huong Thao, along with 10
students from universities in Hanoi. The project makes eco-friendly products
from common materials found in the country. Among the
top five projects, the other two were from Mexico and Argentina./. Ministry issues general education programmes for more first
foreign languages The Ministry
of Education and Training has issued a circular promulgating the general
education programmes of the first foreign languages to be taught in
Vietnamese schools as mandatory foreign languages, including Russian,
Japanese, French and Chinese. The first
foreign language subject is taught from grade 3 to grade 12, in compliance
with the provisions of the General Education Programme of the Ministry of
Education and Training. According to
the general education programme, Vietnamese students are required to learn
one foreign language (the first foreign language) and can choose to learn at
least one other foreign language (the second foreign language) in accordance
with their aspirations and the ability to meet their needs of educational
institutions. At present,
English, Russian, Japanese, French and Chinese are the first foreign
languages taught in Vietnamese schools. The ministry is also piloting the
teaching of Korean and German as first foreign languages. The circular
will become effective on August 16./. Overseas Vietnamese experts in Italy help control COVID-19 at
home A series of
online conferences themed “Overseas Vietnamese join hands in overcoming the
pandemic” will be launched on July 31 by a Vietnamese Italian expert team led
by Doctor Karen Kieu Nguyen. The activity
aims to respond to the call by the Party and State leaders for the Vietnamese
community’s support to the COVID-19 fight. In the first
conference, the experts will share experience with Ho Chi Minh City in
deploying family doctor system in Italy for treatment of COVID-19 patients. Speaking to
a Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Italy, Doctor Karen Kieu Nguyen said
that since the beginning of COVID-19 outbreak in Vietnam, the Vietnamese
Government has valued ideas and experience shared by overseas Vietnamese in
pandemic prevention and control. She held
that Vietnam showed strong performance in pandemic control in 2020 with low
numbers of infections and deaths, and high number of recoveries. However,
recently, the number of new infections is rising, she noted, adding that the
guidelines given by family doctors via telephone to patients undertaking
quarantine and treatment at home are necessary in reducing spreading risks
and overload at hospitals. As
scheduled, Doctor Karen Kieu Nguyen and her peers from 118 emergency centre
of Italy will arrive in HCM City to support the city in implementing the
process of screening, treating and caring for COVID-19 patients, and share
Italy’s experience in vaccine distribution. The
conference series is the initiative of a group of OVs, including Danny Vo
Thanh Dang from Singapore, Dr. Nguyen Duc Thai and Dr. William H. Nguyen from
the US./. COVID-19 vaccination for French nationals underway in HCM City FV Hospital
in Ho Chi Minh City is running a vaccination drive targeting 5,000 French
citizens and their family members in southern Vietnam, which began on July
29. Vincent
Floreani, Consul General of France in HCM City, said: “I am very grateful to
the Vietnamese Government for supporting us to be able to implement the
vaccination programme for the French community. We also appreciate the
organisation of FV Hospital from the phase of registration to vaccination”. Under the
drive, 10,000 shots of Moderna vaccine will be given to the group. About 500
people are set to be vaccinated on a daily basis. Jean-Marcel
Guillon, Chief Executive Officer of FV Hospital, said the injection procedure
is done safely following COVID-19 prevention and control measures, including
the city’s current social distancing regulations. Expressing
her joy after getting her shot on July 29, French national Estelle Bolengiar
expressed her surprise when she and her family were vaccinated in Vietnam so
soon. She said the vaccination is a great effort of the French Consulate with
support from the Vietnamese Government. Also on the
morning of the same day, 659,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine arrived in the
pandemic stricken city, which has so far vaccinated about 300,000 people./. Vietnamese in South Africa help African countries fight COVID-19 The
Vietnamese Embassy in South Africa held a ceremony on July 29 to present
50,000 medical masks to representatives from the Embassy of the Kingdom of
Eswatini in the country to help its residents fight COVID-19 pandemic. The activity
was part of a programme to hand over 1 million masks donated by the
Vietnamese community and representative agencies in South Africa in support
of the host residents and several adjacent countries in southern Africa in
particular. Chargé
d'Affaires of Eswatini in South Africa Vulindlela S. Kunene thanked the
Vietnamese Government and people for the gift amid the wide spread of the
pandemic. He added that his country with over 1.1 million people has recorded
nearly 23,800 COVID-19 cases. Vietnamese
Ambassador to South Africa Hoang Van Loi said masks will be also offered to
several schools, localities and communities in South Africa. He also
contacted representatives from other nations to share gifts to them. According to
him, the Vietnamese embassy raised donations from the Vietnamese community
and representative agencies to support the national COVID-19 prevention and
control fund at home. Both sides
also discussed cooperation opportunities between Vietnam and Eswatini. Also as a
part of the programme to hand over masks to schools in South Africa, the
Vietnamese embassy on the same day held a ceremony to present 30,000 masks to
Waterkloof primary school and 25,000 masks to Pro Arte Alphen Park high
school, where many children of the Vietnamese community are studying./. Viettel operates COVID-19 vaccination management platform The
military-run telecom provider Viettel has put into operation a COVID-19
vaccination management platform capable of updating 5 million shots per day. The
platform, launched earlier this month, also links with nearly 7,500 cameras
in quarantine facilities in cities and provinces nationwide. The group
also deployed mobile vehicles to 28 temporary hospitals, 68 others treating
COVID-19 patients and 200 concentrated quarantine facilities. Earlier, it
launched remote health check-up and treatment system Telehealth, Vietnam
Health Declaration app, national communicable disease supervision system and
the national drug supply system. Regarding
its business results, Viettel reported on July 29 that it earned 128.6
trillion VND (5.59 billion USD) in revenue in the first half of this year, up
6.8 percent annually. Its
before-tax profit reached 19.9 trillion VND, up 3.1 percent year-on-year. Due to the
complicated developments of COVID-19 pandemic, 95 percent of its
points-of-sale in Ho Chi Minh City and 80 percent in Hanoi shut down or
suspended operations. To fulfill
business targets, Viettel continued stepping up digital transformation in
governance and fully using technological advances to care for customers via
online platforms. It also
remained a key unit in building e-Government and smart urban areas, improving
cyber security and creating digital society. It upgraded data infrastructure
and began to build a new data centre in the southern province of Binh Duong. The group
expanded study on artificial intelligence in health care, remote sensing and
industry. It also piloted “micro 5G” station to commercialise 5G network
later this year./. Gifts sent to Vietnamese Cambodians in Preah Sihanouk The
Vietnamese Consulate General in Preah Sihanouk and the Khmer-Vietnam
Association in the province on July 29 presented gifts to 150 Vietnamese
Cambodian households and 20 Cambodian ones that are living in difficulties amidst
the complex developments of the COVID-19 pandemic. The gifts
came from the community support fund raised by the Vietnamese Consulate
General. Sharing with
the Consulate General, Vietnamese Cambodians said that they have received
much attention from local authorities, and been vaccinated against COVID-19
for free. They also
took this opportunity to thank the attention and support of the Vietnamese
Party, State, Consulate General and donors, affirming that they will make
efforts to overcome difficulties. The
Cambodian Health Ministry announced 765 new COVID-19 infections on July 29,
including 328 imported ones, raising the national tally to 75,917./. Deputy Defence Minister meets RoK’s outgoing, new defence
attachés Deputy
Minister of National Defence Sen. Lt. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien received the
outgoing and new defence attachés of the Republic of Korea (RoK) in Hanoi on
July 29. He affirmed
that the Vietnamese Government and Ministry of National Defence always attach
importance to the strategic cooperative partnership with the RoK, considering
this a foundation for enhancing bilateral defence ties in an increasingly
substantive and effective manner in various fields. Chien
congratulated Col. Ryou Jae-guen on completing his term in Vietnam and highly
valued Ryou’s considerable contributions to bilateral defence cooperation,
which has been developing fruitfully and matches the demand and capacity of
each nation. Welcoming
the newly-appointed Defence Attaché Col. Kim Dae-young, the Deputy Minister
affirmed that the Vietnamese ministry will create the best possible
conditions for Kim to fulfil his tasks so as to develop the Vietnam - RoK
defence ties steadily, comprehensively, and effectively./. Germany’s newspapers spotlights Hanoi’s mass COVID-19
vaccination Germany’s
Jungewelt newspapers has run an article highlighting the mass vaccination
campaign that Vietnam’s Hanoi capital is conducting to soon drive back the
COVID-19 pandemic. The article
said that Hanoi began the mass vaccination against COVID-19 on July 28. In
Hoan Kiem district, which is flooded by tourists at normal times, around
4,000 doses per day are now administered at seven vaccination centres. Employees
working in key public administration departments at high risk from COVID-19
and workers in industrial areas are the first to be injected. The
vaccination campaign runs from July to April next year and benefits 5.1
million people between 18 and 65 years old. At the moment, the vaccines from
Astra-Zeneca, Moderna and Sputnik V are mainly administered in Vietnam. The article
also mentioned to the fourth wave of the pandemic which hit Vietnam in late
April. From around 3,000 infections detected in the three previous waves, the
Southeast Asian nation has to date recorded over 100,000 cases. The
municipal authorities have implemented drastic measures to prevent the spread
of the coronavirus, the article wrote, adding that people returning to the
capital from pandemic hotspots must be quarantined in dedicated facilities
for 14 days and must undergo at least three PCR tests by method. If all three
tests’ result is negative, they will continue to quarantine for seven days at
home and be tested again on the last day of quarantine. Hanoi has
also set up many checkpoints on the roads entering the city, with police,
military and medical forces on duty regularly to control vehicles entering
and leaving the city./. Source:
VNA/VNS/VOV/VIR/SGT/SGGP/Nhan Dan/Hanoitimes |
