VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES OCTOBER 14
16:16
15 localities agree to resume inter-provincial road
passenger transport services
A total of 15 provinces and cities
have agreed to pilot the resumption of inter-provincial road passenger
transport services, the Directorate for Road of Vietnam has said. According to
the Directorate, another 15 provincial Departments of Transport are waiting
for the approval from the provincial People’s Committees. Many
localities are reviewing the lists of drivers who have fully got two shots of
COVID-19 vaccines, it added. The Ministry
of Transport on October 10 issued temporary regulations on piloting the
resumption of inter-provincial road passenger transport activities from
October 13 – 20, ensuring safe and flexible response to and effective control
of the COVID-19 pandemic. Transport
service providers are requested to operate a maximum of 30 percent of the
number of trips in seven days in accordance with the volume announced by the
Departments of Transport. Regulations on distance between passengers must be
applied. For services
from localities with low and normal risks to localities and areas of
equivalent risks, transport activities shall take place normally. Passengers
are required to strictly comply with the 5K message of the Ministry of
Health, comprising khau trang (face masks), khu khuan (disinfection), khoang
cach (distancing), khong tu tap (no gatherings), and khai bao y te (health
declarations). Passengers
traveling from a new normal and at-risk locality/area to a higher-risk
locality/area comply with the “5K Message”; medical declaration according to
regulations of the Ministry of Health, and do not join the trip when they
have symptoms of cough, fever, shortness of breath, muscle aches, and sore
throat. Drivers,
service staff working on vehicles are required to get full two shots of
vaccines against COVID-19, or have certificates of recovery from COVID-19
within six months and have test results negative for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR or
antigen rapid test methods within 72 hours before boarding buses./. COVID-19: Vietnam working hard in vaccination The
Vietnamese Ministry of Health is working hard to roll out the vaccine
strategy, especially vaccine diplomacy. However,
Vietnam and many other countries that have yet to produce vaccines are facing
difficulties in vaccine access. Health
Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said one of the roadblocks lies with the purchase
and import of vaccines as Vietnam has to satisfy almost requirements of
vaccine suppliers, including the risk of overdue shipment. Moreover,
changes in vaccine policies like those regarding the expansion of vaccination
eligibility and vaccine boosters have also exerted impacts given the global
vaccine shortage, Long said. According to
the minister, the Government and the Prime Minister have made drastic
instructions to seek more vaccine sources for the country. The health
ministry has also worked to accelerate the inoculation, and as a result,
Vietnam’s vaccination rate stays high as compared with that of many other
countries in the world, even surpassing 1 million doses each day. Long said
economic recovery and the resumption of social activities depend on
vaccination, adding that his ministry has continuously urged localities to
speed up the inoculation./. Vietnam welcomes appointment of UN envoys for West Sahara
Vietnam
welcomes the appointment of Staffan de Mistura as the United Nations
Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for Western Sahara and Alexander Ivanko as
the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Western Sahara and head of
the UN Mission for the Referendum on Western Sahara (MINURSO), said Nguyen
Phuong Tra, Deputy Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN. Addressing a
UN Security Council discussion on the situation in Western Sahara on October
13, Tra called on relevant parties to consider the appointment a new
motivation for political process in the area, and show close coordination
with the two officials to resume dialogues and end conflicts. Tra
reiterated Vietnam’s principle stance of supporting the settlement of the
West Sahara issue through peaceful negotiations among relevant parties in
line with international law and related UNSC resolutions. Vietnam
underlines the significance of seeking an equal, long-term and acceptable
solution for all parties, ensuring the rights to self-determination of the
people of West Sahara, in line with UN Charter’s principles and purposes for
peace, cooperation and development in the region. The West
Sahara issue was debated at the UNSC for the first time in 1975 with
Resolution 377 asking the UN Secretary General to consult relevant parties on
the West Sahara situation. In 1991, the UNSC released Resolution 690 on the
plan to organise a referendum so that West Sahara people can decide
themselves whether to become independent or merge into the Morocco territory.
The MINURSO was also set up that year./. National Assembly’s second meeting to be shortened The second
sitting of the 15th National Assembly is scheduled to last for 17 days,
starting October 20, heard the NA Standing Committee on October 13. According to
plans, legislators will meet from October 20 to November 1, and then from
November 8 to 13, according to Bui Van Cuong, NA General Secretary and
Chairman of the NA Office. During the
session, the NA will discuss reports on COVID-19 prevention and control,
along with socio-economic and budget issues. A draft
resolution on the organisation of online trials will be submitted to the NA
for consideration and approval. Meanwhile, a report on the implementation of
the investment protection agreement between Vietnam and the EU will be
withdrawn from the meeting’s programme as by the end of September the deal
was yet to come into force. The
legislature is scheduled to vote to adopt two draft laws and five draft
resolutions, and mull over five other bills. Regarding
the voting in the case the meeting would be held both online and in-person,
the NA Office has coordinated with the Ministry of Information and
Communications, the Ministry of Public Security and other relevant agencies
to complete the voting software system. The NA
Standing Committee basically agreed with the plan submitted by the NA General
Secretary on holding the second sitting in both online and in-person formats,
with an optional plan for online meeting in case the pandemic situation turns
complicated. NA Chairman
Vuong Dinh Hue stressed the need to ensure the best quality of the meeting
even though the duration will be shortened, in order to make the soundest
decisions for such a short period of time. Although the
COVID-19 pandemic has been basically put under control, complex issues still
remain, he said, noting that great efforts are needed to reap the highest
socio-economic achievements in the fourth quarter of this year. The
legislature will accompany the nation in these efforts, he pledged. /. More support needed to help poor, disconnected students with
distance learning More than a
month after the start of the new school year in early September, many
students living in disadvantaged and border areas are still struggling
with online learning due to poor internet connections and a lack of
equipment. In the
border area of Lâm Thủy Commune in central Quảng Bình Province’s Lệ Thủy
District, students have stopped going to school as usual due to the COVID-19
pandemic. However,
they can’t do distance learning as they lack reliable internet connections or
a working computer – the basic tools to participate in virtual lessons from
home. To help
students continue their education, teachers have travelled to students’ homes
and brought textbooks, notebooks and helped them with self-study at
home. Bạch Đàn
Village is only about five kilometres from the centre of Lâm Thủy Commune,
but the road becomes uneven and slippery during the rainy season,
making it hard for local people to travel. Over the
past four months, Hồ Thị Thanh Huyền and Hồ Thị Son, two sisters studying at
Quảng Bình Province’s boarding high school were unable to go to school. Huyền, an
11th grader, said the two sisters attended virtual classes from a
treetop on a hill to get an internet signal. “There are
no internet connections in our village, so we climb up here and put up a tent
with the hope of being connected and catching up with our classmates,” she
told the online newspaper vov.vn. There are
nearly 60 households in Bạch Đàn Village, and 70 per cent of them are living
in poverty. The majority live on wet rice and cassava. Although
struggling to earn a living, parents always care about their children’s
education. Some managed to get second-hand laptops or computers for
their children. Hồ Thị Lài,
mother of the two sisters, spent all her savings to buy two smartphones for
her daughters before she heard the news that they would study online for the
next three months. However,
learning remotely is not only about having good devices. Hoàng Lý,
chairman of Lâm Thủy Commune’s People’s Committee said students faced more
difficulties in digital learning. Even when students had computers or
smartphones, online classes were challenging as they lost their internet
connection very often. On stormy
days, internet access seemed to be impossible, he said. The committee itself
found it hard to connect to the head of the village as the village was
isolated by landslides. To ensure
students get a good education, some teachers have volunteered to travel
to the villages, bringing textbooks and helping students with new lessons
once a week. Nguyễn Văn
Hiếu, teacher at Lâm Thủy ethnic minority boarding school, said learning
devices were hard to access and poor internet connection made it impossible
to learn everything online this way. He offered
in-person instruction, and reached out by guiding students on how to
self-study. He summarised the basic knowledge and sent copies to
students every week. Hồ Thị Dung,
a seventh grader at the boarding school, said the teachers’ motorbikes and
shoes were all covered in mud every time they approached the village. “Previously,
they helped take us to school on rainy days and now they bring us
lessons while we study online so we won’t get off track,” she said. Recently,
the provincial authority has worked with Viettel Quảng Bình Branch of Viettel
Group to survey the location for a mast to ensure 4G reaches the
village. Hồ An Phong,
vice chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said the coverage would
help online studying and ensuring rescue work, security and forest
protection in the area. He said the
committee has received support from enterprises and individuals in supplying
devices for disadvantaged students, so children would be able to study at
home. Vietnam ready to unite with countries to respond to natural
disasters Vietnam
remains ready to co-operate with international partners, agencies of both the
UN and ASEAN, and international organisations to raise global awareness of
mitigating disaster risks and improving adaptive capacity whilst responding
to more effectively to natural disasters amid COVID-19. Deputy Prime
Minister Le Van Thanh made the statement while attending a ceremony on
October 13 held to mark International Day for Disaster Risk
Reduction and ASEAN Day for Disaster Management (ADDM) held by
the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control. Deputy PM
Thanh said that the Party, State, Government, local authorities, and
local socio-political organisations always pay close attention to disaster
prevention and control measures. The country
has actively joined several international organisations and forums relating
to natural disaster prevention and mitigation. It is also an active member
and effectively contributes to ASEAN's joint efforts in disaster risk
reduction and prevention, the Deputy PM added. However,
there remains several limitations pertaining to forecast, warning, resources,
equipment, infrastructure, forces, application of science and technology, and
post-disaster recovery, he said. The COVID-19 pandemic poses a challenge
to effectively cope with risks when they occur simultaneously alongside
natural disasters. The
Vietnamese Government always considers natural disaster prevention and
control to the main priority of the whole political system in order to
protect the lives, health, and property of local citizens, Deputy PM Thanh
said. Vietnam
therefore highly values and hopes that countries, organisations, and
international friends continue to accompany and support the nation in gaining
early access to advanced science and technology, along with resources to
promptly respond and quickly overcome the impacts and consequences of natural
disasters. Ekkaphab
Phanthavong, ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General, acknowledged Vietnamese
efforts in this regard, saying that the nation is a very active member
in ASEAN. Marco
Toscano-Rivalta, chief of the Regional Office for Asia and the
Pacific at the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR),
applauded the Vietnamese Government’s adoption of the national
strategy for natural disaster prevention and control. Book review contest offers a glimpse on Korean literature The
Vietnam's Women Publishing House in coordination with the Literature
Translation Institute of the Republic of Korea launched a book review contest
aiming to introduce Vietnamese readers to Korean literature. The contest
is open to Vietnamese citizens, who are encouraged to express their thoughts
and feelings about one of the following five Korean literary
works: ‘Chiec Thang Cao Mau Xanh’ (Tall Blue Ladder) by Gong Ji
Young, ‘Hoang Hon Do Ruc’ (Red Sunset by Baek Shin Ae, ‘Cam On Tat
Ca’ (Thank You) by Kim Jung-mi, ‘Trom Hay Loi Thu Toi Cua Mot Chiec
Gai’ (Thorn Confession) by Kim Ryeo-Ryeong, and ‘Chuyen Doi
Suong’ (The Story of Suong’s Life) by Suh Song Nan. The entries
can be presented in various forms, including articles no more than 2,000
words in length, videos with duration between 30 seconds and 3 minutes, audio
files, or drawings with description. Entries
should be submitted to the official website of the Vietnam's Women Publishing
House at https://nxbphunu.com.vn/ or via its Facebook page, before October
31. Winners of
the contest will be announced on November 9, with one first, one second, and
one third prize, plus five voters’ choice awards to be presented to the most
outstanding entries. Goethe-Institut’s science film festival goes virtual this year
The
Goethe-Institut in Hanoi has launched the 2021 international science film
festival which is available online from October 10 to December 31. COVID-19 has
destabilized the global economy and upended the lives of billions of people
around the globe. That is why the Science Film Festival turns its focus on
health and mental health in 2021. The Science
Film Festival is held annually by the Goethe-Institut in Hanoi. The festival
presents scientific issues accessibly and entertainingly to a broad audience
and demonstrates that science can be fun./. Coordination enhanced to improve livelihoods for ethnic
minorities Many
policies for ethnic minority-inhabited and mountainous areas,
and extremely disadvantaged areas were developed and implemented
during the 2013-2020 period with the coordination between the
Government Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs and the Vietnam Farmers
Union (VFU). A conference
to review the coordination between the two agencies was held in Hanoi on
October 13 under the co-chair of Minister-Chairman of the Government
Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs Hau A Lenh and Chairman
of the VFU Luong Quoc Doan. It was
reported at the conference that the two sides have worked together on a
number of programmes, including Programme 135, which aims to improve
living conditions for rural residents with a particular focus on ethnic
minority communities, and a specific policy for socio-economic development in
ethnic minority and mountainous areas in 2017 – 2020. Notably, the
two agencies has coordinated to build the national target programme on socio-economic
development in ethnic minority-inhabited and mountainous areas for
2021-2030. The
programmes and policies have contributed to fostering the confidence of
people of all ethnic groups in the Party and the State, and firmly promoting
the great national unity bloc. Participants
discussed and agreed on a number of contents for their specific coordination
programme, including issues related to investment in creating livelihoods and
economic development for ethnic minorities. The two agencies
signed a cooperation programme framework for the 2021-2025 period, and
developed a plan for regular tasks of the two sides in 2022. VFU Chairman
Luong Quoc Doan expressed his hope that the two sides will continue to
cooperate more closely to well implement contents and tasks of
the national target programme on socio-economic
development in ethnic minority-inhabited and mountainous
areas for 2021-2030, helping to maintain political stability and
successfully carry out the cause of national construction and development. Minister-Chairman
Hau A Lenh underlined the need to promote communication work, socio-economic
and culture development and new-style rural area building in combination with
investment and support for farmers through projects and models in ethnic
minority and mountainous areas. He suggested
the two sides continue to innovate methods of mobilisation and popularisation
in order to fully equip farmers with knowledge, thus changing outdated
farming practices, towards promoting sustainable poverty reduction./. Quảng Ninh looks to take lead in IT application in COVID-19 fight As well as
striving to vaccinate all eligible residents, the northern province of
Quảng Ninh is also working hard to take the lead in the application of
information technology to fight COVID-19. Secretary of
the Quảng Ninh Party Committee Nguyễn Xuân Ký, who is also head of the
provincial steering committee for COVID-19 prevention and control, has asked
the departments of health and public security, along with localities, to
standardise data and ensure smooth connection and integration of information. Moving to
enhance its IT deployment capacity in the pandemic fight, Quảng Ninh is
considering trialling artificial intelligence (AI) at the checkpoint on Bạch
Đằng Bridge – a key bridge connecting the three major northern economic
centres of Hải Phòng, Quảng Ninh and Hà Nội – and will expand this model if
it proves effective. It is also boosting the use of QR codes at agencies,
businesses, and stores, and requests visitors to those places to scan QR
codes in order to help contact tracing. Efforts are
being made from provincial to grassroots levels to carry out integration and
application solutions on the basis of the national population database, which
is useful not only for the building of an e-administration, digital economy,
and digital society, but also in the fight against COVID-19. Established
on September 1, the Quảng Ninh command centre for COVID-19 prevention and
control is based at the headquarters of the provincial People’s Committee and
uses the existing infrastructure of the local smart city operation centre. It
is connected with 13 command centres at district level and 177 at communal
level. Via a camera
system, it has discovered wrongdoings in the implementation of anti-pandemic
regulations at several checkpoints, helping to quickly make improvements. Many
activities of the provincial command centre have been integrated such as
reading and submitting reports, issuing directions, managing documents and
tasks, convening teleconferences, and receiving and replying to people and
businesses’ opinions. This has
helped maintain precise and continuous updates on the pandemic
situation, keep contact with all-level centres around the clock, and make
swift decisions to help the COVID-19 fight. In addition,
the provincial command centre set up two hotlines, 0203.223.588 and
0869.9199.588, available in four foreign languages (English, Japanese,
Korean, and Chinese) to receive information about the pandemic. The hotlines
handle around 80-100 calls per day, most of which ask for details about
conditions for exiting and entering the province, quarantine procedures, and
the vaccination policy. The centre
has advised the provincial People’s Committee on anti-pandemic measures when
socio-economic activities are resumed, along with COVID-19 vaccinations for
foreigners living in Quảng Ninh. It has also directed, examined, and promoted
the implementation of measures against COVID-19 in the province. By taking
early action from the grassroots level and prioritising pandemic prevention, Quảng
Ninh has succeeded in surmounting different waves of coronavirus infections. So far, it
has stayed free of community transmission of the coronavirus for more than
100 days and basically completed administering the first dose of COVID-19
vaccine to all those eligible. The
provincial administration has issued a plan to give the second doses, looking
to finish the vaccination drive by October 30. Authorities
are also taking strong action to prevent the virus from entering the province
to keep the local situation stable in the “new normal”. In 2021,
Quảng Ninh is aiming for a growth rate of 10 per cent in the gross regional
domestic product (GRDP) and more than VNĐ51 trillion (over US$2.2 billion) in
State budget revenue, thereby achieving the twin targets of curbing COVID-19
and boosting socio-economic development. Its GRDP
increased 8.6 per cent in the first nine months of this year, higher than the
national average. Vaccine self-sufficiency needed to return to new normal: Deputy
PM Deputy Prime
Minister Vu Duc Dam held a working session with leaders of the Ministry of
Health and the Ministry of Science and Technology to review COVID-19
vaccines, medicines and biological products for testing. Deputy Prime
Minister Vu Duc Dam held a working session with leaders of the Ministry
of Health and the Ministry of Science and Technology to review COVID-19
vaccines, medicines and biological products for testing. At the
event, Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan said Vietnam has so far
licenced eight types of COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use, built specific
criteria and standards for licensing home-grown vaccines based on feedback
from experts of the World Health Organisation, which are scheduled to be
issued before October 20. About
medicines, the Ministry of Health will create favourable conditions for firms
to import materials and preapre for production after they are officially
licenced. Several companies have received technologies to produce rapid
antigen testing kits at reasonable costs. Dam, who is
also Deputy Head of the National Steering Committee
for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, said Vietnam has mastered
technologies to produce biological products for testing and anti-pandemic
equipment. At the same time, vaccine research and production have made initial
positive steps with clinical trials since the middle of this year. The Ministry
of Health also reported that Vietnam has fully been self-sufficient in
biological products for RT-PCR and rapid anti-gen testing. The Deputy
PM asked the Ministry of Science and Technology to promptly carry out the
vaccine research programme till 2030 and scientific tasks for pandemic
prevention and control, update the latest advanced technologies for the
effort, and report issues out of its authority to the PM. The Ministry
of Health was assigned to work with ministries and agencies concerned to
forecast the pandemic situation and demand for vaccines, medicines,
biological products and anti-pandemic equipment. Considering the domestic
situation, it should build a plan to import them in an economical and
effective manner while encouraging the development of the domestic
pharmaceutical industry. The
Ministries of Finance, Planning and Investment, Health, Science and
Technology and the Vietnam Social Security must actively deal with
suggestions by localities, medical establishments and enterprises regarding
procurement mechanism and payment./. UK newspaper upbeat about Vietnam’s digitally-enabled future FPT UK
Managing Director Mohan Naidu has said Vietnam is quickly becoming a hub
of technology expertise, and the digitally-enabled future for
Vietnam is just beginning. In his
article published on the UK’s intelligentcio.com on October 12, Naidu said
Vietnamese enterprise leaders are looking at all business and talent models
to get what they need, especially where emerging technologies are concerned. Vietnam
thoroughly embraced this shift and emerged stronger in the pandemic economy
by virtue of its ambition, vision and willingness to pivot quickly, he wrote. The article
said software outsourcing is set to explode in Vietnam as its standing grows
as an IT development destination. In recent years, Vietnam’s IT industries
have been moving up the value chain and offering more value-added work. According to
the author, FPT Software is investing in its intercontinental
expansion, with Europe targeted as a first port for capital commitment in the
value of 100 million USD. The software company established itself in the EU
market and in the UK with its first global client more than 20 years ago.
European growth was steady but its focus and trajectory took it into Japan
and the US, where it now employs thousands of local and international experts
and engineers, reaching revenues of hundreds of millions in USD annually. The focus
has now returned to the UK and Europe, where there is a high demand for
digital transformation and innovation projects. He said the
challenge Vietnam faces is a need to grow the digital workforce by an
additional 190,000 IT engineers by the end of 2021. Vietnam
tackled this digital fluency challenge head on. A foundation of the
attractive talent market in Vietnam is its robust, digitally oriented
education system. Currently, Vietnam has 236 universities, 149 of which are
training IT professionals, delivering more than 50,000 IT engineers to the
workforce annually. This lands Vietnam on the list of the top 10 nations in
the world for the highest number of IT students. The article
stressed that as Vietnam continues to promote business reform and cultivate
digitally fluent talent; it is poised as a rising star in the global services
market. Earlier,
Vietnam ranked ninth in the top 10 digital nations by the US’s investment
strategy consultant Tholons. In 2019, the world’s leading consulting agency
AT Kearney listed Vietnam among the top five most attractive destinations for
IT outsourcing while the US technological consulting and research agency Gartner
considered Vietnam as the Tier 1 emerging offshore outsourcing location in
the Asia-Pacific./. Typhoon Kompasu to weaken to tropical depression after making
landfall in central region Typhoon
Kompasu, the eighth storm to hit Việt Nam this year, will land between
the central provinces of Thanh Hóa to Quảng Bình and weaken to a
tropical depression by 4pm on Thursday. At 4am on
Wednesday, the eye of the storm was about 270km to the northeast of the
Hoàng Sa (Paracels) Archipelago. The
strongest wind speeds were recorded at about 100 to 120km per hour. The typhoon
is forecast to move west at a speed of 20km per hour. Once it
weakens to a tropical depression, it will sustain winds of 40 to 50km
per hour. At 4am on
Friday, the tropical depression will enter the central region of Laos with
wind speeds decreasing to below 40km per hour. Coastal
areas from northern Quảng Ninh Province to central Quảng Bình Province and
the East Sea area will experience strong winds. Heavy rain
is predicted from Wednesday afternoon to Friday in the northern region and
Quảng Trị Province, with rainfall to 200 millimeters per. Regions from
Thanh Hoá to Quảng Bình would also observe heavy rains with
levels up to 350 millimeters. Flash floods and landslides may occur in
certain areas, according to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological
Forecasting. The tropical
depression combined with a new cold wave in the north-central region will
cause more heavy rain. Deputy Prime
Minister Lê Văn Thành on Tuesday required localities to minimise the storm’s
impacts, thus preventing the double effects from COVID-19 and natural
disasters. Stressing
the need for plans to evacuate locals in high-risk areas to safer places
while still ensuring pandemic prevention, he asked the localities to pay special
attention to giving safe shelter and support to migrant workers on the
way to their hometowns from southern localities. It is
necessary to ensure the safety of dams, dykes and reservoirs while preparing
forces and vehicles for rescue work, he said. Representatives
of localities that are forecast to be hit by the typhoon – Thanh Hóa, Hà
Tĩnh, Nghệ An, Quảng Bình, Quảng Trị, and Thừa Thiên-Huế – said that they had
made preparations to brace for the typhoon, including alerting fishing
vessels at sea and designing plans to respond to heavy rain and flooding. Tropical
storm Kompasu has set off landslides and flash floods in the Philippines,
leaving at least 11 people dead, according to Aljazeera. Memorable days for volunteer medics at COVID-19
treatment field hospital in HCM City The three
months of fighting the coronavirus to save the lives of COVID-19 patients in
HCM City will never be forgotten by Dr Nguyễn Ngọc Thành and other
medical staff from the northern province of Quảng Ninh who have volunteered
to come to assist the southern city. Packing up
recently to leave the hospital, Thành said the three-month period has
been a valuable experience for him and his colleagues. The
staff always stood shoulder to shoulder to fight the virus. “After 10
years in the profession, this was the most special business trip, and also
my first time fighting a pandemic,” he said. On July 13,
Thành along with others on the volunteer medical team left Quảng
Ninh to join force with the frontline medical teams of the southern city as
it battled a severe outbreak that sees caseload and deaths surging to
unprecedented levels. They carried
out their work at the COVID-19 Treatment Field Hospital No.12 in Thủ Đức
City, which is slated to close in November, now that cases have dwindled. Hospitalised
patients are screened and classified. Severely ill patients
are taken to the emergency room, put on a ventilator and closely
monitored. Every day,
doctors check the patients while nurses measure their heart rates,
temperature, blood oxygen levels, and
administer drugs to the patients. On the first
days of work, the team faced difficulties due to a shortage of
medical equipment, Thành said. The number
of hospitalised patients skyrocketed, with hundreds of patients on peak days
and about 30 severe emergency cases. "The
hospital was under great pressure, but everything was new to me. I am not a
doctor specialising in emergency resuscitation, so I had to learn from
work experience," he said. He
said the most severe case was a 67-year-old patient with a history
of hypertension and diabetes. The patient
showed severe symptoms and was transferred to the emergency department.
Thành assigned the patient to be put on a high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC)
for breathing support. After 10
days of treatment and monitoring, the patient's health status gradually
improved and he was weaned off the HFNC before switching to an oxygen
mask and later being discharged. Most
patients are treated for 7- 10 days before they are discharged. Only
about 20 per cent of infections turn critical and need more time
for treatment and recovery. Only one
death related to COVID-19, a male patient aged over 60, has
been recorded at the field hospital No.12. The man had been treated
for pulmonary tuberculosis for two years. Three days
after the date of admission, the patient coughed up blood and
was moved to the emergency department. Despite multiple
resuscitation efforts by doctors, the patient did not
survive because of his serious health conditions. "None
of us could hold back the tears as the patient died without
being able to see his loved ones for the very last time,”
Thành said. “So
we sat back and told each other not to let our spirits fall,
as the fight against COVID-19 would be long.” "We
have been luckier than our colleagues in other places because we have
seen many patients discharged. That is the greatest consolation to
any medic during this tough time," he said. Phạm Văn Võ,
a nurse from Quảng Ninh Obstetrics and Paediatrics Hospital, said
he had previously participated in the fight against COVID-19
in northern Bắc Giang Province, but he had
been overwhelmed with the number of patients at the HCM
City hospital. “The number
of new infections in one day in the city was equal to the total cases
recorded in Bắc Giang in the last outbreak,” he said. On the first
day he started working, the hospital only used three buildings, but then
all six buildings were full of patients. Võ said
patients with severe conditions are often under more stress
because they are hospitalised alone. “Some easily panic when hearing
that a family member has died,” he said. Medical
staff had to reassure the patients and also let them make video
calls with their families, and encourage them to stay positive while
fighting the disease, he said. The
latest outbreak in the city has subsided, with the number of new daily
infections continuing to decrease. Only about
10 patients are now being treated in the field hospital No.12’s emergency
resuscitation department. Dr Bùi Hải
Nam, head of the Quảng Ninh Province’s volunteer medical team, said more
than 70 medics from Quảng Ninh came to support the city in the past three
months. They have
helped take care of and treat around 4,500 COVID-19 patients at the field
hospital No.12. Of the number, more than 3,300 patients have been
discharged from the hospital. The team has
been divided into several smaller groups and will gradually withdraw
from the city. Among these, 29 doctors and nurses have applied to continue
supporting the city. Thành and
his colleagues are now undergoing isolation at the Quảng Ninh Obstetrics
and Paediatrics Hospital before they return home and reunite with
their families. Since July,
about 20,000 health workers across the country have been sent to assist
the city in the pandemic fight. Deputy
Minister of Health Nguyễn Trường Sơn has asked city authorities to plan for
withdrawal of healthcare staff reinforcements from the city.
They may call on them to help other COVID-19-hit localities in need. HCM City to
date has recorded over 410,000 COVID-19 infections, accounting for half of
the country's total caseload. The number of daily new cases have been on the
decline to around 1,500 in recent days since the peak of up to nearly
6,000 in August. Nearly
16,000 fatalities have been logged, or three quarters of Việt Nam's total
deaths. Standing Committee discusses preparation for second session of
the 15th NA The National
Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on Wednesday morning discussed preparations
for the second session of the 15th NA, which is scheduled to last for 17
days. Under the
schedule, the second session will be divided into two phases. The first phase
will be from October 20 to November 1 whereas the second phase will be from
November 8 to 13. General
Secretary of the NA and also chairman of the NA Office Bùi Văn Cường said
that the session would discuss a report on COVID-19 prevention and control,
including special measures to cope with the pandemic, and also discuss
socio-economic development and the State budget. The second
session will also consider a draft resolution for online trials, consider
withdrawing the report on the implementation of the Investment Protection
Agreement between Việt Nam, the European Union (EU) and EU members as per the
Government's request. By the end of September this year, this agreement has
not come into force because only eight out of 27 EU members ratified the agreement. In the
meeting, deputies also gave opinions about a project of ensuring water
security, dam and reservoir safety in the 2021-30 period. Because it
is a big project with many important national issues and a long-term vision,
the NA Standing Committee proposed to ask for instruction from the Politburo.
The Politburo suggested not arranging the issue in the schedule of the NA’s
second session to have more time to prepare carefully. It is
planned that in the second session, the NA will consider and approve two law
projects, five draft resolutions and give opinions on five law projects. As for
voting for approval, general secretary Cường said that electronic voting
would be applied as usual via software on iPads. The software
was installed by the NA Office in co-ordination with the Ministry of
Information and Communications, the Ministry of Public Security and other
agencies. A deputy
proposed to replace the question and answer session by “listening to
citizens’ suggestions”. Via NA deputies, citizens can suggest measures to
improve manufacturing after the pandemic, and bring the socio-economy to
a new normal. General
secretary Cường answered that reports by the Việt Nam Fatherland Front
Central Committee, in which summing up voters’ and citizens’ opinions, had
brought the people’s wishes to the NA. The question and answer session was a
supervision activity, expressing the companionship of the NA and the whole
political system, especially the Government, to resolve difficulties, find
effective solutions for pandemic prevention and control, recover production
and ensure social security. The NA
Standing Committee members basically agreed with the presentation of general
secretary Cường. They agreed with the plan for online and in-person meetings
of the second session. Chairman of
the NA’s Committee on Legal Affairs Hoàng Thanh Tùng said that the working
time being shortened to 17 days was a great improvement. It was much shorter
than usual year-end meetings in previous years because year-end meetings must
consider many issues while must still ensuring quality. If the
session was organised reasonably, this would be an experience that could be
promoted in the future, he said. Emphasising
that this would be a very important meeting because it would decide the framework
for 2022, NA Chairman Vương Đình Huệ said that the meeting time would be
shortened, but ensure the highest quality to have the most correct law
projects and decisions. NA committees,
the Government, the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuracy
and concerned organisations, especially the NA Standing Committee, have
closely co-ordinated in the preparations for the meeting. “The
pandemic was basically controlled, but the situation is still complicated
requiring great efforts to achieve the highest results. The common spirit is
that the NA would accompany the whole country," said Huệ. New Chairman of Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Association elected Chairman of
the National Assembly’s Committee for External Relations Vu Hai Ha has been
elected as Chairman of the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Association for the
2021-2025 tenure. Speaking at
a conference of the association in Hanoi on October 13, Ha vowed to do his
best to uphold the tradition of the association, and serve as a bridge
between the Vietnamese and Cuban people, thereby contributing to
the Vietnam-Cuba special friendship. Truong Thi
Mai, Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and
Chairwoman of the Party Central Committee’s Organisation Commission, who was
Chairwoman of the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Organisation for the 2017-2020
period, expressed her belief that Ha will fulfill his assigned tasks to
contribute to the growing bilateral ties. Amid the
complicated developments of the COVID1-9 pandemic in the past nine months,
the association switched from offline to online and semi-online activities to
popularise the information about Cuba and its people, as well as the
traditional solidarity between the two nations, affirming the Vietnamese
people's consistent support for the revolutionary cause for justice of the
fraternal Cuban people./. Foreign Minister: comprehensive vaccine plan for 2022 needed Minister of
Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son has asked the Government’s Working Group on
vaccine diplomacy to build a comprehensive vaccine plan for 2022 based on
domestic demand, including vaccines for children aged 5-12 and 12-18, booster
shots as well as the capacity of vaccine production at home. Son, who is
also head of the group, made the request while chairing its regular meeting
in Hanoi on October 13, two months after the Prime Minister signed a decision
on its establishment on August 13. Reports by
the ministries of foreign affairs and health said that positive results have
been made in vaccine diplomacy. The total amount of vaccines to Vietnam has
increased in recent months. The group
also advised the Government to step up cooperation in vaccine production and
trials at home and import several types of COVID-19 drugs. In his
conclusion, Son said the most important task of the group between now and the
year’s end is to continue accelerating and ensuring the delivery of vaccines
as committed. It will promote international cooperation in vaccine production
to increase domestic supply as well as step up approaches to COVID-19
medicines. Amid the
uncertain and prolonged developments of the pandemic, the minister suggested
the group uphold the sense of responsibility, work closely and flexibly to
offer timely suggestions regarding vaccine diplomatic activities that match
domestic situation and demand, contributing to socio-economic development in
the new normal./. Vice President attends third Eurasian Women's Forum Vice
President Vo Thi Anh Xuan lauded the Eurasian Women's Forum’s contributions
to connecting and empowering women in her speech at the first plenary session
of the ongoing 3rd Eurasian Women's Forum on October 13. The forum,
themed “Women: A Global Mission in a New Reality”, takes place virtually from
October 13 to 15, gathering participants from more than 100 countries and
international organisations. Praising the
theme, Xuan said the forum creates conditions to discuss opportunities and
challenges that the globalisation, the 4th industrial revolution, and the
COVID-19 pandemic are impacting the world in general and women in particular. The Vice
President talked about Vietnam’s experience and achievements in gender
equality promotion across all social aspects, informing that the proportion
of female National Assembly deputies, and key female leaders at ministries
and ministerial-level agencies being at more than 30 percent and 50 percent,
respectively. She affirmed
that Vietnam has also launched many initiatives to enhance the role of women
as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 term,
the ASEAN Chair in 2020, and the President of the 41st General Assembly of
the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly. She called
on countries to work together to solve urgent issues involving women such as
mitigation of impacts of COVID-19, climate change, and conflict and violence. The role of
women in socio-economic recovery and development should be promoted, Xuan
said, adding that coordination should be strengthened to boost the making and
effective implementation of policies and laws for the comprehensive
development of women. The
Vietnamese delegation is expected to attend and deliver speeches at a number
of thematic sessions at the forum./. Webinar seeks ways to promote OVs’ role in popularising
Vietnamese goods abroad A webinar
was held in Hanoi on October 13 to discuss measures to further promote
overseas Vietnamese’s role in the consumption and popularisation of
Vietnamese goods abroad. Co-hosted by
the State Commission for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs under the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, Ho Chi Minh City's Committee for Overseas Vietnamese
Affairs, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Vietnam Trade Promotion
Agency, the event aimed to realise the Prime Minister’s Decision
No.1797/QD-TTg approving a project on pooling the OVs’ involvement in
introduction, consumption and development of Vietnamese goods distribution
channels abroad for the 2020-2024 period, on the occasion of the 17th
anniversary of the Vietnam Entrepreneurs’ Day (October 13). Speaking at
the event, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Quang Hieu, who is also
Chairman of the State Commission for OV Affairs expressed his belief
that Vietnam will soon overcome difficulties caused by COVID-19 pandemic and
more Vietnamese goods will become more popular worldwide, thus improving the
images, trademarks and quality of Vietnamese products on the international
arena. Participants
at the event discussed orientations to popularise Vietnamese goods abroad, especially
linking domestic and representative Vietnamese agencies abroad, domestic and
foreign enterprises together, as well as optimising exhibitions and
e-commerce platforms to connect supply and demand./. Legislators mull over land use for infrastructure development The 15th
National Assembly (NA)’s Standing Committee gave opinions on the national
land use planning scheme for 2021-2030 with a vision to 2045 and a land use
plan for 2021-2025 during its ongoing 4th session in Hanoi on October 13. Minister of
Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha said the scheme aims to
arrange land areas to meet the requirements of developing a synchronous
infrastructure system; maintain 3.5 million ha of paddy plantation fields;
ensure a stable rate of forest coverage at 42-43 percent; reclaim, restore
and put unused land into use; and curb land degradation and restore degraded
land areas. According to
the draft of the planning, by 2030, the area of land for growing rice will
decrease by 348,770 ha, with the reduction concentrated in the Red River
Delta and the Mekong River Delta. Meanwhile, many areas will be converted to
non-agricultural land such as industrial parks. The NA’s
Economic Committee proposed reviewing and restricting the conversion of rice
plantation land into potential rice-growing areas to non-agricultural land. Speaking at
the meeting, NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue stressed the need to apply modern
technology to the management and monitoring of land data. The
management and use of land is the focus of the NA’s supreme supervision in
the practice of thrift and anti-waste, he noted, requesting that land data
must be specific based on on-site surveys. Concluding
the land use discussion, NA Vice Chairman Nguyen Duc Hai stated the planning
must go first as a basis for sectoral, regional and provincial planning
schemes. It must be
specific to implement but be comprehensive and visionary to create room for
development, he said, adding that information review and exchange with
ministries, sectors, and localities should be done to avoid conflict and
overlapping between the national planning with sectoral and regional planning
schemes. It is
necessary to connect the land use planning scheme and plan with land-based
economic development for effective exploitation, as well as the prevention of
related losses, waste, and vested interest in the future. In the
afternoon, the NA Standing Committee considered and made a decision on
supplementing the estimate of revenue and expenditure regarding foreign aid
capital in 2021 for the central province of Quang Nam./. FM: Vietnam wishes to enhance multifaceted cooperation with
Poland Minister of
Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son has affirmed that Vietnam always treasures
and wishes to enhance all-around cooperation with Poland. During a
reception in Hanoi on October 13 for Polish Ambassador to Vietnam Wojciech
Gerwel, Son suggested both sides continue facilitating the exchange of visits
by senior leaders and officials of ministries and agencies to foster
political trust and mutual understanding, thus laying a foundation to expand
bilateral collaboration in various fields. He thanked
the Polish Government and people for donating 501,600 doses of
AstraZeneca vaccine to Vietnam and key medical supplies to Ho Chi Minh City
to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. This week, Poland will also deliver 890,000
doses of AstraZeneca to Vietnam. Son hailed
Poland as the biggest trade partner of Vietnam in Central and Eastern Europe.
Two-way trade was maintained at an impressive figure in the first eight
months of this year, reaching 1.67 billion USD. The host
proposed Poland soon ratify the European Union – Vietnam Investment
Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and launch the bilateral economic cooperation
consultation mechanism to tap benefits brought about by the EU-Vietnam Free
Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the EVIPA. Ambassador,
for his part, vowed to keep striving to further consolidate and tighten the
traditional friendship and cooperation between the two countries to meet
their practical interests./. Hanoi - Past and present brought to life in paintings
The
beauty of Hanoi, which lies in its ancient sites and vibrant life, is
featured in 200 paintings from artist Van Duong Thanh. The paintings are now
on show at the “Hanoi in Van Duong Thanh’s paintings” exhibition organised to
mark the 67th anniversary of Hanoi Liberation Day, on October 10. In Thanh’s
artworks, Hanoi’s history is reflected through its mossy ancient walls and
roofs, modern architecture, and vibrant streets. The
paintings are on large canvas and boast impressive, intense colours. Artist Van
Duong Thanh brought to the exhibition a special artwork of herself from
renowned painter Bui Xuan Phai. Proceeds
from the sale of two of Thanh’s paintings - “Huong hoa sen” (Lotus
flower fragrance) and “Ky niem pho xua Ha Noi” (Memories of old Hanoi) -
created during social distancing in the capital, were used to buy five tonnes
of rice to help disadvantaged people in Phu Yen province. The
exhibition is a vivid illustration of the vitality of Hanoi and art, which
were both able to rise above the pandemic./. Exhibition marks 60th anniversary of Ho Chi Minh Trail at Sea An exhibition on
seas, island and naval officers is being held in the northern city of Hai
Phong from October 13-19, as part of activities marking the 60th anniversary
of Ho Chi Minh Trail at Sea. Co-organised
by the municipal Department of Culture and Sports and the Navy High
Command’s Department of Navy Politics, the event showcases 180 photos, 35
documents and objects, two maps of Ho Chi Minh Trail at Sea and Vietnam’s
waters, and 10 statistical sheets on achievements made by the Vietnam
People’s Navy. Director of
the municipal Department of Culture and Sports Tran Thi Hoang Mai said the
exhibition offers an insight into the heroic tradition and achievements by
the Vietnam People’s Navy in the fight for national liberation to which the
strategic military transport route Ho Chi Minh Trail at Sea made important
contributions. The Ho Chi
Minh Trail at Sea was set up on October 23, 1961 to help with the
transportation of weapons from the North to aid the southern liberation army. During the
resistance war against the US imperialists, the Ho Chi Minh Trail at
Sea was considered a “true legend” and a miracle of the Vietnamese
nation, contributing to the 1975 spring victory./. Vietnamese businesses greatly contribute to Laos’s
socio-economic development The Vietnam
Business Association for Cooperation and Investment in Laos (BACI) held an
ceremony to mark the 17th anniversary of the Vietnam Entrepreneurs’ Day in
both face-to-face and online forms in Vientiane on October 13. Addressing
the event, interim chairman of BACI Duong Dinh Bang said implementing the
policy of promoting economic cooperation with Laos, on the basis of the great
friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two
countries, many Vietnamese enterprises have poured investment into and done
business in the country. With more
than 400 investment projects worth over 5 billion USD, Vietnam is currently
the third largest foreign investor in Laos, after Thailand and China, he
said. In recent
years, the Vietnamese business community in Laos has not only contributed to
the Lao budget but also donated tens of millions of USD to social security
activities, developing infrastructure facilities and creating jobs for
thousands of Lao labourers. It has also
helped change Lao labourers’ awareness of shifting from small-scale
production to commodity-based production, contributing to creating a new and
fundamental orientation to promote sustainable production development in the
country. Vietnamese
Ambassador to Laos Nguyen Ba Hung praised efforts of the Vietnamese business
community in Laos to overcome difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,
and expressing his delight at the increasing number of new projects invested
by Vietnamese firms in Laos despite the health crisis. He urged
Vietnamese enterprises operating in Laos to update and further promote
application of new technologies and digital transformation in order to
maximise the efficiency of their production and business activities and
effectively adapt to the pandemic. The diplomat
called on Vietnamese businesses to strengthen coordination and support each
other, contributing to further tightening the Vietnam – Laos great
relationship. He took the
occasion to applaud active contributions of Vietnamese enterprises in Laos to
both countries' fight against COVID-19./. PM Pham Minh Chinh meets voters in Can Tho city Prime
Minister Pham Minh Chinh on October 13 met with voters of Mekong
Delta city of Can Tho via teleconference. At the
meeting, voters of Can Tho expressed their joy at the recent achievements in
the COVID-19 prevention and control, and their determination to
continue to well implement the directions and guidelines on pandemic combat
and socio-economic development. They also proposed many issues including
increasing vaccine distribution, easing traffic restrictions, the
continuation of social welfare policies as well as investment in
infrastructure and investment attraction to create jobs for local workers. The Prime
Minister highly appreciated the voters’response to the fight against the
COVID-19 pandemic and maintaining socio-economic development. He suggested
agencies continue to deal with voters' proposals and recommendations. The main
tasks and solutions from now until the end of this year are to develop and
implement priority plans for pandemic prevention and control, according to PM
Chinh. It was
necessary to flexibly adjust, closely coordinate between monetary and fiscal
policies, accelerate disbursement of public investment capital as well as
promote exports and control prices, he said. He said the
Government will priotise removing difficulties in mechanisms and policies to
tap all resources for pandemic prevention and control and socio-economic
development, ensuring social welfare, and strengthening national defence and
security. The
efficiency of external affairs work will be promoted along with pushing up
international integration and drastically implement the 'vaccine diplomacy',
Chinh said. The
Government and Prime Minister will accompany the authorities and people of
Can Tho city to successfully implement the set goals with the immediate plan
of shifting its strategy to safe and flexible adaptation and effective
control of the COVID-19 pandemic while boosting socio-economic development,
he said./. HCM City honours religious volunteers supporting COVID-19 fight The Vietnam
Fatherland Front (VFF) Committee of Ho Chi Minh City and the city's Committee
for Religious Affairs on October 13 honoured 82 religious volunteers who have
worked side by side with medical workers at local COVID-19 treatment
hospitals. Addressing
the event, on behalf of hospitals and clinics where the volunteers worked,
Doctor Le Anh Tuan, Vice Director of the hospital for intensive care for
COVID-19 patients thanked the volunteers for their assistance, which he said
has helped medical workers complete their medical tasks. Tuan noted
that thanks to the joint efforts of medical staff and the volunteers, so far,
2,500 out of 3,800 COVID-19 patients with severe conditions at the hospital
have recovered and been discharged. To date,
over 2,800 medical workers and volunteers from many hospitals, localities and
training facilities across the country, including 387 volunteers from
different religious, have worked at the hospital, he said. On the
occasion, the committee presented certificates of merit and gifts to the
volunteers, who will undertake quarantine in line of regulations before
returning home. Since July
22, 670 religious volunteers have been sent to various hospitals for COVID-19
treatment across the city./. ASEAN cooperation helps effectively respond to natural
disasters: Deputy PM The National
Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control on October 13
held a ceremony to celebrate International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction
and ASEAN Day for Disaster Management (ADDM). Addressing
the event, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh said that with the theme
"Cooperation to overcome challenges together", the event affirms
Vietnam's determination in cooperating with countries, agencies of the UN and
ASEAN, and international organisations in raising global awareness of
mitigating disaster risks and improving adaptive capacity and responding more
effectively to natural disasters in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Party,
State, and Government, local authorities, and socio-political organisations
of Vietnam always pay attention to disaster prevention and control, he
stressed. Vietnam has
actively joined international organisations and forums related to natural
disaster prevention and mitigation, Thanh said, adding that Vietnam always is
an active member and effectively contributes to ASEAN's joint efforts in
disaster risk reduction and prevention. However,
there are still many limitations related to forecast, warning, resources,
equipment, infrastructure, forces, application of science and technology, and
post-disaster recovery, he said. The COVID-19 pandemic poses a requirement to
effectively respond to risks when they occur at the same time with natural
disasters. The
Vietnamese Government always considers natural disaster prevention and
control the top task of the whole political system in order to protect the
people's lives, health, and property, Deputy PM Thanh said. Vietnam
highly values and hopes that countries, organisations and international
friends continue to accompany and support Vietnam in early access to advanced
science and technology, and resources to promptly respond and quickly
overcome impacts and consequences of natural disasters. Ekkaphab
Phanthavong, ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General acknowledged Vietnam's efforts,
saying that Vietnam is a very active member in ASEAN. Marco
Toscano-Rivalta, Chief of the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific at the
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) hailed the
Vietnamese Government’s adoption of the national strategy for natural
disaster prevention and control./. Belgium shares development experience with Vietnam Belgium is
willing to share its development experience with Vietnam, Senate President
Stephanie D'Hose told Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium Nguyen Van Thao at a
reception in Brussels on October 13. D'Hose
expressed her satisfaction at the positive development in bilateral relations
in general and between the legislative bodies of the two countries in
particular, especially the results of the recent visit to Belgium by Vietnam
National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue. She assured
his guest that the Belgian parliament will continue promoting the
ratification of the EVIPA, while suggesting that the two sides seek
opportunities to ramp up cultural cooperation, education and people-to-people
exchanges. Ambassador
Thao highly appreciated the Belgian parliament’s goodwill, and suggested that
Belgium soon ratify and lobby other EU members to complete the ratification
of the EVIPA, in order to facilitate businesses’ operations in each other’s
markets. He noted
that the two countries still have a lot of room for expanding cooperation,
especially in areas where Belgium has strengths and Vietnam has needs such as
renewable energy, smart agriculture, seaports and logistics, digital economy,
climate change, and smart city. As the two
countries are rich in cultural traditions, he said both Belgium and Vietnam
should increase cultural exchanges and education and student exchanges so as
to enhance mutual understanding between their peoples. Source:
VNA/VNS/VOV/VIR/SGT/SGGP/Nhan Dan |
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