VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES FEBRUARY 18
16:06
Vietnam ready to join negotiations
on draft Peru/ Rwanda resolution on plastic waste Vietnam is ready to join negotiations on a draft resolution which aims
to pave the way for an international legally binding agreement on marine
litter and plastics to be presented by Peru and Rwanda at the second segment
of the 5th UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2) in late February. This is part of the tasks set out in the Prime Minister’s decision on
approving a project named “Vietnam actively prepares and participates in
building a global agreement on ocean pollution”. According to the Vietnam Administration of Seas and Islands under the
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, in 2021, it took an active
part in activities and meetings within the UNEA framework. The agency and its
counterparts from Germany, Ecuador and Ghana coordinated in holding the
Ministerial Conference on Marine Litter and Plastic Pollution in September
2021 to contribute to building the global agreement. To date, a project on joining negotiations on the global agreement to be
submitted to the Prime Minister has been completed. Hoai suggested Vietnam soon co-submit the draft UNEA 5.2 Resolution,
initiated by Peru, Rwanda and the EU on the establishment of an
Inter-governmental Negotiation Committee, and send official confirmation
notices to Peru, Rwanda and the EU to finalise the co-submission. Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang begins tenure as head of Vietnam's
permanent delegation to UN Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang began his tenure as Head of the Permanent
Delegation of Vietnam to the United Nations (UN) in New York on February 17. He received a decision of President Nguyen Xuan Phuc appointing him to
the post on January 20. The 45-year-old diplomat has many years of experience in multilateral
diplomacy. He worked at the Vietnamese Delegation to the UN in the 2007-2010
period, and held the position of political coordinator when Vietnam served as
a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the first time in the
2008-2009 term. He was appointed as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in March 2021. Giang has also held many positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
including secretary and assistant to the Standing Deputy Minister of Foreign
Affairs and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Dung starts his term of office in US Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Dung, accompanied by his wife Tran Thi Bich Van,
arrived in Washington on February 16, starting his term of office as
Vietnamese Ambassador to the US. Nguyen Quoc Dung was appointed by President Nguyen Xuan Phuc as
Vietnamese Ambassador to the US in January 2022. Earlier he held the position of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and
head of SOM ASEAN Vietnam for many years. With more than 30 years of working in the diplomatic field, Ambassador
Nguyen Quoc Dung has held many different positions and had extensive experience
in international integration, bilateral and multilateral diplomacy,
international economic research, and foreign policy. Foreign Minister attends AMMR via videoconference: Spokeswoman Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son led a Vietnamese delegation to
attend the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting Retreat (AMMR) in Phnom Penh,
Cambodia, from February 16-17 via videoconference. This was the first event held during Cambodia’s ASEAN Chairmanship Year,
which concentrated on the bloc's cooperation focuses and orientations in
2022. During the event, the ministers hailed the ASEAN theme for 2022 that
was chosen by Cambodia and pledged to coordinate with the host. They discussed a number of issues related to the building and the
acceleration of the implementation of action plans within the ASEAN Community
until 2025, as well as regional and international matters of shared concern,
including the East Sea and Myanmar. ASEAN special envoy plans to visit Myanmar in March Cambodian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak
Shokhonn on February 17 said that he has planned to visit Myanmar in March as
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)’s Special Envoy. The Cambodian diplomat asked the military administration in Myanmar to
create conditions for him to talk to members of the National Unity Government
of Myanmar (NUG). Speaking at a press briefing after the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
Retreat (AMMR), he said that as the ASEAN Chair in 2022, Cambodia will
continue to contact the Myanmar military government to maintain trust and
confidence at present. On February 2 this year, the ASEAN called on all parties in Myanmar to
promote conducive conditions for a constructive dialogue among all parties
concerned to seek a peaceful solution to the current crisis in the country. ASEAN member countries also called on Myanmar authorities to take
specific actions to implement the Five-Point Consensus reached by ASEAN
leaders in April 2021. Measures to be taken to protect legitimate rights of Vietnamese
citizens abroad The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has asked the Vietnamese Embassy
in Ukraine to announce a hotline on citizen protection to provide timely
support for Vietnamese people there when necessary, the ministry’s
spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang said on February 17. The embassy was also requested to keep a close watch on the situation in
Ukraine, closely coordinate with local competent agencies and maintain
contacts with Vietnamese associations, Hang told a regular press conference
held by the ministry. She said the embassy's staff have visited Vietnamese people in some
areas, and found that there have been no major disturbances in their daily
activities so far. Regarding a Vietnamese intern abused in Japan, Hang said after learning
about the incident, the embassy has held a working session with Japanese
competent agencies to verify the case and ask for investigation. The embassy's officials also visited the man whose physical and mental
health is stable now, the spokesperson added. The Japanese Minister of Justice on January 25 asked the Immigration
Services Agency of Japan to quickly conduct an investigation and handle
individuals involved, and requested relevant firms to act to improve the
support and protection of trainees. Japanese authorities have suspended the reception of foreign technical
trainees at the company where the incident occurred. The firm also admitted
to its wrongdoings and pledged to compensate the trainee. According to the spokesperson, the remaining Vietnamese trainees at this
company have been moved to the management agency and they may be transferred
to other workplaces. The MoFA has directed the embassy to keep a close watch on the case and
stand ready to take measures to protect the legitimate rights and interests
of Vietnamese citizens, Hang said. ASEAN foreign ministers concerned over nuclear weapon threat Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
member countries on February 17 issued a statement showing their concern over
the existential threat facing humanity posed by the existence and
modernisation of nuclear weapons, highlighting that the total elimination of
nuclear weapons is the only way to guarantee against their use and threat of
use. In the statement, the ASEAN member countries welcomed the “Joint Statement
of the Leaders of the Five Nuclear-Weapon States on Preventing Nuclear War
and Avoiding Arms Races” on January 3, 2022 in which the five Nuclear-Weapon
States (NWS) emphasised the importance of preserving and complying with
bilateral and multilateral non-proliferation, disarmament, and arms control
agreements and commitments. They also welcomed the intention expressed by the five NWS in the
above-mentioned statement to avoid military confrontations, to strengthen
stability and predictability, and to increase mutual understanding and
confidence, to ensure that the world remains peaceful, stable and secure. They called on the NWS to fulfill their obligations in advancing nuclear
disarmament in accordance with the Article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation
of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and to recognise the need to completely eliminate
nuclear weapons, which remains the only way to guarantee that nuclear weapons
are never used again under any circumstances. They reiterated their commitment to preserve the Southeast Asian region
as a Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone and free of all other weapons of mass
destruction, as enshrined in the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear
Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ Treaty) and the ASEAN Charter, and to strengthen
the nuclear non-proliferation regime in achieving general and complete
nuclear disarmament, as stipulated in Article VI of the Treaty on the NPT. They reaffirmed their commitment to continuously engage the NWS and
intensify the ongoing efforts of all parties to resolve all outstanding
issues in accordance with the objectives and principles of the SEANWFZ
Treaty. Vietnam calls for enhanced solidarity to build strong, resilient
ASEAN Community Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son has called for solidarity,
unity, dialogue, and cooperation to be enhanced to serve as the basis for a
strong and resilient ASEAN Community. He made the call while addressing the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
Retreat (AMMR), which was held both in person and virtually in Phnom Penh
capital of Cambodia - Chair of the bloc in 2022, on February 16 and 17. Regarding the Myanmar issue, Minister Son affirmed Vietnam's readiness
to join hands with other countries to assist Myanmar to overcome these trying
times, voicing support for the continued effective implementation of the
Five-Point Consensus. He also proposed stronger cooperation within ASEAN and between the bloc
and partners to deal with emerging non-traditional security challenges,
including those related to cyber security, maritime security, water resource
security, climate change, and environmental pollution, as well as new
challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Flight resumption a great help to OVs in Laos: official The resumption of international flights, including the Laos – Vietnam
route, has made it easier for Vietnamese expats in Laos to return home for
visit and business purposes, according Le Anh Duc, Standing Vice Chairman of
the Overseas Vietnamese Association in Vientiane. In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency, Duc said the Vietnamese
community in the Lao capital city is happy and grateful to the Vietnamese
Party and State's special care for overseas Vietnamese (OVs) in Laos. The decision of the two governments to re-open the route has created
favourable conditions for OVs in Laos to come back home, he said. Kham Long Sengsavang, a Vietnamese expat that has lived in Laos for 30
years, said he was very pleased and touched by the attention of Vietnamese
Party and State leaders to resuming international flights, including those
between Hanoi and Vientiane. Hoi An listed among “Most Welcoming Cities on Earth" Hoi An ancient town in the south-central coastal province of Quang Nam
has been voted as one of the “10 Most Welcoming Cities on Earth” by over 232
million reviews from real travellers verified by the leading digital travel
platform Booking.com. The information has been announced by the organisers of the 10th annual
Traveller Review Award 2022. Others in the list are Matera (Italy), Bled (Slovenia), Taitung (Taiwan
- China), Nafplio and Toledo (Spain), Monte Verde (Brazil), Bruges (Belgium),
Nusa Lembongan (Indonesia), and Ponta Delgada (Portugal). NA Standing Committee’s 8th session closes The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee wrapped up its 8th session
in Hanoi on February 17. NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue said during the session, the committee looked
into the amendment of two draft laws - the Law on Mobile Police and another
revising and supplementing some articles of the Law on Intellectual Property. The top legislator ordered agencies in charge of submitting and verifying
to closely coordinate so as to improve the quality of these draft laws before
they are submitted to the parliament for approval, and urgently prepare
relevant documents for discussion at the upcoming meeting of full-time NA
deputies. The committee agreed with the Government's proposal to add the draft Law
on Medical Examination and Treatment (amended) to the Law and Ordinance
Building Programme in 2022, and submit it to the legislature for comments. Regarding supervision, the committee reviewed a report on initial
results of the implementation of policies and laws on the planning work since
the Law on Planning came into force, and gave opinions on the selection of
ministries, sectors and localities serving the supervision work in the coming
time. At the session, it also considered the legislature's report on the
people's aspirations work in January. The committee passed its draft resolution on the establishment of wards
of Pho Yen township and Pho Yen city in the northern province of Thai Nguyen. It also mulled over and commented on the draft resolution on functions
and tasks of the board for deputies' affairs, and another on amending the
working regulations of the NA Standing Committee. Da Nang to host beauty pageant for peace The Vietnam Peace Bella 2021 beauty pageant is set to be launched in the
central city of Da Nang from March 12. The qualification rounds of the competition is set to take place in May
for both the northern and central regions, with qualification for the
southern region taking place in June. Contestants will carry out a range of charity projects aimed at
protecting children, women, and disadvantaged people in the society. As part of the pageant, a total of 25 contestants will be selected for
the grand final, which is due to transpire on October 9 in the central city
of Da Nang. The winner will be awarded a grand prize of VND100 million, with the
first and second runner-ups receiving prizes worth VND80 million and VND60
million, respectively. Hanoi manages to raise tree coverage in urban areas Hà Nội's authorities are trying to plant more trees in the city,
especially in urban areas, in an effort to improve the environment and reduce
air pollution. This is also part of actions to respond to the Government's programme on
growing one billion trees in Việt Nam during the 2021 – 2025 period. The city has set a plan to plant 200,000-250,000 new trees for shade and
timber along urban traffic routes; 200,000 fruit trees, and about 50-80 ha of
forests in 2022. It will also focus on taking care of 3,546 ha of planted forests, and
managing and protecting 6,483 ha of protection and special-use forests. In urban districts of the capital, the ratio of trees is only about
1sq.m per person at present, while the targeted rate is 7sq.m per person by
2030. Separate lane at TSN airport reserved for ride-hailing vehicles The Tan Son Nhat International Airport in HCMC has announced a separate
lane for ride-hailing vehicles, making life easier for drivers and
passengers. A representative of ride-hailing firm Be said its cabs can now pick up
passengers from columns 1-5 of lane D1 of the TCP parking lot from February
17. Ride-hailing drivers have to pay VND25,000 each time to pick up
passengers. Be drivers can still pick up passengers from lane B at the international
passenger terminal, the local media reported. Meanwhile, Grab’s vehicles can pick up passengers from columns 6-12 of
lane D1 and the third, fourth or fifth floor of the TCP parking lot. Lane D1, which is parallel to other lanes in front of the airport’s
domestic passenger terminal, has been equipped with traffic signs and
ticket-checking cabins. Son La arrests two drug traffickers The police of the northern mountainous province of Son La have busted an
illegal drug trafficking ring, detaining two traffickers and seizing six bars
of heroin and 17,000 pills of synthetic drugs. At 6.05 p.m. on February 16, the police of Yen Chau District discovered
two men transporting a large volume of illicit drugs in Pha Cung Village in
Long Phieng Commune, according to the police. The traffickers were identified as Thao Ly Pao Song, aged 38, who is a
Lao national, and Hang A Vang, aged 40, a resident of Son La Province’s Moc
Chau District, the local media reported. The two admitted they were hired to transport the drugs from Laos to
Vietnam and were arrested on the way. The police are investigating the case. Binh Thuan wants to host National Tourism Year 2023 Binh Thuan Province yesterday, February 16, wrote to the Ministry of
Culture, Sports and Tourism seeking permission to host the National Tourism
Year 2023. According to the province’s dispatch sent to the ministry, the province
will meet requirements to host the National Tourism Year in 2023 through a
wide range of efforts. The coastal province has made efforts to build the Binh Thuan tourism
brand by successfully hosting national and international events, such as the
International Yacht Festival and the Professional Windsurfing Association
World Cup. The province is also effectively implementing a scheme to develop Binh
Thuan into a national sports and tourism center, and mapping a zoning plan
for the Mui Ne national tourism area. HCMC to have pedestrian street in Dist 11 The government of District 11 in HCMC is planning to open a pedestrian
street and a food area on Ha Ton Quyen Street in Wards 4 and 6. The pedestrian street and nighttime food area are set to debut this
year, operating from 4.00 p.m. to 10.00 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and
Sundays. The food area will feature 70 booths and over 50 business
households. Under its plan, District 11 will give priority to prestigious food and
beverage brands active on Ha Ton Quyen Street and poor and near-poor
households in Wards 4 and 6 to do business in the food area. In addition, the district will set up many fast-food, beverage,
footwear, clothing, souvenir and handicraft stands at the area. Fresh food and unprocessed food will not be allowed in the food area,
according to the District 11 government. Ministry proposes shorter quarantine for teachers, students The Ministry of Education and Training has proposed the Ministry of
Health shorten the quarantine time for close contacts of Covid cases who are
teachers and students to facilitate the reopening of schools. The proposal was made due to different regulations on the quarantine and
testing in each area, affecting in-person learning and teaching activities,
the local media reported. Many schools are finding it hard to handle Covid cases and those in
close contact with Covid patients. Many have asked the entire class to stay
at home after detecting a Covid case in the class, according to a report
prepared by the Ministry of Education and Training. Largest-ever audit on use of resources for anti-Covid fight
launched The State Audit of Vietnam (SAV) has launched an audit on the
mobilization, management and use of resources in the fight against the
Covid-19 pandemic and support policies at nine ministries and agencies and in
32 provinces. In addition, the audit will focus on the proposal and issuance of
policies relating to the fight against the pandemic; the direction,
cooperation, instruction, inspection, supervision and assessment of the
deployment of directives and resolutions of the National Assembly, the
Government and the national anti-Covid steering committee in 2020, 2021 and
other related periods. The audit will last from February 16 to March 31, the local media
reported. Through the audit, shortcomings and limitations on the employment of
policies may be found and solutions will be worked out. HCMC reports over 32,400 Covid cases among children under 16 Over 32,400 children under 16 in HCMC have tested positive for Covid-19,
accounting for 6.3% of the city’s case count. Forty-eight children in the city had succumbed to the disease as of
February 7, making up 0.23% of HCMC’s total Covid fatalities, it was
announced at a training conference on treating and caring for child Covid
patients held by the Ministry of Health today, February 16. Many of these child Covid patients in HCMC are overweight and have
underlying health conditions, the local media reported. Among over 2.5 million Covid infections reported in Vietnam, more than
490,000 are children under 18. The country has reported 165 Covid deaths
among children, accounting for 0.42% of the total fatalities. Massive flights unable to land at Noi Bai airport due to poor
visibility The Noi Bai International Airport said that massive flights of Vietnam
Airlines, Vietjet, Bamboo Airways and Pacific Airlines into Noi Bai
international airport and other airports of the Northern region had to be
canceled, postponed and were unable to land on runways throughout last night
because of heavy fog and clouds causing poor visibility. However, from this early morning, the weather condition is better so the
airports can receive planes and operate smoothly. Some flights affected by the bad weather had to land at other airports
of Van Don, Phu Bai, Da Nang, Cat Bi and Tho Xuan, even retuning to the
departing places. Last night, six international flights carrying both passenger and cargo
into Noi Bai international airport had to divert to other airports as
unexpected. Large quantity of illegally imported Covid-19 test kits detected The General Department of Vietnam Customs last night informed that , it
detected a large number of Covid-19 test kits illegally imported from the
Republic of Korea (RoK) to Vietnam at Noi Bai International Airport. Accordingly, the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department (under the
General Department of Vietnam Customs) yesterday cooperated with Hanoi Department
of Customs to investigate the large violating consignment sent from RoK to
Vietnam. The result showed that over 85,000 Covid-19 test kits, worth more than
VND8 billion (US$351,000), found in the consignment were not precisely
declared. Regulations state that Covid-19 test kits are conditional imported goods
and must possess a valid permit issued by the Health Ministry. However,
owners of this consignment used a foxy trick to declare them under the
generic category with a wrong name for a smuggling purpose. The case is being further investigated by the customs agency in
accordance with regulations. Germany film festival KinoFest debuts For the first time, eight Goethe-Instituts in Southeast Asia have
jointly organized an online film festival called KinoFest. The film festival
will be available online for viewers who live in big cities in the Southeast
Asia area. According to event organizers, most of the films are recent productions.
The films are available for free of charge at
https://kinofest22.goethe-on-demand.de/. All the motion pictures are shown in
Germany with Indonesian, Thai, Burmese, Vietnamese or English subtitles. The movies set to be screened during this two-week long film festival
include the thriller Free country (2019 Christian Alvart); drama, the
political satire film Curveball (2020, Johannes Naber); the drama The Royal
Game (2021, Philipp Stölz), among others. Vietnamese vaccine passport accepted by 14 countries and
territories As of February 16, 14 countries and territories recognized Viet Nam’s
vaccine passport, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang told
reporters on Thursday. The four new countries are Egypt, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Turkey. Earlier, Australia, Belarus, Cambodia, India, Japan, Maldives,
Palestine, the Philippines, the U.K. and the U.S. had accepted Viet Nam's
vaccine passport. Meanwhile, Viet Nam has recognized vaccine passports of 79 countries and
territories. Thanks to vaccine passport recognition, since January 1, 2022,
fully vaccinated international arrivals with negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test
results are required to self-quarantine at home or their places of
accommodation for three days when they enter Viet Nam. Gov't targets to reduce fatal occupational accidents by 4%
annually The Government targets to reduce the frequency of fatal occupational
accidents by 4 percent annually between 2021 and 2025. This is part of a newly-approved national program for occupational
safety and health for the 2021-2025 period. The program sets goal to provide training in occupational safety and
health to over 80 percent of workers performing tasks bound by strict
requirements for occupational safety and health. At least 80 percent of workers with occupational accidents or diseases
will be entitled to compensation and benefits in accordance with the law. Hanoi builds roadmap to reopen kindergarten next month The Hanoi Party Committee has agreed on a roadmap to reopen
kindergartens from March 1, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Chu
Xuan Dung said during a virtual meeting with district-level steering boards
on COVID-19 prevention and control of the capital city on February 17. The municipal Department of Education and Training is assigned to devise
plans on the work, with a focus on flexible and effective measures to ensure
safety and meet residents' needs. Pre-pandemic visa policy should be resumed: Ministry The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) proposed resuming
pre-pandemic visa policy for foreign arrivals to the country to attract more
tourists and recover the tourism sector in the future in a document sent to
the Government Office on February 17. The document reported that after a meeting with related ministries and
agencies on February 15, the MCST had adjusted a plan for the resumption of
tourism activities in the new normal. Accordingly, both inbound and outbound
tourism will be resumed from March 15 via air, road and sea routes; and
foreign arrivals are subjected to comply with pandemic prevention and
control. Prior to the pandemic, Vietnam had applied many policies which aim to
attract foreign tourists including unilateral and bilateral visa exemption,
and electronic visa granting for citizens from potential markets. However,
the Government decided to halt the unilateral visa exemption in March last
year in a bid to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Source: VNA/SGT/VNS/VOV/SGGP/VNN/Hanoitimes |
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