VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES MARCH 4
09:31
Singapore launches
vaccinated travel lane with Vietnam As
Vietnam is scheduled to reopen its borders for international tourism from
March 15, Singapore has decided to launch the vaccinated travel lane (VTL)
with Vietnam, restoring two-way quarantine-free travel. This is among the outcomes of
President Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s State visit to Singapore from February 24 to 26,
expected to help further boost post-pandemic recovery of the two countries. In an announcement on March 4, the
Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said Vaccinated Travel Pass
(VTP) applications for travellers from Vietnam will open at 10am (Singapore
time) on March 13. Short-term visitors and work permit
holders eligible to travel on the VTL must apply for a VTP to enter Singapore
under the VTL. Fully vaccinated Singapore citizens, permanent residents, all
other long-term pass holders and In-Principle Approval (IPA) holders, and
children aged 12 years and below in the calendar year do not need to apply
for a VTP to enter Singapore under the VTL. Foreign Ministry submits visa
waiver proposal to PM The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has
sent the Prime Minister a proposal to reinstate a visa waiver for
international tourists to help the Covid-battered tourism industry recover. The visa waiver reinstatement will be
in line with the Law on Foreigners’ Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence in
Vietnam 2014, as well as international treaties of which Vietnam is a
signatory. Vietnam will reinstate the visa waiver
for those coming from 13 countries, comprising Japan, South Korea, Russia,
Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain,
Italy and Belarus. Regarding vaccine passports, as of
March 2, Vietnam had reached agreements on the mutual vaccine passport
recognition with Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia,
India, Belarus, Cambodia, the Philippines, Palestine, Maldives, New Zealand,
Sri Lanka, Egypt, Turkey and Singapore. Most Vietnamese citizens in
Ukraine evacuated from battle zone: spokesperson The Party and State of Vietnam give
the highest priority to citizen protection measures so as to ensure safety of
lives, assets, and legitimate and rightful interests of Vietnamese citizens
and legal entities, as well as staff members of Vietnamese representative
offices in Ukraine, said spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le
Thi Thu Hang. She made the remark during the
ministry's regular press conference held virtually on March 3, in response to
reporters’ question about the situation of the Vietnamese community in
Ukraine and citizen protection work. As of March 3 afternoon (Vietnam
time), most Vietnamese citizens in Kyiv, Odessa and hundreds of people in
Kharkov had been evacuated from the battle zone and helped to travel to
neighbouring countries. More than 400 people had arrived in
Moldova and were set to move on to Romania; while 600 had reached Poland, 70
others to Romania; about 30 to Slovakia and 50 to Hungary. Vietnamese
ambassadors and staff at the embassies had met the citizens and provided them
with necessary support, Hang continued. Representative offices have spared no
efforts in assisting the evacuated people with necessary procedures and
working with local authorities and Vietnamese organisations to arrange
temporary shelters for them. Vietnam welcomes
Ukraine-Russia dialogue: Spokeswoman Vietnam welcomes the ongoing dialogue
between Ukraine and Russia, and hopes that the sides will soon find long-term
peaceful solutions to differences in line with international law and taking
account of legitimate rights and interests of the concerned parties,
spokeswoman of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang has
said. Responding to reporters' queries on
the situation in Ukraine at a regular press conference held online by the ministry
on March 3, Hang said Vietnam shares ASEAN’s views in the ASEAN Foreign
Ministers’ Statement on the Situation in Ukraine issued on February 26, as
well as in the speech by the Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN at
an emergency session of the UN General Assembly on March 1. Vietnam calls for the observance of
international law and the UN Charter, and the settlement of disputes via
peaceful measures in accordance with basic principles of international law
and the UN Charter, especially the principles on respecting independence,
sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries, not intervening in each
other’s internal affairs, and not using or threatening to use force in
international relations, she said. Vietnamese PM to attend
special ASEAN-US summit Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and
ASEAN leaders have been invited by the US President to attend a special
ASEAN-US summit to be held in Washington DC in the coming time, spokeswoman
of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang has announced. Hang revealed the information during a
regular press conference held online by the ministry on March 3. “ASEAN countries have agreed with the
US’s proposal on the holding of the event. The sides are exchanging opinions
on related issues, including the agenda and date for the summit. The
Vietnamese PM is scheduled to attend the event and have bilateral activities
in the US,” the spokeswoman said. Spokesperson informs press on
policy on visa, vaccine passport Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang informed the press on Vietnam’s policy on visa and
mutual recognition of vaccine passport during a regular press conference of
the ministry held online on March 3. Foreigners, overseas Vietnamese and
their family members holding eligible documents will be allowed to enter the
country in accordance with the Law on Foreigners’ Entry into, Exit from,
Transit through, and Residence in Vietnam, Hang said. Regarding the recognition of vaccine
passports, Hang said as of March 2, Vietnam had reached agreement with 15
countries and territories, namely Japan, the US, the UK, Australia, India,
Belarus, Cambodia, the Philippines, Palestine, the Maldives, New Zealand, Sri
Lanka, Egypt, Turkey and Singapore. Departure place of first
flight repatriating Vietnamese from Ukraine may be changed The first flight to carry Vietnamese
citizens home from Ukraine may take off from Bucharest instead of Warsaw,
Dinh Viet Son, Deputy Director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam
(CAAV), said on March 4 morning. The CAAV may announce the adjustment
on March 4, Son stated, citing the Foreign Ministry’s information on March 3
evening as saying that not many Vietnamese people had travelled to Poland
from Ukraine, and few of them have the desire to return to Vietnam. Earlier, the aviation sector planned
to operate the first flight repatriating Vietnamese people in Ukraine from
Warsaw on March 5 morning, which will be conducted by Vietnam Airlines. Meanwhile, the second flight will go
from Bucharest and is planned to be conducted by Bamboo Airways. Data from the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs show that there are about 7,000 Vietnamese people in Ukraine, mostly
in the three major cities of Kyiv (800), Kharkiv (3,000), and Odessa (3,000). Airline seeks procedure support
to bring Vietnamese in Ukraine home Vietnam Airlines has proposed
ministries and agencies to soon give instructions on the conduct of flights
repatriating Vietnamese citizens in Ukraine. It plans to organise the first
repatriation flight from Ukraine via Poland, based on the wish of Vietnamese
in Ukraine. The flight is scheduled to depart from
Hanoi on March 5 morning, arrive in Poland in the afternoon and return to
Vietnam later the same day. About 270 passengers are expected to arrive home
on March 6 morning. Vietnam Airlines called on the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs to soon guide the launch of flight or others
supplement flights, and support the carrier in asking for permission to take
off and land via the diplomatic channel. It also suggested the Ministry of
Transport to soon license the flight, seek approval of relevant countries,
and instruct the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) to assist Vietnam
Airlines in negotiations for emerging issues. PM chairs Government meeting
on law building Law building should keep up with the
reality and deal with emerging issues, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said at
a Cabinet meeting on law building in Hanoi on March 4. The Government meeting on law
building, the third of its kind since the beginning of this year, looked into
proposals and reports regarding feedback on five bills and one draft
resolution of the National Assembly. The bills under consideration are the
draft law amending and supplementing some articles of the Law on Radio
Frequencies, the draft law on domestic violence prevention and control
(revised), the draft law on forces participating in the protection of
grassroots security and order, the draft law on road traffic safety and
order, the draft law on road traffic, and the draft resolution on piloting
the model of labour organisation, career counseling, and vocational training
for prisoners outside prisons. Vietnam receives additional
34 ultra-low freezers from US to store COVID-19 vaccines The US has delivered an additional 34
ultra-low temperature freezers to Vietnam to help the Southeast Asian country
expand life-saving COVID-19 vaccine storage capacity. The freezers were handed over to the
Vietnamese Ministry of Health by US Ambassador Marc Knapper in Ho Chi Minh
City on March 4. They are among 111 ultra-low
temperature freezers the US Department of Defence is providing to Vietnam
with a total value of approximately 1 million USD. They will be sent to HCM
City and several southern provinces. COVID-19 related child
hospitalisations on the rise The Ministry of Health has reported
the number of COVID-19 infections under 12 years of age hospitalised
nationwide has risen considerably from 14.1% of all hospitalisations before
February to 24.3% at present. Of the total, 4% are at risk of
turning critical after five to eight days of showing symptoms. Dr Nguyen Thanh Le of Hanoi-based
Hospital for Tropical Disease, said most of the infected patients admitted to
the hospital have severe symptoms and need medical intervention. Most children with COVID-19 were
hospitalized with symptoms such as high temperatures, lethargy, anorexia, and
convulsions, while some children suffered respiratory failure, he said. Doctors have advised parents to
closely monitor their children if they are infected with the virus in order
to seek medical help as swiftly as possible. Children suffering from underlying
medical conditions such as obesity, bronchial asthma, and low birth weight,
along with those taking immunosuppressive drugs, malignancies, and others
fall severely ill if they contract COVID-10, they warned. Prime Minister holds phone
talks with COVAX Managing Director Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh
suggested the COVAX Facility continue its supply of COVID-19 vaccines to
Vietnam, especially vaccines against new variants, during his phone talks
with Managing Director of the COVAX Facility Aurélia Nguyen on March 3. The PM said since their in-person
meeting in Paris last November, Vietnam has gained positive outcomes in
raising its COVID-19 vaccination coverage, becoming one of the countries
taking the lead globally in this regard. Vietnam has received about 213 million
doses of COVID-19 vaccines so far, of which more than 194 million have been
administered. Up to 98 percent of Vietnamese people
above 18 have got two shots of vaccine and the country is striving to
complete the injection of the third jab to the group within this month, he
said, adding that 94 percent of children aged from 12-17 have also received
two doses. Construction on Sa Pa airport
begins A ground-breaking ceremony for Sa Pa
Airport was held in Cam Con commune, Bao Yen district, the northern
mountainous province of Lao Cai, on March 3. This is one of the major projects
celebrating the 75th anniversary of the provincial Party Committee (March 5,
1947-2022). Approved by Prime Minister Pham Minh
Chinh in late October, Sa Pa airport has a total investment of nearly 7
trillion VND (306.54 million USD), of which 2.7 trillion VND comes from the
State budget. The first phase of the 370-ha airport
is scheduled to be completed before 2025, serving 1.5 million passengers each
year. 7 million doses of COVID-19
vaccines for children to arrive in Vietnam this month: health official The Ministry of Health has reached
agreement with Pfizer to set out an estimate and a bidding plan, with the aim
to bring 7 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines for children to Vietnam within
this month, and the remaining 14.9 million in the fourth quarter, Deputy
Minister Do Xuan Tuyen said on March 3. Speaking at the Government’s regular
press conference, Tuyen said the Government has issued a resolution on the
purchase of the vaccine doses, which will be administered to 11.8 million
children aged from five to 11. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has
also allowed the ministry to buy the vaccines under a special mechanism in
line with Article 26 of the Bidding Law, he added. The ministry has closely coordinated
with the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Information and Education
and the Ministry of Education and Training to collect public opinions,
especially parents with children of the age group, on this matter. Accordingly, 95-96 percent of surveyed
people approved the vaccination for children of the age group, the Deputy
Minister informed. Localities urged to strictly
inspect preparations for welcoming back tourists Provinces and centrally-run cities
nationwide have been requested to outline plans and organise inspections to
examine the preparation of facilities and services to welcome tourists back
in the coming time. According to a document sent by the
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s inspection agency to localities,
chief inspectors of departments of tourism were ordered to actively advise
and propose to leaders of departments on organising delegations to inspect
preparations to welcome visitors at tourist sites and service business
establishments in their areas. The inspection and examination will
focus on the building and implementation of plans to prevent and control the
COVID-19 pandemic; the settlement of events when tourists are tested positive
for COVID-19; the quality of facilities and services; and human resources
serving tourism. Local authorities were asked to pay
attention to ensuring security and safety for tourists, especially at
localities and businesses providing adventure tourism activities, and river
and sea tourism services. Regarding COVID-19 prevention and
control at tourism business establishments, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and
Tourism also requires localities and tourist accommodation establishments to
strictly implement registration at http://www. ://safe.tourism.com.vn; and
encourage tourists to use mobile app “Du lich Viet Nam an toan” (Travel
Vietnam safely) to look up safe travel information, make medical
declarations, and evaluate destinations. Expiry date of Moderna
COVID-19 vaccine extended The Drug Administration of Vietnam
(DAV) under the Ministry of Health has agreed to extend the shelf life of
Spikevax (Moderna) COVID-19 vaccine batches imported into the country from
March 2. According to a notice issued by the
DAV on March 2, the expiry date of the vaccine has been extended from seven
to nine months (from the manufacturing date) at the storage condition of -25
to -15 degrees Celsius, applicable to vaccine manufacturing establishments
authorised by the Ministry of Health for emergency use. The decision was made based on the
conclusion of the ministry’s Advisory Council for the Registration of
Circulation of Drugs and Medicinal Ingredients, the MoH said on March 3,
affirming that the adjustment will not affect the quality, safety and
efficiency of the vaccine. VN to compete at Dubai Cup
for U23s Việt Nam will take part in the U23
Dubai Cup 2022 in the United Arab Emirates later this month. They are one of nine teams invited to
play along with the hosts in the friendly ten-day tournament which begins on
March 20. Việt Nam will face Iraq in the first
game on March 23, and then China three days later. Other teams taking part are Saudi
Arabia, Uzbekistan, Croatia, Japan, Qatar and Thailand. Matches will be held at the Sevens,
Dubai Police and Dubai stadiums. HBSO returns with spring
colors to Opera House After a year-long break caused by the
COVID-19 pandemic, the HCM City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO)
will perform “Colors of the Spring” on March 5 at the Opera House. The March 5 concert will feature arias
from Giuseppe Verdi’s operas, including Spuntato ecco il di d'esultanza
(Welcome to the Day of Triumph) from Don Carlo, and Introduction and
Barcarolle from I Due Foscari (The Two Foscari). The programme will also include arias
from famous operas by Giacomo Puccini, Franz Lehar, and Leo Delibes, and the
song Pomp and Circumstance March No 1, also known as Land of Hope and Glory,
by Edward Elgar. The performance will feature the HBSO
Choir as also sopranos Phạm Duyên Huyền, Nguyễn Thu Hường and Phạm Khánh
Ngọc, the last mentioned being runner-up at the SLO-ASEAN Vocal Competition
in Singapore in 2016. Baritone Đào Mác and Võ Nguyễn Thành
Tâm, and tenors Phạm Trang and Phan Hữu Trung Kiệt will also perform. The programme will present orchestral
compositions like Orpheus – Quadrille by Johann Strauss and
Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka by Johann Strauss II, which will be performed by the
HBSO orchestra. Vietnam committed to
promoting UN’s common agenda: Diplomat Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, head of
the Permanent Delegation of Vietnam to the United Nations (UN) has reaffirmed
the country’s commitment to work with other countries to promote the
proposals outlined in the UN Secretary General's report “Our Common Agenda”
(OCA). Addressing a consultation held by UN
General Assembly on March 3 under the theme “protecting our planet and being
prepared for the future”, Giang applauded the report which he said includes
many breakthrough initiatives and future orientations that are very important
for Vietnam, developing countries and the world as a whole. The Vietnamese diplomat said that the
combination of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change, along with new ways of
doing things, including the new initiatives of the UN Secretary General, will
contribute to promoting the realisation of important priorities and plans of
the international community. According to the ambassador,
initiatives such as the appointment of special envoys for future generations
and future laboratories, or an emergency response mechanism to global crises,
can help mobilise resources for existing mechanisms if implemented properly. Various activities to be held
at Culture Village throughout March A series of activities towards the
Youth Month, with the theme "Blue I love", will be held during
March at the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism in Dong
Mo Tourism Area, Son Tay Town, Hanoi, promising to bring interesting experiences. The group of activities and events
includes learning about national culture, art programmes, organising cooking
contests for ethnic dishes such as lam rice and grilled meat, a gong contest,
traditional folk games, and displaying books, documents and photos on the
homeland's sea and islands. The programme has attracted the
participation of more than 100 people of 16 ethnic groups from 12 provinces
and cities across the country, including Tay, Nung, Dao, Mong, Thai, Muong, O
Du, Kho Mu, Ta Oi, Co Tu, Ba Na, Xo Dang, Gia Rai, RagLai, Ede, and Khmer. HCMC Transport Dept says to
open Thu Thiem 2 Bridge to traffic on April 30 The HCMC Department of Transport is
working with the investor to speed up work on the Thu Thiem 2 Bridge project
to put it into operation on April 30, according to the municipal department. Speaking at a press briefing on March
3, Bui Hoa An, deputy head of the municipal department, said the opening of
the bridge was timed to coincide with the Reunification Day (April 30) and
International Labor Day (May 1) holidays this year. Besides, the department will give a
facelift to Ton Duc Thang Street leading to the bridge prior to the opening
of the bridge to meet the traffic demand, the local media reported. The VND3.1-trillion Thu Thiem 2 Bridge
has six lanes and a total length of over 1.4 kilometers. Vietnam Book Day to promote
reading culture The 2022 Vietnam Book and Reading
Culture Day will be held from mid-March until the end of April, with the
major activities ranging from April -15. The 2022 Vietnam Book and Reading
Culture Day, themed “Helping culture prevail and developing reading culture”,
aims to affirm the position, role and importance of books in improving the
knowledge, skills, thoughts and personality of the people as well as
encouraging and boosting the reading movement in the community. The event will also honour
organisations and individuals that have made great contributions to the
development of books and reading culture. Under the plan, the 2022 Vietnam Book
and Reading Culture Day will be held in many different forms in line with all
practical conditions and the new normal rules for COVID-19 prevention and
control. Phong Nha - Ke Bang National
Park to receive seven Indochinese tigers The leader of Pu Mat National Park in
Nghe An Province informed that after receiving a document from the Center for
Rescue, Conservation and Creature Development in the Phong Nha - Ke It is expected that on March 20, all
these seven Indochinese tigers will be relocated to Quang Binh Province.
Authorities will transfer them in cages to a specialized rescue nursing area
in Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park without using a tranquilizer to ensure
their health. These are seven Indochinese tigers
discovered by Nghe An Province Police in an investigation on illegal wildlife
trade from Ha Tinh Province to Nghe An Province in August 2021. Phong Luu Khau Vai Market
Festival back after two-year COVID hiatus The Phong Luu Khau Vai Market Festival
will return in late April, following a two-year postponement due to COVID-19
concerns, according to the Ha Giang Provincial Department of Culture, Sports
and Tourism. Themed ‘Market of Love Songs’, the
festival is set to take place from April 25 to 27 (the 25th to 27th day of
the third lunar month) in Khau Vai Commune, Meo Vac District. The event seeks to promote tourism along
with the traditional cultural values of ethnic groups in Ha Giang Province,
thus facilitating the province’s recovery efforts after COVID-19 pandemic. The festival will officially open on
the evening of April 26, during which the local authorities will receive a
certificate recognising the social customs and beliefs of the Phong Luu Khau
Vai Market as a national intangible cultural heritage. The three-day event will feature a
beauty pageant, incense offering at the Ong and Ba temples, and a peace
praying ceremony. Digital transformation
promotes Hanoi’s relic sites to visitors The Hanoi Municipal Youth Union has
officially launched a project to apply digital transformation in the
promotion of famous relic sites in the capital city via website
https://thangthanhnien.meta365.ai. Accordingly, the youth union members
recorded the panorama of five historical and cultural relic sites and red
addresses in Son Tay Town including Son Tay Ancient Citadel, Duong Lam
Ancient Village’s gate, the tomb and temple of King Ngo Quyen, Van Mieu Son
Tay (the Temple of Literature in Son Tay), and Mong Phu Communal House in
Duong Lam Commune. Their images were put into virtual
space using virtual reality and 360 multi-dimensional image application
technologies. Notably, artificial intelligence
technology (AI) was applied to introduce the relic sites in both Vietnamese
and English. Integrated with social networking platforms such as Facebook,
YouTube and Zalo, QR codes have been attached at relic sites to ensure their
popularity and convenience among visitors. RoK helps build green, smart
urban resilience controlling centre in Da Nang The People’s Committee of Da Nang city,
in collaboration with the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA),
held a ceremony on March 4 to kick-start the Integrated Centre for
Controlling Green and Smart Urban Resilience (ENSURE Centre) in the central
city. This is a non-refundable ODA project
added by the Government of the Republic of Korea (RoK) to the Vietnamese side
with a total investment of 259 billion VND (11.3 million USD), and expected
to be completed in 2025. It aims to strengthen the resilience
to natural disasters, contribute to the city's socio-economic development,
create a favourable environment for enterprises to conduct production and
business activities and attract investment, and ensure safety for residents
and visitors. In addition, the project will apply
information technology to early recognise and warn of natural disasters,
forecast their developments, improve the capacity of the central city’s
disaster forecast and response, and promote green urban restoration. Source: VOV/VNA/VNS/SGGP/VGP/SGT |
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét