15th NA to convene 6th extraordinary meeting on March 21


Hanoi: The National Assembly Standing Committee has decided to convene the sixth extraordinary meeting of the 15th-tenure legislature to consider personnel affairs under its authority.

The meeting will take place at on March 21 morning the NA House in Hanoi.

The decision is pursuant to the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the revised Law on Organisation of the NA, NA session regulations issued in the NA’s Resolution No. 71/2022/QH15 dated November 11, 2022./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnam considers US leading important partner: NA Chairman


Hanoi: National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue has welcomed the first Vietnam visit by a high-ranking delegation from the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) since Vietnam and the US upgraded their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership last year.

At a reception in Hanoi on March 20 for the delegation led by USABC President and CEO Ted Osius, Chairman Hue affirmed that Vietnam considers US a leading important partner, especially in economy and trade.

Vietnam is willing to develop the comprehensive strategic partnership with the US on the basis of respecting each other’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and political regimes, he said, adding that Vietnam priosities expanding cooperative ties with the US on all the bilateral, regional and global aspects with a higher level of mutual understanding and trust.

Highlighting Vietnam’s key goals of making breakthroughs in infrastructure, institutional reforms, and human resources development; promoting the application of sci-techno
logy, innovation, digital transformation, green transition, sustainable development and climate change response, the top legislator said he was delighted to know that many big US enterprises and corporations consider Vietnam a strategic market, share a common vision with Vietnam’s development directions and commit to long-term operations in the country.

He hailed the US enterprises for engaging in projects to assist Vietnam in achieving its carbon emission reduction goals and fulfilling commitments made at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26).

Speaking highly of the US Government’s commitment to consider granting the market economy status to Vietnam, Chairman Hue called it a practical and significant step that would lay a premise for all-around cooperation and benefit businesses and citizens of both countries.

The Vietnamese NA always strongly supports the development of the Vietnam-US relations, efforts to create a legal and policy framework that is favourable, stable,
transparent and conducive for foreign enterprises, including those from the US, to continue operating, expanding their scale, and achieving long-term growth in Vietnam, particularly in the areas where the US possesses strengths and Vietnam has demand, he said.

He added that Vietnam encourages US firms to increase investment and collaboration with Vietnamese counterparts in the fields of green transition, clean and renewable energy, transport infrastructure, digital economy, high technology, healthcare – pharmaceuticals, electronics – semiconductors, manufacturing, finance – banking, logistics and quality workforce training.

The leader wished that the USABC firms step up investment and provide financial assistance, expertise and specialists for start-up and innovative projects, as well as those using modern technologies, added value and highly competitive solutions.

With its reputation and extensive network, he expected that the USABC would further leverage its role as a bridge facilitating stronger coopera
tion between the US Government and Congress, and the Vietnamese NA, including supporting the establishment of a group of congressmen who are friendly to Vietnam and sharing information about planned visits to Vietnam by US congressmen delegations.

USABC President and CEO Ted Osius highlighted the commitment of US businesses to realise the US-Vietnam comprehensive strategic partnership and their alignment with Vietnam’s development priorities.

About the US’s recognition of Vietnam’s market economy status, he said the USABC has provided evidence of Vietnam’s market economy and submitted recommendations and reports to the US Department of Commerce.

He also highlighted two points, including guidance on avoiding double taxation on e-commerce and digital platforms, and policy guidance on cooperation with small and medium-sized enterprises in the private sector and public-private partnerships.

In response, Chairman Hue said proposals by the US firms would be considered by the Vietnamese NA, Government, ministrie
s and agencies, towards ultimately creating the most favourable business environment for enterprises, including those from the US.

It was the third working session between the top Vietnamese legislator and the USABC since the beginning of the 15th term of the NA./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnam welcomes investment in hi-tech, semiconductor industries: PM


Hanoi: Vietnam welcomes and encourages investments in hi-tech and semiconductor industries by providing appropriate mechanisms, incentives and modern infrastructure, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

PM Chinh made the statement at a reception in Hanoi on March 20 for Karthik Rammohan, Group Vice President of Global Operations at Lam Research, one of the leading US semiconductor manufacturing equipment providers, and representatives of the Seojin Company of the Republic of Korea. The two companies are collaborating in semiconductor chip production in Vietnam.

Lam Research, headquartered in California, recorded a revenue of 19 billion USD in 2022. As of March 2023, it had employed over 18,700 employees.

Rammohan said Lam Research is looking to expand operations and diversify its supply chain in Asia. In Vietnam, the company is planning to collaborate with Seojin, which already has factories in northern Bac Ninh and Bac Giang provinces, to develop factories and establish a supply chain with an investment o
f 1-2 billion USD in the first phase. After the first phase, it will possibly invest directly or expanding its operations in the Southeast Asian country.

He expressed interest in Vietnam’s investment promotion policies and programmes that could support the development of a domestic supply chain ecosystem for the semiconductor industry.

PM Chinh highlighted sci-tech and innovation as important cooperation areas in Vietnam’s comprehensive strategic partnerships with both the US and the RoK. He pointed to Vietnam’s efforts in training a workforce of 50,000-100,000 engineers by 2030 to meet the demand of enterprises.

Meanwhile, major tech players such as Samsung, Intel, and Foxconn are already present in Vietnam, he said, adding that many other leading global corporations are continuing to explore opportunities and investment in the country.

In the spirit of harmonising interests and sharing risks for mutual development, he expected that both companies would focus on research and development (R and D) activit
ies, technology transfer, thus helping to develop a robust semiconductor ecosystem in Vietnam.

He called for continued close collaboration between the companies and relevant Vietnamese authorities and localities to ensure a smooth and legal investment process./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Sports campaign spreads kindness among community


Hanoi: After three weeks of implementation, the charity campaign called Trieu Buoc Chan Nhan Ai (Million Steps of Kindness) to raise funds for the Vietnam Red Cross has drawn than 40,000 participants and recorded more than 586,000 km, fulfilling 41% of the fundraising target.

Taking place in 56 days from February 25 to April 22, the campaign aims to attract 70,000 runners and walkers who record their sports activities through V-Race app.

With their 700,000km recorded, the participants will contribute 7 billion VND (282,599 USD) to the fund, which will be used to build seven boarding school kitchens for children in impoverished mountainous areas; support 70 poor families for sustainable livelihoods; organise humanitarian markets providing necessities for 700 disadvantaged families; provide consultation and nutrition support for 7,000 poor children; and organise medical examinations and deliver free medicine for 7,000 people in difficult circumstances in Dien Bien, Son La, and Thai Nguyen provinces.

The camp
aign, part of the activities to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the historic Dien Bien Phu Victory, is also a special call towards history, showing respect and gratitude for those who sacrificed to protect the country.

“A Million Steps of Kindness” begins a humanitarian journey – giving and receiving love, extending from the North to the South, from the plains to the mountains and border, from rural to urban areas, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Red Cross Bui Thi Hoa said.

This campaign opens up opportunities to build a happy and compassionate community, while sending out a strong message of solidarity and unity in the society, she added.

Doan Tuan, a member of the Me Linh Runner club, who has run 822km in 23 days of the campaign to lead the performance rankings on the V-Race app, said that by joining the campaign, his happiness has tripled with joys from physical exercise, spreading happiness, and easing difficulties of others. He has encouraged 40 other members of his club to join the campaign.

The message
that the campaign spreads is similar to the theme ‘Happier Together’ of this year’s International Day of Happiness, which underlines that happy is love and sharing, and kindness brings happiness./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Nha Trang capitalising on advantages for cruise tourism


Hanoi: Leveraging existing advantages of an attractive destination for cruise tourism, the coastal city of Nha Trang in the central province of Khanh Hoa is continuing to refine related mechanisms and offer a variety of services meeting demand of those who come by sea.

According to the provincial Department of Tourism, the beach city offers the holidaymakers a short travel from the port to the central areas as well as numerous options for sightseeing and hands-on activities.

Tour operators noted that cruise tourism comes with a high-end customer segment with significant spending power. It also has very high expectations for services and tourism products. This reality necessitates ongoing efforts from Nha Trang authorities and businesses to improve infrastructure and service quality.

However, there is still much to be done in the future. For instance, most of these travellers only visit for the day without overnight stays. Additionally, local souvenirs and specialties remain lacking in distinctiveness and c
reativity.

Nguyen Thi Le Thanh, Director of the provincial Department of Tourism, stated that Khanh Hoa identifies this group as one of the main sources for the industry in the future.

The authority has so far directed its units to intensify promotion campaigns, enhance the workforce quality, encourage localities and businesses to develop distinctive products, and promote eco-tourism models and local cultural experiences./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnamese university gets FIBAA accreditation


Hanoi: The National Economics University (NEU) has received a certificate from Foundation for International Business Administration Accreditation (FIBAA) for meeting its educational institution quality standards.

The accreditation is valid from March 6, 2024 to March 5, 2030.

Besides NEU, two other higher education institutions in Vietnam have been accredited by FIBAA, namely Ton Duc Thang University and Van Lang University.

NEU is also one of the first universities in Vietnam to complete FIBAA’s quality accreditation process with 100% of criteria meeting and exceeding standards such as quality of instructors, quality of student service, training programmes, practical applicability, quality of facilities, and services are evaluated by FIBAA with strict requirements.

The recognition has affirmed the success of the university in ensuring and improving the quality of education, continuing to increase student benefits such as credit recognition and conversion, registration for higher education at leading pres
tigious universities in the world, as well as job opportunities in developed countries.

NEU has been granted quality accreditation certificates by many international organisations, such as FIBAA and Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programmes (ACBSP). It is a member of a network of universities around the world that implements quality accreditation of educational institutions according to the standards of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) of the US.

Up to now, the country has had 11 higher education institutions recognised as meeting quality standards by international educational quality accreditation organisations.

FIBAA is a quality assurance organisation of the Swiss government headquartered in Germany and Switzerland, carrying out accreditation, evaluation, and development of organisations and education programs around the world in the fields of social and humanities, law, management and economics. It is also a member of the European Association for Quality
Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), the European Higher Education Quality Assurance Register (EQAR), the European University Association (EUA), Central and Eastern European Network of Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (CEENQA) and International Network of Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE)./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

‘Happy Vietnam’ photo, video contest launched


Hanoi: The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC), in collaboration with the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists and relevant agencies, launched the ‘Happy Vietnam’ photo and video contest for this year on March 20, in response to the International Day of Happiness.

Addressing the launching ceremony, which drew the online participation of representatives from the 63 localities across the country, MIC Deputy Minister Nguyen Thanh Lam said that the UN-designated day highlights the role of happiness and satisfaction during sustainable development promotion and poverty reduction, and the importance of happiness and human rights in the policy-making process of each country.

Vietnam is currently one of the 193 UN member states committed to supporting and acting, actively and making more efforts to build a world of equality, sustainable development and bringing happiness to mankind, Lam noted.

He said that the contest, first launched in 2023, aims to honour meaningful moments and stories about a
ll aspects of Vietnam’s political, economic, cultural, and social life through photos and videos by domestic and international authors, thus vividly affirming Vietnam’s achievements in human rights promotion.

It is also expected to promote the image of the land and people of Vietnam to the world, showing the world that Vietnam is a nation of peace, beauty, dynamic development, and happiness, the official said.

Authors can submit their works, created not before January 1, 2022, to the contest via website https://happy.vietnam.vn from now until August 20.

The organising board will present one gold, two silver, and three bronze medals, and 10 consolation prizes to winners, along with one prize for most voted work.

The awarding ceremony will be held in the fourth quarter of this year. About 100-150 works entering the final round will be showcased at exhibitions serving external information work inside and outside the country./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

About 10,000 cheap air tickets to be offered at VITM 2024


Hanoi: About 10,000 cheap air tickets are expected to be offered at the Vietnam International Travel Mart (VITM) 2024 which is slated to take place from April 11-14 in Hanoi, according to the Vietnam Tourism Association (VTA).

At a press conference to announce the event on March 20, the association said that VITM 2024 themed ‘Vietnam Tourism – Green Transition for Sustainable Development’ is hoped to attract over 450 booths and about 80,000 visitors. About 3,500 Vietnamese and international enterprises are expected to take part in the event.

VTA Chairman Vu The Binh said that VITM 2024 aims to jointly promote a new tourism trend – a combination of responsible tourism and environmental protection for development.

Tourism businesses, local authorities and tourists are called on to pay more attention to environmental protection through specific activities. The fair focuses on activities to contribute to turning tourism into a green economic sector, based on building green destinations, and green products, and
developing tourism human resources with proper knowledge of green tourism. The moves aim to enhance the image of Vietnamese tourism in the international arena.

Binh said that the fair will create opportunities for Vietnamese and international tourism businesses to promote their brands, introduce products, develop business relations, and promote growth in all three types – outbound, inbound and domestic tourism.

Visitors to the event can enjoy interesting experiences with promotional tours, discounted air tickets, cheap hotel rooms and One Commune – One Product (OCOP) products from localities across Vietnam.

Within the framework of VITM 2024, a forum entitled “Vietnam Tourism – Green Transition for Sustainable Development” will be held on April 12, seeking green transformation solutions for Vietnamese tourism.

Localities, destinations, and businesses in the province of Kien Giang, Thai Nguyen, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, and Ha Tinh also planned to organise tourism promotion conferences at VITM 2024./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency