Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) receives ADB Vice President Stephen Groff on September 19 (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam always sees the Asian Development Bank (ADB) one of the leading sponsors with important contributions to the country's socio-economic development, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said. He hosted in Hanoi on September 19 Vice President of the ADB Stephen Groff, who is on a working visit to Vietnam. The reception was attended by leaders from some related ministries and sectors.   Groff extended his sympathy with the Vietnamese Government and people over huge losses caused by storm Doksuri. He congratulated the PM and the Vietnamese Government on successfully maintaining the macro-economic stability, promoting economic growth, and reforming State-owned enterprises. PM Phuc told guest that Vietnam is still facing many … [Read more...]

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaks at the conference (Source: VNA)   Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc stated that Party, State and Government leaders of Vietnam and Laos have always paid special attention to border and territory-related issues between the countries. He was speaking at a conference reviewing the implementation of a master plan on increasing and upgrading Vietnam-Laos border markers in Hanoi on September 19. The PM said before the master plan, only one marker was installed every 10km and even 40km of the border line. There are now 1,002 border markers and more than 2,337 poles standing along the borderline, with most of them lying in mountainous areas having rough terrains. The outcome is of significance as it serves as a foundation to complete a legal dossier for the Vietnam-Laos border line, he said. … [Read more...]

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh speaks at the event (Source: VNA)   Hanoi (VNA) – Outstanding farmers should be put in the centre of production models, looking towards large-scale production, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh said at a congress of the Vietnam Farmers’ Union (VFU) in Hanoi on September 19. The Deputy PM asked the VFU to focus resources on building production models, shift from the small household economy model to the form of connectivity and cooperation in chains, and pay more heed to quality and added values instead of productivity in order to meet integration requirements and improve farmers’ living standards. Applauding achievements the VFU recorded over the past five years, Binh said the union has affirmed its role and position as the centre of farmers’ movements and new-style rural area building. The union … [Read more...]

Scene at the East Sea workshop in Russia (Photo: VNA) Moscow (VNA) – Security and cooperation in the East Sea were the focus of discussions at a workshop organised in Moscow on September 18 by the Institute of Oriental Studies (IOS) under the Russian Academy of Sciences. The biennial event, the third of its kind, drew the participation of over 30 leading international scholars and experts in security, international cooperation, Asia-Pacific region and disputes in the East Sea coming from Russia, Singapore, Australia, India, Mexico, France and Belgium. Dmitry Mosyakov, Director of the IOS’s Centre for Southeast Asia, Australia and Oceania, highlighted changes in disputes in the East Sea, particularly after the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) issued a ruling in 2016, completely rejecting China’s legal and historical foundations of its sovereignty claims … [Read more...]

A view of Van Don Island in the north-eastern Quang Ninh Province. (Photo: halongtourvietnam.org) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Van Don, a rural district of Quang Ninh province in the northeastern region of Vietnam, may soon see a 5 trillion VND (220 million USD) resort complex. Real estate developer CEO Group has proposed to the provincial People’s Committee its intention to build the SonaSea Dragon Bay complex which will have a total area of 94ha.  This will include a hotel complex of 5,000 rooms, a water park, shopping centres and a shop house, as well as docks and a public beach. The project is expected to take shape during the 2018-22 period. The committee has asked the group to complete its planning and submit a proposal for consideration this month. With this investment plan, the CEO Group will revive the largest tourism project in Van Don, which has been sluggish for the past decade. The … [Read more...]

President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Tran Thanh Man donates for flood victims in the central region. (Photo: dangcongsan.vn) Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee launched a donation campaign in aid of people in the central region, who have borne the brunt of storm Doksuri, in Hanoi on September 19. Doksuri, the 10th storm arising in the East Sea and the strongest one hitting Vietnam in many years, has caused severe damage to Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Quang Tri, and Thua Thien – Hue provinces. It left over 10 people dead and missing and more than 200 injured. The typhoon destroyed over 200,000 houses, inundated 4,473ha of rice and 8,277ha of other crops, affected 16,108ha of aquatic farming, and ruined 10km of national highways and 17.9km of local roads. Total damage has to date … [Read more...]

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) welcomes Liu Yunshan, Secretary of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on September 19 (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and National Assembly (NA) Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan hailed the progress in Vietnam-China cooperation while receiving Liu Yunshan, Secretary of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on September 19.  Talking to Liu, who is also a member of China’s Politburo Standing Committee, PM Phuc reiterated that the Vietnamese Party, State and people always attach importance to the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with China. He applauded recent substantive cooperation, especially in investment, trade and tourism, along with China’s expansion of import of Vietnam’s goods and agricultural … [Read more...]

A first aid drill conducted by officers of the level-2 field hospital (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNA) – The Vietnam Peacekeeping Centre and the HCM City-based Military Hospital 175 wrapped up a programme on level-2 field hospital equipment practical training on September 19. The practical training on equipment of Vietnam’s first field hospital model, set to join the United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan in 2018, began on September 6.  It saw the direct engagement of 69 officers and soldiers of the field hospital, along with eight British and seven US experts who have a pool of field experience in peacekeeping operations in South Sudan. At the closing ceremony held at Division 317 of the Military Region 7 High Command, Sen. Lt. Gen. Pham Ngoc Minh, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army, underscored that … [Read more...]

A farmer harvests rice in Nakhon Pathom province of Thailand (Photo: AFP/VNA) Bangkok (VNA) – The Board of Investment of Thailand has approved the granting of special promotional privileges for investment in projects related to modern agricultural production and services with a view to upgrading the country’s farm sector. The privileges will be offered to businesses that apply tech, particularly for information technology or engineering design, to help modernise production in the traditional farm sector. Farmers who upgrade their production methods and crop quality to achieve sought-after international quality standards, such as Good Agricultural Practice and ISO 22000 Food Safety Management Systems Certification, will qualify for the incentives. Under the new privilege structure, businesses that apply technology to help modernise production in the … [Read more...]

An embankment was reinforced amid serious erosion in Kim Quy hamlet of the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – A conference on shaping the shift to sustainable development model adaptive to climate change in the Mekong Delta will take place in Can Tho city on September 26-27. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc will chair the event, which is expected to attract about 350 delegates, said Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha during a meeting with organisers on September 19. The meeting will review challenges faced by the Mekong Delta between now and 2100, particularly those related to the management of water resources, and opportunities for regional sustainable development. Participants will contribute ideas to the building of Mekong Delta socio-economic development plans, while discussing measures to shift to livelihoods … [Read more...]