SHANGHAI — A Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà is attending the 6th China International Import Expo (CIIE) that kicked off in Shanghai, China on November 5. The expo attracts more than 150 countries and territories and international organisations worldwide, with a total area of 300,000sq.m. He suggested carrying forward existing cooperation mechanisms, especially those between Shanghai and HCM City and some other localities in Việt Nam such as Hà Nội and Hải Phòng. He also proposed enhancing the sharing of experience in urban development and management, innovation, investment attraction, and monetary financing. Both officials noted his hope for more cultural exchanges as well as exchanges between residents of the two countries, especially young generations.

A lack of systematic and sustainable cooperation has led to monotonous and overlapping tourism products, with limited competitiveness. This plan will also include new initiatives in areas of mutual interest, such as sustainable development, climate, and maritime solutions, he said. The event was jointly held by the Vietnam National Committee on the Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB Vietnam) and the NBCA, with the support of UNDP Vietnam. She said that the ministry has been working on establishing policies and myriad legal frameworks to further strengthen the management of biosphere reserves in Vietnam. Up to date, Vietnam is home to 11 biosphere reserves, second only to Indonesia in the number of biosphere reserves in Southeast Asia.

People go to Vinh Nghiem pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City on the first day of the Lunar New Year in 2023. (Photo: VNA)- The Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday will last seven days from February 8 to 14, 2024, per an official document approved by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.The decision was made at the proposal of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.The Lunar New Year festival or Tet is the largest Vietnamese traditional celebration and has been since ancient times. It is not only a spiritual event that marks the change from one year to the next, but it also embodies the national culture of the country by reflecting the values and beliefs of Vietnamese people.Vietnamese people believe that Tet marks the beginning of a new year, a day of hope and belief in new and good things and a farewell to the old./.

By Hamy NguyễnI have always thought that quality ingredients are the foundation of any decent dish, so was eager to experience Lamai, an upscale restaurant that only uses Vietnamese ingredients. Vietnamese ingredients are incredibly delicious, but it can be difficult to guarantee quality. Indeed, Lamai restaurant might be the only upscale eatery to have made such a bold decision. I decided to have set menu B (VNĐ1,500,000), which is the most expensive and has more courses than the winter set menu I had previously eaten. While the 20-item set menu is incredibly inventive, it will also force people to make comparisons.

The guardian would always be a white man, which is a cause for concern in itself. The book dug deep into the ring’s crime, its mastermind and the 24 murders of the Osage that were never investigated. Tale of murderThe cinematic adaptation of the book turns the plot into a love story of greed and murder. The white man courted her, at the order of his uncle, who was also the ring leader and staged the murders of her sisters, and killed her mother. It reflects a truth that's hard to swallow: no matter how much people talk about gender equality, white superiority, so closely associated with greed, eats up everything around it.

In the three years since its signing, the United Kingdom – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) has benefited both Vietnamese and British businesses. What impact has the UKVFTA had on Việt Nam and the UK? I was thrilled when the UK and Việt Nam finalised negotiations on the UKVFTA in 2020, marking a significant milestone in our nations' economic and trade relations. The UKVFTA stands as a testament to the power of diplomatic collaboration, fostering prosperity and sustainable development for both nations. This is excellent to see - it provides consumers in the UK with increased choice and also supports prosperity here in Việt Nam.

Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara (Photo: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/)Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara has been appointed to head the government’s new committee on promoting economic and investment stimulation measures and attracting high potential foreign investment Local media reported that the appointment was approved by the Thai cabinet in a meeting this week.Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce Phumtham Wechayachai will serve as vice chairman of the committee.The meeting also voted Parnpree to chair the committee on boosting Thailand ’s competitiveness in target industries, which is currently chaired by Prime Minister and Finance Minister Srettha Thavisin with Parnpree acting as the vice chairman.This puts Parnpree, former president of national oil and gas conglomerate PTT, in charge of the government’s two committees on economic promotion and foreign investment. The move aims at improving the efficiency of the two committees and ensuring seamless operations in overlapping areas.According to its new economic growth plan starting from 2024, Thailand will focus on green growth, innovation-driven economy, and community-based growth.Parnpree said that to accomplish these goals, Thailand will engage in economic diplomacy to connect with allies around the world./.

Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN. (Photo: VNA)- Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, has urged countries worldwide to implement commitments and enhance actions and finance for climate , including commitments made at the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Climate Ambition Summit in September 2023, to effectively address impacts of climate change and sea-level rise.Addressing the Informal Plenary Meeting on Existential Threats of Sea-level Rise Amidst the Climate Crisis at the 78th UN General Assembly in New York on November 3, the diplomat said Vietnam welcomes the study of the International Law Commission on provisions and interpretation of international law on the issue of sea-level rise; and the UN General Assembly's adoption of the Resolution requesting an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the obligations of states with respect to climate change.He emphasised the need to consider the issue of sea level rise and all efforts and measures to address the impact of this phenomenon based on international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).Mobilising the political will and action of the international community in supporting these countries is extremely important, he stressed.He called for the acceleration of the establishment of a fund for loss and damage agreed by countries at the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27).The diplomat also underlined the benefits of countries with special circumstances, including small island nations and countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, saying that their interests should be taken into account in all plans, programmes and actions.As one of the countries with a long coastline and severely affected by climate change , Vietnam is making great efforts to strengthen climate action, towards implementing its commitments, including establishing the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), and developing a resource mobilisation plan, Giang said.Vietnam is also willing to cooperate and share experiences and lessons with other countries and partners to promote common efforts in response to climate change and sea-level rise, he went on.Speakers and representatives of countries attending the event discussed challenges caused by climate change and rising sea levels on security, development and people's livelihoods, especially in small island countries and lowlands.Regulations and interpretations in international law on statehood, sovereignty and territory in the event of being affected by rising sea levels were also tabled./.

NEW DELHI – More than 30 Vietnamese enterprises have their agricultural products and processed food introduced at World Food India (WFI) 2023 that opened in New Delhi, India, on November 3. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Vietnamese pavilion, Vietnamese Ambassador to India Nguyễn Thanh Hải highlighted the growing trade relations between Việt Nam and India in recent years. "The Indian food market is very large and there is still a lot of room for Vietnamese businesses to explore," he said. He expressed his impression of Vietnamese products. A seminar is scheduled to take place on November 5 to highlight the potential of Vietnamese agricultural products and processed food.

Cabinet members focused their discussions on several key issues, including salary reform, disbursement of public investment capital, and the three national target programmes. To strongly step up driving forces of growth, he called for improving the efficiency of State-owned investment capital. To boost exports, the PM directed maintaining traditional markets while actively expanding new markets, particularly major and promising ones. Apart from industry, agriculture, tourism and services, he ordered developing services with potential and advantages such as transportation, logistics, education, health care, and banking. The PM also underlined the importance of expediting the disbursement of public investment capital, the socio-economic recovery and development programme, and the three national target programmes.

Illustrative image (Photo: https://arc-group.com/)The European Union (EU)'s rules aimed at stopping deforestation threaten widespread disruption for Southeast Asia's rubber sector, from Cambodia's 30,000 small farmers to major exporters in Thailand and Malaysia, according to Nikkei Asia.The EU's deforestation regulation (EUDR) aims to ban imports of seven commodities, including cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, rubber, soy and wood items, if they come from land that was deforested after December 31, 2020.Accordingly, companies dealing in such imports will have to provide "conclusive and verifiable information" mapping their supply chains, including geolocation data for where products were grown, to ensure products are compliant.Compliance will become mandatory in December 2024 for larger companies and in June 2025 for smaller enterprises.Critics said the concern for Southeast Asia is that these requirements will disproportionately hurt small farmers while failing to adequately address rubber's role in deforestation.Thailand, the world's biggest rubber producer and exporter, is attempting to get out ahead of the new rules. Regulators there have set up a national platform to help the country's more than 5 million farmers meet the impending traceability requirements.Producers in Thailand are also grappling with increased costs as sustainability becomes more of a concern for buyers and a legal requirement in more jurisdictions.Thai Rubber Latex Group Chairman Vorathep Wongsasuthikul said building a system to allow customers to trace their products' provenance would push production costs up by 10%./.

Dragon fruit - a key Vietnamese agricultural product for export. (Photo: VNA)New Delhi (VNA) – More than 30 Vietnamese enterprises have their agricultural products and processed food introduced at World Food India (WFI) 2023 that opened in New Delhi, India, on November 3. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Vietnamese pavilion, Vietnamese Ambassador to India Nguyen Thanh Hai highlighted the growing trade relations between Vietnam and India in recent years. The Indian food market is very large and there is still a lot of room for Vietnamese businesses to explore, he said. A seminar is scheduled to take place on November 5 to highlight the potential of Vietnamese agricultural products and processed food.

Vietnam and Mongolia have issued a joint communiqué on the occasion of the State visit to Vietnam by Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh and his spouse from November 1-5 at the invitation of Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong. For his part, Polt expressed his pleasure to visit Vietnam and work with the Supreme People's Procuracy of Vietnam. President Thuong said that Vietnam appreciates Hungary's prioritisation of Vietnam in its "Eastern opening" policy. He added that in the two countries’ cooperation, the cooperative relationship between the two procuracy agencies has produced positive results. The President said that Vietnam looks forward to soon welcoming Hungarian President Katalin Novak to visit Vietnam.

Viessmann, a German-based global leader in air and water solutions, has recently embarked on the Vietnamese market. This strategic move involves the introduction of high-quality and efficient water solutions that align with the country's urgent demand for clean and safe water. Recognizing the critical importance of water as a fundamental natural resource in our daily lives, we are enthusiastic in introducing our water solutions to the people of Vietnam. The Vitopure product line harnesses cutting-edge technologies in water treatment solutions, effectively enhancing the quality of tap water for drinking and domestic needs. Viessmann Vietnam Co., Ltd.Email: info.vietnam@viessmann.comHotline: 1900 9149Website: https://www.viessmann.com.vn

English language daily Viet Nam News will oraganise a seminar on the implementation of commitments on Environmental, Social , and Governance (ESG) components and putting them into action. This has to be completed with the efficient use of natural resources and environmental protection, including the encouragement of ESG practices among businesses.The increasingly popular ESG standards are used to evaluate the efficiency and sustainability of a business or organisation. Not only are businesses paying more attention to ESG to attract foreign investment but users are also selecting products and services of a brand based on that brand’s ESG achievements.However, businesses are still facing difficulties in integrating ESG policies and criteria into their brand development strategies. Viet Nam News , first published by the Vietnam News Agency on June 17, 1991, is currently the only National English language daily in the country. Apart from the printed version, it is also available at https://www.vietnamnews.vn, and has specialised pages on economy - finance (www.bizhub.vn) and tourism (www.ovietnam.vn)./.