On June 11, the 19th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore began its first official meeting day, focusing on the topic of security and stability in the region. Attending the event, Minister Phan Van Giang delivered an important speech on Vietnam’s policy of strengthening defense capabilities. The viewpoint of Vietnam is to build and strengthen national defense capabilities to protect the country and protect peace, Giang opened his speech. Vietnam wishes to expand defense cooperation, jointly solve common security challenges on the basis of respecting each other's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and in accordance with basic principles of international law, he went on to say. Regarding the East Sea issue, Minister Giang affirmed that Vietnam is resolute and persistent in the principle of settling disputes and disagreements by peaceful means and in compliance with the international law, including the UNCLOS 1982./.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia and Uzbekistan Dang Minh Khoi at a working session with Uzbek Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade. (Photo: VNA)Moscow (VNA) – Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia and Uzbekistan Dang Minh Khoi has held working sessions with relevant agencies of Uzbekistan to strengthen multifaceted cooperation between the two countries. During the meetings, the two sides affirmed long-standing friendship between Vietnam and Uzbekistan, saying that bilateral trade cooperation is not commensurate with the close relationship as well as the potential of the two countries. He handed over a 2013 draft document on cooperation in education and training between Vietnam and Uzbekistan to Karimov. At a meeting with Kurbanov, the Vietnamese ambassador asked him to support and create favourable conditions for Vietnamese people who are living and doing business in the country./.

People grow mangroves in Tra Vinh Province in the Mekong Delta region. Mangroves have an important role in climate adaptation. (Photo: VNA)- Local authorities and experts from international organisations and partners have discussed measures to increase the mangrove restoration and afforestation in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region at a workshop in Hanoi.Speaking at the June 10 workshop, Head of the International Cooperation Department Nguyen Do Anh Tuan said the Mekong Delta region iss at the forefront of climate change adaptation in Vietnam.The region has strengthened measures to enhance forest management as well as climate change adaptation and sustainable development with support from international partners The workshop is expected to raise awareness of mangrove afforestation and protection for the alignment of planning and implementation of mangrove projects, Tuan said.It also aims to facilitate a platform where stakeholders at central and local levels could discuss smooth, effective and efficient cooperation and coordination.Highlighting the importance of the forest in climate change mitigation and adaptation, Paul Bergsma, from the consultancy firm Royal Haskoning DHV, said mangroves have helped protect the coasts against natural disasters such as storms while increasing resilience and adaptation to climate change.He said: “The success of the approach to mangrove restoration depends mainly on the sediment supply and stability, tidal hydrology, community participation and land tenure consideration.”Tran Cong Hung from the Management Board for Forestry Projects said the mangrove belt and the coastal zone of the Mekong Delta have been in a serious state of degradation.The degradation has been caused by a range of factors including lack of sediment, and the land use in the coastal zone pressing the dike seaward, he said.The inadequate water management and overexploitation of groundwater resulting in land subsidence along with the inland shrimp farming have also contributed to the degradation of mangroves in the region, the official said.The workshop themed 'mangrove afforestation in the Mekong Delta for sustainable coastal resilience' was co-organised by the Netherlands Embassy, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).It attracted participants from the agriculture ministry and other relevant ministries, central government agencies and coastal provinces in the Mekong Delta, and representatives from key international partners including the Netherlands Embassy, ADB, World Wide Fund for Nature and International Union for Conservation of Nature.The ADB and the Government of the Netherlands have committed to supporting Vietnam in strengthening the coastal zones of the Mekong Delta and the resilience of its inhabitants.The ministry is currently working on a proposal to restore the natural environment and strengthen coastal protection to increase resilience to the impacts of climate change in the five coastal provinces of Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, Tra Vinh, Ben Tre and Tien Giang during 2023 - 2029.The project will apply for ABD loans./.

The sides should show their sense of responsibility for peace and stability in the region and the world, Ambassador Vu Ho, acting head of ASEAN SOM Vietnam, stressed at the ASEAN Regional Forum Senior Officials’ Meeting ( ARF SOM ).Ambassador Ho said dialogues should be enhanced through such mechanisms as the ARF to build trust, ease differences and seek effective solutions to the current issues.The ambassador also affirmed Vietnam’s willingness to coordinate with countries to contribute to international efforts in handling the problems.Regarding the East Sea, Ho noted that the recent developments in the waters have harmed peace, security, stability and maritime environment, and reiterated ASEAN’s stance on the significance of peace, security, stability and safety of navigation and aviation in the East Sea, the settlement of disputes by peaceful measures, adherence to international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS), and the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) to facilitate negotiations of an effective, substantive Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea in line with international law, including the UNCLOS.At the meeting, held via videoconference on June 9, the participating countries acknowledged the progress in cooperation of the ARF over the past time, especially the implementation of the Hanoi Plan of Action II (2020-2025).They emphasised the need to promote the values of the ARF - a leading security forum promoting dialogues, cooperation, trust building and preventive diplomacy in Asia-Pacific, with ASEAN playing the central role.The delegates exchanged views on regional and international issues of shared concern such as the conflict in Ukraine, the situation in Myanmar, and the East Sea issue.On this occasion, Cambodia – ASEAN Chair 2022 – announced that the 29th ARF Foreign Ministers Meeting will be held in in-person format in Phnom Penh in August./.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son (right) hosts Swedish Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Robert Rydberg in Hanoi. (Photo: VNA)Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son affirmed the importance Vietnam attaches to developing the traditional friendship and multi-faceted cooperation with Sweden during his reception for Swedish Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Robert Rydberg in Hanoi on June 10.Vietnam always bear in mind the valuable support of the Swedish government and people to the country during its past struggle for national defence and reunification, and the present cause of national construction and development, the minister stressed.Son noted with pleasure active developments of the relations over the past time, both bilaterally and multilaterally, saying the two sides have favourable conditions to consolidate and expand cooperation, especially in the areas of Vietnam’s priorities and Sweden’s strengths like high-quality personnel development, modern infrastructure construction for sustainable development, institutions and laws, and socio-economic management.He suggested the two foreign ministries continue their close cooperation to fully tap available potential and push collaboration between the two countries in the time ahead, particularly in politics-diplomacy, economy, education, green transition, digital economy and circular economy, and at multilateral forums, thus bringing practical benefits to their people and contributing to cooperation and development in the two regions.For his part, Rydberg congratulated Vietnam on its achievements in socio-economic development, international integration and the COVID-19 fight, and emphasised that Sweden considers Vietnam a priority partner in Southeast Asia, and wishes to tighten the bilateral ties.The officials agreed to step up meetings and delegation exchanges, as well as trade and investment promotion activities, and expand the bilateral cooperation in other potential areas.Earlier the same day, Rydberg and Deputy Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc co-chaired the political consultation between the Vietnam ese and Swedish foreign ministries in Hanoi, during which the sides exchanged views on the bilateral collaboration and regional and international issues of shared concern.They reviewed the Vietnam-Sweden cooperation in different spheres, and reached consensus on measures to boost the ties after the COVID-19 pandemic.Ngoc suggested the two sides resume all-level delegation exchanges and increase trade and investment promotion activities, and called on Sweden to share its experience in innovation, science-technology, energy, climate change response, green growth, the fulfillment of commitments at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), and utilisation of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).Rydberg said the Swedish business community regards Vietnam as an important market in the global value chain, and shared the view that the two ministries should further their close coordination to contribute to fostering the relationship between the two countries dynamically and effectively across spheres.The sides also consented to maintain their cooperation at multilateral forums and their mutual support in the election and nomination to United Nations agencies and organisations, along with cooperation within the frameworks of ASEAN-EU and the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM).They exchanged views on regional and international issues of common concern in Asia-Pacific and Europe, the East Sea issue and the Mekong sub-regional cooperation./.

At the 18th ASEAN-India Summit (Photo: VNA)– India will host a special meeting of foreign ministers of India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (SAIFMM) on June 16 and 17 to mark the 30th anniversary of India-ASEAN dialogue relations and the 10th year of the two sides’ strategic partnership According to the Indian Foreign Ministry, the meeting will be co-chaired by India’s Minister of External Affairs Jaishankar and his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan.The year 2022 has been designated as the ASEAN-India friendship year.India and ASEAN started their dialogue relations with the establishment of a sectoral partnership in 1992, which was elevated to a full dialogue partnership in December 1995, a summit-level partnership in 2002, and a strategic partnership in 2012.ASEAN is central to India’s Act East policy and its vision for the wider Indo-Pacific, the external affairs ministry said.While the ASEAN- India Foreign Ministers’ Meeting is an annual event hosted by the ASEAN Chair, the SAIFMM will be the first such event to be hosted by India, and will be preceded by the ASEAN-India senior officials meeting on June 15./.

Singapore (VNA) - Defence Minister Gen. Phan Van Giang on June 10 had bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Singapore, the US and Canada on the threshold of the 19th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. On the basis of a good relationship between the two states, bilateral defence ties have also been further promoted, they said. Regarding multilateral cooperation, the ministers discussed contents related to the upcoming ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and global and regional issues of mutual concern. Meeting with Canadian Defence Minister Anita Anand, the Vietnamese minister affirmed that Vietnam always attaches importance to the comprehensive partnership with Canada, of which defence cooperation is a pillar. The officers stressed that the bilateral defence relationship is being actively implemented, in line with the MoU on Bilateral Defence Cooperation signed in 2019 and the 3-year defence cooperation plan in the 2021 - 2023 period.

Vietnamese Ambassador Dang Minh Khoi (left) a letter of credentials to Uzbekistan's acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir I. Norov. (Photo: VNA)Tashkent (VNA) – Vietnamese Ambassador to Uzbekistan Dang Minh Khoi presented a letter of credentials to Uzbekistan's acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir I. Norov at a ceremony in the capital city of Tashkent on June 9. At the talks following the ceremony, the two sides affirmed their willingness to strengthen ties in all fields. For his part, Khoi said that it was an honour for him to be appointed as the Vietnamese Ambassador to Uzbekistan. He pledged to make every effort to further promote the relationship between the two countries to a new height./.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has proposed scrapping the 10,000 COVID-19 travel insurance required to enter Vietnam. In an article, it said when Vietnam first notified that it worked with US researchers to develop a vaccine against the disease, great hope was kindled in the animal husbandry sector in not only Vietnam but also the word. An African swine fever outbreak was first detected in Vietnam in February 2019, and then spread nationwide, causing millions of pigs to be culled. Meanwhile, defender Tien Long suffered an injury and left the field in the Vietnam vs Malaysia match on June 8. The Saudi Arabia vs Vietnam match is scheduled to take place at 23:00 (Vietnam time) on June 12.

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue speaks at the end of the Q&A session on June 9. (Photo: VNA)Secretary of the Da Nang Municipal Party Committee Nguyen Van Quang (R) meets with Secretary of the Party Committee and Governor of Sekong province of Laos Leklay Sivilay on June 9. (Photo: VNA)Vice Chairman of the Binh Duong People’s Committee Mai Hung Dung (R) meets with Ambassador Pier Giorgio Aliberti, Head of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Vietnam. Read full story - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will hold a dialogue with workers on June 12, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL). Read full story ./.

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)A deputy raise questions at the Q&A sesion (Photo: VNA)- Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The told the 15th National Assembly what caused traffic projects not to be completed on schedule in recent years during its third sitting’s last Q&A session in Hanoi on June 9.Fielding a question of a deputy from the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on the matter, The attributed the slow process of the projects to inadequate capital allocated. Other causes include land clearance work, topographical and geological difficulties in remote areas, and weaknesses of project managers and contractors, the official added.He stated as causes have been identified, efforts will be made for better operation to minimise future delays.A deputy from Ho Chi Minh City grilled the minister on a lack of connectivity between transport routes.In response, The said when implementing traffic projects, if the locality has yet to plan their roads or has no roads, in principle, intersections cannot be arranged.He informed the NA that his ministry has requested localities urgently adjust their traffic planning with connections to highways and national key routes. Thereby, the transport body will coordinate with competent agencies to supplement intersections.Regarding a question on solutions to realising the target of completing more than 2,000km of highways during 2021-2025, The said the ministry will make efforts to finish the works on time. He said of the 2,000km, 1,200km have been completed and 800km are under construction.The minister also took into account a proposal by a deputy from Hanoi on forming a fund for transport infrastructure development, saying it is necessary and the ministry will consider studying it./.

Hình ảnh lan truyền trên mạng xã hội về việc ông Lê Tùng Vân xuất hiện tại TP.HCM làm căn cước công dân. Các bị can khác đã bị bắt tạm giam, riêng ông Lê Tùng Vân bị áp dụng biện pháp ngăn chặn là cấm đi khỏi nơi cư trú. Ngay sau khi tiếp nhận thông tin, lực lượng chức năng tỉnh Long An đã đưa ông Lê Tùng Vân về lại địa phương. Được biết, ông Lê Tùng Vân, nguyên quán tại Châu Đốc, tỉnh An Giang. Từ năm 2015 ông Lê Tùng Vân về sống tại "Tịnh thất Bồng Lai" và tổ chức một số hoạt động vi phạm pháp luật tại đây.

This is the highest number of cars imported in the past five months. For the whole period, Vietnam spend a total of 1.28 billion USD to buy nearly 51,000 cars from abroad. Thailand leads Vietnam’s car import markets with more than 22,600 vehicles. The country is followed by Indonesia with more than 15,000 and China with nearly 8,700 vehicles. Meanwhile, the number of cars domestically produced and resembled reached 44,500 in May, up over 13 percent over April and 17.6 percent against the same period in 2021./.

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue speaks at the end of the Q&A session on June 9. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue proposed the Government, administrations at all levels and sectors to synchronously deploy solutions in order to perform better and create positive and clear changes in issues questioned by legislators during the question-and-answer (Q&A) session of the 15th legislature's third sitting. Speaking at the end of the Q&A session on June 9, Hue affirmed that the session took place in a democratic and frank atmosphere, attracting attention from people and voters nationwide. During the event, three ministers and the Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam answered questions raised by lawmakers and Deputy Prime Ministers and other ministers cleared up related issues. Permanent Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh, on behalf of the Government, clarified issues under the general responsibility of the Government, and directly answered questions from NA deputies.

Ambassador Vu Ho, acting head of ASEAN SOM Vietnam (Photo: VNA)Participants at the meeting (Photo: VNA)– Vietnam has proposed East Asia Summit (EAS) partners, with their potential and strengths, continue to coordinate closely with ASEAN in coping with COVID-19 pandemic and speed up economic recovery as well as help narrow development gaps and promote the growth of sub-regions, including the Mekong Sub-region, ensuring equal and sustainable development in the region.Ambassador Vu Ho, acting head of ASEAN SOM Vietnam , made the suggestion during an online meeting of senior officials from countries joining the East Asia Summit (EAS), comprising ASEAN member countries and China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, New Zealand, India, Russia and the US, on June 8.He said that in the current context, it is necessary to further promote the strategic role of the EAS in encouraging dialogue and cooperation, strengthening mutual trust and understanding, equality, mutual respect, disagreement management and difference reduction, thus stabilising the relations of world powers, ensuring no harms to the common development of the region as well as peace, security and stability in the region and the world.The Vietnamese official reaffirmed the principled standpoints of the ASEAN regarding East Sea issues, highlighting the necessity to promote dialogue and cooperation, building trust, uphold international law, exercise restraint, conduct no militarisation activities, settle disputes and differences through peaceful measures, support efforts to continue to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and finalise a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in line with international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), thus contributing to making the East Sea a sea of peace, cooperation and development.Participants at the event highly valued the role of the EAS, with ASEAN playing a central role, and stressed the need to effectively realise the EAS Action Plan for the 2018-2022 period and promptly complete the drafting of an action plan for the 2023-2027 period.They agreed to coordinate closely in controlling COVID-19 and promoting sustainable recovery. ASEAN welcomes the partners’ support in enhancing their preventive health care capacity and providing COVID-19 vaccines, medicine and medical equipment.Regarding the regional and international issues of shared concern, including the situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Myanmar, Russia-Ukraine conflicts, and relations among major countries in the region, participants supported the EAS’s strengthening of its role to contribute to ensuring a peaceful, stable and smooth environment to deal with the pandemic and speed up recovery.Underlining the strategic significance of seas and oceans to each country's development space, the participants highlighted the responsibility of coordinating to ensure peace, stability, security, and safety of navigation and aviation, making the East Sea a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation, refraining from activities that increase tensions and complicate the situation, not conducting militarisation, using and threatening to use force, and settling disputes through peaceful means on the basis of international law, including the UNCLOS 1982. ASEAN and China should fully and effectively implement DOC, and work closely together for the successful building of an effective COC in line with international law, including the UNCLOS 1982, the said.The EAS partners continued to affirm the role of ASEAN in strengthening dialogue and reconciliation and assisting Myanmar in seeking solutions to stabilise the situation.Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, the countries emphasised that differences and disagreements should be settled by peaceful means, in compliance with the basic principles of the United Nations Charter, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) and international law. All parties need to exercise restraint, resume dialogue efforts to find a long-term solution in line with international law, taking into account the legitimate interests of the parties, while ensuring the safety of civilians in war zones.Cambodia, Chair of the EAS 2022, announced that it will organise the EAS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in in-person format in August, and the 17th EAS in November in Phnom Penh./.