The Vietnam Blockchain Association and Binance officially sign co-operation agreement on the exchange of research/application of Blockchain Technology and Human Resource Training in Vietnam. It is expected that by 2030, blockchain will create 40 million jobs, and 10 – 20 percent of the global economic infrastructure will run on blockchain technology systems. "Changpeng Zhao, CEO of Binance - the world's leading Blockchain development technology corporation, said blockchain is a new technology for the digital economy. Vietnam NFT Summit - Solutions for A New Era” was a part of a series of exchange events for research/application of blockchain Technology and Human Resource Training in Vietnam and worldwide between Binance and the Vietnam Blockchain Association. One of the central goals of the Association is to promote the digital economy and bring Vietnam to the international level in the digital economy./.

Vietnamese coffee popularised at the ASEAN Sports and Family Day in South Africa. (Photo: VNA)Pretoria (VNA) – Members of the Vietnamese Embassy and representative agencies in South Africa recently attended the ASEAN Sports and Family Day hosted by the ASEAN Committee in Pretoria (APC). They introduced Vietnamese cuisine and interacted with about 250 members from embassies and representative agencies of other ASEAN member countries in South Africa. In his opening speech at the event, the Ambassador of Myanmar to South Africa, who is the rotating chair of the APC, highlighted the significance of the event, saying that it contributes to further tightening friendship, solidarity, cooperation and mutual support among the members of the committee at the African country. The event offered a chance for participants to enjoy traditional foods of Southeast Asian nations, thus getting insights into the culture, land and people of the countries./.

Hanoi (VNA) - The following is a list of selected news summaries over the weekend by the Vietnam News Agency. On behalf of the Party and State, the President underlined that the Party and State always give special attention to the care for the elderly. Read full story– Question-and-Answer activities will be a focus of the third working week of the National Assembly (June 6-10). In his welcoming remarks, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam highlighted the significance of the festival to the development of friendly relations between the two countries. This year’s event returns to its pre-pandemic scale after two years of scale-down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

Deforestation-free jurisdiction al approach to ecosystem management and protection will be applied so that farmers can stay on their land for sustainable incomes. (Photo courtesy of the UNDP)- A project to strengthen integrated sustainable landscape management through a deforestation-free jurisdiction in the Central Highlands provinces of Lam Dong and Dak Nong was launched on June 4.The project has a total budget of five million EUR funded by the EU through UNDP Vietnam. From 2005 to 2020, the natural forest area in the Highlands was reduced from 2.83 million to 2.18 million hectares.In addition, the degradation of agricultural lands due to chemical pollution and soil erosion has become extremely serious and has led the Highlands to account for 22 percent of Vietnam’s natural emissions in land use. Each year, approximately 6.8 million of CO2 is released from coffee farms in the Central Highlands from fertilisers, residues, and fuel.In his remarks at the workshop, Jesus Lavina, first counselor, deputy head of the Cooperation Department of the Delegation of the EU to Vietnam, said: “The project’s three specific objectives – to enhance forest ecosystems, improve livelihoods, and sustain food production – are highly relevant in the Central Highlands and fully aligned with policies and strategies of both Vietnam and the EU. Joining our forces in tackling deforestation and forest degradation will positively impact local communities, including the most vulnerable indigenous peoples who rely heavily on forest ecosystems.”Patrick Haverman, deputy resident representative of UNDP Vietnam, said the project is designed to use a deforestation-free jurisdictional approach, a holistic framework to demonstrate sustainable development without deforestation in a particular jurisdiction as a key to achieve the expected results.Haverman also emphasised that the project will make significant contributions to sustainable forestry development in the Central Highlands and implement the Vietnam Forestry Development Strategy for 2021-2030 and the recently approved Strategy for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development for 2021-2030./.

Illustrative image (Source: VNA)– The Ho Chi Minh City Handicraft and Woodworking Association (HAWA) plans to organise a session to give consultations to domestic businesses on exporting furniture and interior decorating products to Canada, a promising market for Vietnam, on June 7.According to experts, the high demand and positive impacts from the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership ( CPTPP ) are factors making Canada a market with great potential for Vietnamese furniture and interior decorating products.According to marketinsightsreports.com, Canada's home furniture market is forecasted to expand 6 percent each year in the 2021 – 2025 period.Statistics showed that in 2021, Vietnam's export of wooden furniture to Canada reached 416.4 million USD, up 27.4 percent year on year and accounting for 16.7 percent of Canada’s total spending on the product in the year.Currently, Vietnamese products have been available in major supermarket chains in Canada such as COSTCO, IKEA and LEON’S. Particularly, conquering the Canadian market will also open up chances for Vietnam to increase exports to other Northern American markets.At the consultation session, Vietnamese Trade Councilor and head of Vietnamese Trade Office in Canada Tran Thu Quynh will brief participants on the current market situation and challenges in the Canadian market, as well as the support that the office can given to Vietnamese exporters.Meanwhile, Pham The Huy, First Secretary at the Vietnamese Trade Office in Canada will highlight some regulations, standards and conditions for exporting wooden furniture and home decorates to Canada.Representatives from some major Canadian importers will share their experience with Vietnamese exporters.Within the framework of the session, private consultations will be provided to Vietnamese businesses./.

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)- Vietnam is lead ing the transition to clean energy in Southeast Asia and is a bright spot on an otherwise soot-black map, according to an article published recently on The Economist.In the four years to 2021, the portion of electricity generated by solar in Vietnam increased from practically nothing to nearly 11 percent, the article said, noting it is not only a faster rate of increase than almost anywhere else in the world, but also a bigger share than larger economies such as France or Japan have managed.It said Vietnam had become the world’s tenth-biggest producer of solar power last year and recalled that ưhile underlining Vietnam’s commitment to the energy transition, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh vowed in November last year to stop building new coal-fired power plants and to reduce Vietnam’s emissions to net zero by 2050.The article said that other Southeast Asian countries hoping to up their game can learn a few lessons from Vietnam - the country has quadrupled its wind and solar power capacity compared to 2019.It attributed the "extraordinary achievement" to Vietnam’s political will and market incentives.As many as 100,000 rooftop solar panels were installed in 2019 and 2020, lifting Vietnam's solar output to 16GW.Reforms have made it easier for foreign investors to do business in Vietnam, the article said, noting that the Southeast Asian country will have to make greater efforts if it hopes to achieve net zero emissions by 2050./.

Videos Aviation sector ready for summer travel boom The aviation industry is ramping up operations after two years of COVID-19 disruption, with airlines expanding domestic and international flight network and enhancing flight frequency to renowned tourist attractions to serve customers’ travel demand during summer holiday roster. Videos Early-ripening lychees in Bac Giang sold at good prices Vietnamese lychees are fetching a tasty price at the early season, putting a smile on farmers in the northern province of Bac Giang. Global-standard lychees are even priced at around 1.3 USD per kilo. Business Interest rate support package has little effect on stock market As securities and real estate sectors are not on the list to receive support, the 2 percent interest rate support package's positive effects on the stock market are not strong. Business MoIT to authenticate e-contracts from June The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has created the necessary legal framework for the authentication of electronic contracts in Vietnam and is ready to grant operating licences to authenticators from June.

Priority will be given to developing infrastructure and logistics services at fishing ports and storm shelters. By 2030, there will also be 160 storm shelters, comprising 30 regional and 130 provincial ones, capable of accommodating some 90,600 fishing vessels. By 2030 Vietnam will have 176 fishing ports, capable of handling 2.96 million tonnes of fish annually, and 160 typhoon shelters for boats, which can accommodate 90,600 boats in total. Out of the 125 fishing ports across Vietnam, 68 are currently operational, including three first-class, 54 second-class and 11 third-class ones. The development of fishing ports and storm shelters is considered a breakthrough task towards turning fisheries into an important sector of the national economy./.

The programme was co-launched by US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Dang Hoang An, and USAID Vietnam Mission Director Ann Marie Yastishock. He underlined the significant role of offshore wind power when Vietnam realises its net-zero emission by 2050. Miss Grand International President set for Vietnam arrivalPresident Nawat and Vice President Teresa of Miss Grand International will arrive in Vietnam along with the top 10 beauties of Miss Grand Thailand 2022 to attend a press conference on June 7 to mark the launch of Miss Grand Vietnam 2022. Vietnam National Cinema Centre screening free cartoons for summerChildren in Hà Nội can watch cartoons that are being screened for free at the Vietnam National Cinema Centre, starting from this summer until the end of the year. The screening of Vietnamese cartoons, jointly organised by the Vietnam National Cinema Centre and the Vietnam Cartoon Company, features 50 works by the Vietnam Animation Film Studio.

Ilustrative image (Photo: VNA)- Russia’s e-newspaper Infox.ru has run an article written by Grigory Trofimchuk, a Russian expert on foreign policy, defence and security, highlighting Vietnam's leadership role in the region.According to the article, Vietnam is not only one of the flagships of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) but also really proves its leadership role, becoming a central player in regional issues and the "key" to those matters.Vietnam's strength lies in its growing prestige and position in the international arena, and its attractive business environment, political stability, and predictable foreign policy, Grigory said in his article.According to the Russian expert, Vietnam's consistent and constructive stance on establishing a peaceful and stable environment in the region, including in the East Sea, is an important factor to help Hanoi adapt to the modern geopolitical situation.He also highly valued Vietnam's role in the process of finding consensus with China on the East Sea-related issues, especially through the direction of the Communist Parties of the two countries to create specific results.According to the author, even in sensitive issues such as human rights, Vietnam has also made significant contributions, which are positively evaluated by the United Nations./.

Society Vietnam, Laos vow to boost cooperation in drug combat The Vietnamese and Lao ministries of public security will work harder to raise the efficiency of cooperation in drug combat, heard a meeting in Vietnam’s central province of Thua Thien-Hue on June 3. Society Job training outside prisons proposed for inmates Minister of Public Security To Lam has proposed to the National Assembly a draft resolution on piloting a model of organising job orientation and training outside of prisons for inmates. Society France helps Vietnam with administrative modernisation France will provide technical assistance for Vietnam to streamline administrative procedures, improve its business environment and build the e-government and digital transformation under a cooperation programme between the Vietnamese Government Office and the French Embassy in Vietnam released on June 3.

Participants at the opening ceremony of the festival (Photo: VNA)Geneva (VNA) – Members of the Permanent Delegation of Vietnam to the United Nations (UN) attended an Asian Harvest Festival at the headquarters of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in Geneva on June 2. Hosted by the Asian Ambassadors’ Spouses Association in Geneva in collaboration with the delegations of Asian countries, the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other international organisations in Geneva, the event aimed to promote the diverse culture in Asia. The Vietnamese delegation joined a traditional costume performance at the event. The festival offers a chance for the Vietnamese delegation to popularise the wet rice civilisation of Vietnam where harvest festivals have become part of the daily life. The Asian Harvest Festival is the continuation of the festival “Taste of Asia” in October last year - the opening event for cultural promotion activities at WIPO’s headquarters after a long hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic./.

Bank tellers and customers in Hanoi (Photo: VNA)Banks have been promoting a target of diversifying income sources to reduce dependence on credit.The financial statements in Q1 2022 of many banks published recently showed that besides the rapid growth of credit, revenue from services contributed significantly to the banks’ positive business results in the period.Typically, in Q1 2022, the Commercial Joint Stock Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam ( Vietcombank ) gained 2.58 trillion VND of net profit from services and 1.52 trillion VND of net profit from foreign exchange trading.For Vietnam Technological and Commercial Joint Stock Bank ( Techcombank ) and Saigon Thuong Tin Commercial Joint Stock Bank ( Sacombank ), the service revenue in Q1 2022 reached 1.79 trillion VND and 1.53 trillion VND, up 35 percent and 83 percent compared to the same period of last year, respectively.Many other private joint-stock banks such as Vietnam Prosperity Commercial Joint Stock Bank (VPBank), HCM City Development Commercial Joint Stock Bank (HDBank), Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MB), Asia Commercial Joint Stock Bank (ACB), Vietnam International Commercial Joint Stock Bank (VIB), Maritime Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MSB) and Saigon Hanoi Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SHB) also recorded many positive results from service activities in Q1 2022.MB, for example, saw an increase of 4.8 percent to nearly 1.12 trillion VND in the profit from services thanks to a large contribution from bancassurance channel. The bank’s profit from foreign exchange trading grew by 98 percent to 467 billion VND.Meanwhile, MSB also achieved more than 335 billion VND of net profit from service activities in Q1 2022, up nearly 175 percent over the same period of 2021, mainly thanks to the segments of credit cards, insurance services and payment activities.For VIB, the non-interest income was 650 billion VND, contributing 16 percent to the bank’s total operating income.Among the service activities of banks, bancassurance channels accounted for a fairly large proportion in Q1 2022 and contributed considerably to the service revenue structure of many banks. The income is expected to further increase next time.Vice-chairman of Lien Viet Post Commercial Joint Stock Bank (LienVietPostBank) Pham Doan Son said the bank is negotiating with its partners about bancassurance as the insurance contract between the bank and Dai-ichi Life expires in May 2022.Banking expert Nguyen Tri Hieu said that diversifying revenue sources is one of the targets that many banks have focused on for the past few years, especially in the past two years when the traditional source of revenue from credit activities has slowed and posed higher risks due to the pandemic.“Increasing revenue from services has helped banks operate more healthily and sustainable, and minimise risks. The change will also contribute to gradually realising targets set out in the development strategy of the banking industry,” Hieu said./.

Culture - Sports Ancestor worshipping ritual of the Lo Lo ethnic minority people The ancestor worshipping ritual of the Lo Lo ethnic people has existed for a long period of time. It is a beautiful custom, rich in cultural identity and with traditional educational properties for all generations. Like many other ethnic groups, the Lo Lo people believe that everything has a soul and have faith in connections between the living and the dead with the same bloodline. Culture - Sports Tourism and cultural activities to be held at Bac Ha festival The annual Bac Ha White Plateau Festival will take place in Bac Ha and neighbouring districts in the northern province of Lao Cai from June 4 to 12. Culture - Sports Traditional celebration of Doan Ngo Festival replicated An ancient ritual was reproduced on June 1 at Thang Long Imperial Citadel in Hanoi as part of the celebration of the Doan Ngo Festival (which take place on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month), Nhan dan newspaper reported.

Australia has shared an additional 7,245,800 Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine doses for children in Vietnam through a procurement agreement struck with UNICEF in partnership with the Vietnamese Ministry of Health. Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Robyn Mudie said that Australia has been proud to work on the national vaccination campaign in partnership with Vietnam since its first launch 2021, sharing adult vaccine doses and supporting the rollout across the country. But Vietnam, with a batch of key players coming in, made it even harder for the visitors to find the equaliser. Hanoi photo exhibition showcases Hungarian National AssemblyAn exhibition to showcase the beautiful Hungarian Parliament is being held at the Vietnam National Library. Vietnam to reach net zero emissions in 2050There is a great potential for green transition in Vietnam, which by 2050 can become a net zero-carbon economy according to the Vietnam Energy Outlook Report 2021 (EOR21) which was released on Thursday morning in Hanoi.