Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)Vientiane (VNA) – Vietnam and Laos expect to achieve 2 billion USD in two-way trade in the near future, given that the figure surged 28.2% annually to 1.4 billion USD in ten months of this year, heard a forum held in Vientiane on November 25. Deputy head of the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Department of Asia-Africa Markets Do Quoc Hung said Laos now ranks first among 78 countries and territories invested by Vietnam. Meanwhile, Vietnam is the third biggest investor in Laos, mostly in agriculture, banking, finance, telecommunications, manufacturing and processing. Reports at the event focused on trade achievements between the two countries, bilateral cooperation in market management and energy development. Participants at the event debated ways to pool more resources and corporate involvement in trade infrastructure, retail distribution and processing industry to achieve the set target of 2 billion USD soon./.

The Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organisations (HUFO) and its partners, the Vietnam–ASEAN Friendship Organisation are hosting ASEAN food festival in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from 24-27 November 2022. According to Vietnam News, there will be 46 stalls of food and beverages from restaurants and businesses from Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam. This food festival’s purpose is to promote the relationships and cooperation between Vietnam and other ASEAN countries, said Hồ Xuân Lâm, HUFO’s vice chairman. In addition, the festival also includes performances of traditional music and dance from ASEAN countries, street art performances and cooking shows, reported Vietnam News. Source: https://vietnamnews.vn/life-style/1398418/hcm-city-to-host-asean-food-festival.html

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and delegates to the 22nd WPC Assembly pose for a photo in Hanoi on November 24. (Photo: VNA)President of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP) Fernando González Llort grants an interview to the Vietnam News Agency (Photo: VNA)Dr. Monisha Rios from the Solidarity Centre of Puerto Rico (Photo: VNA)– International delegates at the 22nd Assembly of the World Peace Council WPC ) have spoken highly of Vietnam’s economic and social security achievements.The WPC’s 22nd Assembly is taking place in Vietnam from November 20 to 27 to convey a message that calls for joint actions for peace, cooperation, and sustainable development.Talking to Vietnam News Agency on the sidelines of the assembly, President of the Cuba n Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP) Fernando González Llort said Vietnam is one of the few countries in the world to have an economy that has kept growing even amid the COVID-19 pandemic and is recovering, which has clearly proven its appropriate transformation policies.If there is any country succeeding in this regard, it is Vietnam, he said, noting that anyone can see Vietnam’s development efforts, how its economy is developing, and how its people are benefiting from policies, not only economic policies, but also social ones issued by the Party, State, and Government.Without peace, there is no way to develop, he emphasised.The ICAP President described the Communist Party of Vietnam’s leadership of the country to fulfil economic development and social equality targets as an important contribution to peace since peace means not only the silence of guns but also development for the sake of people’s well-being.The fights against foreign invaders and for national liberation in the past are now a struggle for development and a better life for people in Vietnam. The inheritance of that ideology can be seen in national construction and the development efforts of the Party, State, and people of Vietnam, according to Fernando González Llort.Echoing the views, Carlos Ron, President of the Simon Bolivar Institute for Peace and Solidarity among Peoples (ISB) of Venezuela, held that from a war-torn country, Vietnam has shown a new path of growth, a new path of prosperity, and is continuing with socialism.He added Vietnam’s successes in implementing policies with the socialist orientation are showing the world that socialism can bring about benefits to countries and peoples.Meanwhile, Secretary General of the Bangladesh Peace Council Hasan Tarique Chowdhury highly valued Vietnam’s progress made thanks to the Doi moi (Renewal) policy and the adoption of a socialist-oriented market economy.He noted the country’s progress in fields such as agriculture, industrial development, and women empowerment should be an area of interest for developing countries in Asia and Africa to learn from.Dr. Monisha Rios from the Solidarity Centre of Puerto Rico perceived that the increase in literacy, the changes in the society regarding women and gender equality, as well as climate change response efforts are giving a lot of hope and a great example to follow./.

Breeder Nguyen Van Van in Quang Ngai City had to kill 800 chickens while 200 poultry were dead due to the avian virus. He, however, pointed out limitations in policy communication such as a lack of due attention and investment by a number of ministries, agencies and localities, human resources and tools assessing the work. Chinh also highlighted the role of press agencies in this regard, saying policy communication should be done in parallel with protecting the Party’s ideological foundation and refuting wrongful and hostile views. Opinions shared the view that policy communication work has been renewed, from “internal communication” to mass communication. Vietnam has established diplomatic relations with 190 countries and has been an active and responsible member of many international organisations.

An overview of the press conference. (Photo: VNA)Fighter jets practice for performance at the expo. (Photo: VNA)) – The Vietnam International Defence Expo 2022 (VIET NAM DEFENCE 2022) will take place in Hanoi from December 8-10, the Defence Ministry announced at a press conference on November 24.Major General Nguyen Viet Hung, deputy political commissar of the General Department of Defense Industry, said the expo aims to promote international cooperation in defence, build trust between Vietnam and other countries, and introduce the technology and production capacity of Vietnam’s defence industry This is also an occasion for Vietnam to diversify suppliers of goods serving armed forces and national defence, get updated on the development trends of weapons and technical equipment in the world, and explore opportunities to export products of the domestic defence industry.Vietnam will exhibit products made by units under the Defence Ministry, including the General Department of Defense Industry, the air force and air defence, the navy, the Military Technology Academy, the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre and the Viettel Group, as well as the Security Industry Agency under the Ministry of Public Security.According to the organizing board, 45 foreign delegations have officially registered to participate in the expo as invited guests. They are expected to bring to the event weapons, technical solutions and equipment for the navy, army, air force and air defence, cyber operations and logistics-technical equipment.Meanwhile, a total of 170 enterprises from 30 countries will open their booths at the expo.The expo will be open free to the public on December 9 from 2pm to 6pm, and all day on December 10./.

(Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – President of the World Peace Council (WPC) Socorro Gomes Coelho has lauded Vietnam’s important role in the council and expressed her belief that the country will make more contributions to global peace movements. President of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP) Fernando González Llort affirmed that late President Ho Chi Minh was an ordinary but noble example. The revolutionary cause and the struggle for national liberation of Vietnam has always played a very important role in world peace, he stressed. The WPC, an organisation leading the world peace movement, gathers 135 organisations of communist and left-wing parties from more than 100 countries. From an international anti-imperialist movement of the masses, after more than 70 years of development, it has become part of the world peace movement closely cooperating with international movements and countries to promote peace around the globe./.

A view of Hong Kong (China) - Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)- About 100 leading businesses of Hong Kong (China) will join together in a field trip to Vietnam to explore market and meet representatives of government agencies and localities, aiming to promote partnership s in trade, investment, production, innovation and high technology, according to the Vietnam ese Consulate General in Hong Kong.The office will pay heed to connecting human resources training between Vietnam and Hong Kong, focusing on encouraging Hong Kong’s universities to provide more scholarships and cooperate with Vietnamese universities, said Consul General Pham Binh Dam.Efforts will be also promoted to solve visa-related issues for Vietnamese labourers to work in Hong Kong, he stated.According to the diplomat, the agency has established and maintained good relations with authorised agencies, associations, trade unions and influential entrepreneurs in Hong Kong in order to promote relationships between important local partners with ministries, sectors, localities, businesses of Vietnam. Hong Kong is among the top economic partners of Vietnam, while Vietnam is also the 7th largest trading partner of this HongKong, he noted.Two-way trade between Vietnam and Hong Kong hit 28.5 billion USD in 2021 and 25.2 billion USD in the first nine months of this year. As of October 20, Hong Kong poured 28.9 billion USD in 2,133 projects in Vietnam.From January 2021, Hong Kong officially started the issuance of visas for Vietnamese students to study in the region, Dam noted.According to the diplomat, Hong Kong businesses are also tending to prioritise the ASEAN market, including Vietnam./.

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc (L) hosts an official welcome ceremony for his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Kaguta Museveni (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on November 24 morning hosted an official welcome ceremony for his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Kaguta Museveni who is now on an official visit to Vietnam. Following the ceremony, host and guest held talks. It aims to further promote the bilateral relations, review multi-faceted cooperation, and set out specific measures to raise the efficiency of collaboration between the two countries in the coming time. President Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) and his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Kaguta Museveni witness the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on information and communication cooperation between the two nations (Photo: VNA)The visit is expected to open up more cooperation opportunities between the Southeast Asian and the African nations in the future. During his stay, the President of the Republic of Uganda will pay a courtesy visit to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, meet Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, have working sessions with representatives of FPT Group and the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and attend the Vietnam – Uganda Business Forum./.

The State leader thanked the council for actively supporting Vietnam at international forums, and assisting victims of Agent Orange/dioxin in Vietnam. The resolution affirms that the Philippine Senate highly values the Vietnamese National Assembly's strengthening of relations between with its Philippine counterpart. Vietnam attends international seminar on East Sea in MoscowA delegation of the Vietnam Lawyers Association (VLA) led by its Vice President and General Secretary Tran Cong Phan attended an international seminar on the East Sea held in Moscow, Russia, on November 22. Dr. Lai Thai Binh, Deputy Director of the East Sea Institute at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, told the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) that international cooperation plays a very important role in the East Sea issue. At the event, the delegation heads exchanged views on maritime security challenges, including those relating to the East Sea.

Most Venerable Thich Gia Quang, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) Executive Council speaks at the press conference (Photo: VNA)- Nearly 1,100 delegates from across the country will attend the ninth National Buddhist Congress , scheduled for November 28-29 in Hanoi, heard a press conference on November 23 to introduce the event.According to Most Venerable Thich Gia Quang, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) Executive Council, the congress will be themed "Discipline - Responsibility - Solidarity - Development".During the congress, participants will review Buddhist activities over the past five years and sketch out tasks for the VBS in the next five years.One of the important contents of the congress is adjusting the VBS Charter.Participants will discuss the implementation of 12 targets and programmes, focusing on fostering Buddhist rules in line with the implementation of responsibilities of Buddhist dignitaries and followers.The congress will seek to enhance solidarity and develop the VBS in the international arena.In the past five years, despite many difficulties, especially those cause by the COVID-19 pandemic, the VBS has shown strong performance in completing its targets.Notably, the Sangha successfully hosted the UN Vesak Day in 2019, which drew more than 5,000 delegates from 112 countries and territories. The ceremony commemorating the 40th founding anniversary of the VBS was held in 2021 online.Earlier, provincial Buddhist congresses were held in all 63 localities nationwide./.

Illustrative image (Photo: Internet)– Encouraging results have been recorded in the transition of financial resources for HIV/AIDS prevention and control in Vietnam over the last 10 years, heard a conference in Hanoi on November 23.On October 15, 2012, the Prime Minister issued a decision approving a plan on ensuring finance for anti-HIV/AIDS activities for the 2013 - 2020 period.Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Lien Huong said HIV/AIDS prevention and control is the only medical programme in Vietnam to have a particular decision made by the PM to give guidance on finance guaranteeing mechanism. The plan created an important legal corridor for taking measures to ensure sustainable funding for the HIV/AIDS fight.Thanks to the strong political commitment of all-level administrations, the close coordination in policy making among ministries and sectors, as well as technical and financial support from sponsors, Vietnam has reaped many impressive results during the transition of financial resources for the work, she noted.The proportion of domestic financial sources has risen to over 51%. In particular, localities’ allocation of their budgets for HIV/AIDS prevention and control has continually increased, from 8% to nearly 17% during 2012 - 2020.The health insurance fund is a breakthrough step in the anti-HIV/AIDS programme in Vietnam as 95% of the HIV-infected persons have been covered by health insurance, doubling in five years, Huong said, adding that the fund pays an annual average of 400 billion VND (16 million USD), including about 200 billion VND for medical check-ups and treatment and the rest for antiretroviral (ARV) drugs.The proportion of the fund to total spending on HIV/AIDS has increased to 9% from 4%, accounting for 25% of domestic resources for the HIV combat.Through the national programme on HIV/AIDS prevention and control and the anti-HIV/AIDS project under the national health care and population target programme, allocations from the central budget for provinces and cities in this regard have made up nearly 10%. The share of other private sources has also reached 8%, according to the official.However, Huong also pointed out difficulties facing Vietnam in the transition of financial resources for the HIV/AIDS combat. For example, resources set to be mobilised during 2021 - 2030 have met just 60 - 70% of demand, the number of HIV-infected persons has increased in the last three years, and nearly 50% of the funding for anti-HIV/AIDS activities still depends on international projects./.

Vietnam to host int’l forum on youth development policiesAn international forum to share experience in sketching out and implementing youth development policies will take place in Vietnam in both virtual and face-to-face form on November 29. The information was announced by the National Committee on Youth of Vietnam (NCYV) at a press conference in Hanoi on November 22. Participants will also discuss and forecast the current situation's impacts on the implementation of youth development policies in countries, thus proposing coordination mechanisms in formulating and implementing youth development policies in association with strengthening youth cooperation among countries. From November 23-24, northern and central Vietnam will start experiencing rainstorms with the lowest temperature in the plain and mountainous regions ranging from 19-21 degrees Celsius, and 16-19 degrees Celsius, respectively. Vietnam and other nations anonymously agreed to a draft resolution on a report by the AIPA Advisory Council on Dangerous Drugs without any supplements and amendments.

National Assembly Chairman Vương Đình Huệ pays a courtesy call to King of Cambodia Norodom Sihamoni in Phnom Penh on November 19. — VNA/VNS Photo Doãn TấnViệt Nam always treasures and stays determined to consolidate the fine neighbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive, long-term and sustainable cooperation with Cambodia, said National Assembly Chairman Vương Đình Huệ. Paying a courtesy call to King of Cambodia Norodom Sihamoni in Phnom Penh on November 19, Chairman Huệ expressed his honour to pay the official visit to Cambodia on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of diplomatic ties, which is concurrent with the 100th birth anniversary of late King Norodom Sihanouk. Speaking highly of Cambodia’s achievements under the sound rule of King Sihamoni, the Vietnamese guest wished that the King would continue supporting the strong, substantive and effective development of bilateral friendship and cooperation. He expressed gratitude to Việt Nam for helping Cambodia in the resistance war against imperialists and the escape from the genocidal regime.

Illustrative image. (Photo: VNA)– The national COVID-19 caseload rose to 11,511,452 with 274 new cases recorded on November 20, according to the Ministry of Health.With 155 patients given the all clear during the day, the number of recoveries rose to 10,606,901.Meanwhile, there are 107 patients needing breathing support.No death from COVID-19 was recorded in the past 24 hours. The total fatalities stood at 43,169.With 22,043 doses administered on November 19, the total number of doses of COVID-19 vaccine s injected rose to 263,287,066./.

The Francophone Community should continue with reforms and set long-term goals to carry forward its role, Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan said while addressing the 18th Francophonie Summit in Djerba, Tunisia, on November 19 afternoon (local time).She presented major proposals regarding operational orientations of the community in the time ahead, saying the French language should continue to be its foundation, and support should be provided to community members in popularising the language, and providing French training courses for UN peacekeeping forces.The Vice President also proposed enhancing cooperation in economy, trade and investment, creating a favourable environment for French to become a business language, and building a global Francophone digital economic space.She called for promoting efforts for peace, stability and development in the world, strongly supporting the maintenance of peace, stability, safety and security of navigation in the East Sea, and calling on sides to address disputes by peaceful measures and international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS). Vietnam has actively participated in and made responsible contributions to build a united, strong Francophone Community with a significant voice in the international arena, for the sake of people, and for a world of peace, stability and development, the Vice President affirmed.On the sidelines of the summit, Xuan had meetings with Senegalese President Macky Sall, President of Côte d'Ivoire Alassane Ouattara, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Vice President of Bulgaria Iliana Iotova, aiming to boost cooperation in diplomacy, politics, economy and trade with the countries, both bilaterally and multilaterally.The 18th Francophonie Summit themed “Connectivity in diversity – the digital vector of development and solidarity in the French-speaking world,” is taking place on November 19 and 20 in Djerba, Tunisia, with discussions on political and economic situation in the world.Founded in 1970, the Francophone Community groups 88 member states with the goal of sharing French language and universal values for the sake of peace, cooperation, solidarity and sustainable development. The members are from five continents, with about 220 million French speakers out of a population of 890 million./.