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.

A meeting to discuss a President Ho Chi Minh-inspired cultural space is held in HCM City on June 2. (Photo: VNA)- A meeting to discuss a President Ho Chi Minh-inspired cultural space was held in HCM City on June 2, discussing the influence of the late president’s ideology, morality and style among local women.In her remarks at the event, Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Culture and Sports Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy said the Ho Chi Minh-inspired cultural space in the southern city includes special values that cannot be seen elsewhere. It is not just about monuments of the late leader, or literary and art works about him, but a combination of various factors such as the lifestyle, demeanour and morality of people learning from him, she said.Ngo Van Luan, deputy head of the municipal Party Committee’s Department of Mass Mobilisation, emphasised the city named after the late President holds great responsibility in preserving and promoting cultural heritages left by the leader to provide people with a deeper understanding about the leader.He urged local women’s unions to develop intangible and tangible cultural space s about the president, such as small libraries, photo exhibitions and quizzes. Women’s unions must also promote the campaign of building Vietnam ese women of the new era in association with the drive on studying and following the ideology, morality and style of President Ho Chi Minh ./.

VNAThe Ministry of Public Security will use a new passport form from July 1, 2022, reported the Vietnam Government Portal (VGP).The move aims to implement Circular 73/2021/TT-BCA of the Ministry of Public Security on passport specimens.The new passport form will be printed with Vietnamese spectacular sceneries and cultural heritages, namely Ha Long Bay, Hue Citadel, Hoi An Ancient Town, My Son Sanctuary, Nha Rong Habour, Lung Cu Flag Tower, and so on.Apart from promoting the images of Vietnam to the outside word and uphold the tradition, history, geography and culture of the country, the new passport form is expected to ensure technical safety and prevent counterfeiting.From June 6 to 31, the Ministry will only issue ordinary passports for urgent cases, including those with medical treatment certificates, working decisions, or plane tickets.The same day, the Ministry of Public Security started launching online issuance of ordinary passports (without electronic chips) to Vietnamese citizens from June 1, according to the Immigration Department of Vietnam. Vietnam ese citizens can access http://dichvucong.gov.vn or http://dichvucong.bocongan.gov.vn to make an online declaration, pay the fee and receive their passports by post or collect them at immigration offices.Previously-issued passports are still valid until the dates of expiration which are printed on the passports./.

Society Vietnam, Sweden step up partnership in sustainable development The Embassy of Sweden in Hanoi, in partnership with the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), held a conference titled “Pioneer to the Possible” in the southern city on June 2 as part of efforts to boost their partnership in sustainable development. Society President Ho Chi Minh-inspired cultural space discussed A meeting to discuss a President Ho Chi Minh-inspired cultural space was held in HCM City on June 2, discussing the influence of the late president’s ideology, morality and style among local women. Society Lang Son speeding up customs clearance for fresh fruit Large volumes of mangoes, jackfruit, longans, dragon fruit, and lychees have been transported to the Tan Thanh border gate in the northern province of Lang Son for export to China. In a bid to ease congestion and facilitate fruit exports, relevant local authorities are working to accelerate customs clearance procedures. Videos Precious documents on ancient Vietnamese returned to the homeland An old book depicting mechanics and crafts of the Vietnamese people and other precious documents regarding the 1973 Paris Peace Agreement were handed over at a ceremony in Hanoi on June 1.

While at Gia Long, Dray Nur, and Dray Sap Waterfalls, 25 kilometres from Buon Ma Thuot city, visitors can also take part in exhilarating activities such as riding a bike from Dray Nur to Gia Long, rowing a boat along the Serepok River, and trekking and camping. Tours also help visitors gain a better insight into the cultures of the Ede and M’nong ethnic groups. Meanwhile, when taking a trekking tour to Chu Yang Lak and discovering Bim Bip Waterfall, visitors will be taken to other interesting sites by local people, such as a M’nong village, a cocoa plantation, and Lak Lake, among others. Together with developing experiential tours, travel companies in Dak Lak are also building better accommodation and branching out tourism in tandem with agriculture. Such moves are being accelerated with a view to recovering the local tourism sector./.

- Dr. Socorro Escalante, Acting WHO Representative in Vietnam, granted an interview to the Vietnam News Agency on the impact of monkeypox and the risk of a monkeypox outbreak in Asia. Dr. Socorro Escalante: Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease, meaning that it is transmitted from infected animals to humans. Human-to-human transmission can occur via face-to-face exposure, direct physical contact, including sexual contact, or contact with contaminated materials such as clothing or bedding. Dr. Socorro Escalante: Monkeypox and COVID-19 spread in different contexts and in different manner. The risk of a widespread monkeypox outbreak in Asia is low, based on what we currently know about the virus and its mode of transmission.

- Vietnam attaches importance to strengthening its traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Austria, said Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son on June 1.Son made the statement during his phone talks with Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of the Republic of Austria Alexander Schallenberg.As Vietnam and Austria are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations in 2022, the two sides expressed their pleasure with the positive developments in the bilateral relationship, with delegation exchanges and high-level meetings continuously maintained.Currently, Austria is among the 10 largest trading partners of Vietnam in the European Union (EU) with two-way trade turnover in 2021 reaching nearly 3.5 billion USD. Bilateral connections in science - technology, culture and development cooperation between the two countries continue to record positive progress.In order to make the Vietnam-Austria cooperation more dynamic, practical and effective in the coming time, Son and Schallenberg agreed to maintain delegation exchanges and meetings at all levels, and coordinate in organising activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations The two sides will strengthen trade-investment promotion activities, and expand cooperation in fields of Austria’s strengths and Vietnam’s needs such as renewable energy, climate change response, waste treatment and processing industry.They also agreed to closely coordinate to successfully organise the upcoming session of the Vietnam-Austria Joint Committee on Economic-Trade Cooperation, while taking advantage of opportunities and benefits brought by the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).Minister Son suggested that the Austrian Government raise a voice to urge the Austrian Parliament to early ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).The two sides affirmed to continue to work closely and support each other at multilateral forums and organisations such as the United Nations, the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and ASEAN-EU./.

Illustrative image (Source: VNA)- The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), in collaboration with the Southeast Asian Regional Centre for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), on June 1 organised a forum themed “Transforming the Food System in ASEAN post COVID-19: Responding to Food Security and Inclusiveness Concerns”.The forum was part of the Agricultural Transformation and Market Integration (ATMI) in ASEAN countries: Responding to food security and inclusiveness concerns” programme funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).The programme, which mainly targets Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, is designed to strengthen the institutional capacity of ASEAN member states, facilitate the integration of smallholders in agriculture, participate in the market and formulate and implement policies to support inclusive transformation and market integration. SEARCA Director Glenn B. Gregorio said that with rapid development and transformation of food systems, ASEAN countries have made significant progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on ending hunger and food insecurity and malnutrition.However, challenges remain, including some worsening during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, he stressed the need to synchronise food transformation models in each country.Speaking at the forum, Director of Vietnam’s Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Cong Thang said that Vietnam has a developed agricultural sector that plays an extremely important role, especially during the pandemic.Agricultural transformation is leading to an improvement in the quality of agricultural products, he said, adding that exports hit a record high of 48.6 billion USD last year.However, the country still faces several shortcomings such as the quality of farm produce yet to meet international standards and low incomes for farmers.Therefore, the Government approved the Strategy on Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050./.

Two days later, eight of them were supported to return to Vietnam on a Qatar Airways flight. Miss Sea Tourism Vietnam Competition beginsThe 2022 Miss Sea Tourism Vietnam Competition officially began in Hanoi on May 30 following a three-month period of receiving entries from contestants across the country. Hence, Long Thanh District has been coordinating with the Airports Corporation of Vietnam to localize these areas. Movies include Vietnamese Tea Talk (Vietnam), Molecore (Italia), Fairy Tales in Rao Tre Village (Vietnam), The Uncertain Kingdom (the UK), Hanoi Old Street Storyteller (Vietnam), De Chaque Instant (France), Behind the Aura (Vietnam), Petit Samedi ( the Wallonie- Bruxelles Delegation (of Belgium)), Northern Village Temple (Vietnam), Helmut Lachemann-My Way (Germany), Unlimited battle (Vietnam), New shift (Czech), Mother Goddess Lieu Hanh (Vietnam), Save The Village (Austria), Guerilla Girl of Huong River (Vietnam), Omega (Spain), Reviving Lands (Vietnam), A Common Goal (Israel), Two Hands (Vietnam), and Nobel Citizen (Switzerland). The event aims at promoting cultural exchange between Vietnam and other countries and giving audiences a chance to learn about the cultures, people, and communities in Vietnam and other countries, and explore different territories and contemporary issues.

Sunda pangoli. (Photo: SVW)Cuc Phuong National Park staff take into care a Sunda pangolin founded in Hai Phong. (Photo: VNA)Two critically endangered animals have been put under protection of the Cuc Phuong National Park in northern Ninh Binh province after they were found near residential areas, the national park announced on June 1.The park has coordinated with Save Vietnam’s Wildlife SVW ) to take into care a Sunda pangolin that was previously discovered by a local in Du Hang Kenh commune, Le Chan district, the northern city of Hai Phong. The pangolin, in good health now, is being cared for under the Carnivore and Pangolin Conservation Programme at Cuc Phuong National Park A pig-tailed macaque has been also handed over to the national park by a woman living in Nhac Lap Village, Trung Trac commune, Van Lam district, the northern province of Hung Yen. She said she found the macaque in her neighbourhood and took it home more than a month ago.Both animals are listed in Vietnam’s Red Data Book of rare and endangered animals./.

Vietnamese evacuees at Russia's Sheremetievo airport (Photo: VNA)– The Vietnamese Embassy in Russia , in collaboration of the Vietnamese Association in Russia, welcomed and repatriated Vietnamese people who had evacuated from Donetsk in eastern Ukraine to Russia, from May 29-31.There were 11 evacuees, including four children, travelling from Donestsk to Rostov on Don city.The group was welcomed at Kazan train station on May 29. Two days later, eight of them were supported to return to Vietnam on a Qatar Airways flight.During their stay at the Vietnamese embassy, they were received by Ambassador Dang Minh Khoi who wished them to soon overcome difficulties and stabilise their lives when returning the homeland.Nguyen Tung Lam, head of the embassy’s Desk for Consular Affairs, said that the desk has maintained contact with Russian authorities at border gates as well as the Vietnamese communities in Rostov on Don, Voronezh and Krasnodar to promptly support Vietnamese evacuees from eastern Ukraine ./.