President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith (R) Bui Thi Minh Hoai and Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Chairwoman of its Commission for Mass Mobilisation. (Photo: VNA)

Laos, Vietnam strengthen Party cooperation

A delegation of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) led by Bui Thi Minh Hoai, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Chairwoman of its Commission for Mass Mobilization, is on a working visit to Laos on August 8 – 10 at the invitation of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee.

While there the delegation paid courtesy visits to General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith and Laotian Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone. It also held talks with Sinlavong Khoutphaythoune, president of the Central Committee of the Lao Front for National Construction (LFNC).

During the meetings, the Vietnamese officials congratulated Laos on its great and significant achievements after over 36 years of renewal, expressing their belief that under the leadership of the LPRP, the administration by the Government, and the supervision by the National Assembly, the Laotian people will continue to record new and greater achievements.

In line with this, the Vietnamese side always strongly supports the national renewal, protection, construction, and development of Laos, she affirmed.

Hoai said she rejoices over the special solidarity that exists between both sides, which is increasingly expanding across multiple fields. She therefore thanked Laos for its significant support of the nation in its past liberation struggle and current period of national construction and development, cited VOV.

Therefore, Vietnam will do its best together with Laos to preserve and nurture the special relationship that exists between the two nations, for the sake of their people, as a means of contributing to peace, stability, co-operation, and development in the region and the world, she affirmed.

The Vietnamese official highly valued cooperation results achieved between the CPV and the LPRP, stressing that the CPV Central Committee’s Commission for Mass Mobilization is willing to collaborate alongside the LFNC’s Central Committee to effectively implement agreements between high-ranking leaders of the two Parties and States, as well as between the two agencies.

Sisoulith and Siphandone highlighted the significance of the visit, outlining that it demonstrates the special joint relationship.

They congratulated the Vietnamese side on its comprehensive achievements over recent times, especially in socio-economic development and Party building, expressing their confidence that the country will make greater achievements moving forward.

The Laotian leaders expressed their delight at the development of the bilateral relationship, highlighting the importance of the ties, as well as the relationship between Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

They suggested the two sides work closely in order to effectively carry out agreements between high-ranking leaders of the two Parties and nations, thereby improving the efficiency of co-operation across all fields.

In the framework of the trip, the Vietnamese official held a meeting with representatives of the Vietnamese Embassy and the Vietnamese community in Laos. The delegation laid flowers at the monuments of President Kaysone Phomvihane and President Souphanouvong as well as visiting Star Telecom Company (Unitel) and Luangprabang province.

Vietnam’s delegation meets with foreign representatives on sidelines of AIPA-44

The Vietnamese National Assembly (NA)'s delegation had bilateral meetings with delegation heads from AIPA observer nations on the occasion of the 44th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA-44) in Jakarta, Indonesia, on August 8.

Chairman of the NA Committee for External Relations Vu Hai Ha met with Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation of the Ukrainian Parliament Oleksandr Merezhko; Chairman of the Georgian Parliament's Committee for Foreign Affairs Nikoloz Samkharadze; member of the Foreign Relations and Inter-Parliamentary Ties Committee of the Azerbaijani Parliament, MP Kamran Bayramo; and Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus Valery Mitskevich.

Meanwhile, Vice Chairman of the Vietnamese NA's Committee for External Relations Don Tuan Phong held a meeting with Chairman of the European Parliament (EP) Delegation for Relations with the Countries of Southeast Asia and ASEAN Daniel Caspary.

At the meeting between the Vietnamese NA delegation and the Belarusian delegation. (Photo: VNA)

At the meetings, Ha stressed that Vietnam always attaches importance to the friendship and good cooperation with the countries, and wishes to expand collaboration with its traditional friends in all spheres, for the benefits of both sides.

He suggested the two sides maintain their close coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums and international organizations, especially at international inter-parliamentary forums like the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the AIPA.

The legislator used the occasion to convey invitations to the foreign legislatures to send representatives to the 9th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians slated for September in Hanoi.

The Ukrainian side affirmed that the country wants to strengthen its relations with Vietnam, and expressed concern over issues regarding food and energy security, and the disrupted supply chain, which have not only adversely impacted Ukraine but also emerged as a global headache.

The two sides shared the view that disputes should be settled by peaceful measures in line with international law, and agreed to work together to handle obstacles to the bilateral cooperation, especially in economy, trade and investment, according to VNA.

Ha stressed that Vietnam supports the international community’s efforts to create conditions for relevant sides to conduct negotiations, and increase humanitarian aid to civilians.

Vietnam stands ready to join international efforts aiming to promote dialogues and seek peaceful solutions to the present problems, and reconstruct Ukraine, he said.

Meanwhile, Vietnam and Azerbaijan agreed to work harder to make their bilateral trade ties on par with their potential as well as promote their traditional friendship.

At the meeting with the EP delegation, the two sides pointed to the rapid, unexpected developments of the regional and global situation, and the need to settle disputes by peaceful measures and in accordance with international law, saying relevant sides should take stronger actions for peace and prosperity in the region and the world.

Phong suggested Vietnam and the EP maintain the exchange of high-level delegations and meetings, and effectively implement cooperation mechanisms in all spheres, from politics, and national defense and security, to trade and investment.

Meanwhile, Vietnam and Georgia consented to step up cooperation in the areas where both sides have potential like transport, infrastructure development, digital transformation, just energy transition, culture and tourism, and increase trade and investment promotion activities.

At the meeting with Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus Valery Mitskevich, Ha suggested the two countries foster results-oriented cooperation, and optimize their potential and strengths as well as trade agreements to boost their economic and trade ties.

At the same time, the two sides should strengthen their parliamentary ties, both bilaterally and multilaterally, he said.

HCM City, Korean locality seek stronger cooperation

Vo Van Hoan, vice chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, hosted a reception on August 7 for Dal Hee Lee, deputy governor of Gyeongsangbuk province of the Republic of Korea (RoK), who is currently on a working visit to the southern metropolis.

Hoan said that recent times has seen bilateral relations develop comprehensively across a variety of fields, especially in terms of economic investment co-operation.

On the basis of both nations’ good ties, the relationship between Ho Chi Minh City and Korean localities has achieved plenty of positive results.

The working visit to the southern metropolis by the Gyeongsangbuk province delegation shows the strong desire and determination to build stronger links between the two localities in the future, reported VOV.

Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Vo Van Hoan (R) and Deputy Governor of Gyeongsangbuk province Dal Hee Lee.

In order to realize the content of the cooperation agreement between Ho Chi Minh City and Gyeongsangbuk province, Hoan suggested that relevant agencies study and devise an action plan which focuses on launching cultural exchange programs, promoting tourism promotion, calling for further investment, and sharing experience in local governance.

In response, Lee hailed the positive results in the twinning relationship between Gyeongsangbuk province and Ho Chi Minh City, while affirming a keen desire to to continue building closer and more effective cooperation with the southern city, especially in areas of mutual interest and the potential for broader co-operation to bring practical benefits to both sides.

Appreciating the economic potential of Ho Chi Minh City, Lee requested that municipal leaders pay close attention to and create favorable conditions for Korean businesses, including those from Gyeongsangbuk province, to run long-term investment in the city.

Gyeongsangbuk province has a need for high-quality human resources to serve local industrial parks in the field of manufacturing electronic components and steel, therefore the locality is looking forward to cooperating with Ho Chi Minh City in supplying highly skilled workers.

According to Lee, Gyeongsangbuk province is willing to work alongside Ho Chi Minh City in organizing young intellectual exchange programs, bringing second-generation Vietnamese children from the RoK to study in the city.

Exhibitions help connect Vietnamese, Japanese enterprises

The 10th Vietnam-Japan Supporting Industries Exhibition (SIE) and the 14th Vietnam Manufacturing Expo (VME 2023) kicked off on August 9 in Hanoi, aiming to tighten the trade relationship of the two countries' enterprises in the supporting industry as well as promote the development of the industrial manufacturing sector in Vietnam.

The three-day events, which are jointly held by RX Tradex Vietnam, the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, are expected to see the participation of over 200 manufacturers and distributors from 20 countries and territories.

Many activities will be arranged to support businesses and visitors in connecting with agents, distributors, and business partners within the framework of the events.

Chief representative of JETRO Office in Hanoi Takeo Nakajima said that 22 Japanese firms have expressed their desire to buy goods from local manufacturers while 28 Vietnamese manufacturers have displayed their products and introduced their supply capabilities to Japanese businesses, cited VNA.

The exhibitions are expected to see the participation of over 200 manufacturers and distributors from 20 countries and territories (Photo: VNA)

Through these exhibitions, JETRO wishes to contribute to the development of the supporting industry in Vietnam, and assist Japanese businesses in seeking suitable suppliers, he said.

According to Watanabe Shige, Japanese Deputy Ambassador to Vietnam, if the supply of raw materials and accessories is stable, it will increase flexibility in supply, reduce costs, and improve capacity for supporting industry in Vietnam, thus contributing to the development of the domestic manufacturing industry.

According to him, the Japanese government and businesses have been giving the best support to Vietnam's supporting industry, adding that Japanese enterprises who are investing in the Southeast Asian nation expect to improve technology and enhance quality management for Vietnamese counterparts.

Tan Son Nhat airport launches automated entry system

Tan Son Nhat International Airport has introduced an automated entry system (autogate) to facilitate the entry of travelers and speed up immigration procedures.

Over the past week, the airport has tested the operation of five autogates for both departures and arrivals.

The autogate area comprises two layers. At the first layer, passengers scan their passports and boarding passes. After the successful scan, face recognition and fingerprint scanning will follow, eliminating the need for customs officers to stamp the passport.

The entire process takes around one minute, contributing to reducing congestion at immigration clearance checkpoints, reported Saigon Times.

Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Photo: baochinhphu

The autogates are accessible to all Vietnamese citizens holding chip-based passports upon arrival. Passengers without such passports are guided to register at the airport, a process taking around four minutes, involving passport and fingerprint scanning, as well as biometric, face recognition.

For departures, the system permits only Vietnamese citizens with diplomatic and official passports, along with those possessing APEC business travel cards or serving as cabin crew members.

Regarding foreign travelers leaving the country, the auto-gate facilities are open to those holding permanent or temporary residence cards issued by Vietnamese authorities. However, the system is not currently available for foreigners entering Vietnam.

Alongside Tan Son Nhat International Airport, four other airports – Noi Bai, Danang, Cam Ranh and Phu Quoc – have introduced auto-gate facilities since the beginning of this month. The widespread adoption of automated entry systems in various local airports is part of the Ministry of Public Security’s administrative reform effort.

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