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Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee for Legal Affairs Hoang Thanh Tung welcomes President of the Australian Senate Sue Lines at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi (Photo: quochoi.vn)

Australian Senate President begins official visit to Vietnam

President of the Australian Senate Sue Lines and her delegation arrived in Hanoi on August 24, marking the start of an official visit to Vietnam from August 24 to August 30 following an invitation by National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man.

Those welcoming the delegation at Noi Bai International Airport included Hoang Thanh Tung, chairman of the NA Committee on Legal Affairs, Hoang Thanh Tung, chairman of the NA Committee for Legal Affairs, and Le Thu Ha, chairman of the Vietnam - Australia Friendship Parliamentarians' Group and vice chairwoman of the NA Committee for Foreign Affairs.

The Australian politician is notable for being the first female Labor Senate President and became the second female President, after Liberal Senator Margaret Reid, in 1996.

Senate President Lines' first official visit to the nation in her new role is taking place amid the positive development of the Vietnam - Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The ongoing visit is therefore of great significance, marking a journey of more than 50 years through both nations’ diplomatic relations as a contribution to deepening and further substantively fostering ties between the two legislative bodies, cited VOV.

This relationship is viewed as an important pillar in the Vietnam - Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, thereby meeting the aspirations and practical interests of the two countries’ people for the causes of peace, stability, co-operation, and development in the region and around the world.

Both sides established diplomatic relations on February 26, 1973. Over the past five decades the joint relationship has been increasingly consolidated and comprehensively strengthened through the mutual support offered by the two economies; the similarity of interests; as well as the common vision of an open, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific and the deep connection between the two peoples.

The two countries established a Comprehensive Partnership back in 2009 which was then upgraded to a strategic partnership in 2018. In particular, in March this year within the framework of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's official visit to Australia, the two countries announced the upgrade of their relationship to that of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, thereby opening a new phase in bilateral ties.

Along with the positive developments recorded in bilateral relations, co-operation between the two legislative bodies has been continuously expanded and put into practice on both bilateral and multilateral levels, making important contributions to the overall bilateral relationship.

As planned, Senate President Lines will attend an official welcome ceremony, hold talks with NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man, meet with PM Chinh, and pay a courtesy visit to Party General Secretary and President To Lam.

She is scheduled to attend the Vietnam - Australia Forum, pay floral tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his Mausoleum, hold working sessions in a number of Vietnamese localities in Vietnam, and engage in other sideline activities.

Vietnam serves nearly 10 million int’l travelers in 7 months

The number of international tourists visiting Vietnam in July topped 1.15 million, lifting the total in the first seven months to nearly 10 million, expanding by 10.9% and 51% year-on-year, respectively.

With over 7.8 million arrivals, Asia was a key source of tourists for Vietnam in the first seven months of this year.

It was followed by Europe, the Americas, Oceania, and Africa.

The Republic of Korea and China contributed nearly half of the total number of foreign arrivals to Vietnam, with respective numbers of nearly 2.6 million and 2.1 million.

Meanwhile, the European markets also continued to grow well with a surge of about 47%, including key markets such as the UK, France, Germany, and Russia, according to VNA.

The results were attributed to favorable visa policies and efforts by localities nationwide to intensify tourism promotion programs in 2024.

Famous destinations in Vietnam, including Hanoi, Da Nang, Phu Quoc, Ha Long, and Nha Trang, continue to be the most attractive destinations for international holiday-makers.

The tourism industry has set a target of welcoming 17-18 million foreign visitors in 2024, approaching the pre-pandemic record in 2019.

Vietnam targets to have 5 cities of international stature by 2050

Vietnam strives to develop at least five cities of international stature by 2050, serving as focal points for enhancing linkages and development with regional and international networks.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has signed a Decision approving the master plan for urban and rural areas in the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050.

Accordingly, by the end of this decade, the Government targets to speed up and improve the quality of urbanization, develop the urban and rural system in a more effective and comprehensive manner, build synchronous and modern infrastructures and create a healthy, climate-resilient and environmentally friendly living environment.

The Government also aims to enhance comprehensive and sustainable rural development associated with urbanization, synchronous infrastructure and social services while preserving and promoting the national cultural identity of each region.

Urbanization rate is projected to reach over 50 percent by 2030 and 70 percent by 2050.

By 2030, the number of urban areas nationwide is set at about 1,000-1,200, accounting for some 85 percent of the national GDP, VGP reported.

Photo: VGP

Meanwhile, it is anticipated that over 90 percent of communes will meet the standards of new rural areas, with 50 percent achieving advanced new rural areas.

Among the current five centrally-run cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are planned to become special urban areas by 2030 while Hai Phong, Can Tho and Da Nang are national grade I cities.

Eight provinces are oriented to become a centrally-run city from now until 2030 including Thua Thien-Hue, Khanh Hoa, Bac Ninh, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Quang Ninh, Ninh Binh, Hai Duong and Binh Duong.

There are 42 grade I cities nationwide, including 11 in the Red River Delta, five in the Northern midlands and mountainous region, seven in the North Central Coast, three in the Central Highlands, seven in the Southeast and five in the Mekong Delta.

Smart checkpoints to be piloted at Vietnam-China border gate pair

Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long has signed a decision approving a pilot project on building smart border checkpoints at the Huu Nghi (Vietnam) – Youyi Guan (China) International Border Gate Pair.

Under the decision, the project is carried out in two phases from Q3 of 2024 to the end of Q3 of 2029, with the building of infrastructure from Q3/2024 to the end of Q2/2026, and pilot implementation from Q3/2026, cited VNA.

At Huu Nghi Border Gate, Lang Son Province. Photo: VNA

Its capital is sourced from the state budget, in association with capital of approved programs and projects, and mobilized from socialization sources and other legal capital as regulated.

It also looks to develop Huu Nghi into a model border gate, the most advanced road border gate in ASEAN, based on high technology applications, with a modern road transport system connecting to seaports and airports; while establishing the largest road-based commercial center in Vietnam for trade with ASEAN countries and China, and vice versa.

Vietnam represents third largest seafood exporter globally

Accounting for over 7% of the market share, the nation currently makes up the world's third largest seafood exporter, behind only China and Norway, according to industry insiders.

The Import-Export Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) cited statistics from the General Department of Customs indicating that in July alone, Vietnamese seafood exports reached US$915.9 million, an increase of 17.8% compared to last July. The past seven months of the year witnessed seafood exports hit US$5.32 billion, up 8% on-year.

During the seven-month period, Vietnamese aquatic exports to numerous markets enjoyed growth, with the United States surging by 12.8%, China by 11.6%, the Republic of Korea (RoK) by 3.4%, Australia by 9.1%, Canada by 34.6%, Belgium by 14.2%, and Israel by 42.3%. Elsewhere, exports to the Russian market achieved good growth, up 105% over the same period from last year.

Besides, seafood exports to several other markets also achieved strong growth, such as to the UK, the Netherlands, and Germany.

Export earnings anticipated to fetch US$10 billion

The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) forecasts that seafood exports will continue to encounter plenty of difficulties ahead in the final months of the year.

The world economy has shown many signs of improvement, although the growth rate is slow. Prices of food, energy, and transportation costs all remain high, thereby causing global inflation to cool down, despite price pressure continuing to increase, not reaching the target level that countries desire and potentially recurring again.

However, the positive growth recorded in Vietnamese seafood exports during the reviewed period demonstrates the efforts of businesses in improving product quality, diversifying markets, and adapting to fluctuations in the international market.

The Import-Export Department stated that over the coming months, seafood importers will increase purchases to prepare for holidays and New Year festivals at the end of the year. Therefore, Vietnamese seafood will have more opportunities to increase exports, VOV reported.

Photo: VOV

Vietnam is currently ranked among the countries with high competitiveness and capacity in the seafood industry. Nguyen Thi Thu Sac, chairwoman of VASEP and general director of Hai Nam Company limited, commented that in the context of increasingly deep integration into the global economy, Vietnamese trade in general and the seafood industry in particular offer more favorable opportunities for businesses to boost production and increase exports. However, the seafood industry is also facing a series of new challenges in terms of both export markets and internal problems of the industry.

Therefore, connecting businesses throughout the supply chain towards comprehensive development of the seafood industry can be viewed as an issue that has been raised. In addition, it is essential to strengthen trade promotion and product advertising to ensure that buyers have a more general view of the Vietnamese seafood industry.

Local seafood products need to be increasingly diversified to always ensure quality to meet traceability requirements and catch up with global consumption trends, thereby bringing the image of Vietnamese seafood closer to world consumers.

Along with the export market, according to Nguyen Thi Thu Sac, the potential of the domestic market remains very large. To balance supply and demand and reduce dependence on the export market, seafood enterprises need to focus on developing the domestic market, thereby bringing exported seafood products to Vietnamese consumers.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien assessed that the nation boasts huge potential to develop fisheries, especially aquaculture. The country is the third largest seafood exporter in the world, accounting for over 7% of the global market share, behind only China and Norway.

Aquaculture is considered one of the key industries of the country, contributing significant value to the Vietnamese economy, as well as global logistics services.

With the results achieved during the past seven months of the year, the Vietnamese seafood industry is striving to achieve the export target of US$10 billion set for this year.

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