Photo: VNA

Vietnam shows strong political commitment to maximizing green energy transition

Green transition in the energy sector is a key trend in the world and is one of Vietnam’s current top priorities. Vietnam is among countries with great potential to invest in new renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and ocean wave power, and biogas.

According to experts, to take advantage of its inherent potential, Vietnam needs to have incentive policies to expand the renewable energy market, promote and deploy new technologies, provide appropriate opportunities as well as encouraging the use of renewable energy in all important areas.

The world today still depends mainly on traditional energy such as oil, coal, and natural gas. However, these sources are gradually running out. According to scientists' calculations, they can only last 70 to 100 years.

Dr. Chu Duc Hoang, Chief of the Office of the National Technology Innovation Fund under the Ministry of Science and Technology, said traditional energy not only causes serious environmental pollution from greenhouses emissions that produce harmful effects to water and soil, but are also gradually depleting, posing a threat to stable energy supply in the future.

Vietnam’s energy industry has developed strongly in recent years, in all stages of exploration, exploitation, production, transmission, distribution and import and export of energy. However, the scale and efficiency of the energy industry are still low, cited VNA.

In particular, Vietnam's energy demand is also increasing rapidly with about 10% a year during 2001-2010, about 7% a year in the period from 2011 to present. Electricity demand climbed by 13% a year during the 2001-2010 and nearly 10% a year from 2011 to present.

Greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector accounted for about 63% of Vietnam's total greenhouse gas emissions in 2010 and about 67.7% in 2020. Emissions are forecast to make up about 73.1% and 79.7% in 2030 and 2050 respectively according to the normal scenario.

The 26th Conference of the Parties participating in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26) with strong political commitments of many countries, including Vietnam, to reduce greenhouse gases shows the trend. Green energy production and consumption as well as energy transition are becoming an urgent and important issue in sustainable development strategies, associated with environmental protection of countries around the world.

Committing to achieving the goal of complete decarbonisation by mid-century makes Vietnam an even more attractive destination for foreign corporations to invest in renewable energy infrastructure, including offshore wind power projects. With a coastline of more than 3,200 km, shallow water depth and high, stable wind speed, Vietnam fully meets the important prerequisites necessary to develop reliable offshore wind power projects.

Dr. Chu Duc Hoang said that facing the challenge of climate change and the risk of energy depletion, the transition to green energy is not just an option but an urgent need. In this transition, technology plays a key role. Tech will create efficient solutions for capturing and storing energy to optimize its use in both production and daily consumption. Therefore, technological innovation is an inevitable trend for countries, corporations, and businesses to successfully convert from traditional energy to clean energy.

Economic and trade links-fresh impetus for Vietnam-Cambodia relations

Cooperation in economics, trade and investment is increasingly emerging as the driving force and a new pillar in promoting the relationship of "Good neighborliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation, long-term sustainability." between Vietnam and Cambodia.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet will make an official visit to Vietnam from December 11-12 at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh.

The visit takes place in the context that bilateral relations are seeing positive developments.

The achievements in the relationship between Vietnam and Cambodia over the past half century are not only the victory of the national liberation struggle in each country, but also shown in the development of cooperative ties across a variety of aspects.

Political relations are constantly being strengthened and tightened, serving as a guiding pillar for the overall Vietnam-Cambodia relationship across Party, State and people channels.

Additionally, bilateral cooperation in defense, security, foreign affairs, economics, investment and trade has been constantly strengthened with increasingly positive changes in recent times.

Immediately after the 7th Cambodian Government was established in August 2023, Prime Minister Hun Manet issued the Pentagon Development Strategy Phase I, with the determination to develop comprehensive economic development, giving priority to promoting economic relations with other countries, in which Vietnam is viewed as a particular focus.

Bilateral meetings and phone calls between both nations' senior leaders in 2023 are the clearest evidence of the determination and commitment to step up comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia in the coming time, with a major focus on deepening economic, trade and investment cooperation in a more substantive and effective manner.

Phan Van Truong from the Vietnam Trade Office in Cambodia said Vietnam currently retains its position as Cambodia's third largest trade partner and the neighboring nation's second largest export market, with bilateral trade turnover in 2023 expected to reach US$9 billion, according to VOV.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet (L) and his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh (Photo: VNA)

In particular, Cambodia ranks 2nd among 79 countries and territories where Vietnam has invested abroad, with more than 200 valid investment projects and a total registered capital of nearly US$3 billion, ranking first in ASEAN and in the group of 5 countries with the largest direct investment in Cambodia.

The Cambodian government prioritizes agricultural development policies, while this is the strength of Vietnamese investors and businesses investing in Cambodia recently.

According to the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, within the framework of the visit, the two Government leaders will have bilateral talks to further boost and expand areas of cooperation, including education, trade, investment, connectivity, tourism, culture, security, defense and border issues.

Both PMs will then witness the signing of a number of agreements, as well as co-chair the Vietnam-Cambodia Investment and Trade Promotion Forum.

PM Hun Manet is scheduled to deliver a speech at Hanoi Foreign Trade University about the economic development policy of the Cambodian Government and economic relations between Cambodia and Vietnam.

Recently, Vietnam and Cambodia signed the Border Trade Agreement and an agreement to promote bilateral trade for the 2023-2024 period along with other agreements.

The signed Memoranda of Understanding on cooperation in the fields of agriculture and labor and the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement have helped resolve many problems and created favorable conditions for the two countries' businesses and investors to expand investment and business activities.

Oknha Leng Rithy, chief representative of the Rubber Industry Group in Cambodia, interim Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Business Club in Cambodia said that PM Hun Manet's visit is expected to open up a new chapter in further augmenting economic, investment and trade cooperation between the two countries, especially in agriculture and agricultural product processing.

This is the strength of both countries, making it possible for them to invest and support each other in promoting the processing industry with a view to affirming their position in the agricultural supply chain in the region and the world, he added.

Leng Rithy also expressed his confidence that the upcoming visit to Vietnam by the new Cambodian PM will contribute to elevating the Vietnam-Cambodia friendship to new heights.

Vietnamese doctors provide free health check-ups for people in Laos

Doctors from the Ho Chi Minh-based Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine have provided free health check-ups and medicines for disadvantaged Vietnamese and locals living in Khammouane during a program in the central Lao province from December 5-10.

Hundreds of Vietnamese and local residents living in Thakhek town have been given initial examination and health consultation during the program which is jointly organized by the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association in HCM City, the Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, and the HCM City's Committee for Overseas Vietnamese (OV) Affairs.

Vietnamese doctors provide free health check-ups for people in Khammouane province, Laos. (Photo: VNA)

On the occasion, representatives of the HCM City Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs presented Vietnamese-language books worth five million dong to Thong Nhat primary school in Thakhek. This activity aims to implement the Prime Minister's plan to honor the Vietnamese language among the Vietnamese community abroad.

The activity is expected to contribute to further strengthening the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, two States and people of Vietnam and Laos, VNA reported.

It also aims to popularize Vietnam’s foreign policy, and policies of the Party and State related to OVs, contributing to increasing their trust in these policies.

Binh Dinh-South Korea flights to be resumed

Direct flights between the southern central province of Binh Dinh and South Korea will be reopened following a four-year suspension.

According to Tran Van Thanh, director of the Binh Dinh Department of Tourism, 17 direct flights linking South Korea’s Incheon Airport and Binh Dinh’s Phu Cat Airport will resume in the first quarter of next year. Each flight will transport around 180 passengers.

Phu Cat Airport in Binh Dinh: Photo: Dung Nhan

Binh Dinh has set a goal to attract five million tourists this year, up 21.4 percent on-year, including 80,000 foreigners, up 1.3 percent. The local tourism sector is expected to earn total revenue of VND16.405 trillion (USD6.77 billion), up 25 percent on-year, cited Dtinews.

Binh Dinh will hold the F1H20 Grand Prix in 2024, with a target of welcoming 10,000 visitors. It intends to welcome six million tourists within the year.

Hanoi to build second airport in 2040

Hanoi has approved the planning of a second airport with the construction expected to be started in 2040 and completed in 2050.

The airport project is part of Hanoi Capital Master Plan until 2045 with a vision to 2065 approved by the municipal people’s council on December 8.

The master plan will be submitted to the Ministry of Construction and the government for consideration.

Under the master plan, the second airport will be in Ung Hoa District in the south of the capital, Dtinews reported.

Once operational, the airport would help ease pressure on Noi Bai International Airport.

Noi Bai International Airport has faced overloading since 2017. It was designed to serve 25 million passengers annually, but the figure rose to 29 million in 2019.

Meanwhile, Hanoi’s population would reach 23 million by 2050, so it is necessary to build a second airport.

Vietnam is set to have 30 airports by 2030, including 14 serving international flights and 16 serving domestic flights.

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