NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue speaks at the event. Photo: VNA

Vietnam attends second session of APPF-29

The Vietnamese National Assembly delegation attended the second session of the 29th Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF-29) via video conference on December 14.

Participants focused their discussions on the theme of parliaments’ role in promoting the digital economy in the region.

In a recorded speech, Vietnamese NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue hailed the Asia-Pacific region, with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum at the core, for taking the lead in ensuring a free, open, non-discriminatory and transparent trade and investment environment; strengthening economic and supply chain connectivity; promoting cooperation in digital economy and innovation; and reforming structure to create new driving forces for economic recovery as well as sustainable and inclusive development.

In the above fields, parliaments have played an important role in promoting recovery measures on a large scale, as demonstrated via their functions of law building, supervision and adoption of important national policies.

In such a spirit, Hue agreed with the APPF-29’s economic and trade agenda, saying that they show member parliaments’ determination to foster cooperation and accelerate sustainable economic recovery following the pandemic.

He highlighted Vietnam’s consistent policy of optimizing the human factor, considering people the centre, the subject and the most important resource and target in socio-economic development till 2030, as well as in the fight against the pandemic.

According to him, Vietnam considers digital economy and e-commerce as one of the driving forces and priorities in its growth recovery and Covid-19 adaptation policies, in parallel with green, circular, sustainable and eco-friendly growth, cited VNA.

The Vietnamese NA leader suggested APPF member parliaments continue fine-tuning legal framework and national institutions, enhance the sharing of law building and supervision experience in e-commerce in line with relevant national laws and policies and international commitments.

He called on them to approve mutual recognition agreements on vaccination when necessary, cooperate in the production and sharing of vaccines and medicines, facilitate traveling among nations, ensure smooth supply chains and promote economic connectivity, particularly digital connectivity.

Vietnam confirms 15,203 more local Covid-19 cases

The Health Ministry announced nother 15,203 domestic Covid-19 patients in 62 provinces and cities on Tuesday.

The locality with the highest number of new cases was Ca Mau Province with 1,011 cases, marking the highest daily cases ever recorded in the Mekong Delta locality. Ho Chi Minh City came second with 991 cases and Tay Ninh Province that borders the city third with 931 cases.

A woman in an isolated area on Nguyen Cong Tru Street in Hanoi's Hai Ba Trung District receives goods delivered to her by relatives, December 1, 2021. Photo: VnExpress

Hanoi recorded 837 new cases.

The Covid-19 death toll in Vietnam rose to 28,333 with the confirmation of 252 deaths on Tuesday, including 64 in HCMC. Vietnam's Covid deaths are accounting for 2 percent of the total infections since the pandemic began, according to VnExpress.

In the ongoing wave that hit Vietnam in late April, more than 1.43 million cases have been recorded, and more than one million have recovered.

To date, 58.6 million people of the nation's 96-million population have been fully vaccinated.

Omicron response: HCMC imposes stringent inspections of foreign arrivals

HCMC has started imposing more stringent inspections on foreign arrivals, especially those coming from places where the Omicron variant of the Covid-19 virus has been detected.

According to an Omicron response plan released Tuesday by the city administration, all passengers arriving in the city on international flights must have negative results for the variant in tests done within 72 hours of their departure for Vietnam. The city will also step up inspections at maritime borders.

Every arrival from places where Omicron, the B.1.1.529 Covid variant, has been detected must stay in centralized quarantine facilities, even if he/she has been fully vaccinated or has recovered from Covid-19 within the past six months. The quarantine period has not been specified.

The current regulation in force is that all foreign arrivals in Vietnam are allowed to isolate themselves at their places of accommodation if they have been fully vaccinated for the Covid-19 virus.

Arrivals wait to be tested for the novel coronavirus at Tan Son Nhat Airport in HCMC, May 2021. Photo: VnExpress

The plan says maritime security measures will be reinforced to prevent and detect early any case of illegal disembarkation; and that the city will also reinforce testing among those found to have illegally entered Vietnam recently.

Surveillance and screening among people suspected to have Covid-19 in residential areas, offices, and production facilities will be strengthened.

Laboratories have been asked to speed up the genetic sequencing process to proactively detect any Omicron early, reported VnExpress.

Any Omicron case confirmed will be isolated for treatment at the Covid-19 Field Hospital No.12 in Thu Duc City, which has been designated to receive Omicron cases only.

The Ministry of Health said last week that the risk of Omicron penetrating and then spreading in Vietnam was "very high."

Though it is not yet confirmed that Omicron would cause more severe Covid-19 conditions, it has been said the strain is more transmissible than Delta and previous strains as it carries many mutations, said Tran Dac Phu, senior advisor at the Public Health Emergency Operations Center under the ministry.

It is necessary to stay alert because the highly contagious strain could overload the nation's healthcare system, he said.

Omicron has been confirmed in around 60 countries and territories to date.

National conference promotes pioneering role of foreign affairs

The National Conference on Foreign Affairs has served to emphasize the need to promote the pioneering role in maintaining a peaceful and stable environment, whilst firmly defending the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and interests of the nation.

The National Conference on Foreign Affairs opened in both in-person and virtual forms on December 14, under the chair of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, with the aim of effectively carrying out the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress. Indeed, the event saw a particularly focus on policies, guidelines, and orientations regarding foreign affairs..

During the course of the function, Politburo member and Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh presented a report on the situation, orientation ,and key foreign affairs tasks to be implemented under the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, cited VOV.

Speaking at the event, Deputy PM Minh highlighted the tremendous achievements that the nation has recorded after 35 years of pursuing the renewal (Doi Moi) process, thereby helping to elevate the country’s international prestige.

The scale and level of the national economy has been raised with a GDP of approximately US$400 billion and roughly 100 million citizens. In addition, people's lives have improved markedly in both material and spiritual terms.

Furthermore, socio-political stability has been ensured on the basis of consolidating and strengthening the great national unity bloc under the leadership of the Party, whilst national defense and security has been firmly maintained and strengthened.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong chairs the National Conference on Foreign Affairs. Photo: VOV

Most notably, the country has strived to accelerate deep integration into all aspects of international social life, whilst it continues to be an active and responsible member of the wider international community.

The past five years, amid complicated and unpredictable developments both globally and regionally, has seen the nation take full advantage of various opportunities, solve challenges, continue to create comprehensive results, and record outstanding achievements across multiple fields.

“In the overall achievements of the country, there is a significant contribution from foreign affairs and international integration. The Party, State and the whole political system has paid due attention to foreign affairs and international integration, which has achieved many important, positive and comprehensive results,” Deputy PM Minh stated.

However, according to the Deputy PM, foreign affairs still endure some limitations, such as foreign activities and international integration not keeping up with relevant developments of the situation without anticipating adverse impacts. In line with this, the relationships of intertwined interests with important partners have not been properly exploited and promoted effectively, with co-ordination in terms of external affairs between sectors and localities yet to be regularly intensified.

Deputy PM Minh also expressed his confidence that through the country's position constantly being consolidated through 35 years of pursuing the renewal process, coupled with the determination of the entire political system under the leadership of the Party, foreign affairs and international integration will record greater achievements in the future.

This will serve to add impetus to the successful implementation of the Resolution of the 13th Party Congress, thereby contributing to turning the nation into a developing country with modern industry, a high-middle income by 2030, and a developed country with socialist-oriented development by the middle of the 21st century.

Local painting auctioned for US$1.57 million at Sotheby’s Hong Kong

An oil and canvas painting titled “Young Woman With A Conical Hat By The River” by Vietnamese artist Mai Trung Thu sold for US$1.57 million at Sotheby’s Hong Kong auction house at noon of December 14.

The painting is second among artworks that have been auctioned for over the US$1 million mark in Vietnamese fine art.

An oil and canvas painting titled “Young Woman With A Conical Hat By The River” by Vietnamese artist Mai Trung Thu. Photo: Sotheby's

Initially, the auction house estimated that the price of the local painting ranged between US$640,000 and US$897,000.

The picture features a woman wearing a blue Ao dai, the Vietnamese traditional long dress. She has an oval face, large eyes and curly hair falling on her cheeks. The character's identity has not been clarified, but it is thought to be Mai Trung Thu's favorite role model during his time in the ancient city of Hue.

This comes after his painting “Portrait of Mademoiselle Phuong” was also sold in April at a record price of US$3.1 million, while another painting titled “Lady Playing a Nguyet Cam” also fetched US$1 million at Bonhams' auction on November 27.

Mai Trung Thu is a famous painter who specialized in modern Vietnamese art in the early 20th century. He graduated from the Indochina Fine Arts College during the 1925 to 1930 period before he went on to live and work in France for most of his life, VOV reported.

His name is largely associated with silk paintings featuring themes of Vietnamese women and children, along with daily life in general.

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