Commander of the Border Guard Command Lieutenant General Le Duc Thai and Head of Home Office International Operation of the UK’s Home Office Victoria Pullen at the signing ceremony. (Photo: bienphong.com.vn)

Vietnam, UK cooperate in human trafficking prevention, control

Commander of the Border Guard Command Lieutenant General Le Duc Thai and Head of Home Office International Operation of the UK’s Home Office Victoria Pullen signed an agreement on cooperation in the prevention and combating of human trafficking between the two sides in Hanoi on January 18.

Under the agreement, the two sides will increase information exchange; cooperate in detecting, preventing, investigating, and handling drug crimes; coordinate to verify, rescue, and support victims in specialized projects and cases; exchange experiences in human trafficking prevention and combat; provide support in training and capacity building in human trafficking prevention and control, particularly improve English proficiency for border guard officers.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Lieutenant General Le Duc Thai emphasized that the event marked a new, practical, and effective development step in international cooperation between the law enforcement forces of Vietnam and the UK in implementing the bilateral agreement between the governments of the two countries on human trafficking prevention and control.

Since 2021, the two agencies have implemented many cooperative activities in the field, cited VNA.

In 2023, Vietnam's border guards conducted communication activities that reached 700,000 people, detected, prevented, and handled 1,604 cases with 66,621 people involved in illegally entering and exiting the country, many of whom are at high risk of becoming victims of human trafficking rings.

The force also arrested and handled 103 cases with 92 people; and rescued, received, supported, and transferred 235 victims and suspected victims.

The border guards coordinated with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the UK Embassy in Vietnam, and the Blue Dragon Children's Foundation to organize five in-depth training classes on human trafficking prevention and control for 180 officers and three interdisciplinary seminars to improve capacity.

Vietnam enjoys US$34.3 billion trade surplus with EU

Two-way trade turnover between Vietnam and the European Union last year fell 5.3% to US$72.3 billion, resulting in US$34.3 billion in trade surplus.

Trade exchanges between Vietnam and the EU were significantly impacted by the slow growth of the global economy and trade. EU residents were forced to tighten their belts due to economic recession, high inflation and high interest rates, affecting trade exchanges between Vietnam and the EU.

Statistics show Vietnam earned US$53.3 billion from exports to the EU, down 4.7%, while it spent nearly US$19 billion on imports, down 6.8%.

Exports to the EU slowed down rapidly in the last months of the year, while in the first half of the year, the decline in export turnover was at double digits, according to VOV.

Wood products are some of the major items to be shipped to the EU market.

With a high level of openness, the Vietnamese economy was directly affected by the decline in the global economy in the first half of the year and the slow recovery of the economies in the world in the second half of 2023.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade reports that there is a lot of external pressure on Vietnam’s industrial production and import-export activities in 2024. Notably, many economies that are Vietnam’s major trading partners, including the EU, are expected to record slow growth, making it difficult for aggregate demand to recover strongly, thereby impacting export activities.

Petrol prices up in the latest adjustment

Retail prices of petrol were revised up in the latest adjustment on January 18 by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Finance.

Specifically, the prices of E5 RON92 and RON 95-III increased by VND377 and VND547 to no more than VND21,418 (US$0.87) and VND22,482 per liter, respectively.

Meanwhile, diesel 0.05S and kerosene are sold at VND20,194 per liter and VND20,536 per liter, up VND487 and VND205, respectively, and the price of mazut oil decreased by VND307 to VND15,508 per kilogram, reported VNA.

Photo: VNA

The two ministries decided to use the petrol and oil price stabilization fund for mazut oil at VND300 per kilogram, the same as in the previous adjustment.

Vietnam shares lessons drawn from ASEAN experience at WEF-54

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh discussed lessons drawn from ASEAN’s experience as the region gains ground amid a precarious geo-economic environment, during at a panel discussion as part of the 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF-54) in Davos, Switzerland, on January 17.

Other keynote speakers were Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, Philippine House of Representatives Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, and World Trade Organization Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

The leaders discussed the central role of ASEAN and each ASEAN member country in taking advantage of the opportunities from shifting global supply chains, development trends, and behavior in economic relations with major countries.

They said that ASEAN has become an exemplary role model of regional economic integration, thanks to joint efforts of member countries in promoting intra-bloc economic cooperation and exchanges on trade in goods, services and investment, gradually moving towards forming a common market and common production platform. The bloc has been actively integrating into the global economy through bilateral free trade agreements with partners as well as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement.

In addition, ASEAN has built solid trust among member countries, overcoming economic, political, and cultural differences to become a cooperative bloc for prosperity, cited VOV.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (r) shares ASEAN's experience lessons with the moderator of the discussions.

WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said that ASEAN has a friendly investment environment and is a destination where investors and partners benefit from each other. Accordingly, the supply chain is decentralizing towards several ASEAN countries, as part of the re-globalization process. She took Vietnam as an example, saying it is a typical destination as evidenced in its dynamic development and success stories. Such a process has benefitted not only one or a few countries, but the whole world.

Sharing the view, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized three important factors behind ASEAN’s current development gains. They are solidarity in diversity, promoting self-reliance of the bloc and each country, and pursuing inclusive and comprehensive development, taking people as the driving force of development.

According to the PM, each ASEAN member country on the one hand contributes to the common development of ASEAN, and on the other hand promotes their distinct potential, outstanding opportunities, competitive advantages and capabilities, while ensuring compliance with competition and the market law of supply and demand.

In his opinion, the process of shifting supply chains is an inevitable trend based on the competition law and the market law of supply and demand. Only when countries choose a win-win approach, respect their individual choice, and build trust based on sincerity, solidarity and balance of interests, can they maintain sustainable development.

About digital transformation, Chinh affirmed that the digital economy needs to be associated with the green economy, with mutual support and interaction. This process must be implemented according to a roadmap and with steps appropriate to the capacity of each country, taking into account vulnerable groups in society. He reminded that rapid and sustainable development is a must, but it cannot be done by sacrificing social justice and security.

The Vietnamese Prime Minister affirmed that in the next 5-10 years ASEAN will be a united, unified bloc and the growth center of the world economy where all economies develop altogether without anyone being left behind.

Other speakers highly appreciated Vietnam’s responsible role in building ASEAN solidarity and settling regional and global issues. They concurred with the Vietnamese leader’s views on how to take advantage of opportunities and handle challenges in ASEAN’s integration and win-win cooperation process, as well as to maintain an objective and fair approach, and promote the bloc’s central role in contributing to globalization.

Festival to promote Vietnamese culture in Japan

A cultural festival entitled ‘Homeland Spring – Vietnamese Tet Festival Amagasaki 2024’ will be held in Amagasaki City in Japan from February 3 to 4 as an activity to celebrate Tet — the biggest annual activity of Vietnamese people worldwide.

The event is co-organized by the Japan-Vietnam Trade Association and the Vietnamese General Consulate in Osaka.

The festivities will feature various activities, such as art programs, Vietnamese folk games, and a trade fair promoting Vietnamese culture and cuisine, NDO reported.

An Ao Dai beauty pageant will be held as part of the festival. (Photo courtesy of organizing board)

The highlights of the festival include an Ao Dai beauty pageant as well as a fashion show to introduce traditional Vietnamese costumes, especially the Ao Dai, to Japanese people.

According to the President of the Japan-Vietnam Trade Association Pham Thi Thu Huyen, the festival aims to promote Vietnamese culture in Japan while enhancing people-to-people exchange and fostering cultural and trade links between the two countries.

The event is expected to attract the participation of 100,000 Overseas Vietnamese people and Japanese visitors.

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