Vietnam News Today (Jan. 21): Vietnam Attends 19th Non-Aligned Movement Summit

Vietnamese Ambassador to Romania Do Duc Thanh (Photo: VNA)

PM’s Romania visit affirms Vietnam’s wish to promote bilateral ties: diplomat

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s official visit to Romania on January 20-21 affirms Vietnam’s wish to continue promoting and deepening its traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation with the European country, according to Vietnamese Ambassador to Romania Do Duc Thanh.

The visit at the beginning of the new year, made at an invitation of PM Ion-Marcel Ciolacu, will create a new driving force to promote cooperation between the two countries in many fields, the ambassador told the Vietnam News Agency.

During his trip, Chinh will discuss with his counterpart and other leaders of Romania measures to boost bilateral cooperation, especially in fields deemed to have potential for collaboration, and step up the exchange of all-level delegations, effectively implement agreements reached at the 17th meeting of the inter-governmental committee on economic cooperation in Hanoi last November, and promote trade and investment partnership in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, production of medical equipment, and energy.

PM Chinh will attend the Vietnam-Romania Business Forum with his Romanian counterpart, meet the business community, witness the signing of cooperation documents, visit several economic establishments, schools and research institutes, and meet some Romanian friends and the Vietnamese community there, cited VNA.

The ambassador said that over the past 74 years, political and diplomatic relations between the two countries have been continuously enhanced through high-level visits of the two countries’ leaders, as well as recent high-level meetings between Romanian President Klaus Werner Iohannis and PM Chinh on the occasion of attending the High-Level Meeting of the UN General Assembly in September 2023, and the EU-ASEAN Commemorative Summit in December 2022.

Trade cooperation has remarkably in recent years, with two-way trade turnover increasing from US$261 million in 2019 to US$425 million in 2022.

Romania is a traditional partner of Vietnam in Southeast Europe and a gateway for Vietnam to penetrate the markets of EU countries and the Western Balkans. Romania is also one of the first countries to ratify both the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), Thanh said.

He advised businesses from both countries to be well prepared to take advantage of opportunities brought about by tariff reductions according to the roadmap set out by EVFTA.

Vietnamese Vice President meets Ugandan Parliament Speaker

Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan met with the Speaker of the Ugandan Parliament Anita Annet Among in Kampala on January 19 as part of her working trip to Uganda for the 19th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

At the meeting, Xuan congratulated Uganda on its initial outstanding socio-economic achievements recorded in implementing the “Uganda Vision 2040” towards building a modern and prosperous country.

She thanked the Ugandan parliament for sending a delegation to the ninth Global Young Parliamentarians Conference in Hanoi, Vietnam in September 2023, contributing to the overall success of the event. She expressed her belief that Uganda would successfully complete its role as president of the Non-Aligned Movement for the 2023-2026 term.

She conveyed the greetings and invitation of the Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Vuong Dinh Hue to invite Speaker Aita Annet Among to make an official visit to Vietnam soon. The Ugandan Parliamentary leader happily accepted the invitation, according to VOV.

Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan met with Speaker of the Ugandan Parliament Anita Annet Among in Kampala on January 19.

Speaker Aita Annet Among for her part affirmed that Vietnam is an important trade partner of Uganda, and expressed her belief that their meeting would contribute to promoting friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

Both host and guest emphasized that the two countries have huge potential for cooperation, especially in the fields of politics - diplomacy, parliamentary cooperation, economics, agriculture, science, and technology. They agreed to increase the exchange of delegations, including through the parliamentary channels while promoting coordination and supporting each other at international and inter-parliamentary forums such as the Non-Aligned Movement and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). They also agreed on the possibility of signing a cooperation agreement between the two legislatures.

Xuan requested that legislative bodies of the two countries monitor and promote the two governments to actively implement signed commitments and agreements, as well as support and create favorable conditions for strengthening cooperation between the two countries in potential fields such as trade, investment, agriculture, telecommunications, education and training, and information technology.

Vietnam has sufficient grounds to assert sovereignty over Hoang Sa

Vietnam has full legal basis and historical evidence to affirm its sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly), Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang said on January 20 in reply to reporters’ query on the country’s stance on China's occupation of Hoang Sa in 1974, VNA reported.

Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam's sovereignty over Hoang Sa has been established since at least the 17th century, by international law, and has been peacefully, continuously, and openly practiced by successive Vietnamese states, Hang stressed.

Any act of using force or threatening to use force in international relations, especially the use of force to solve disputes over territorial sovereignty in relations between countries, is completely contrary to the basic principles of the United Nations Charter, seriously violates international law, and can neither establish a title of sovereignty nor change the fact that the sovereignty over Hoang Sa belongs to Vietnam, the spokesperson affirmed.

Vietnam attends 19th Non-Aligned Movement Summit

Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan is leading a Vietnamese delegation to attend the 19th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), which opened in Kampala, Uganda, on January 19.

With its theme on deepening cooperation for global prosperity, the two-day event draws high-ranking officials from over 120 developing countries, cited VNS.

Earlier, a preparatory ministerial meeting took place on January 17 and 18, during which negotiators finalized a draft document to be presented to the leaders at the summit.

The 19th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), which opened in Kampala, Uganda, on January 19. Photo: VNS

The document covers a range of important global and regional issues, including the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea) matter. It underscores the commitment of member countries to multilateralism and emphasizes adherence to and promotion of international law and the UN Charter. It also notes the urgent need for reforming the multilateral system in the new circumstances with emerging non-traditional security challenges.

The document also reflects deep concerns about the worsening situation in Palestine, with special attention given to the severe humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

Hanoi unveils plan to attract foreign tourists this year

Hanoi is set to implement measures aimed at attracting foreign visitors in 2024, focusing on such key markets as Northeast Asia, the EU, and the US, the municipal Department of Tourism said at its January 19 conference to deploy working plans this year.

The capital city will also explore emerging and potential markets, including India, Halal countries, South America, and Australia. The city is concentrating efforts on increasing tourist spending and extending the duration of stays, particularly concerning foreign travelers.

This year, Hanoi aims to welcome approximately 27 million visitors, including 5.5 million foreigners, up 9.2% and 16.4% year-on-year, respectively. The total revenue from tourism is expected to reach around VND103.74 trillion (US$4.22 billion), an annual increase of 11.1%. The average occupancy rate of accommodation facilities and hotels is targeted at 62%, cited VNA.

Photo: VNA

To achieve these targets, alongside enhancing state management in the sector, Hanoi is focusing on developing products, including experiential tours linked to heritage, relic sites, and traditional villages, as well as culinary, MICE, healthcare, river, and agro-tourism.

The municipal tourism sector will build plans for promotion activities in domestic and foreign markets, and actively participate in international promotion programs and tourism fairs, such as the JATA Tourism EXPO in Japan, Korea World Travel Fair, and IFTM Top Resa tourism fair in France. It will provide promotional materials and films to Vietnamese embassies abroad, helping spread the image of the capital's tourism.

In his remarks, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Nguyen Manh Quyen emphasized the need to accelerate the construction of large-scale entertainment projects to serve tourism. He also called for intensified communications and promotion efforts as well as the organization of attractive events.

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