National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (right) and Indonesian Ambassador to Vietnam Denny Abdi. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam promotes cooperation with Indonesia, Iran

National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue on July 25 hosted separate receptions in Hanoi for Indonesian Ambassador to Vietnam Denny Abdi and Iranian Ambassador Ali Akbar Nazari

At the meeting with Abdi, Hue spoke highly of Indonesia's role not only in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) but also in the region and the world, as a member of the G20.

Vietnam is Indonesia's only strategic partner in Southeast Asia, he said.

During a State visit by the President of Vietnam to Indonesia last year, the two countries completed negotiations on the delimitation of the two countries' exclusive economic zone (EEZ) boundary. The NA leader expressed his hope that the two sides will soon hasten respective legislatures to ratify an agreement on the EEZ delimitation for early enforcement, cited VNA.

For his part, Abdi said that Indonesia wishes to cooperate closely with Vietnam not only for the benefits of each country but also for the common interests of the region and the world. Welcoming the positive collaboration results between the two countries in the field of trade, the ambassador underlined the need to promote growth in the region, especially in the current period.

The ambassador said the completion of EEZ delimination negotiations will help the two countries expand cooperation in the fields of aquatic farming and processing and fisheries, contributing to ensuring food security for the region.

According to Abdi, by implementing the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), both Indonesia and Vietnam want to receive support to make the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy and attract more foreign investment in this field.

On this occasion, the NA Chairman affirmed that Vietnam will do its best to support Indonesia to successfully organise the upcoming ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) General Assembly, and hoped that Indonesia will assist the Vietnamese National Assembly in hosting the ninth Inter-Parliarmentary Union (IPU) Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians.

Receiving the Iranian ambassador, Hue said Vietnam the friendship and cooperation between the two countries have developed fruitfully over the past time.

Vietnam always attaches importance and wishes to maintain and promote the friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Iran, he said.

Nazari said that Vietnam and Iran share many similarities, therefore, the two countries can jointly tap this potential for the benefits of their people.

Stressing the important role of parliamentary diplomacy, the ambassador welcomed the two countries' parliaments to discuss strengthening coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums such as the IPU.

On the ground of the 50-year relationship, Vietnam wants to promote comprehensive relations with Iran across all channels of Party, National Assembly, Government, and people-to-people exchange, Hue said, suggesting the two countries share experience in national construction and development.

Foreign travelers plan long holidays in Vietnam with new visa policy

The number of foreign visitors seeking accommodation in Vietnam for a long holiday has increased significantly, although the updated Vietnamese visa policy will not take effect until August 15.

Data given by online booking platform Agoda released on July 24 recorded a 33% increase in searches from foreign travelers planning a long holiday in the country compared to two weeks earlier.

The number of searches for accommodation in Vietnam from France skyrocketed by 72% after the country announced the new visa policy allowing foreign travelers to extend their e-visas to 90 days, as opposed to the figure of 30 days at present. The number of similar searches from the Netherlands, New Zealand, Germany, and the United States also edged up by 45%, 41%, 40%, and 38%, respectively.

Agoda’s data analysis shows that most of the visitors searching tourism information are long-haul travelers from North America, the EU, Australia, and New Zealand that face stricter visa policies when entering Vietnam compared with other Southeast Asian countries. These travelers often have to travel longer and on more expensive return flights, making them more inclined to plan long-term holidays than those from nearby areas.

Simplified visa procedures are also considered to be a useful tool for the tourism industry to welcome visitors from more potential markets such as India. After Vietnam introduced an e-visa policy for Indian citizens, India has leapt six notches, becoming the international tourist market with the second largest booking volume in Vietnam, behind only the Republic of Korea.

With a new visa policy in place on August 15, many foreign travellers have planned to book longer tours to Vietnam. Photo: VOV

Currently, domestic travel firms have sent information regarding the changes of the new visa policy to travel partners in key markets such as Europe, the US, and Australia, according to VOV.

Tran Thi Bao Thu, marketing and communications director of Vietluxtour, told tuoitre.vn that Vietluxtour’s international tourist market tripled in terms of visitors and revenue in the first half of this year compared to the entirety of last year.

To encourage international visitors to Vietnam to stay longer, travel firms will focus on developing thematic tourism products, such as cultural and historical tours and other types of resort tours which are combined with medical tourism, said Thu.

Along with key markets such as Europe and the US, she added that businesses are also exploring new markets such as the Republic of Korea, India, Sri Lanka, and Australia.

According to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, the new visa policy will provide the tourism industry a strong boost when the peak international tourism season is coming. Vietnam welcomed about 5.57 million international visitors during the first six months of the year, and it is not difficult to meet the set target of receiving eight million foreign travelers by the end of the year.

Tripzilla.com: Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City among best places to visit in Vietnam

Tripzilla.com, a Southeast Asia's top travel inspiration platform, has published an article explaining why Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are among the best choices of places to visit when travelling to Vietnam.

According to the travel website, Hanoi is teeming full of Buddhist shrines and picturesque lakes, along with a number of tourist destinations, including the millennia-old Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, the grand Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Temple of Literature, One Pillar Pagoda, and Tran Quoc Pagoda.

Meanwhile, Tripzilla.com noted that visitors can discover plenty of museums and European-esque structures, such as the War Remnants Museum, Reunification Palace, the Ho Chi Minh City Museum, and the Museum of Vietnamese History.

“For a dose of French architecture, don’t miss the Saigon Opera House and the Saigon City Hall, as well as the neighbouring Saigon Central Post Office and Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica,” it suggested.

Along with these must-visit spots, local culture and lifestyle are also among the main reasons to visit the two largest cities.

Hanoi has managed to remain loyal to its original roots, while Ho Chi Minh City has always embraced foreign aspects, from French culture to rapid Western urbanisation.

The travel platform stressed that visitors cannot talk about travelling to a city in Vietnam without discussing about its range of unique cuisine.

Saigon Central Post Office - one of the major torist destinations in Ho Chi Minh City.

“If there’s one thing we love equally about Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, though, it’s the vast selection of mouth-watering dishes!” it noted.

According to Tripzilla.com, in Hanoi street food is king and delicious meals can be enjoyed from roadside stalls to hole-in-the-wall eateries in narrow alleyways. Visitors will also find lots of homegrown restaurants, most of which have belonged to the same family for decades, it shared.

Apart from street food and authentic French-Vietnamese dishes, there are also plenty of options for international cuisine in Ho Chi Minh City, including cosy brunch spots, expat-owned bistros, and fine-dining restos.

“No wonder it’s dubbed the food capital of Vietnam! Oh, and it’s also the birthplace of bánh mì; on the other hand, phở and gỏi cuốn hail from good ol’ Hanoi” the travel website added.

According to the website, the best time to visit the two cities is during the drier months from December to March.

Hanoi has all four seasons, therefore if visitors prefer moderate seasons like spring and fall then they should take a trip sometime between February and April, or September and November, it suggested.

Tripzilla.com shared that both Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City are budget-friendly cities, saying that Hanoi is slightly more affordable.

The average daily budget per person in Hanoi stands at US$40.16. This includes transportation, food and drink, and other activities such as entertainment and sightseeing.

Meanwhile, in Ho Chi Minh City, the average daily budget per person is US$69.57. This includes transportation, food and drink, and other tourist activities.

Vietnam treasures friendship, cooperation with Israel: Deputy PM

Vietnam attaches importance to consolidating and further developing friendship and cooperation with Israel, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang told Israeli President Isaac Herzog at their meeting on July 25.

At the meeting as part of his official visit to Israel, Deputy PM Quang expressed his pleasure to visit Israel on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Vietnam-Israel diplomatic relations.

To futher promote multi-faceted cooperation between the two countries, Quang suggested the two sides strengthen the exchange of high-level delegations, reported VNA.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang (L) and Israeli President Isaac Herzog at their meeting on July 25. (Photo: VNA)

He affirmed that Vietnam encourages and creates favourable conditions for Israeli businesses to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam, especially in areas that Israel is strong and Vietnam needs such as science - technology and innovation.

For his part, President Isaac Herzog expressed his respect for the history, land and people of Vietnam, and highly valued Vietnam's role and position as well as its remarkable socio-economic development in recent years.

He said that Quang’s Israel visit will open up good opportunities to enhance the multifaceted cooperation between the two countries.

During their meeting, the two sides discussed and agreed on specific measures to improve the efficiency of bilateral cooperation such as implementing the free trade agreement be signed during the visit, raising trade turnover, promoting investment and tourism cooperation, opening a direct route soon, creating favourable conditions for the issuance of visas for citizens of the two countries in order to boost people-to-people exchange and economic cooperation.

On this occasion, Quang conveyed the regards and invitation from President Vo Van Thuong to Israeli President Isaac Herzog to visit Vietnam soon. President Herzog accepted the invitation with pleasure.

UNESCO Centre helps conserve cultural and fine arts heritage in Vietnam

The UNESCO Centre for Conservation of Vietnam’s Fine Arts and Cultural Heritage was inaugurated in Ho Chi Minh City on July 25.

The centre, an arm of the Vietnam Union of UNESCO Associations, has been designed to preserve and promote the value of Vietnamese cultural and artistic heritage in the past and at present, and to create new values in the future.

An overview of the inauguration ceremony of the UNESCO Centre for Conservation of Vietnam'sFine Arts and Cultural Heritage. (Photo: PANO)

The facility will serve as a place to connect artists, collectors, researchers, art critics, as well as museums, cultural agencies and heritages both at home and abroad. It will also help promote cooperation in various fields with organizations and individuals involved in practical projects in the fields of fine arts, culture, and heritage conservation, cited VOV.

The centre will deploy projects in many areas such as organizing composition camps for young artists, and displaying paintings, creative art statues and cultural heritage in connection with heritage tourism, so as to bring benefits to the community, society as well as partners, said Nguyen Kim Phien, director of the centre.

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