The conference held in Anvers city of Belgium on June 12 (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam, Belgium promote partnership in seaport, logistics

There are great opportunities for Belgian investors in the development of seaports in Vietnam, a country owning a coastline of over 3,200km, heard a conference held in Anvers city of Belgium on June 12.

The conference was held by the Vietnamese Embassy and Vietnam Trade Office in Belgium in coordination with the Belgian-Vietnamese Alliance (BVA), the Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT) and The Beacon Group, aiming to promote Vietnam-Belgium cooperation in seaport and logistics. The event was also meant to prepare for the Minister-President of the Government of Flanders Jan Jambon’s visit to Vietnam in September.

Addressing the event, Jambon highlighted that Vietnam and Flanders share many similarities, including their strength in seaports. However, he pointed out that there remains plenty of room for the two sides to expand their trade partnership, adding that the two sides should grasp new opportunities from the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) to promote their sustainable development.

With its strength in digitalisation and multimodal transport, Belgium can assist Vietnam in optimising the development and operation of seaports to seize opportunities and overcome challenges in the rapidly digitalisation era, he said.

Agreeing with Jambon’s assessments on the bilateral cooperation potential in smart seaport and logistics, Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Van Thao said that with its geographical advantages and strategic location in the international maritime network, Vietnam pays great attention to developing the seaport system and logistic centres. He called on Belgian firms to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam in this field for mutual benefit.

At the event, Belgian and Vietnamese firms shared experience and knowledge on opportunities in seaport and logistics sector in Vietnam, as well as challenges in the field, cited VNA.

Speaking to Vietnam News Agency’s correspondents in Brussels, Geer Dom, Director for Europe and the US of DEEP C, a firm that has invested in Vietnam for 20 years, said that Vietnam boast great advantages in seaport infrastructure and logistics. The country with a dynamic and fast growing economy is an attractive destination for foreign investment.

At the same time, Marc van Bouwel, General of ICE-LOFT said that Vietnam's geostrategic location creates a huge advantage in shipping, while the 16 free trade agreements (FTAs) that Vietnam has signed, including the EVFTA, also generate great opportunities for the maritime transport and logistics sector. This year, when Vietnam and Belgium mark the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations, is a good time for the two sides to further develop the multi-faceted cooperation relationship, including seaport and logistics cooperation, he added.

Ivory Coast National Assembly leader begins Vietnam visit today

Adama Bictogo, president of the National Assembly of Ivory Coast, is scheduled to arrive in Vietnam on June 13 for an official four-day visit at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Vuong Dinh Hue.

This is the first visit to Vietnam by the President of the National Assembly of Ivory Coast and also by a high-ranking leader of Ivory Coast after 48 years of establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries.

During his stay, Bictogo is scheduled to hold talks and meet with senior Vietnamese leaders to discuss measures aimed at promoting bilateral cooperation in various fields, including economy-trade-investment, and people-to-people exchanges.

The leaders are expected to seek ways to facilitate market access for their strong export items, enhance business connections, and accelerate negotiations towards signing important documents.

Adama Bictogo, president of the National Assembly of Ivory Coast.

The two sides will examine measures to further strengthen cooperation on parliamentary diplomacy, increase the exchange of parliamentarians, and share experience in organizing parliamentary activities in order to innovate and improve the operational efficiency of the legislative body.

Vietnam and Ivory Coast established diplomatic ties on October 6, 1975. The two countries have maintained regular reciprocal visit exchanges to outline orientations for bilateral relations, according to VOV.

The two countries have regularly coordinated and supported each other at multilateral forums such as the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the Francophonie.

Since 2015, trade turnover between Vietnam and Ivory Coast has grown rapidly, mainly thanks to Vietnamese import of raw cashews and cotton.

Ivory Coast is Vietnam’s second largest trading partner in Africa and Vietnam’s fourth largest export market in the continent with a trade turnover of US$1.04 billion last year.

Vietnam chairs annual meeting of Group of Friends of UNCLOS

Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations (UN), on June 12 chaired the annual meeting of the Group of Friends of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The event was held on the occasion of the 33rd meeting of the States Parties to the UNCLOS (SPLOS 33) which is being organised from June 12-16 at the UN headquarters in New York.

On behalf of the 12 founding countries of the group, Ambassador Giang reviewed its activities over the past year and called on member countries to join efforts to contribute to solving challenges related to sea and oceans, successfully implement Sustainable Development Goal No.14 which is the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, waters and marine resources.

He emphasised that the group will continue promoting multilateral dialogue and cooperation in the implementation and protection of the universality of the 1982 convention, and described it as a comprehensive legal framework governing all activities related to seas and oceans, reported VNA.

Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations (Photo: VNA)

Cornel Feruță, Chair of SPLOS 33, expressed strong support for the value of UNCLOS 1982 in strengthening international law compliance; and appreciated contributions by the group in general and Vietnam in particular in promoting cooperation in the enforcement of the UNCLOS 1982 and ocean governance.

He voiced his hope that the group will further promote its role at UN forums in particular and international ones in general to continue pursuing the goals set out when it was established.

The 115-member group was the first initiated by Vietnam, which lobbied for the establishment together with Germany and joined the team of 12 core members, namely Argentina, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Jamaica, Kenya, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Senegal, South Africa, and Vietnam.

Hanoi tops list of favourite places in Asia for solo travelers

The Vietnamese capital has been ranked first in the list of top trending destinations for solo travelers throughout Asia, as compiled by adventure tour operator Explore Worldwide.

By analysing Google search data over the last two years, Explore’s research has determined the cities that are seeing the biggest uplift in terms of online searches compared to the previous year.

According to website traveldailynews.asia, Explore’s study unveils the locations surging in popularity among those itching to see the world on their own. As a result, the study reveals Asia’s top 10 destinations that are the most popular for solo traveling, as well as the emerging hot spots for solo travel worldwide.

Foreign tourists visit Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi.

“Independent travelers are particularly showing a real desire to explore Asia. The world’s top five trending solo cities are all located in Asia, and all show an increase in online solo travel searches of over 500%,” reported the website.

It revealed that the study puts Hanoi as the most up and coming solo travel destination throughout the world, with a rise in interest of just under 950%.

“Aesthetically pleasing and filled with ancient architecture, Hanoi presents itself as a place that is rich in culture. Solo travelers have many activities to enjoy, from browsing food markets and visiting historic temples, to simply taking in the colorful streets,” traveldailynews.asia noted.

Hanoi was followed by Bangkok in second with over 800% more interest, along with the Taiwanese city of Taipei in third with just under 700% more online interest.

Other places named in the list were Seoul, Phnom Penh, Ho Chi Minh City, Kuala Lumpur, Perth, Singapore, Sydney, Guangzhou, Zurich, Melbourne, Nice, and Manila.

Vietnam’s e-commerce exports reach US$3.5 billion

MSMEs in Vietnam are poised to reap significant benefits from the rapid growth of the e-commerce sector.

Vietnamese B2C e-commerce exports grew 7% last year to $3.5 billion. This figure is expected to increase almost fourfold to $13 billion by 2027, according to Access Partnership, a consulting firm based in the United Kingdom.

By 2022, this figure accounted for about 1% of Vietnam's total exports, according to the report, which relies on data from Vietnam's customs authorities and reputable organizations such as the Asian Development Bank, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the World Bank.

Access Partnership projects that Vietnam's e-commerce export revenue could make an annual growth rate of 9%, based on current export trends and the rate at which businesses adopt e-commerce. This projection represents a "business as usual" scenario, cited Hanoitimes.

Photo: aslgate

However, Access Partnership predicts sales could reach $13 billion in a more optimistic scenario by 2027. To achieve this higher figure, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) would need to accelerate their adoption of e-commerce for exporting products and services from current levels, the report said.

"MSMEs in Vietnam are well positioned to benefit significantly from the rapid growth of e-commerce," it said.

The global acceleration in the use of e-commerce, driven mainly by the restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, also presents an opportunity for Vietnam to tap into demand in foreign markets with a policy environment conducive to e-commerce exports.

Access Partnership's findings show that 95% of MSMEs surveyed expect annual B2C export growth of at least 10% through e-commerce over the next five years.

At the Cross-Border E-commerce Conference held by Vietnam's Department of E-Commerce and Digital Economy (iDEA) and Amazon Global Selling on June 9, iDEA Deputy Director Lai Viet Anh said that cross-border e-commerce is in line with the Government's policy to develop the digital economy and has great potential.

He said Vietnam's sales are expected to exceed tens of billions of dollars within the next four years. However, to realize this potential, Vietnamese businesses must overcome four main obstacles: import market regulations, competitiveness, costs (such as marketing and logistics), and market information.

To help businesses overcome these barriers, the Government has implemented several supportive policies, including cost-sharing initiatives for booth opening and maintenance under Government Decree 80, stimulating cross-border e-commerce demand through Decree 645, and a project to train 5,000 businesses in cross-border e-commerce knowledge and skills to participate in global distribution platforms.

Despite the positive growth of e-commerce exports, Vietnamese companies say they require additional assistance, as suggested by Access Partnership. The consultancy suggests Vietnam look at other countries' government support programs, such as China's Comprehensive Pilot Zone (CPZ) for cross-border e-commerce.

Assessing the B2C export situation in the first five months of the year, Gijae Seong, Amazon Head of Global Selling Vietnam, mentioned that Vietnamese sellers on Amazon had achieved positive sales growth. He stressed that Vietnam has the highest export growth rate on Amazon in the world, which has garnered the corporation's attention.

He said that Vietnam's cross-border export model is unique, and not many countries have developed it as much because of its fast growth of new vendors, adding that Vietnam has significant strength and capacity.

In 2022, the number of Vietnamese sellers on Amazon was in the thousands, an 80% increase over 2021. This contributed to the sale of more than 10 million "Made in Vietnam" products abroad and a 45% increase in export value.

Seong added that there are still opportunities in cross-border e-commerce, even though global economic challenges will persist in 2023. To capitalize on these opportunities, he recommends businesses focus on three aspects: using digital tools to understand customer preferences, innovating products to meet those needs, and building brands to add value.

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