Vietnam News Today (Jun 19): Vietnam, Cambodia Continue Efforts in Border Demarcation and Marker Planting

More than 225.2 million doses of -19 vaccines have been administered to date. Photo: VNA

Vietnam logs 699 new Covid-19 infections on June 18

Vietnam recorded 699 new Covid-19 infections – all locally transmitted, bringing pthe total caseload to 10,737,107.

Hanoi was the only locality with over 100 new cases reported, at 141. It was followed by Nghe An (48), HCM City (39) and Phu Tho (36).

The seven-day average of new daily Covid-19 patients in the country stands at 729, down from 833 a week ago.

June 18 also saw 5,889 patients declared recovered from the virus, bringing the total recoveries to 9,597,375 to date.

There are currently 55 patients in serious condition across the country, with none on life support, cited VNA.

There were no Covid-19 fatalities for the sixth consecutive day. The death toll remains at 43,083, roughly 0.4 percent of the total caseload.

More than 225.2 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered to date, with nearly 202 million doses in the adult population, 17.5 million in those aged 12-17 years, and 5.77 million in children aged 5-11.

Vietnam, Cambodia continue efforts in border demarcation and marker planting

The two sides have affirmed their determination and efforts to find a fair and reasonable solution acceptable to them in term of land border demarcation and marker planting to fulfill the remaining 16% of the border line.

A meeting of the two chairmen of the Cambodia-Vietnam, Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Commission on Land Border Demarcation and Marker Planting took place from June 13 to June 17 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

A Vietnamese delegation was led by Nguyen Minh Vu, deputy minister of foreign affairs, chairman of the Vietnam - Cambodia Joint Commission on Land Border Demarcation and Marker Planting of the Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Border Committee, while a Cambodian delegation was headed by Var Kim Hong, the Cambodian delegation led by senior minister Var Kim Hong, chairman of the Cambodia Border Affairs Committee, according to VOV.

Demarcation market No.240 along the Vietnam-Cambodia border. Photo: Ngoc Vien Nguyen/Panoramio

Those in attendance also included representatives of relevant ministries and sectors of the two countries.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed a host of issues related to ensuring the stability of the border and boundary markers in order to contribute to consolidating and building a border of peace, stability, friendship and cooperation for common development between the two nations.

Talking points also focused on a plan to deal with old landmarks that still exist in areas where demarcation work has been finalized, repair a number of border markers that are damaged, eroded or at risk of landslides, and conduct field surveys.

Both sides agreed on the necessity of formulating a new agreement on border regulations to replace the one on border regulations signed in 1983 in order to facilitate their coordination in common border management.

Eureka moment for African swine fever vaccine in Vietnam

The successful production of an African swine fever vaccine is a significant development for the pig breeding sector in Vietnam, according to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien.

Tien said the success enhances the prestige of Vietnamese breeding and veterinary medicine globally. More than 50 percent of farms in Vietnam are small scale, so vaccines are critical to protect the industry, which is the engine of the middle class. This is also a chance for Vietnam to export vaccines to other countries, he said, adding that many countries have contacted the ministry and showed interest in the new developments.

The successful production of African swine fever vaccine as well as other veterinary treatments reveals Vietnam’s ever-increasing capacity in veterinary medicine, he stated.

With the production of NAVET-ASFVAC, a product of Navetco National Veterinary Joint Stock Company, Vietnam has become the first country to develop a commercial vaccine against African swine fever that delivers 6 months of immunity and meets the technical requirements of the industry, reported VNA.

Vietnam has become the first country to successfully produce African swine fever vaccine. Photo: VNA

The vaccine was developed from a genetically modified strain of the virus by deleting the previously uncharacterized gene, I177L.

Tien said that the ministry will closely supervise the pilot injection of 600,000 doses of the vaccine before allowing it to be used across the country.

Former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong said that vaccination will be a key measure to ensure the food chain while paving the way for Vietnam to successfully implement the livestock development strategy in the 2021-2030 period with a vision to 2045.

African swine fever is a contagious and deadly viral disease affecting swine of all ages. The disease was first detected in Vietnam in February 2019. Within seven months, it spread to all 63 cities and provinces in the country, forcing the nation to kill around 6 million pigs, or 20 percent of the total hog herd. The total losses of the debacle were estimated at 30 trillion VND (US$1.29 billion).

Vietnam to grant FLEGT license to wood exports in 2025

Vietnam is set to grant a license under the Voluntary Partnership Agreement/FAO-EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Programme to wood exports in 2025, after it completes preparing the necessary conditions, reported a government official familiar with the sector.

Bui Chinh Nghia, Deputy General Director of the Vietnam Administration of Forestry, reported the new developments at a June 17 workshop held by the administration, the Vietnam Timber and Forest Product Association, and the Association of Handicraft and Wood Industry of Ho Chi Minh City (HAWA).

He pointed out that despite an annual double-digit growth rate, the country’s wood industry is still facing numerous challenges in 2022.

Apart from the pandemic, escalating political tensions have caused more challenges to supply chains, soaring logistics costs and material prices have resulted in higher input costs. Inflation in key export markets has led to a decrease in orders. In particular, accusations of material origin fraud also threaten industry development.

To cope with these challenges, he urged domestic businesses to adhere to international market regulations, enhance their capacity, and improve competitiveness so as to maintain their foothold in wooden furniture exports, cited VOV.

Photo: hanoitimes

Echoing the view, HAWA Vice Chairman Nguyen Chanh Phuong said the compliance with regulations on sustainable forestry development is vital to the wood industry of not only Vietnam but also global markets.

At the workshop, the association launched HAWA DDS, a platform for proving and tracing wood origins.

Phuong noted that HAWA DDS, with support from the FAO-EU FLEGT Programme since May 2018, aims to remove obstacles in the wood origin validation process. This is a necessary step to prepare Vietnamese timber and wood products to access international markets, especially the EU.

By applying HAWA DDS, users from forest owners, processors to traders can search for information and prove material origins easily independent of manual procedures, he added.

Vietnamese women's football team ranks 32nd in FIFA rankings

The Vietnam national women’s team sit in 32nd place with 1,655.51 points in the latest FIFA world rankings, which was announced on June 17.

SEA Games are not included in FIFA's scoring system, so the gold medal for coach Mai Duc Chung’s side at the 31st SEA Games in Vietnam did have any effect on the FIFA rankings.

Accordingly, Vietnam remained no.1 in Southeast Asia and stood in sixth place in Asia, cited NDO.

The Vietnam national women’s team sit in 32nd place in the latest FIFA world rankings. Photo: VOV

Meanwhile, Thailand accumulated 1,547.02 points to rank 43rd in the world and 8th in Asia, followed by Myanmar (world no.48 and 10th in Asia).

Across the globe, the USA retained the top spot with 2,104.25 points, followed by Sweden, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Canada, Spain, Britain, Brazil, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

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