An overview of the talks in new Delhi on June 19 between Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and his visiting Vietnamese counterpart Phan Van Giang. Photo: qdnd.vn

India wishes to promote comprehensive cooperation with Vietnam

India wishes to strengthen comprehensive cooperation with Vietnam, including in the field of national defense, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh told his visiting Vietnamese counterpart Phan Van Giang, during their talks in New Delhi, on June 19.

Singh affirmed that Vietnam is an important partner in India’s Act East policy, and that bilateral cooperation has comprehensively been strengthened in all fields, from politics-diplomacy and defense-security, to economy-trade, culture, education-training and people-to-people exchanges.

General Giang for his part thanked India for providing valuable assistance to Vietnam during its past struggle for national liberation and the current cause of national development, asserting that India is a reliable and close friend of Vietnam, cited VOV.

The two ministers shared the view that the Vietnam-India defense cooperation has been promoted in accordance with the signed cooperation agreements and documents, yielding practical results. Both sides have maintained delegation exchanges, effectively implemented consultation and dialogue mechanisms, and boosted training, military and defense industry cooperation, along with cooperation in the fields of United Nations peacekeeping and strategy research.

They vowed to maintain high-level visit exchanges to enhance mutual trust, understanding and cooperation, bring into full play existing cooperation mechanisms such as defense policy dialogue and consultation, and foster cooperation in potential fields such as cyber security, military medicine, search and rescue in accordance with needs and ability of each party.

They were of the view that both India and Vietnam have basically similar stances about many regional and international issues. The two countries closely coordinate and support each other at multilateral forums, especially within the framework of the United Nations. and ASEAN mechanisms to which India is a partner, such as the ASEAN-India Summit, the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM+) of which India is an active member.

Exchanging views on the South China Sea issue, the two sides voiced their strong support for the settlement of disputes by peaceful means in accordance with the principles of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Hanoi tops trending cities worldwide for solo travel: UK travel company

Hanoi has been ranked first in the list of the top 20 trending cities for solo travel while Ho Chi Minh City ranked sixth, according to a report by UK-based adventure travel company Explore Worldwide.

By analysing Google search data from the last two years, the company has determined the places that are seeing the biggest uplift in solo travel online searches.

Hanoi saw a 946% rise in year-on-year solo travel searches, followed by Bangkok (816%), China's Taipei (692%), Seoul (533%), and Phnom Penh (500%).

Ho Chi Minh City ranked sixth with a solo travel search increase of 480%, according to VNA.

Illustrative photo (Photo: VNA)

The rest of the top 10 were Kuala Lumpur, Perth, Singapore, and Sydney.

According to the Explore Worldwide, when in Hanoi – an ancient and vibrant city, solo travellers can dive into the colourful busy streets of the Old Quarter, rubbing shoulders with the locals in a maze of narrow streets filled with shoppers, traders, cafes and restaurants.

“Hanoi explodes with history and culture, from the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum which allows visitors to pay respects to the man who led the country to independence, through to the Temple of Literature dedicated to the teachings of Confucius,” it said.

Interest in solo travel in Hanoi has jumped up a massive 946% over the last year. Vietnam opened its doors to tourists post-COVID in early 2021, but Google searches around ‘Hanoi solo travel’ at this time were virtually non-existent. However, in the last 12 months there has been a steady month-on-month increase for ‘Hanoi solo travel’ searches – and whilst the number of searches is still not super high compared to other cities, the leap in interest marks Hanoi out as a trending ‘one-to-watch’ city for solo adventure.

Meanwhile, Explore Worldwide called Ho Chi Minh City as "the busiest city in Vietnam", where there is an interesting blend of tradition and modernity. Recommended places in the city include the Cu Chi tunnels, taking a boat ride and dining on the rooftop of a skyscraper with panoramic views of the city in just one day.

Explore Worldwide has more than 40 years of experience organising adventure tours to more than 100 countries. More than 98% of customers polled said that they would return to book Explore Worldwide for their next trip.

RoK President Yoon Suk-yeol to visit Vietnam this week

President Yoon Suk-yeol of the Republic of Korea will play an official visit to Vietnam from June 22-24 at the invitation of Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in its press communique.

This will be Yoon’s first State-visit to Vietnam after he took office in May 2022. Vietnam will also be the first Southeast Asian nation he has chosen to travel to in his capacity as President of the Republic of Korea.

Yoon is scheduled to hold talks with Vietnamese President Thuong in Hanoi and witness the signing of a number of cooperation documents between the two countries.

He will also meet with other senior Vietnamese leaders, including Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue.

During his stay, the RoK president is anticipated to attend a Vietnam – RoK cultural exchange, a Vietnam – RoK business forum, and an exhibition on trade, culture and cuisine of the RoK, among others.

Vietnam and the RoK established diplomatic ties in 1992, and the two countries upgraded their ties to a level of comprehensive strategic partnership in late 2022, VOV reported.

RoK President Yoon Suk-yeol, leader of the People Power Party. Photo: People Power Party

The RoK government has reaffirmed its resolve to strengthen relations with ASEAN in general and Vietnam in particular.

The RoK is currently the largest foreign investor in Vietnam with 9,559 projects valued at US$82 billion. It is the second largest ODA donor, pouring US$2.7 billion in preferential loans from the Korean Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF).

It is Vietnams third largest trading partner, with two-way trade turnover last year hitting US$87 billion, up 11.4% year on year. The first quarter of 2023 alone saw bilateral trade turnover fetch US$18.1 billion.

The two countries maintain close coordination and cooperation in addressing issues of mutual concern at regional and international forums.

Vietnamese street food festival held in Paris

A Vietnamese street food festival was held recently in District 5, Paris. The evet was held by the Vietnamese Association and the Vietnam Youth Association in France.

This is the third year the festival has been held, offering visitors the opportunity to taste popular Vietnamese dishes and fruit.

Visitors to this year’s event, entitled the “Ici Vietnam Festival”, can also enjoy contemporary music, with the excitement of electronic music, pop, and rap performed by French-Vietnamese DJ-beatmakers. They can also find books, meet with writers, and play Vietnamese folk games.

Photo: Mark Wiens

On this occasion, VinFast, the carmaker subsidiary of Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup, displayed its latest electric vehicles, cited VNA.

The Ici Vietnam Festival is the idea of a group of young Vietnamese-French people who wish to organise festivals in fields such as film, art, painting, and cuisine to promote Vietnamese culture.

Hanoi to expand pedestrianizing streets around Hoan Kiem Lake

The Hoan Kiem Lake weekend promenade and its environs in downtown Hanoi have become a brand, a cultural boulevard and a highlight of the capital city.

part of a larger pedestrian area connecting Hoang Cau Lake and Hanoi's first metro line [Cat Linh - Ha Dong urban railway].

Ba Dinh District officials are finalizing the plan for a business service quarter and pedestrian street around Ngoc Khanh Lake. The 12-hectare project, including the area around the lake and a 3,800-square-meter flower garden on Nguyen Chi Thanh Street, could open in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Hanoi currently has five pedestrian zones, including the one around Hoan Kiem Lake and its surrounding area, part of the Old Quarter, a 900-meter section of Trinh Cong Son Street, the ancient citadel of Son Tay, Tran Nhan Tong Street and its environs.

The pedestrian streets are closed to motorized vehicles from 7:00 pm on Friday to midnight on Sunday in Summer. In Winter, the ban starts one hour earlier. Approximately 18,000-25,000 people visit the zone every day, Hanoitimes reported.

The walking space around Hoan Kiem Lake (Photo: infonet.vn)

The Hoan Kiem Lake weekend promenade and its environs in downtown Hanoi have become a brand, a cultural boulevard, and a highlight of the capital city.

The pedestrian zone has contributed to ensuring safety and order, gradually reducing motorized vehicles, creating a new lifestyle for Hanoi residents, and promoting Hanoi as a city of peace.

The walking street around Hoan Kiem Lake began in 2016 as an initiative to promote Vietnamese culture and provide a public space for locals and visitors to gather and hang out. After a three-year trial period, the closure of the Hoan Kiem Lake area to pedestrians on weekends was institutionalized starting January 1, 2020.

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