At the ceremony (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam-UNDP: 45 years of Cooperation for sustainable development

The 45th anniversary of the Vietnam-United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) partnership for sustainable development was held on June 2 evening in Hanoi.

The ceremony, co-organized by the Ministry of Planning and Investment and UNDP, marked an important milestone in the two sides’ cooperation.

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Quoc Phuong said that since UNDP opened a representative office in Hanoi in May 1978, UNDP has always worked side by side with Vietnam.

From a poor country which was devastated by war to a middle-income country, now Vietnam is taking the lead in taking measures towards poverty reduction and economic growth, cited VNA.

“With joint efforts contributing to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, leaving no one behind, the Vietnamese Government always considers UNDP as one of its most important, long-term partners. We cooperate for the common interests of Vietnamese people, for peace and prosperity in the region and in the world," said Phuong.

UNDP Representative in Vietnam Ramla Khalidi said that three factors contribute to the success of the UNDP-Vietnam partnership: trust, shared values and openness.

She said that Vietnam and UNDP have worked together to promote sustainable growth.

Over the years, the trust has expanded the two sides’ partnership into new areas including trade, climate affairs and public governance.

As Vietnam aspires to achieve advanced country status and net zero emissions by 2050, the full support of UNDP is still needed, she said.

Since 1978, cooperation between UNDP and Vietnam has flourished with invaluable support during economic hardship.

UNDP quickly responded to Vietnam's needs, focusing on efforts to rebuild the country while establishing systems, technologies, and fundamental capacities, of which, humans are considered the centre of sustainability.

A typical example of UNDP's effective support for Vietnam is the Law on Enterprises formulation, marking a breakthrough in establishing a fair business environment and healthy competition for enterprises.

Enacted in 2000, the law played a key role in promoting the rapid growth of private enterprises, creating more than one million jobs in only three years.

From the Millennium Development Goals (2000-2015) to the Sustainable Development Goals (2015-2030), UNDP has worked closely with Vietnam's other partners to ensure everyone has equal access to the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Vietnam represented at 20th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore

A delegation of the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence led by Deputy Minister Sen. Lieut. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien attended the 20th Shangri-La Dialogue that officially opened in Singapore on June 3.

Hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the event draw the participation of more than 550 delegates who are defence and security officers and scholars from 41 countries.

The two-day dialogue covers seven plenary sessions and six special sessions that focus on various issues such as security in cyberspace competition, challenges to developing military capacity in the Asia-Pacific region, nuclear threats and challenges to regional security, along with trends relating to defence ties in the Indo-Pacific.

On the sidelines of the dialogue, Deputy Minister Chien met with leaders of defence ministries and delegation heads of some participating countries, including Chinese Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Li Shangfu.

Deputy Chien and Chinese Minister Li shared the view that Vietnam-China defence co-operation has received attention from all-level leaders of both sides, saying it is growing practically and is becoming an important pillar of the bilateral comprehensive strategic co-operative partnership.

Chinese Minister Li emphasised that the defence links have been further enhanced in accordance with the common perceptions reached by high-ranking leaders of the two countries, especially after the official visit to China by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong.

In response, Deputy Minister Chien suggested the two sides continue with delegation exchanges and other collaboration activities in border and sea management and defence, whilst seeking to soon organise the eighth Border Defence Friendship Exchange and the defence strategic dialogue.

Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien (second from left) attends the event. (Photo: VNA)

At a meeting held with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Donald Marles, the two officials noted that bilateral defence ties have made new strides across all fields, ranging from delegation exchange to training and maritime security, especially UN peacekeeping operations.

They concurred to maintain co-operation in the agreed areas, firstly by accelerating the signing of an agreement on the partnership in peacekeeping, as well as upgrading the Joint Vision for Enhancing Defence Cooperation.

Deputy Minister Chien thanked Australia for its support in transporting Vietnam’s level-2 field hospitals to UN peacekeeping missions.

In this regard, Australian Deputy PM Marles affirmed that Australia will help the Southeast Asian nation to transport its level-2 field hospital rotation 5 to South Sudan later this month, according to VOV.

Meeting with Japanese Vice Minister of Defence Masami Oka, Deputy Minister Chien called on the Japanese side to further assist Vietnam in peacekeeping operations in terms of training and experience sharing.

On this occasion, the Vietnamese official also held meetings with representatives of the Singaporean Ministry of Defence, in addition to Assistant Deputy Minister of Canada Peter Hammerschmidt.

Australian PM Anthony Albanese begins official visit to Vietnam

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrived at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi at noon on June 3, beginning a two-day official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh.

This is the first official visit to Vietnam by PM Albanese since he took office and only two months after a State-level visit by Australian Governor-General David Hurley, showing Australia's great attention to the Southeast Asian nation.

The Australian PM was welcomed at the airport by Minister – Chairman of the Vietnamese Government Office Tran Van Son, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet, and Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski, among others, repored VNA.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) is welcomed at the Noi Bai International Airport by Minister – Chairman of the Vietnamese Government Office Tran Van Son. (Photo: VNA)

Within the framework of the visit, PM Albanese and the Australian delegation are scheduled to laid wreaths in tribute to late President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum in Hanoi; hold talks with PM Chinh and meet with the press; meet with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, President Vo Van Thuong and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

The Australian leader is also scheduled to join with PM Chinh in an exchange event with the women’s football teams of Australia and Vietnam; go for a tour of Hanoi; and visit RMIT University and United Nations International School (UNIS) in Hanoi.

The visit by PM Albanese is expected to reinforce political trust and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries, especially in the fields of politics, diplomacy, security, defence, economy, investment, labour, technology, climate change response, and people-to-people exchanges.

Da Lat and Lan Ha Bay named among top 18 mysterious gems in Asia

CNN Travel has named Da Lat city in the Central Highland province of Lam Dong and Lan Ha Bay on Cat Ba Island among its top 18 mysterious gems of Asia which are less-crowded, but just as rewarding.

Situated in the central highlands province of Lam Dong, Da Lat city goes by different names due to its romantic beauty such as “Little Paris”, “City of Pine Forests”, and “Land of Mist”. Indeed, Da Lat’s flowers, lakes, and waterfalls attract tourists both near and far.

According to CNN, at 1,500 meters above sea level, the city’s cooler weather is a welcome reprieve from the tropical humidity that is typically found elsewhere in the country.

It noted that based around the romantic Xuan Huong lake, Da Lat boasts everything from French colonial architecture, which is a part of its legacy from its days as a hill station, to the "Crazy House", the Seussian creation of architect Dang Viet.

Lan Ha Bay.

“Plentiful waterfalls and a vibrant flower industry mean that delights abound in the city for honeymooners and nature lovers,” says the website.

Lan Ha Bay can be found to the east of Cat Ba island in the northern port city of Hai Phong and is just to the south of Ha Long Bay. The area is a wonderful destination for visitors to explore, enjoy great experiences, and spend their weekend vacations.

Recently recognised as a member of the Beautiful Bay Club Association, Lan Ha Bay is a very quiet bay with around 400 large and small islands. Nearly 400 limestone islands in the bay are covered with natural green vegetation.

CNN shared that Lan Ha Bay is a stretch of shimmering water broken up by limestone (karst) islands that can be enjoyed by day trip such as kayak or canoe, or alternatively overnight, such as on a cruise ship.

Rounding off the list of the top 18 destinations were Isaan of Thailand, Leshan of China, Skardu of Pakistan, Nikko of Japan, Davao of the Philippines, Meghalaya of India, Pulau Ubin of Singapore, and Samosir Island of Indonesia. This is along with Pakse of Laos, Tengchong of China, the Gogunsan Islands of the Republic of Korea, Kenting of Taiwan (China), Banteay Chhmar of Cambodia, and Jaffna of Sri Lanka.

Vietnam’s exports to hit US$618 billion by 2030 at 7 per cent annual growth

Vietnam will be a key driver of global trade growth, with its exports projected to reach US$618 billion by 2030, an annual growth rate of 7 per cent, outpacing the global average of 5 per cent by a significant 2 percentage points.

This information was released in the Future of Trade: New opportunities in high-growth corridors research report by Standard Chartered. The report projects that global trade is set to reach $32.6 trillion with a growth rate of 5 per cent by 2030.

Trade corridors anchored in Asia, Africa and the Middle East will outpace global trade growth rate by up to four percentage points, driving combined trade volume in these regions to $14.4 trillion to account for 44 per cent of global trade by 2030.

Mainland China, South Korea and the US are expected to be Viet Nam’s key trade partners in the coming years. Meanwhile, trade with India, Singapore and Indonesia is forecast to experience robust growth from 2021-30.

Goods loaded at Tan Cang - Hai Phong International Container Terminal (TC-HICT) in northern city of Hai Phong. Growing global demand for electronics, investments and sustainability initiatives will drive Viet Nam’s key exports. Photo: VNS

Growing global demand for electronics, investments and sustainability initiatives will drive Vietnam’s key exports, cited VNS.

Michele Wee, CEO of Standard Chartered Vietnam, said: “Vietnam holds tremendous potential to be a global trading hub. As an international bank with 119 years operating in Vietnam, we are uniquely positioned to facilitate cross-border transactions and support our clients in navigating the complexities of the market and seizing global trade opportunities.”

The research included a survey of more than 100 global business leaders in 13 markets who shared the following as their top challenges including rising geopolitical conflicts and tensions (54 per cent), high and volatile energy and commodity prices (52 per cent), poor infrastructure quality (46 per cent), high inflation (45 per cent), sanctions, tariffs and export bans (44 per cent).

By 2030, increased adoption of digital supply chain finance solutions could drive up exports by 7.5 per cent in the 13 surveyed markets, an uplift of $791 billion. Digital supply chain finance solutions can also help drive greater financial inclusion and participation for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), help companies track adherence to ESG criteria and reduce the risk of fraud and cost of monitoring.

Michael Spiegel, Global Head, Transaction Banking, Standard Chartered, said: “Global trade is set to drive the next decade of growth. We aim to help our clients improve access to finance and achieve ESG compliance across their entire supply chains. Digital supply chain finance solutions will play a game-changing role in achieving these goals and enable sustainable trade growth across developing economies.”

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