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Vietnam confirms 913 new Covid-19 cases on June 8

Vietnam reported 913 new Covid-19 infections in 43 localities on June 8, bringing the total caseload in the country to 10,727,918.

The capital city of Hanoi logged the highest number of infections with 187 cases.

It was followed by northern Yen Bai and Bac Ninh provinces, with 67 and 57 infections, respectively.

No deaths related to Covid-19 were reported on the day, with the death toll remaining at 43,081, about 0.4 percent of the total infections.

As many as 8,363 recoveries were reported in the last 24 hours, taking the total number given the all-clear since the start of the pandemic to 9,531,653, cited NDO.

Seventy-eight patients are currently receiving oxygen support.

More than 222 million vaccine doses have been administered in the country so far.

Vietnam defeat Malaysia 2-0, advance to U23 Asian Cup quarterfinals

Vietnam beat Malaysia 2-0 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the U23 Asian Cup, as in the other game of Group C, Thailand lost 0-1 to the Republic of Korea (RoK).

Vietnam started the game confidently and pushed forward right away.

In the 7th minute, Vietnamese goalkeeper Quan Van Chuan cleared the ball at the edge of the box and the ball found Quentin Cheng, who tried to finish quickly but he missed the goal.

Two minutes later, Nham Manh Dung received the ball from midfield and noticed that keeper Firdaus Irman went a bit far from goal. Dung finished right away but it went out.

In the 23rd minute, it was Manh Dung again, this time with a finish from the left flank, but keeper Irman blocked the shot.

Three minutes later, the ball found Dung Quang Nho after Manh Dung's pass, but the midfielder rocketed it over the bar.

Vietnamese U23 players. Photo: VNA

In the 29th minute, Nguyen Thanh Nhan crossed from the left flank for Manh Dung, who got a powerful header to defeat keeper Irman and opened the scoring for Vietnam, according to VNA.

Just one minute later, Aiman Afif took a shot from long distance, but it went high for Malaysia.

In the 32nd minute, Manh Dung got another chance to score but his shot lacked power. The ball seemed to cross the line although keeper Irman caught it. However, the sideline referee said it was not a goal.

Nguyen Hai Long forced keeper Irman to punch the ball again with a good freekick in the 34th minute.

In the 40th minute, Manh Dung got another scoring chance from another header but it didn't hit the target.

In the last minute of the first half, Quang Nho received a pass inside the box and dribbled past Hairiey Hakim. The ball seemed to have hit the arm of the Hakim. After five minutes of reviewing the play on VAR, the referee gave Vietnam a penalty and Hakim a red card. Malaysia were down to 10 men.

Captain Bui Hoang Viet Anh took the penalty for Vietnam. Keeper Irman was able to block it the first time but couldn't save Viet Anh's second finish after that. The referee also blew the whistle to end the first half after the goal.

Entering the second half, as usual, Vietnam pushed forward right after the whistle.

In the 60th minute, Nguyen Van Truong tried his luck with a shot from 30 m and it still lacked a bit of accuracy.

Three minutes later, Thanh Nhan passed from the left flank inside to Nguyen Van Tung, whose shot hit the post.

Van Tung tried to volley in the 70th minute and it found Quang Nho, who took another shot, but it stayed off target.

A rare chance for Malaysia in the 76th minute when Quentin Cheng's header was close to a goal.

With this win, Vietnam ranked second in Group C with five points and secured a berth in the quarterfinals while the RoK came first.

Vietnam will play the first-placed team of Group D in the quarterfinals.

Vietnam, Italy look to broader trade and economic co-operation

Minister of Trade and Industry Dang Hoang An and Italian Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs Manlio di Stefano co-chaired the seventh meeting of the Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation, following a two-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Deputy Minister Dang Hoang An emphasized that the traditional ties friendship and co-operation between both sides is increasingly being consolidated and developed. Indeed, the nation appreciates the attention it has received from Italy through its development co-operation policies, Deputy Minister An went on to say.

In response, Di Stefano highly appreciates Vietnamese economic growth, with import and export turnover, as well as foreign investment attraction, all standing at a high level. This was achieved despite the country facing plenty of challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Italy represents the nation’s largest trading partner in the EU, whilst Vietnam is Italy's largest trading partner in the ASEAN region.

Two-way trade turnover over the past five years has rapidly increased, especially after the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) came into effect from August, 2020.

According to statistics from the General Department of Vietnam Customs, total bilateral trade turnover in 2021 reached over US$5.6 billion, an increase of 21% compared to 2020. By the end of April, the two countries' two-way trade turnover hit over US$2.8 billion, up 14% on-year.

During the course of the meeting, both sides compared notes and reviewed economic and trade ties across a variety of fields, including energy, agriculture, textiles and garments, footwear, science and technology, transportation, culture, tourism, communications, the environment, and natural resources.

At the seventh meeting of the Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation. Photo: congthuong.vn

They also agreed on multiple plans which will be deployed moving forward and discussed barriers to the implementation of the EVFTA in a bid to boost economic ties between Vietnam and Italy to new heights.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the two sides signed the minutes of the seventh meeting of the Joint Committee on Economic Cooperation between Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade and Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

They agreed to hold the next meeting of the joint commission in Italy ahead in 2023 to mark the 50th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties.

The Joint Committee's meeting is widely viewed as an important annual event that demonstrates the two sides' determination to augment bilateral co-operation in economy and trade, as well as to fully realize the strategic partnership between both sides.

Vietnam to help promote consensus as UN General Assembly Vice President: official

As one of the Vice Presidents of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)’s 77th session, Vietnam can bring into play its role in handling differences among countries and promoting consensus on the UNGA’s decisions, an official has said.

At a meeting on June 7 (New York time), the UNGA elected the President and Vice Presidents of the UNGA’s 77th session. Vietnam, representing the Asia-Pacific, was elected to the Vice Presidency and will serve in this post for one year, starting on September 13, 2022.

Talking to the press, Do Hung Viet, Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of International Organisations and Assistant to the Foreign Minister, said the election is greatly significant to Vietnam, especially when the country is marking its 45-year UN membership in 2022.

Vietnam’s biggest advantage when serving in this post is the prestige it has built up in the recent past, which can be seen in the international community and activities of the UN, he remarked, noting that the country recently fulfilled its role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and is currently a member of the International Law Commission, the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Executive Board of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the Postal Operations Council of the Universal Postal Union.

Another advantage is its trained and experienced personnel who have performed duties at many mechanisms and forums, especially the recent tenure at the UN Security Council. They also have strong support from the homeland, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other ministries and sectors, so as to confidently chair activities of the UNGA in the time ahead, according to Viet.

A meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York on March 1, 2022. Photo: AFP/VNA

As one of the UNGA Vice Presidents, Vietnam will join the President and other Vice Presidents in chairing UNGA activities.

It will help promote and organize high-level events and others of the UNGA while chairing the building of UNGA documents and initiatives. It can also bring into play its role in ironing out differences among countries and create consensus about the UNGA’s decisions, he elaborated.

Vietnam’s target is to continue its active, proactive, and comprehensive engagement in such fields as promoting international peace and security, disarmament, the building of a new UN agenda for peace, and the peaceful settlement of international disputes. Other focal areas include the implementation of international commitments on sustainable development, the settlement of common challenges like epidemics, climate change, and environmental pollution, and the facilitation of green transition and digital transformation, cited VNA.

In particular, as a representative of the Asia-Pacific region and developing countries, Vietnam will highlight the demand for international cooperation to provide technological resources for developing nations, the official said.

Vietnam is planning and running for membership of some international mechanisms, including the UN Human Rights Council, he added, expressing his hope that the UNGA Vice Presidency will create momentum for the country to hold important positions in other UN mechanisms.

RoK injects huge capital into Vietnamese real estate sector

Along with the local manufacturing sector, the Vietnamese real estate sector has attracted significant FDI inflows from the Republic of Korea (RoK) over recent years, according to a survey conducted by Savills Vietnam.

The proportion of RoK FDI into the local real estate sector doubled in 2018 from the previous year and has continued to rise over recent years. By the end of last year, it continued to record an increase of 13% compared to 2020.

Andrew Lee, business development senior manager at the Korean Desk of Savills Vietnam, said the Covid-19 pandemic has limited the commercial activities of RoK investors as they cannot directly access real estate projects in the nation.

However, the country’s resumption of international flights from the first quarter of the year has created favorable conditions in which RoK firms can now return to Vietnam and seek investment opportunities to expand in the market.

He analyzed that there will be several real estate projects in the country that can enjoy investment capital sources from the ROK in the future, VOV reported.

Photo: VOV

According to the expert, the Vietnamese market has recently seen greater FDI inflows from a number of Korean investors, including Lotte E&C that injected US$900 million into developing a smart urban area named "Lotte Eco Smart City Thu Thiem".

Furthermore, the RoK’s YSL Group has been also implementing an industrial land project with an area spanning roughly 300 hectares in Nam Binh Xuyen of Vinh Phuc province, with the site anticipated to attract many domestic and foreign enterprises, especially Korean businesses in the future.

Savills Vietnam assessed that logistics and warehousing are the industrial properties that typically receive huge investment from Korean businesses, with a specific focus on the development of cold storage and smart warehouses.

As a result, the Vietnamese market can be viewed as an ideal destination for foreign firms that are keen to avoid over reliance on a single country in the global supply chain, he said.

He added that with advantages of geographical location near borders, port systems, developed transport infrastructure, and improved investment climate, the country is projected to attract additional capital inflows into the real estate sector from Korean investors moving forward.

Currently, the RoK is one of the largest foreign investors in the Vietnamese market. According to statistics compiled by the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the past three years has seen the RoK consistently among the top three countries with the highest amount of FDI inflows into the country.

Most notably, during the five-month period, the RoK ranks second among countries investing in Vietnam with over US$2.06 billion, up 12.6% against the same period from last year.

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