Vietnam News Today (March 23): Top leader holds phone talks with Japanese PM Suga

	Vietnam News Today (March 22): Vietnamese-funded new National Assembly Building handed over to Laos
	Vietnam news today (March 21): NA Vice Chairman works with Thua Thien Hue election committee
	Vietnam News Today (March 20): Le Hoai Trung designated as head of Party’s Commission for External Relations

Party General Secretary, State President Nguyen Phu Trong meets with Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide in Ha Noi on October 19, 2020 as part of the latter's official visit to Viet Nam. Photo: VGP

Top leader holds phone talks with Japanese PM Suga

Party General Secretary, State President Nguyen Phu Trong held a phone conversation with Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide on Monday, during which the former affirmed Japan is a highly-reliable partner of Viet Nam.

PM Suga congratulated Viet Nam on the success of the 13th National Party Congress and Trong on his re-election as the Party General Secretary.

Suga expressed his belief that Viet Nam will continue gaining greater achievements in the future under the leadership of the Communist Party led by Party General Secretary, State President Nguyen Phu Trong.

Sugar assured that his country treasures the extensive strategic partnership with Viet Nam, wishing to further strengthen collaboration with Viet Nam to further advance the bilateral ties in a practical and effective manner as both countries will celebrate the 50th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2023.

Top Vietnamese leader said the 13th Party Congress set out orientations and goals towards 2045 and reaffirmed the country’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development; diversification and multilateralization of external relations; proactive and active international integration.

Trong expressed pleasure at the fine developments of the relations between Viet Nam and Japan in general and between the Communist Party of Viet Nam and the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan.

He affirmed Viet Nam’s consistent policy of regarding Japan as a leading, long-term and highly-reliable partner, calling on Japan to continue assistance and support for Viet Nam in realizing plans and strategies adopted at the 13th Party Congress and in enhancing economic connectivity between the two countries.

The two leaders also took the occasion to compare notes on regional and international issues of shared concerns, VGP reported.

Good preparations for the upcoming National Assembly election underway

The National Election Council (NEC) convened its fourth session in Hanoi on March 22 to examine preparations for the upcoming elections of deputies to the 15th National Assembly and grassroots-level People’s Councils for the 2021-2026 tenure.

Addressing the session, Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, President of the National Election Council, noted that preparations for the elections have been carried out in accordance with the law, meeting the deadline.

(Photo: VOV)

There have been no major problems to deal with that can affect the elections, said Ngan, who is also Chairwoman of the 14th National Assembly.

The NEC dispatched four inspection groups to localities and they all found that local Party organizations, administrations, Fatherland Front Committees, and relevant agencies have made thorough preparations for the elections, Ngan added.

The NEC President requested localities to pay more attention to the establishment of electoral groups, election training as well as the settlement of complaints and denunciations, especially when the third consultative meeting is completed.

She also asked NEC sub-committees and localities to consider likely scenarios regarding anti-coronavirus measures, food safety control and fire prevention on the election day to ensure the voting will take place safe and sound, as reported by VOV.

Vietnam strengthens comprehensive partnership with the US

Deputy Foreign Minister of Vietnam Bui Thanh Son on March 22 phoned Kurt Campbell, US Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific Affairs on the National Security Council.

Son affirmed that Vietnam pursues a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralization and diversification of foreign relations and that it attaches importance to developing its relations with the United States.

According to VOV, he appreciated the contribution Campbell has made to the development of the US-Vietnam relations over the years and expressed Vietnam’s willingness to work closely with the US to further promote the comprehensive partnership between the two countries in the interest of their people, contributing to strengthening peace, security, development and prosperity in the region and around the world.

(Photo: VO)V)

For his part, Campbell affirmed that the US wants to strengthen its comprehensive partnership with Vietnam. He highly appreciated Vietnam’s successful assumption of its roles as ASEAN Chair in 2020 and a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for 2020-2021.

The two sides agreed that the US-Vietnam relationship has flourished considerably in all fields in recent times and will further develop in the future on the basis of the principle of ‘mutual respect for each other’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and political institutions and mutual benefit.’

Indian national among three new COVID-19 cases

An Indian man and two Vietnamese returnees were confirmed positive for COVID-19 on Monday, taking the national caseload to 2,575.

Specifically, patient 2573 is a 45-year-old Indian expert who flew from India to Viet Nam on March 20 after transiting in the United Arab Emirates. He is being treated at the Cu Chi field hospital in Ho Chi Minh City.

Patient 2574 is a 31-year-old woman in Tan Bien District of the southern province of Tay Ninh. She was brought home from the United Arab Emirates on March 10 and quarantined in Dong Nai Province upon her arrival. The patient is being treated at the Dong Nai Provincial Hospital for Lung Diseases.

Patient 2575 is a 24-year-old woman in Dong Hoi City of the central province of Quang Binh. She returned to Viet Nam via the Ha Tien Border Gate on March 21. The patient is being treated at the Ha Tien City Medical Center in Kien Giang Province.

The same day, 36 patients were declared free of the virus, raising the total recoveries to 2,234, according to VGP.

(Photo: VNE)

Local aviation industry calls for help amid losses caused by COVID-19

The Vietnamese aviation industry continues to take the brunt of three global waves of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, with the industry forced to cut ticket prices to stimulate demand, leading to airlines facing unprecedented consequences and losses in the peak season.

According to information compiled by the Vietnam Aviation Business Association (VABA), local airlines have suffered estimated losses of over VND18,000 billion from air transport activities, with revenues dropping by roughly VND100,000 billion over 2019.

(Photo: VOV)

The international flight market currently remains frozen, with the main flight activities of airlines being repatriation flights, along with the transport of experts and goods.

The opening two months of the year has witnessed international passenger transportation reach only 66,600, a massive decline of 98.8% over the same period from last year.

“The domestic aviation market has also witnessed a slowdown, with sharp increases in the number of passengers, while the cost increased sharply due to the assurance of pandemic prevention measures. Airlines’ sales during the lunar New Year festival (Tet) also decreased by between 70% to 80% on average over the same period last year,” stated VABA.

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