President of the Mexican Senate, Olga Sanchez Cordero (R) receives Ambassador Nguyen Hoanh Nam on May 12. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Vietnam, Mexico to take advantage of CPTPP opportunities

Vietnam expects Mexico will continue to support ongoing bilateral programs and agreements, including better taking advantage of opportunities presented by the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

Ambassador Nguyen Hoanh Nam was speaking during his meeting with President of the Mexican Senate Olga Sanchez Cordero on May 12.

He noted the Vietnam – Mexico relations are developing well in all fields, and the two sides are seeking to raise bilateral ties to new heights in the coming time, including completing and implementing cooperation agreements.

The diplomat proposed that the two sides strengthen the exchange of delegations at all levels to promote mutual understanding, contributing to further enhancing the Vietnam-Mexico cooperation.

Mexican Senate President Olga Sanchez Cordero affirmed Mexico always considers Vietnam an important partner in the Asia-Pacific region. She was pleased with the positive development of bilateral relations over the years both bilaterally and multilaterally, cited VOV.

She concurred with Nam that the two sides should ramp up cooperation areas in order to deepen bilateral relations, especially in economics, trade and investment. She suggested that Vietnam join Mexico in the supply chain of services and goods in the region so as to make full use of the trade agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada (USMCA).

During the meeting, the Senate President welcomed the two countries’ establishment of Friendship Parliamentary Groups in each country to help expand cooperation between the two legislative bodies.

Both host and guest shared views about a number of regional and international issues of mutual concern.

SEA Games 31: more golds for Vietnam on May 14

Vietnamese No.1 swimmer Nguyen Huy Hoang started his first competition day at the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) on May 14 with a gold medal in the men’s 1,500m event.

Hoang finished at 15:00:57, leaving Nguyen Huu Kim Son, also from Vietnam, behind. Following the good start, Hoang is aiming for another gold in the 400m freestyle on his third competition day.

Meanwhile, fencer Nguyen Tien Nhat earned the second gold medal for Vietnamese fencing at SEA Games 31 by defeating his Philippine rival Jose Noelito 15-11.

Vietnamese No.1 swimmer Nguyen Huy Hoang. Photo: VNA

In the men’s 70kg event of SEA Games 31’s bodybuilding, Tran Hoang Duy Thuan bagged a gold medal, raising the number of gold medals of Vietnamese bodybuilding to three. Earlier, Pham Van Mach and Dang Thanh Tung won two gold medals in the men’s 55kg and 65kg events.

Also on May 14, Vietnamese Chinese chess team won a gold in men’s fast chess team event, according to VNA.

At the same time, the national jujitsu team also brought home one silver and two bronze medals. Duong Thi Thanh Minh took silver in the women’s Ne-Waza GI-48kg event, while Can Van Thang and Nguyen Ngoc Tu contributed two bronze medals in men’s Ne-Waza GI-62kg event and women’s Ne-Waza GI-62kg event, respectively. The team aims for 1-2 gold medals at SEA Games 31.

With total score of 183.8 points, only 0.7 points lower than that of the Philippines, the Vietnamese women gymnast team won a silver medal in team event. The Singaporean team came third with 182.55 points. Gymnastics competitions will continue on May 15 at Quan Ngua Sports Palace in Hanoi.

Covid-19: Vietnam reports 1,895 new cases on May 14

A total 1,895 new cases of Covid-19 were recorded in the past 24 hours from 4pm May 13 to 4pm May 14, according to the Ministry of Health.

Hanoi reported the highest number of infections on the day with 489 cases, followed by Nghe An with 115 and Quang Ninh with 95.

The national tally reached 10,695,036.

A boy is vaccinated against Covid-19. Photo: NDO

A total 5,563 Covid-19 patients were given the all clear on May 12, bringing the number of recoveries so far to 9,349,592.

There are 340 patients needing breathing support, while two deaths were recorded in the past 24 hours, taking the total fatalities to 43,065, cited NDO.

By May 11, the country had injected 216,808,145 doses of Covid-19 vaccines, including 2,389,589 first shots and 1,676 second shots for children from 5 to 11 years old.

Vietnamese PM attends ASEAN – US Special Summit

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said he hopes major powers, who are all partners to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), to work towards stable relations and responsible, healthy competition, for the sake of regional and global peace and security.

The Vietnamese Government leader made the statement as he addressed the highly anticipated ASEAN – US Special Summit on May 13 (US time). The summit includes a meeting between ASEAN leaders and US President Joe Biden, a session between ASEAN leaders and US Vice President Kamala Harris on maritime security and COVID-19, and a session between ASEAN leaders and the US cabinet on climate, clean energy, and infrastructure.

US leaders have announced a range of proposals and initiatives for cooperation with ASEAN. The US will invest 40 million USD to finance the development of clean energy infrastructure, another 40 million USD to strengthen maritime cooperation, 150 million USD to implement the ASEAN-US Health Futures initiative, provide support for ASEAN’s climate change response capacity enhancement and infrastructure development, and 70 million USD for educational programs and people-to-people exchanges.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attends the summit. Photo: VNA

ASEAN leaders thanked the US for its proactive support in responding to Covid-19, helping to improve disease response capacity, providing vaccines, and recently establishing the Southeast Asia Regional Office of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Hanoi, Vietnam. ASEAN member states expect the US to continue backing ASEAN’s pandemic prevention initiatives, cited VNA.

Recognizing that the global and regional situation continues to witness complicated developments with many new challenges arising, ASEAN and the US affirmed to work closely together to contribute to the maintenance of peace, security and stability in the region, including security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea. The US affirmed its support for ASEAN’s stance on the East Sea issue, welcomed ASEAN's efforts to promote cooperation, dialogue, and confidence-building in the region, and strive to build an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in line with international law, and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Regarding the situation in Myanmar, the countries called for restraint, reducing tensions and violence, ensuring people’s safety and the full implementation of ASEAN’s Five-point Consensus, and welcomed the ASEAN Chair’s efforts to support Myanmar in stabilizing the situation and finding sustainable solutions to current problems.

With regard to Ukraine, as for all nations, the US and ASEAN reaffirmed their respect for sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity, while calling for compliance with the UN Charter and international law to peacefully handle conflicts.

During the session chaired by US President Joe Biden, PM Pham Minh Chinh thanked the warm and stately welcome of the US.

Looking back on the past 45 years, ASEAN-US cooperation had made great strides, making important contributions to promoting dialogue, building trust, and maintaining peace, security, stability, and development in the region, he noted.

In the face of complex and unpredictable developments in the region and the world, PM Chinh emphasized the need to continue to promote frank dialogue on the basis of trust and responsibility, solidarity, cooperation, controlling disagreements and upholding the law, to contribute to the realization of a world of peace, stability, cooperation, and prosperous development.

PM Chinh expressed his hope that major powers and ASEAN’s partners, could bring their relations into a stable state in a healthy and responsible manner, and at the same time contribute to Southeast Asia in keeping with the spirit of transparency, constructiveness, with the utmost respect for ASEAN’s central role, full consultation with ASEAN, respect for international law, to help contribute to peace, security, and stability in the region and the world.

Vietnam reaffirmed ASEAN’s principled stance on the East Sea issue, emphasizing the peaceful resolution of all disputes and differences based on international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS.

PM Chinh said Vietnam welcomed all partners’ support for ASEAN to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and to build an effective and substantive COC consistent with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS.

At the Summit’s session on maritime security and Covid-19, PM Chinh welcomed the US initiatives to strengthen maritime cooperation with the region.

He also stressed that all countries, including ASEAN countries and the US, shared the importance and interests in guaranteeing peace, stability, security, safety, freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea, considered a major lifeline of the world’s maritime trade.

PM Chinh thanked the US for its support for Vietnam’s Covid-19 pandemic response, including the provision of Covid-19 vaccines for Vietnam.

Mentioning Vietnam’s achievements in pandemic control and the ongoing economic recovery, the Vietnamese Government leader emphasized building a global approach to addressing global issues.

PM Chinh stated that the pandemic had an impact on everyone, so it was necessary to have a people-centric approach, with consideration to the health and lives of the people being the top priority, and that people should be placed at the centre of pandemic response and in the post-pandemic recovery processes.

He urged the US to continue to support ASEAN in disease prevention and control, especially in the transfer of vaccine and medication production technology, improving healthcare system capacity and healthcare workers’ quality, as well as assist ASEAN countries, including Vietnam, in taking care of and providing support for the vulnerable groups most affected by Covid-19.

HCM City to offer fourth Covid-19 vaccine doses next week

Ho Chi Minh City is expected to start offering fourth doses of Covid-19 vaccines to residents next week, according to Nguyen Hoai Nam, deputy director of the Municipal Department of Health.

Priority will be given to more than 1.8 million people aged 50 years or older, Nam said on May 13 while meeting with voters in Districts No7 and Nha Be.

The fourth Covid-19 vaccine shot will mostly be administered to elderly and high-risk populations. Photo: VOV

These booster shots will also be given to people aged 18 years or older with moderate to severe immunodeficiency or belonging to a group at high risk of exposure to Covid-19 such as healthcare workers, frontline workers, and people working in industrial parks.

The city will arrange mobile vaccination venues besides hospitals and injection sites. Vaccines to be used will be the Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca, VOV reported.

Several day ago the Ministry of Health requested localities to work out a vaccination plan for the fourth doses to be submitted to the ministry on May 25 at the latest. Ho Chi Minh City is the first to announce this plan.

Scientists said the fourth dose expected to boost immune responses is not necessarily needed for everyone. Countries such as the United States, United Kingdom and Australia have recommended fourth doses for people who are immunocompromised.

Israel became the first country to administer a fourth dose more widely in January, mostly to people aged 60 years or older as well as to high-risk populations and healthcare workers.

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