General To Lam, Minister of Public Security (right) and Deputy Chief of the Indonesian National Police (INP) Commissioner General Agus Andrianto (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam, Indonesia step up security cooperation

General To Lam, Politburo member and Minister of Public Security, on May 20 hosted a reception for Deputy Chief of the Indonesian National Police (INP) Commissioner General Agus Andrianto.

The Indonesian official is in Vietnam to attend the third security dialogue at the deputy ministerial level between Vietnam and Indonesia.

Lam highlighted that over the past 70 years, the friendship and cooperation between the two countries have continuously developed, especially since they upgraded their relationship to a Strategic Partnership in 2013.

He went on to say that security cooperation has been effectively implemented through agreements such as the agreement on extradition and the memorandum of understanding on strengthening anti-terrorism cooperation. As a result, the Ministry of Public Security (MoPS) of Vietnam and INP have enhanced the sharing of information on crime prevention and combat, and coordinated in ensuring security and safety for citizens of the two countries.

They have continued to maintain cooperation within the frameworks of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC), the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Drug Matters (AMMD) and the ASEAN Chiefs of Police Conference (ASEANAPOL).

The Vietnamese minister suggested that the two sides continue to increase the exchange of high-ranking delegations and maintain the security dialogue at the deputy ministerial level between the MoPS and the INP on an annual rotation basis, cited VNA.

It is necessary for the two sides to coordinate to effectively implement the cooperation documents signed between the two countries to enhance the effectiveness of crime prevention and citizen protection, and promote negotiations for the signing of the MoU on cooperation in preventing and combating human trafficking, he said.

The two sides should strengthen cooperation, regularly exchange information, share experience and coordinate closely in transmitting high-level messages and promote specialized cooperation; while cooperating to prevent any individual or organization from using the territory of one country to conduct activities that are harmful to the security and order of the other country, Lam noted.

For his part, Andrianto said INP in particular and Indonesian authorities in general want to further promote and strengthen closer cooperation with the MoPS so as to deepen the Strategic Partnership between the two nations. He hoped that the relationship between Vietnam and Indonesia in general and between the MoPS and the INP will be further consolidated and developed, for peace, stability, and prosperity of the two countries' people.

Earlier on the same day, Senior Lieutenant General Luong Tam Quang, Deputy Minister of Public Security, and Andrianto co-chaired the third security dialogue.

The two sides reviewed the results reaped in implementing cooperation contents since the 2nd dialogue; engaged in candid discussions about their cooperation on drug crime prevention and combat, human trafficking, terrorism, cyber security, and cooperation in training Vietnamese officers to join the UN peacekeeping forces and other issues of mutual concern, thereby putting forth orientations for cooperation in the coming time.

Time Out lists Hoi An among best places to travel in July

British magazine Time Out has placed Hoi An ancient city in the central province of Quang Nam in seventh position among its list of the 13 best places to travel in July.

As the monsoon rains fall in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, savvy travelers to Vietnam tend to head to the central coast, where the weather is dry and warm. Some of the country’s most beautiful beaches are located in the area, along with UNESCO-listed cities and jaw-dropping national parks, the article wrote.

Time Out suggested a visit to witness the mesmerizing Lantern Festival on July 19, in the historic port city of Hoi An, where lantern-strewn streets reveal Chinese temples and ancient teahouses.

Hoi An is among the best places to travel in July. (Photo courtesy of Time Out)

The British media outlet also recommended travelers head out of town to laze on the stretches of white sand that can be found around Da Nang, brave the Hai Van Pass on a motorbike tour, and visit Hue’s Imperial citadel before heading inland to see the gargantuan Phong Nha Caves.

Topping the list is Amsterdam in the Netherlands as July in the European city is all about good food, good weather, and good vibes, VOV reported.

Other places to make the list include Greenland, Cape Town in South Africa, Udaipur in India, South Island in New Zealand, Northwest England, Montreal in Canada, Madagascar, Singapore, West Coast in North America, Japan, and Provence in France.

July is the month for holidays, which means summer, freedom, rising temperatures, and more festivals than tourists can imagine. In order to enjoy plenty of great cities and countries, the seventh month of the year is the best possible time travelers can visit, Time Out shared.

People-to-people diplomacy - important foundation of Vietnam-Nepal relations

As people-to-people diplomacy is an important foundation in bilateral relations, Vietnam wants to strengthen people-to-people exchanges with Nepal, said Vice President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) Nguyen Ngoc Hung on May 20. ​

He made the remark at a reception for a delegation of the Nepal Peace and Solidarity Council (NPSC) led by its chairman Rabindra Adhikari, who is also a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Nepal - Unified Marxist–Leninist (CPN-UML).

The Vietnam-Nepal Friendship Association will actively help promote connections with Nepali partners, contributing to deepening bilateral cooperation, he stated.

Hung said that the year 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Nepal. Many bilateral activities are expected to be held on that occasion.

He added VUFO hopes that the Nepali side will actively organize activities to hasten the establishment of the Nepal-Vietnam Friendship Association in 2024-2025, cited VNA.

Vice President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) Nguyen Ngoc Hung (right) receives Nepal Peace and Solidarity Council (NPSC) Chairman Rabindra Adhikari in Hanoi on May 20. (Photo: qdnd.vn)

For his part, the NPSC Chairman emphasized that the Nepali people admire Vietnam's revolutionary fight for independence led by President Ho Chi Minh, as well as the successes Vietnam has reaped during its national construction and development.

He said he hopes that the collaboration between the two countries will become stronger after the Hanoi-Kathmandu direct flight is launched, particularly in tourism, investment, and trade.

The two sides agreed to continue exchanging information, and discuss specific cooperation options and activities to enhance people-to-people exchanges.

Vietnam Festival 2024 in Japan set to open in early June

The Vietnam Festival 2024 is scheduled to take place at Yoyogi Park in Tokyo, Japan, on June 1 – 2 to promote mutual understanding as well as the fine relationship between the two countries, said Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu at a press conference held on May 20.

The festival, the 16th of its kind, will also offer an opportunity for the Vietnamese community in Japan and Japanese friends interested in the country to interact and gain a greater understanding about each other, said the diplomat.

Yoichiro Aoyagi, head of the festival’s organizing board, noted that the Vietnam Festival in Japan is one of the main foreign festivals which has won the hearts of many Japanese people as it helps to introduce Vietnamese culture and actively contributes to the development of mutual relations in many fields such as economics, politics, and citizen exchanges.

This year’s festival will feature traditional cuisine, as well as cultural and music performances by artists from both nations, VOV reported.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu speaks at a press conference held on May 20.

Most notably, Vietnamese artists will perform water puppetry pieces for the second time to showcase the country’s rich traditional culture.

Music galas featuring the participation of Vietnamese and Japanese artists are also expected to enthrall locals and tourists at the event.

The festival will draw the participation of 130 booths run by Vietnamese companies and organizations, displaying local handicrafts and food delicacies, including Banh Mi (baguette) and Pho (noodles).

Around 180,000 participants are expected to come to the event this year.

Travelers taking road, railway trips amid soaring air fares

Travel firms are developing a range of outbound and domestic tours and offering attractive promotions to boost domestic travel during the upcoming summer travel season, starting in early June.

Saigontourist offers nearly 360 outbound and domestic tours and nearly 50 percent discounts in tour prices for domestic tours that depart from HCM City during the summer holiday, the busiest domestic travel season.

Tours traveling to beach destinations such as Phu Quoc and Nam Du islands and central coastal cities of Nha Trang and Quy Nhon are also sold with attractive discount prices.

Vietravel also offers discounts for advanced holiday season bookings for domestic and overseas tours.

Soaring airline ticket prices have led to an increase in domestic tour prices, making domestic tours less attractive as travelers opt for overseas tours, according to travel firms.

Therefore, travel firms and tour operators have developed more road, river and train tours to cut costs during the summer season, VNS reported.

Tourists at Nha Trang beach in the central province of Khanh Hoa, which is expected to be very popular during the upcoming summer holiday season. Photo: VNS

Pham Anh Vu, marketing director of the Viet Media Travel Corporation, said luxury train travel from HCM City to popular coastal destinations such as Phan Thiet, Ninh Thuan, Nha Trang, Quy Nhon and Da Nang or express boat travel from HCM City to Con Dao island might have their prices cut by 20-40 per cent compared to air travel.

Nguyen Ngoc Tan, general director of Saco Travel, said that soaring airline ticket prices have significantly impacted traveling among domestic tourists who opt to take road trips or railway trips instead of air trips to save costs.

Tours to central coastal cities of Nha Trang and Phan Thiet are expected to be very popular during the summer holiday among travelers from HCM City.

Besides individual travel, tour operators expect growth in Meeting, Incentives, Conferencing and Exhibition (MICE) tours during the summer season when companies usually organize incentive travel to increase loyalty between companies and their staff or company partners.

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