Vietnam News Today (Nov. 19): Vietnam, China bolster customs collaboration

Vietnamese ST24 and ST25 among Top 4 World's Best Rice 2022

Vietnamese fragrant rice ST24 and ST25 were named among the Top 4 of the World’s Best Rice 2022 at an awards ceremony held in Thailand on November 17.

Cambodia ultimately won the title this year.

The organizers didn’t give second and third prizes, but instead announced Top 4 going to rice varieties from Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam.

The winning rice was selected by a group of international chefs, who examined the look and smell of the rice, as well as judging its taste when properly cooked.

Along with the positive recognition of Vietnamese rice, Vietnamese agricultural engineer Ho Quang Cua, who has crossbred ST24 and ST25 varieties, received the Lifetime Achievement Award by The Rice Trader (TRT) World Rice Community.

Cua was honored due to his great contributions to the rice industry in Vietnam and the world. The engineer has studied the crossbreeding and improvement of the quality of the ST varieties for more than 20 years.

In 2017, ST24 was named in the top three of the World's Best Rice contest in Macau, China. Two years later, ST25 was recognized as the World's Best Rice at the global contest in Manila, the Philippines.

ST25 was also awarded second prize at the World's Best Rice Contest 2020 in the US.

Photo: Hai Quan Online

Vietnam, China bolster customs collaboration

The eighth dialogue between the Customs Departments of three northeast provinces - Lang Son, Cao Bang, Quang Ninh - and their counterpart in Nanning, China, took place in Lang Son on November 18 in virtual form.

Both sides noted that after the seventh dialogue, thanks to their joint efforts, customs clearance of goods through border gates have been improved with higher efficiency.

However, limitations remain due to the implementation of disease control measures in border gates area, hindering import-export activities at times.

At the dialogue, participants looked into outstanding problems in their coordination and suggested solutions to them, with a view to promoting the cooperation between the customs agencies of the three Vietnamese provinces and Nanning towards greater efficiency.

They agreed on a number of cooperation contents and programmes which will be deployed in the coming time.

This year, customs agencies of the two countries have detected and handled 189 cases of smuggling goods worth over 5.1 trillion VND (204 million USD). They also discovered nine cases of illegally transporting drugs through the border gates.

President meets US Vice President on APEC meeting sidelines

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on November 18 met US Vice President Kamala Harris in Bangkok, as both are in Thailand to attend the 29th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting.

Expressing their delights at the strong growth of the Vietnam-US comprehensive partnership, they affirmed the bilateral ties have a solid foundation and comprehensive and substantive cooperation across all fields, especially economy and trade.

Phuc stated Vietnam always takes the US a top important partner and hopes to make their relations more substantive, stable and in-depth based on basic principles.

He took the occasion to send his invitation to US President Joe Biden to soon pay a visit to Vietnam, and said he welcomes the upcoming phone talks between General Secretary of the Communist Party Nguyen Phu Trong and Biden, suggesting the sides carefully prepare for the event.

Appreciating the US’s support of a large volume of COVID-19 vaccines for Vietnam’s pandemic control works, the State leader congratulated the US on being the host of APEC next year. Vietnam will actively coordinate with the US to ensure a successful APEC year, he stated.

Lauding Harris’s role in fostering the nations’ relationship, Phuc invited her to revisit Vietnam.

For her part, Harris said the US values and wishes to step up further the relations with Vietnam, for mutual benefits and positive contributions to peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.

Photo: Bao Lao Dong

Uganda President to pay official visit to Vietnam

The President of the Republic of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, will pay an official visit to Vietnam from November 23-25.

The visit is made at the invitation of President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, the Foreign Ministry announced on November 18.

Vietnamese wood, furniture products introduced in Indian expo

Vietnamese businesses are exhibiting wood products at the World Furniture Expo (WOFX), which kicked off at Bombay Exhibition Centre in India's Mumbai city on November 17.

The three-day event offers a business-to-business (B2B) platform for Indian and international furniture and décor firms to seek cooperation opportunities and set up partnerships.

On the occasion, the Ministry of Industry and Trade's Asia-Africa Market Department and the Vietnam Trade Office in India coordinated with the Institute of Indian Interior Designers (IIID) to hold a seminar on potential cooperation in the wood and furniture industry between Vietnam and India, attracting crowds of Indian companies.

According to Vietnamese Trade Counsellor in India Bui Trung Thuong, in the context that orders from large and traditional markets are declining, India is expected to become a potential market for Vietnamese wood businesses.

Photo: QDND

Young military officers of Vietnam, Laos hold exchange

Forty Vietnamese and Lao young military officers attended an exchange in the northern Lao province of Luang Prabang on November 18, held as part of a visit by General Luong Cuong, Chairman of the General Department of Politics under the Vietnam People's Army (VPA).

Addressing the event, Gen. Cuong emphasized that young military officers of both countries have always been the pioneer force in all missions, from protecting the Party’s ideological foundation to responding to unconventional security challenges, especially in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters.

He expressed a wish that young officers of both countries continue to face up to challenge and accept difficult tasks with youth spirit, thus contributing to national development as well as the cooperation between the two countries, particularly in the field of defence.

Sen. Lt. Gen. Thongloi Silivong, Deputy Defence Minister and Chairman of the Lao People’s Army (LPA)’s General Department of Politics, affirmed that defence-security is one of the most important pillars in the special ties between Laos and Vietnam and their two armies.

For this reason, young officers of the two countries play a significant role in preserving and development the special ties, he said.

At the exchange, participating officers shared views on their duties and responsibilities, and suggested contents for cooperation between the two sides.

The same day, Gen. Cuong received Vongsanvane Thepphachanh, Vice Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Council of Luang Prabang.

Vietnam News Today (Nov. 16): EVFTA Gives a Stronger Boost to Vietnamese Exports to Germany Vietnam News Today (Nov. 16): Vietnam logs 580 new Covid-19 cases on November 15; US, Vietnam launch new project to reduce environmental pollution; Can Tho, ...

Vietnam News Today (Nov. 17): Vietnam and Thailand Foster Economic Ties, Eye US$30 Billion Trade Target Vietnam News Today (Nov. 17): Vietnam reports 502 Covid-19 cases on November 16; Vietnam and Thailand foster economic ties, eye US$30 billion trade target; Dialogue ...

Vietnam News Today (Nov. 18): President Attends High-level Seminar with US-APEC Business Coalition Vietnam News Today (Nov. 18): President attends high-level seminar with US-APEC Business Coalition; Vietnam advocates cooperating with foreign investors: President; Vietnam earns international plaudits for ...