President Vo Van Thuong and his spouse depart for Hanoi (Photo: VNA)

President concludes US trip for APEC Leaders’ Week, bilateral activities

President Vo Van Thuong, his spouse and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation arrived in Hanoi on November 19 morning, concluding their US trip for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Week and bilateral activities at the invitation of US President Joe Biden.

The success of the trip has a significant meaning in Vietnam's external relations both bilaterally and multilaterally, contributing to maintaining and reinforcing the external relations situation of peace and stability for national development.

Within the APEC Leaders’ Week and related events, President Thuong conducted a series of activities, including discussions, working sessions, and bilateral meetings.

He attended and addressed the 30th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting and delivered a speech at the APEC CEO Summit. The Vietnamese leader had working sessions with representatives from the US-APEC Business Coalition, and Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) partner nations.

The President participated in a dialogue between APEC leaders and representatives of APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC).

He joined other APEC leaders in a dialogue and a working lunch with guests, and attended a retreat of APEC economic leaders. The President also had a conversation with leaders of Vietnamese firms having exhibition booths at the APEC Leaders’ Week.

He also had meetings with leaders of APEC economies and guests, cited VNA.

President Thuong had separate meetings with Sultan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and Peruvian President Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra.

At the meetings, leaders of economies and guests hailed the role and position of Vietnam, and agreed to increase delegation exchanges as well as partnership in politics-diplomacy, economy-trade, science-technology, education-training, and locality-to-locality and people-to-people relations with Vietnam, pledging to strengthen mutual support at regional and international forums.

For bilateral activities, President Thuong received Governor of California Gavin Newsom, Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles city Erin Bromaghim.

He attended and delivered a speech at a roundtable connecting Vietnamese and US businesses and localities in high technology, and received representatives from leading US firms in aviation and technology - Boeing and Apple.

The State leader also met officials from Vietnamese diplomatic representative agencies in the US, and visited Stanford University's hospital.

Particularly, President Thuong had a policy discussion at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). His speech about the global situation, the foreign policy of Vietnam and the Vietnam-US relations at the CRF was highly evaluated by circles in the US.

Commenting on President Thuong's speech and discussions at the CRF, American historian Prof. Larry Berman, author of many books on Vietnam, said that the Vietnamese President has a successful conversation, giving straightforward answers to questions mentioning core contents in Vietnam's foreign policies.

Lauding the outcomes of the Vietnamese leader's four-day trip to the US with a large number of bilateral and multilateral activities, Berman held that President Thuong's participation at the APEC Leaders’ Week and bilateral activities with the US affirmed the special position in the world arena, while showing the urgency of implementing commitments of the Vietnam - US comprehensive strategic partnership.

The expert emphasized the need for the two sides to turn commitments into action.

Numerous activities hold in the Old Quarter in Hanoi to mark the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day

An exhibition introducing tuong (classical drama), a unique Vietnamese art that developed from a folk art into a royal one in the 17th century, will take place at the Hanoi Old Quarter Culture Exchange Centre on Dao Duy Tu street on November 25.

Furthermore, an event featuring Vietnam’s traditional tea-enjoying culture took place on November 18 - 19 at the Heritage House.

At Kim Ngan Temple, Kim Hoang folk paintings and calligraphy works will be exhibited

The center will provide a space for cultural exchanges among localities across the country. In addition, the ceramic artworks of Hanoi’s Bat Trang and Phu Yen’s Dong Hoa craft villages will also be put on display.

Meanwhile, Hanoian lacquer products are displayed at Dong Lac communal house, WVR reported.

Visitors at the exhibition introducing tuong (classical drama). (Source: VNA)

On the evening of November 19, at the Cultural and Arts Centre, the Hanoi Creative Design Week 2023 will be kicked off in response to the Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2023 held from November 17-26.

Those activities, held from November 18 to December 17, aim to preserve the country’s traditional culture and introduce it to the world, helping to attract tourists to the capital.

This year marks the 18th anniversary of Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day since its inception in 2005.

Vietnam, Denmark witness practical effective development: Ambassador

Since Vietnam and Denmark established their diplomatic ties in 1971 and their comprehensive partnership in 2013, the two countries’ relations have been developing more and more practically and effectively, Vietnamese Ambassador to Denmark Luong Thanh Nghi has affirmed.

Speaking ahead the Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan’s official visit to Denmark next week, the diplomat emphasized that in addition to strengthening traditional cooperative mechanisms in politics, diplomacy, economic-commerce, and environment, the two countries also promote cooperation in potential strategic fields such as energy, green transition, and sustainable development.

Nghi highlighted outstanding results in Vietnam-Denmark cooperation, including regular delegation exchanges at all levels, especially high-level ones that show their respect to each other and provide directions for specific cooperation contents.

On November 1, the Prime Ministers of the two countries held online talks and approved a joint declaration on establishing the Vietnam - Denmark Green Strategic Partnership with 10 groups of cooperative fields, which is of significance to Vietnam’s sustainable development and demonstrates the commitment and determination of the two countries in joining hands to solve climate change issue - one of the biggest challenges that the world is facing.

Previously, the visit to Vietnam by the Crown Prince and Princess of Denmark in November 2022 focused on the two countries’ cooperation in the energy sector. During the visit, businesses and localities of the two countries signed 14 Memorandums of Understanding for cooperation in fields including human resource training, research and development, and supply chain in renewable energy development.

Economic - trade - investment cooperation between Vietnam and Denmark over the past 10 years has also developed strongly, achieving very encouraging results, cited VNA.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Denmark Luong Thanh Nghi. (Photo: VNA)

Their total bilateral trade turnover in the past 10 years nearly doubled from US$480 million in 2013 to nearly US$900 million in 2022. More Danish investors are interested in finding business opportunities and expanding business and production in Vietnam.

Speaking ahead the Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan’s official visit to Denmark next week, the diplomat emphasized that in addition to strengthening traditional cooperative mechanisms in politics, diplomacy, economic-commerce, and environment, the two countries also promote cooperation in potential strategic fields such as energy, green transition, and sustainable development.

Nghi highlighted outstanding results in Vietnam-Denmark cooperation, including regular delegation exchanges at all levels, especially high-level ones that show their respect to each other and provide directions for specific cooperation contents.

On November 1, the Prime Ministers of the two countries held online talks and approved a joint declaration on establishing the Vietnam - Denmark Green Strategic Partnership with 10 groups of cooperative fields, which is of significance to Vietnam’s sustainable development and demonstrates the commitment and determination of the two countries in joining hands to solve climate change issue - one of the biggest challenges that the world is facing.

Previously, the visit to Vietnam by the Crown Prince and Princess of Denmark in November 2022 focused on the two countries’ cooperation in the energy sector. During the visit, businesses and localities of the two countries signed 14 Memorandums of Understanding for cooperation in fields including human resource training, research and development, and supply chain in renewable energy development.

Economic - trade - investment cooperation between Vietnam and Denmark over the past 10 years has also developed strongly, achieving very encouraging results.

Their total bilateral trade turnover in the past 10 years nearly doubled from US$480 million in 2013 to nearly US$900 million in 2022. More Danish investors are interested in finding business opportunities and expanding business and production in Vietnam.

Party leader’s book on great national solidarity launched

A book on the promotion of the great national solidarity tradition written by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made debut at a ceremony held in Hanoi on Saturday.

The launch was organized on the occasion of the 93rd founding anniversary of the Vietnam National United Front – the traditional day of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) (November 18, 1930 - 2023) by the VFF Central Committee, the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Information and Education, and the Sự Thật (Truth) National Political Publishing House.

The 748-page book comprises an overview, 75 outstanding speeches, articles, interviews, letters and appeals by the General Secretary, along with 142 photos reflecting his visits to the 63 provinces and cities nationwide.

Of the three sections, the first focuses on the great national solidarity as the internal strength and the decisive factor of the success of the national construction and defense. The second is on the promotion of the core political role of the VFF and socio-political organizations to help achieve the country’s socio-economic development targets. The third is about the promotion of people and localities’ role to contribute more to the national reform.

Vice President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Nguyen Huu Dung presents Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong’s book on great national solidarity to ethnic minority representatives at the launching ceremony on Saturday. Photo: VNA/VNS

The book is assessed as a precious work on the building and promotion of the great national solidarity bloc, thus helping improve awareness, boost consensus, and strongly inspire patriotism and the aspiration to make dedications among cadres, Party members, people, and the entire political system, cited VNS.

President of the VFF Central Committee Do Van Chien stressed that the book became even more meaningful as it debuted amid the 93rd founding anniversary of the Vietnam National United Front. It will be a long-term theoretical and practical handbook on the promotion of the strength of the great national solidarity in the current context, helping all-level Party committees, VFF committees, cadres, and Party members in the political system to consider and apply in reality.

The book also provides a political basis for building an action plan for implementing the resolution of the 13th Party Central Committee’s eighth session on continuing to bring into play the great national solidarity tradition to develop Vietnam into an increasingly strong, prosperous, civilized, and happy nation, he added.

Aside from the printed version, the Su that National Political Publishing House also launched the electronic version of the book, available for free on its website www.stbook.vn.

Nghinh Phong Tower Square in Phu Yen wins 2023 Asian Townscape Award

Nghinh Phong Tower Square in Vietnam’s south-central province of Phu Yen has been given the 2023 Asian Townscape Award, establishing it as the only representative in Southeast Asia to win this year’s award.

The square was inaugurated in 2021, covering nearly 7,200 sq.m at the intersection of Nguyen Huu Tho and Doc Lap in Tuy Hoa City.

The tower’s design was inspired by the Ghenh Da Dia (The Cliff of Stone Plates), considered a symbol of the locality, and the legend of the “one hundred eggs and one hundred children” of Father Lac Long Quan and Mother Au Co.

It features two tall stone columns, one with a height of 35m representing Lac Long Quan and another 30 meters tall representing Au Co. Fifty stone blocks are stacked on top of each other at the bottom of each tower.

The space between the two high stone columns is just enough for two people to stand. Visitors can hear nature’s special and unique music composed by the wind blowing through the gaps, NDO reported.

An overview of Nghinh Phong Tower Square in Phu Yen Province (Photo: Tuy Hoa City People’s Committee)

The Asian Townscape Awards was initiated by the UN Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, in cooperation with Fukuoka Urban Research Center, Asian Habitat Society and Asia Townscape Design Society, in 2010.

It aims to highlight and honor significant efforts by cities, regions, organizations and projects that have achieved excellent results in creating a comfortable living environment for people in Asia.

Winning works and projects are evaluated based on five criteria, including harmonious coexistence with the regional environment; safety, convenience and sustainability; respect for regional culture and history; high artistic quality; contributions to local development and capabilities of becoming models for other cities.