Congressman Shaun Chen, Co-chairman of the Canada-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Group (second from left), General Secretary of the Vietnam-Canada Friendship Association under the VUFO Nguyen Nang Khieu (second from right), and Ambassador Pham Vinh Quang (first from right) (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam, Canada bolster cultural exchange to enhance relations

In his opening remarks at the event, Ambassador Pham Vinh Quang highlighted the sound relationship between the two countries in various fields, from diplomacy, politics, investment, and trade to cultural cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. He affirmed that Vietnamese people have always considered Canada as a trusted friend and real partner in the Pacific region.

Congressman Shaun Chen, Co-chairman of the Canada-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Group, acknowledged that people-to-people exchange is one of the factors to promote the two countries’ ties in all aspects, especially when Canada is implementing the Indo-Pacific Strategy in which the relationship with Vietnam is an important part, cited VNA.

The ties between Vietnam and Canada have seen positive changes since the two sides established a Comprehensive Partnership in 2017. Vietnam has become Canada’s biggest trading partner in ASEAN and a gateway for Canadian enterprises to invest in Southeast Asia as well as the Asia-Pacific region. Meanwhile, Canada has become Vietnam’s second-largest partner in the Americas. Two-way trade reached US$7 billion in 2022 and the figure is expected to climb to US$10 billion in 2023.

General Secretary of the Vietnam-Canada Friendship Association under the VUFO Nguyen Nang Khieu said people-to-people diplomacy is one of three pillars of Vietnam’s diplomacy in the new context, contributing to promoting bilateral relations between the two countries.

The Vietnamese community in Canada currently has about 300,000 people and there are about 21,000 Vietnamese students studying in Canada. This is said to be an important resource and social basis that contributes to promoting the development of the two countries' relationship in all fields, especially in cultural cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.

Foreign arrivals to exceed 11 million over 11 months

Vietnam welcomed more than 11.2 million foreign visitors during the 11-month period of the year, equivalent to 68.9% of the pre-pandemic levels, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

In November alone, the country received over 1.23 million international arrivals, an increase of 10.9% compared to the previous month and 2.1 times higher than the same period last year.

November was also the month that Vietnam has received the highest number of international visitors since the beginning of the year.

The Republic of Korea continued to be the country’s largest source of international visitors in 11 months with 3.2 million arrivals. Elsewhere, China ranked second with 1.5 million, followed by Taiwan (China), the United States, and Japan.

Among Southeast Asian countries, Thailand, Malaysia, and Cambodia are currently the largest sources of visitors to Vietnam, according to VOV.

Photo: VOV

Notably, the number of Australian visitors to Vietnam stood at about 353,000, equivalent to the figure recorded in the initial 11 months of 2019.

Meanwhile, the number of Indian visitors to the country doubled compared to the same period from 2019 with 352,226.

November witnessed strong growth in the number of foreign visitors from European markets, especially from places where tourists enjoy a unilateral visa exemption policy with a temporary stay period of 45 days.

Vietnam’s largest international tourism markets in Europe were the UK, France, and Germany.

UNESCO supports Vietnam in developing vision, strategy for social sciences

The Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS) and the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO on November 28 organized a capacity building workshop on developing vision and strategy for social sciences from UNESCO’s view.

VASS Vice President Dang Xuan Thanh said that in the development process of each country, social sciences and humanities play an important role in providing scientific evidence, detecting issues and proposing solutions, VNA reported.

VASS Vice President Dang Xuan Thanh (Photo: vass.gov.vn)

Phinith Chanthalangsy, regional advisor for the Social and Human Sciences at the UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok, said that UNESCO aims to strengthen humanities and social sciences programs to build more peaceful and inclusive societies by addressing the challenges of social changes.

He said that based on experience from the Management of Social Transformations Programme, UNESCO aims to collect knowledge and accompany the communities to form or modify development models and then apply them in Southeast Asia. These models will predict new trends, ensuring development that is equitable, inclusive, more sustainable, and more respectful of people's quality of life.

Tran Thi Thanh Huong, a consultant from UNESCO Vietnam Office, offered four suggestions to achieve goals in social sciences and humanities within the framework of cooperation between UNESCO and Vietnam.

They are to add the content of social sciences and humanities into the policy-making process on social transformation and inclusive development to enhance the role of social sciences in solving challenges; to teach philosophy to children to make educational methods suitable to the complex world context; to promote gender equality, rights for people with disabilities and cultural diversity; and to promote policy dialogue on ethics related to artificial intelligence (AI) and climate change.

The workshop is the first step in building a network of experts who are willing to engage with UNESCO in tabling critical measures to address the most urgent climate change issues that the region and Vietnam are facing.

PM proposes kick-starting FTA negotiations with Turkey

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expected that Turkey would consider kick-starting negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA) with Vietnam to help boost trade cooperation between the two countries.

Receiving Turkish Minister of Trade Omer Bolat in Ankara on November 29, Chinh, who is in Turkey for an official visit, proposed that both sides soon convene the eighth session of the Vietnam – Turkey inter-governmental committee to further boost bilateral cooperation, especially in economy, trade and investment.

The two sides should increase the organization of trade and investment promotion activities, facilitate market access for their key products and remove anti-dumping measures against partners’ goods and services, he said.

At the meeting, the Vietnamese leader congratulated Turkey on its great achievements in recent times, especially in diversifying the economy, developing industry, agriculture and construction, and promoting the application of science - technology, while expanding international relations, making Turkey a dynamic economy in the region.

Bolat for his part affirmed that Vietnam is Turkey’s top priority economic partner in the Asia-Pacific region. He said following initial successful investment projects, more and more Turkish businesses are interested in the Vietnamese market, especially in Turkey’s strong fields such as construction, industrial production, and consumer goods.

He revealed that a delegation of leading Turkish businesses will come to explore cooperation opportunities in Vietnam in 2024.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh arrived in Ankara early on November 29, beginning an official visit to Turkey at the invitation of the Turkish government, VOV reported.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) receives Turkish Minister of Trade Omer Bolat in Ankara on November 29. (Photo: VGP)

During his stay, PM Pham Minh Chinh is scheduled to hold talks and meetings with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz, and Parliament speaker Numan Kurtulmus.

He will also receive a number of ministers and leaders of major economic groups of Turkey, attend the Vietnam – Turkey business forum and visit a number of economic, cultural and historical establishments of Turkey.

Vietnam and Turkey established diplomatic ties on June 7, 1978. Two-way trade between the two countries last year reached nearly US$2 billion.

Currently, Turkey has 36 valid investment projects in Vietnam with a total registered capital of nearly US$1 billion, ranking 26th out of 143 foreign investors in the country.

Foreign media praises Vietnam for its distinct culinary profile

The nation has a distinct culinary profile that is not just grounded in its 1,000-year-old history but has also been adapted to changing times to ultimately present an interesting fusion of cultures, according to Your Story website.

Locally, culinary excellence doesn’t simply hide away inside Michelin-star restaurants or in hard-to-find alleys, although there are plenty of these. The food can be found everywhere, be it on the streets, in roadside stalls, at tiny establishments beside a lake, and even on the sea overlooking limestone mountains, the article wrote.

The most famous dish is the globally renowned delicacy Pho. This food can be made in many ways, with one way being the classic route and have it with chicken or beef broth accompanied by flat rice noodles and various vegetables, or it can be stir-fried and peppered with nuts. It can also be soaked in a five-spice blend rather than a broth.

The proper way to eat this local specialty is not in air-conditioned restaurants but on the street, sitting on tiny plastic stools that dot roadside curbs, the author Kanishk Singh shared.

The most famous dish is the globally renowned delicacy Pho. (Photo: Vinwonders.com)

Another iconic Vietnamese food is Banh Mi, with the spicy and smoky flavors of the pork pairing well with the pickled carrots and jalapenos and being served in a baguette-style bun.

Banh Goi, or pillowcake, is a savory snack that offers a hint of sweetness from the pork, although it is complemented well with scallion, jicama, and mushroom filling.

For dessert, Hanoians love to try their sticky rice covered in muang bean sauce. The dessert isn’t too sweet and leaves diners wanting more, but at Che Ba Thin eatery in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, it’s a dish reminiscent of childhood for many locals.

Egg coffee is offered by almost all restaurants, but only a few get it right. Its place of origin is Café Giang in Hanoi, named after Nguyen Van Giang who invented the dessert during a milk shortage caused by the French War in 1946.

The coffee is crowned with a meringue-like dense froth that is made with condensed milk and egg yolk. One can have it with an espresso, as is traditional, or coconut coffee, or even with a rum back, the website added.

Over recent years, Vietnam has embraced newer, trendier foods from all over Southeast Asia. The most recent example of this is the coin pancake, a street food served with cheese and toppings of one’s choice, which started selling in Hanoi only as recently as September this year. Other popular examples include boba tea borrowed from Taiwan (China) and kumquat tea which is similar to any iced tea, with the nation's palette constantly evolving.

For those traveling to Vietnam, visitors can savor these delicacies through guided food tours that can be booked on apps like Klook and Viator, the article concluded.

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