The 27th ASEAN Federation of Cardiology Congress (AFCC 2023) opens in Hanoi on November 3. (Photo: Nhandan online)

27th ASEAN Federation of Cardiology Congress takes place in Hanoi

The 27th ASEAN Federation of Cardiology Congress (AFCC 2023) opened in Hanoi on November 3, bringing together over 2,000 domestic and foreign delegates, including about 300 leading cardiologists as guest speakers from ASEAN and around the world.

This is the second time Vietnam has hosted the congress - an annual prestigious scientific forum for cardiologists in the region and around the world.

Theme "Cardiology at the Crossroads: Challenges and Opportunities", the AFCC 2023, hosted by the Vietnam National Heart Association (VNHA) , focus on cardiovascular disease management in the context of multiple comorbidities, based on newly advanced interventions & technology, artificial intelligence, and telemedicine.

The congress, which runs November 5, includes more than 80 scientific sessions with 750 reports to be presented.

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death globally, claiming 19.5 million lives each year, accounting for about one-third of deaths from all causes, according to the 2022 Global Burden of Disease report.

The number of people suffering from and dying of cardiovascular diseases is increasing rapidly in low- and low-middle-income countries, accounting for 75% of total deaths, including countries in Southeast Asia, cited VNA.

Along with lifestyle changes and population aging, the burden of cardiovascular diseases is increasing in ASEAN members.

According to the World Heart Federation, it is estimated that each year, about 4 million people in the ASEAN region die from cardiovascular diseases. In Vietnam, about 200,000 people die from cardiovascular diseases each year, accounting for 33% of deaths.

Addressing the congress, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan highlighted that Vietnam has issued documents on people's health care, with a focus on preventing and controlling non-communicable diseases.

She called on cardiologists in Southeast Asia be cohesive, share valuable experiences in clinical practice, and bring ASEAN cardiology on par with developed countries in the world.

She asked the Vietnam National Heart Association and relevant agencies to strengthen the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, notably cardiovascular diseases.

Geneva Peace Week: Vietnam values regional, multilateral dialogue, cooperation

Sharing Vietnam's efforts to contribute to peace, Ambassador Mai affirmed that Vietnam values diplomacy, dialogue, and cooperation based on mutual respect.

In today's complex interconnected global context, the role of diplomacy, dialogue, trust building, and multilateral cooperation, especially that played by regional organizations such as ASEAN, has become more important than ever, said a Vietnamese diplomat.

Ambassador, Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the United Nations Office in Geneva Le Thi Tuyet Mai made the statement on November 2 at an event within the framework of the Geneva Peace Week held from October 30 to November 3.

Speaking at the high-level panel “Navigating the New Normal: Legitimacy, Accountable Security, and Partnerships in Peace 2.0”, Mai said that no country can solve today's challenges alone.

Regarding the role of ASEAN, Ambassador Mai emphasized its central role in the region's security architecture, adding that it creates a forum for countries and parties inside and outside the region to discuss and cooperate for common goals of peace, security, and development.

Ambassador, Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the United Nations Office in Geneva Le Thi Tuyet Mai (second, from right) speaks at the high-level panel “Navigating the New Normal: Legitimacy, Accountable Security, and Partnerships in Peace 2.0”, part of Geneva Peace Week. (Photo: VNA).

Sharing Vietnam's efforts to contribute to peace, Ambassador Mai affirmed that Vietnam values diplomacy, dialogue, and cooperation based on mutual respect and compliance with the principles of international law in settling tension and promoting peace and security in the region and the world.

"Vietnam always actively participates in ASEAN forums and activities, regional and global initiatives to prevent and resolve conflicts as well as create and maintain post-conflict peace," she stressed.

The diplomat said Vietnam also has good experience in mediating international tensions, which was demonstrated through its efforts to host the summit between the US and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in 2019 and contribute to the peace restoration process in Myanmar, according to WVR.

To ensure long-term peace, security, development, and prosperity, it’s necessary to work together to deal with challenges, take advantage of the power of diplomacy and multilateral cooperation, build trust, create peace, and build a better future for everyone, she noted.

As a responsible member of the United Nations (UN) and ASEAN, Vietnam consistently upholds multilateralism and complies with the UN Charter and international law.

This includes the basic principles and objectives of the UN Charter and ASEAN Charter in promoting peace, stability, and sustainable development in the world and the region, especially in maintaining marine security and safety and sustainable exploitation of the East Sea, in line with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Geneva Peace Week is a leading annual forum in the international peacebuilding calendar through which organizations in Geneva and their partners come together to share knowledge and practices on a diverse range of topics related to peace across contexts and disciplines. The 2023 edition marks the 10th anniversary of Geneva Peace Week with the overarching theme “Building Trust, Building Peace: An Agenda for the Future”.

Finland considers Vietnam the most important trading partner in Southeast Asia

From November 2-4, following the working visit to Sweden, Politburo member, Permanent member of the Party Central Committee (PCC)’s Secretariat and Head of the PCC’s Organisation Commission led a Party delegation to visit and work in Finland.

During the visit, the delegation had meetings and worked with Speaker of the Finnish Parliament Jussi Halla-Aho, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, Finnish Deputy Minister of Finance in charge of public administration Elina Laavi, Parliament's Director of Administration Pertti Rauhio, Chairperson of the Communist Party of Finland Liisa Taskinen and Chairman of the Finland-Vietnam Friendship Association Mauri Raveala.

At the working meetings, Politburo member Truong Thi Mai expressed her pleasure at the fine relationship between the two countries, NDO reported.

She proposed that the two sides continue to promote the exchange of high-level delegations, promote economic cooperation, trade and investment, and strengthen cooperation in the fields of science, technology, creative innovation, forestry, telecommunications and people-to-people exchanges, to further promote the potential for cooperation, bringing bilateral relations to increasingly develop in substance.

Politburo member Truong Thi Mai meets Speaker of the Finnish Parliament Jussi Halla-Aho. (Photo: VNA)

Leaders of the Parliament, Government and political parties of Finland welcomed and spoke highly of the delegation's working visit, which made an important contribution to strengthening and deepening Finland-Vietnam relations.

Finnish leaders at all levels expressed their joy in the cooperative relationship between the two countries, affirming that Vietnam is Finland's most important trading partner in Southeast Asia, assessing that the two sides still have much potential for cooperation in fields such as energy, forestry and information technology.

They also suggested that the two sides take better advantage of the opportunities brought by the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement; at the same time, they also appreciate the contributions of the Vietnamese community in Finland.

On this occasion, Politburo member Mai and the delegation also visited the Vietnamese Embassy and met representatives of the Vietnamese community in Finland.

Vietnam's farm produce, processed food introduced in India

More than 30 Vietnamese enterprises have their agricultural products and processed food introduced at World Food India (WFI) 2023 that opened in New Delhi, India, on November 3.

Vietnam is chosen as one of three "focus countries" with a pavilion covering 200 sq.m at the event.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Vietnamese pavilion, Vietnamese Ambassador to India Nguyen Thanh Hai highlighted the growing trade relations between Vietnam and India in recent years, VNA reported

Photo: tienphong.vn

The Indian food market is very large and there is still a lot of room for Vietnamese businesses to explore, he said.

Indian Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying Parshottam Rupala visited the Vietnamese pavilion. He expressed his impression of Vietnamese products.

A seminar is scheduled to take place on November 5 to highlight the potential of Vietnamese agricultural products and processed food. This is an opportunity for Vietnamese enterprises to connect with Indian partners in the field.

The three-day WFI 2023 attracted 1,200 exhibitors, including 146 global companies, ministerial-level delegations from 19 countries and territories. Over 50 workshops with over 200 speakers will be held within the framework of the event.

Building brand to obtain a 'passport' in the EU market

Building a distinctive brand is the way to promote and improve the export efficiency of Vietnamese products in the European Union (EU) market.

Vietnamese products are welcome by Europeans

During its 3 years of implementation, the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) has created great momentum for Vietnam’s export to the EU market. A wide range of products have begun to build Vietnamese brand name, and they are well-received by european consumers.

According to Ngo Chung Khanh, Deputy Director of the Multilateral Trade Policy Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade), the EVFTA has one of the highest preferential export turnover. Statistics show that, in the first 6 months of 2023, the export turnover of Vietnam’s agricultural, forestry and fishery to the EU market reached US$2.1 billion.

The Deputy Director said that: “Over the past 3 years, the EVFTA has created great benefits for Vietnam's export in general, and the export of agricultural and forestry products in particular since a number of export tax lines to this market are eliminated. It helps create a competitive advantage in comparison with other countries’ products that do not have FTAs with the EU. The EVFTA has been creating a "highway" for Vietnamese agricultural products to enter the world’s most demanding market.

Vietnamese lychees are on sale at Carrefour Tongres supermarket in Brussels. (Source: TTXVN)

The greatest advantage for Vietnamese goods, especially agricultural products, is market access. For many years, the EU has been one of Vietnam's top export markets, with significant trade surpluses. The trade growth between Vietnam and the EU has been steadily increasing over the years, despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Khanh stated that high-quality rice, particularly fragrant rice, is one of the products highly favored by the EU market. For example, Loc Troi rice under the brand "Com Vietnam Rice" has successfully entered French supermarket chains, and Vietnamese fresh lychees have reached the Czech Republic and several other EU markets.

Loc Troi Group has established a foundation for direct rice exports under the Vietnamese brand to Europe. In 2022, the company exported nearly 500 tons of "Com Vietnam Rice" to France, Germany, and the Netherlands, cited WVR.

In addition to traditional agricultural products such as coffee, cashews, pepper, and various forestry and aquatic products, recent years have seen new opportunities for businesses to tap into the advantages of the EVFTA with products like fruits and vegetables. These products have shown remarkable growth, with over US$200 million in exports to the EU market in 2022, making Vietnam the 59th largest supplier of fruits and vegetables to the EU market.

How to build a brand in the EU?

Despite the successes, there is still enormous untapped potential in this market since Vietnamese goods account for less than 2% of the EU market share. While the EU is a market with substantial purchasing power, importing goods worth up to US$2.5 trillion annually.

Some argue that the reason behind the lack of competitiveness of Vietnamese’s good in this market is because businesses have not recognized the importance of brand development in the export market.

Vietnamese businesses often focus on increasing productivity and product quality, while the significance of brand development is often neglected. Vietnam is renowned for its global market share in exports of rice, coffee, textiles, and garments, yet these goods are often imported into the EU under other countries' brands.

According to Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, Deputy Director of the Export Support Center, Trade Promotion Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade), brand building in the EU is not an easy task. Businesses need to take well-planned and strategic steps to establish their brands in the market.

The EU market has stringent regulations and high standards for quality, environment, social responsibility, and labor, etc. Additionally, uniformity in product quality across batches is essential for maintaining a company's reputation with EU importers.

“To boost brand building in the EU market, first Vietnamese businesses must research thoroughly, understand its culture, trends, and the market's usage preferences”, Thuy shared.

Sharing his experience of exporting goods to the European market, Nguyen Duy Thuan, CEO of Loc Troi Group, emphasized that pure exporting, which only involves buying and selling or processing rice without any value added, is unlikely to allow businesses to build a brand in the EU market. Loc Troi's approach is pioneering in establishing a sustainable agricultural value chain in Vietnam.

Accordingly, with pre-orders, member companies of the Loc Troi Group work together for a large-scale, synchronized producing plan, from cultivation areas planning, suitable seed selection, implementing scientific farming practices, and prioritizing the use of bio-based agricultural materials. This ensures the highest quality and most recent rice products for the market.

Nguyen Thi Huyen, CEO of Vinasamex, also observed that, in the past, without a brand, exporting to general markets was relatively straightforward. However, in recent years, businesses have shifted their focus towards premium products for export to more demanding markets, such as the EU, Canada, the US, and Japan.

"Building a brand and gaining international certifications is not a simple task, requiring a different strategy. Nevertheless, with a brand and international certification, businesses have a “passport” to increase the added value of their products, sell them at higher prices, and gradually establish the brand on the international market," emphasized Huyen.

According to the CEO, to maximize exports to markets that Vietnam has signed an FTA with, Vinasamex is planning to expand its product range using its own brand. In the near future, Vinasamex will invest in building a standard-compliant factory to expand its product portfolio, producing a number of tea varieties under the brand "Spice Fest" and the brand "Vinasamex" for direct sales to consumers in the US, Canada, and Europe.

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