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NA Vice Chairman Nguyen Duc Hai (R) and Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Perry Shawn Steil (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam seeks stronger legislative ties with Canada

Vietnam values its relationship with Canada and hopes to work together to strengthen their comprehensive partnership for mutual benefit, contributing to peace, stability, and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific and globally, National Assembly Vice Chairman Nguyen Duc Hai told Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Perry Shawn Steil.

At a reception in Hanoi on November 4, Hai welcomed Canada’s policy of enhancing engagement with the region and the world, as well as its new Indo-Pacific strategy, which underlines the importance of ASEAN's central role.

The Vietnamese NA wishes that cooperation between the two legislative bodies would continue to strengthen, in line with the positive development of the comprehensive partnership, he said.

To bolster this collaboration, he suggested facilitating the exchange of all-level delegations, fully leveraging existing cooperation mechanisms, and exploring the establishment of new cooperation frameworks to boost collaboration in trade, investment, green transition, digital transformation, hi-tech industry, manufacturing and processing, energy, sci-tech, education-training, national defense-security, and response to non-traditional security challenges such as climate change and water resources management, cited VNA.

Hai also sought the Canadian legislature's assistance to the Vietnamese NA in improving the capacity of lawmakers, sharing experiences related to the NA’s oversight role in the implementation of international treaties and global minimum tax, building an electronic parliament, and advocating for peaceful settlement of maritime disputes in the region in accordance with international law and the United Nations Charter.

Steil, in turn, vowed to raise a strong voice to further develop cooperation between the two legislatures, and facilitate the exchange of all-level delegations and the sharing of experiences in law making, supervision, and enforcement.

Vietnam and Japan further enhance defense cooperation

Senior Lieutenant General Pham Hoai Nam, Deputy Minister of Defense of Vietnam, received a delegation of officers from Japan’s Ministry of Defense, Self-Defense Forces, and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation led by Major General Aoi Kei of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, in Hanoi on November 4.

Nam highly appreciated the close cooperation between the two Ministries of National Defense in implementing the Vietnam-Japan officer exchange program over the past seven years, helping to strengthen the friendship, cooperation, mutual understanding and trust between officers of the two ministries, the Vietnam People’s Army, and the Japan Self-Defense Forces, as well as between the two countries.

He noted that over 50 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, Vietnam and Japan have seen their partnership develop steadily and substantially. Bilateral cooperation across all fields, from politics, defense, and security to economics, trade, investment, education, and people-to-people exchange, has flourished, contributing to the development of each country and to peace and stability in the region.

Nam highly regarded the principles and goals of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, especially its contributions to sustainable social development. He said the foundation actively supports countries in the region, including Vietnam, in international networking and cooperation, building schools for children in remote and ethnic minority areas, and providing artificial limbs and wheelchairs for people with disabilities, according to VOV.

Senior Lieutenant General Pham Hoai Nam (R), Deputy Minister of Defense of Vietnam, receives Major General Aoi Kei of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, in Hanoi on November 4. (Photo: PANO)

Vietnam values the strengthening of exchanges and cooperation among organizations, considering it an effective channel for advancing the interests of both countries, he said.

Nam expressed his hope that the Sasakawa Peace Foundation would continue to support Vietnam in fields such as education, health care, environmental protection, human resource development, and humanitarian efforts, including assistance for people with disabilities, war veterans, and victims of Agent Orange.

According to the Deputy Minister, Vietnam – Japan defense cooperation has seen significant advancements in various areas, including human resource training, capacity-building, and post-war recovery. The two sides maintain regular visit exchanges and support each other at multilateral defense forums, especially within the framework of the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+).

The Vietnam-Japan officer exchange program, proposed and supported by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, has contributed to bilateral defense relations over recent years. To date, seven Vietnamese delegations have visited Japan, and six Japanese delegations have visited Vietnam. These exchanges, featuring diverse activities, have fostered mutual understanding and facilitated cooperative efforts between officers from both countries.

The Ministry of Defense of Vietnam supports and will continue to facilitate the program’s successful execution, he affirmed.

At the meeting, Major General Aoi Kei expressed a desire for enhanced cooperation between the two sides, especially in defense and security, hoping that the exchange program would further enhance solidarity, friendship, and cooperation between officers from both Ministries of Defense and between the Vietnam People’s Army and the Japan Self-Defense Forces.

Vietnam among top three ASEAN countries in term of industrial competitiveness

Vietnam is expected to be among the top three Southeast Asian countries in terms of industrial competitiveness by the end of this decade, as outlined in an action program issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) this week.

The program follows Resolution No 29 of the 13th Party Central Committee, on further promoting the industrialisation and modernisation of the country until 2030, with a vision to 2045.

As per the program, the goal of the industrial sector's share in GDP should exceed 40%, with the manufacturing and processing industry alone accounting for around 30% of GDP.

The average per capita value added in manufacturing and processing industries per capita is expected to reach over 2,000 USD. The proportion of labor in the industrial and service sectors is hoped to reach over 70%, VNA reported.

The proportion of labor in the industrial and service sectors is hoped to reach over 70%. (Photo: VNA)

To achieve this goal, the country aims to establish several large-scale industrial corporations and enterprises with international competitiveness in basic, priority and key industries. Additionally, the country plans to build and develop several domestic industrial clusters with international competitiveness, mastering some production value chains.

Top priority will also be given to developing export markets for industrial products especially key ones by taking advantage of free trade agreements that Vietnam has signed, supporting exporters to overcome technical barriers in import markets and gradually fostering exports of processed industrial goods to new outlets.

Facilitating supporting industries in areas such as smart electronics, cars, textiles and garments, mechanical and automation, biotechnology and hi-tech industries, along with applying import management measures by the commitments that Vietnam has made to support the development of important national industries, will also be included.

Meanwhile, the country will also pay keen attention to perfecting the legal framework to develop other major industries including metallurgy, mechanical engineering, chemical, energy and digital technology, in addition to developing raw material areas for industrial sectors typically garment and footwear.

Vietnam’s index of industrial production (IIP) surged 8.6% year-on-year in the first nine months of this year, extending the sector's recovery, the General Statistics Office (GSO) announced in its monthly report.

The nine-month IIP growth was driven by the manufacturing sector (up 9.8%), electricity production and distribution (up 11.1%) and water supply and waste-wastewater treatment (up 9.9%). Meanwhile, the mining sector fell 6.4%.

Some key industries with strong growth over this period included steel, up 27%, oil and gas (20%), fabrics (16%), NPK fertilizer (13%) and car manufacturing (12%).

The GSO noted that the number of workers in industrial enterprises as of September 1 increased by 1.1% month-on-month and by 5.2% year-on-year.

As of September 30, the inventory index for the processing and manufacturing industry was estimated to increase 5.2% compared to the previous month and 8.5% compared to the same period last year.

Costa Serena brings over 2,400 international guests to Quang Ninh

The Italian-flagged Costa Serena, carrying on board more than 2,400 foreign passengers, arrived at the Ha Long International Cruise Port of Quang Ninh province on November 4.

During the vessel’s stay, passengers are set to explore Ha Long Bay, sample delicious local cuisine, and tour the city’s downtown area and tourist attractions such as the Complex of Yen Tu Monuments and Landscape and the Quang Ninh Museum.

According to Pham Van Hiep, director of the Ha Long International Cruise Port, this is the fourth visit made by the cruiser to Ha Long city this year. So far this year the cruise ship has brought more than 11,300 international tourists to the locality.

Moving forward, Costa Serena is expected to return for another visit on November 8, cited VOV.

Costa Serena cruise ship brings over 2,400 foreign passengers to Quang Ninh (Photo: daidoanket.vn)

According to the schedule, from now until the end of the year, the Ha Long International Cruise Port will welcome tens of thousands of international tourists coming from about 12 cruise ships of several of the world’s most well-known brands, including Mein Schiff 6, Celebrity Solstice, and Noordam.

The arrivals of international cruise ships will contribute to creating more jobs for local workers whilst helping to develop more professional tourism services.

Quang Ninh has set a target of receiving 3.5 million international visitors this year.

Vietnam grows stronger after 18-year of joining WTO

Vietnam has gained significant achievements in the fields of trade and investment, contributing to raising the country’s status in global supply chains after nearly two decades of joining the World Trade Organization.

Vietnam became an official member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on November 7, 2006 when the country's total import-export value was just US$ 84.7 billion with a trade deficit of US$5.1 billion.

Nearly two decades following accession to the WTO, export turnover surged sharply from over US$48 billion in 2007 to US$371 billion in 2022, up eight times.

Vietnam is now in the top 20 economies in terms of trade, maintaining trade surplus over the last eight consecutive years, with US$28 billion in 2023, cited VGP.

Cargo ships at Hai Phong Port (Photo: VNA)

As of October 2024, Vietnam had already signed and enforced 17 FTAs including new generation FTAs such as the EVFTA, the CPTPP. The country is negotiating on other two FTAs.

Particularly, the two-way trade between Vietnam and the EU reached US$72.3 billion last year, making Vietnam the largest trading partner of the EU in ASEAN. Trade with major partners like the U.S., Japan, South Korea, and China also reported positive indicators.

Joining the WTO and signing FTAs have helped Vietnam to boost foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction. In 2008, the amount of registered FDI valued US$64 billion, a three-fold increase in comparison with 2007. In 2023, the total of FDI reached US$36.6 billion.

In addition, joining the WTO has helped Vietnam to reform its legal system and economic regulations.

These reforms have helped increase transparency in economic management, improve the business environment and enhance Vietnam's position on the international arena.

Vietnam's growth competitiveness index (GCI) jumped 13 notches between 2007 and 2017, according to the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report.

The Southeast Asian country's ranking on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) performance has continuously improved, from 88th in 2016 to 55th in 2022.

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