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President Luong Cuong of Vietnam.

President Luong Cuong begins South America trip, attends APEC Summit

The Vietnamese President left Hanoi on November 8 evening for a working trip to South America where he will visit Chile and Peru and attend the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week 2024.

He will make an official visit to Chile from November 9 to 12 at the invitation of Gabriel Boric Font, and to Peru from November 12 to 16 at the invitation of President Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra, cited VOV.

While in Peru, Cuong will attend the 2024 APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in capital Lima.

This is Cuong’s first overseas business trip in his new role, which holds significant importance both bilaterally and multilaterally. The visit will contribute to further strengthening traditional friendly relations, enhancing political trust, effectively exploring cooperation opportunities, and promoting relations between Vietnam and Chile, Peru, as well as the Latin American region. It also aims to foster cooperation with the countries in addressing global challenges.

The President’s engagement in the 2024 APEC Leaders’ Week to mark its 35th founding anniversary, reaffirms Vietnam’s positive and responsible contributions to resolving regional and global issues, particularly in advancing the international economic integration process. This also offers a new impetus for regional growth and reinforces APEC’s role as a leading economic forum, bringing together three of the world’s five largest economies.

As the host of APEC 2027, this visit serves as an opportunity for Vietnam to promote the APEC Vision 2040, which it initiated and has worked with other members to build since 2017. Furthermore, it provides a platform for the President to meet and engage with APEC leaders, including many of Vietnam’s comprehensive strategic partners, further deepening the relationships within the APEC framework.

HCM City aims to become ASEAN healthcare hub by 2030

Ho Chi Minh City strives to have 23 doctors, 40 nurses and 42 hospital beds per 10,000 residents by 2030.

This is part of a project freshly approved by the municipal People’s Committee on developing the local healthcare system, with a view to turning HCM City into a healthcare hub in ASEAN by 2030 and beyond.

Under the project, by 2030, all people in the city will receive medical check-up and disease screening at least once a year and have electronic health records.

The city will also work to raise the life expectancy of its residents to 77 years by that year, with a healthy lifespan of at least 68 years, and get a total fertility rate of 1.6, according to VNA.

Illustrative photo (Photo: VNA)

The project also features planning and investment plans for health infrastructure in accordance with the city’s master plan. Specifically, HCM City will develop a training system to provide high-quality human resources for the healthcare sector; form and develop a specialized medical and pharmaceutical industrial park; develop modern and specialized techniques to meet public healthcare needs.

Currently, the city has 131 hospitals, five bedless medical centers, 310 health facilities at grassroots levels, over 8,000 private clinics, and more than 10,000 pharmaceutical businesses. Its out-of-hospital emergency care system comprises the 115 Emergency Center and 42 satellite stations.

It has only 42 hospital beds per 10,000 inhabitants, far behind countries like Japan with 131 beds, Germany with 82, and the Republic of Korea with 71.

Vietnam and Laos vow to effectively implement high-level agreements

Vietnam and Laos will work closely together to effectively implement the outcomes of the recent meeting between the two countries’ Politburos as well as high-level agreements to further cement their special relations and increase comprehensive cooperation.

They will also effectively implement their respective Party Congress resolutions, especially in the pivotal year of 2025, and prepare well for the 12th National Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

They vowed to coordinate closely to prepare well for the upcoming 47th session of the Vietnam – Laos Intergovernmental Committee and accelerate the resolution of difficulties in key projects to ensure sustainable and effective economic cooperation between the two sides.

The agreements were reached during phone talks on November 8 between Vietnamese President Luong Cuong and Lao Party General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith.

Sisoulith congratulated Cuong on recently being elected by the 15th National Assembly as President of Vietnam, and expressed confidence that the president, along with other high-ranking leaders, will lead Vietnam to greater progress, successfully achieve its set goals, and transform Vietnam into a high-income industrialized economy.

He appreciated the traditional and deep friendship between the two Parties, States, and peoples, while thanking Vietnam for its invaluable support to Laos over the years, especially when Laos assumed the roles of ASEAN Chair and the Chair of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) in 2024.

Sisoulith affirmed his commitment to closely cooperate with Cuong to implement high-level agreements reached between the two countries, further enhancing the unique and special relationship between Laos and Vietnam, VOV reported.

President Luong Cuong and other Vietnamese officials in Hanoi during the phone talks with Lao Party General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith on November 8.

Cuong for his part affirmed that, in his new role, he would continue to cooperate closely with Sisoulith and other Lao leaders to nurture the great relationship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

The two leaders exchanged information about the situation in their respective countries and expressed satisfaction with the achievements each side has made in socio-economic development.

They agreed to continue promoting the education and dissemination of the special historical relationship between Vietnam and Laos, enhancing the timely exchange of information, and coordinating closely in mutual support at regional and international forums.

At the end of the talks, Sisoulith reiterated his invitation for Cuong and his spouse to make a state visit to Laos at an appropriate time. Cuong happily accepted the invitation and said that both sides would arrange the visit through diplomatic channels.

Vietnam, Australia share experience in promoting women’s participation in peacekeeping

The Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Defence Attaché Office and the Australian Embassy in Vietnam on November 8 jointly held an experience sharing session on the theme of women, peace and security in United Nations peacekeeping operations.

The event was co-chaired by Vice Director of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations Colonel Nguyen Nhu Canh and Australian Defense Attaché to Vietnam Colonel Michael Jansen. Vietnamese female peacekeepers who are on duty at the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) also attended the hybrid event.

This is the 5th time Vietnam and Australia have exchanged experience on the topic "Women, peace and security". Previously, the two countries successfully coordinated to organize four experience sharing sessions on this topic in 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023 with practical results, contributing to promoting the role and effective participation of women in United Nations peacekeeping operations.

Speaking at the event, Canh said that in early August 2024, Vietnam issued its first national action plan on women, peace and security. This is an important policy orientation, affirming Vietnam's determination and commitment to ensuring and further promoting the role and voice of women, especially in the field of peace and security, cited VNA.

Vietnamese female peacekeepers. (Photo: VNA)

Meanwhile, Australia is one of the leading countries supporting and contributing greatly to the introduction of Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security - the first official and legal document of the United Nations Security Council. Over the years, Vietnam and Australia have regularly shared expertise and experience in this field and supported each other in promoting the women, peace and security agenda at multilateral forums.

Affirming that the exchange of experience on the topic of women, peace and security has become a useful forum for both sides to share experience and challenges encountered during their participation in UN peacekeeping missions, Jansen said that this activity also contributed to strengthening the cooperative relations between the two countries' UN peacekeeping forces.

It also helped enhance awareness of the benefits of women participating in common missions, thereby proposing and promoting recommendations to improve the effectiveness of UN peacekeeping operations, creating a more favorable working environment for female peacekeepers, he said.

Vietnam braces for typhoon Yinxing

The Government has requested central localities to stand ready to cope with typhoon Yinxing potentially reaching Vietnam's central coastline over the next three days.

Leaders of central localities need to instruct vessels to seek shelters, and ensure the safety of dykes and reservoirs.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has to keep a close watch and update forecasts and warnings for timely responses, VGP reported.

Typhoon Yinxing crossed Luzon Island of the Philippines and moved into the East Sea early Friday, with winds of up to 166 kph, and is expected to gradually weaken as it approaches the central coast of Vietnam.

The National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting forecast the typhoon would initially move westward towards the northern Hoang Sa Islands (Paracel Islands) before shifting its course to west-southwest toward central Vietnam.

This is the seventh typhoon in the East Sea so far this year. It may cause strong winds for vessels in the Paracel Islands and waters off the central coast from November 8 to 12.

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