A woman gets vaccinated against Covid-19 in Soc Trang province. Photo: VNA

622 new Covid-19 cases recorded on October 18

The national Covid-19 caseload rose to 11,493,894 with 622 new cases recorded on October 18, according to the Ministry of Health.

With 359 patients given the all clear during the day, the number of recoveries rose to 10,599,560.

Meanwhile, there are 55 patients needing breathing support, cited VNA.

One death from Covid-19 was recorded in the past 24 hours. The total fatalities stood at 43,158.

The total number of doses of Covid-19 vaccines injected was 260,667,497 with 86,881 doses administered on October 17.

Vietnam ready to facilitate Korean investment

The nation continues to be a safe and stable destination which creates a favorable environment for businesses from the Republic of Korea (RoK) to feel secure for long-term investment, co-operation, and development.

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc made the statement during a reception held on October 18 in Hanoi for RoK Foreign Minister Park Jin, who is on an official visit to Vietnam.

Welcoming the RoK Minister on his visit, the Vietnamese State leader expressed great appreciation for the successful results of talks between FM Jin and his Vietnamese counterpart Bui Thanh Son.

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc welcomes RoK Foreign Minister Park Jin. Photo: VOV

The State President congratulated the RoK on their socio-economic achievements and strong development, rising to become the fourth largest economy in Asia and the 10th in the world. Indeed, the RoK has recorded many important achievements in defense, science, technology, and culture.

This year has seen the two countries celebrate 30 years of diplomatic ties, with President Phuc saying that effective co-operation in all fields is taking mutual ties towards new heights.

Therefore, the President said that the visit by the Korean Foreign Minister is of great significance as part of the process of promoting the mutual relationship between the two countries and developing a deep, efficient, practical, and comprehensive relationship.

In response, Korean Minister Jin expressed his sadness for Vietnamese people about the losses caused by recent storms and floods. He stated his belief that, with what Vietnam has achieved, the nation will grow to become a middle-income country with a modern industry by 2030, according to VOV.

Despite being negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, FM Park said that trade turnover between the two sides is continuing to increase.

Currently, there are a very large number of RoK enterprises investing in the Vietnamese market, with the RoK always considering Vietnam to be a strategic partner in ODA development assistance.

The Minister shared that once the pandemic was brought under control, the number of Vietnamese people traveling to the RoK increased rapidly, affirming that the RoK Government has adopted a policy aimed at ensuring the safety of Vietnamese people coming to the RoK for work. In addition, there is also a center to support multicultural families, he added.

Minister Park asked Vietnam to support the RoK to host the 2030 World Expo.

Appreciating the RoK's efforts to promote bilateral co-operation, President Phuc said that in the current complicated international context, both sides continue to enjoy close co-operation such as regular high-level exchanges and contacts to enhance political-diplomatic trust. This is along with periodically carrying out dialogue and co-operation mechanisms, and ties in national defense and security, especially in the defense industry.

Emphasizing that economic co-operation is always an important pillar of the relationship between the two countries, the President suggested that both sides pay close attention to and effectively exploit the Vietnam-Rok Free Trade Agreement. This is along with the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) which aims to achieve the goal of raising bilateral trade turnover to US$100 billion by 2023 and US$150 billion by 2030.

The nation therefore welcomes Korean financiers to expand their investment scale in the Vietnamese market, currently at US$80 billion, especially in the fields of digital technology, electronics, renewable energy, and infrastructure development.

President Phuc outlined his wish that the RoK will continue to provide ODA support for the country on a larger scale, whilst seeking to strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, thereby deepening people’s mutual understanding of each other's culture.

Vietnam's tourism industry rebuilds after pandemic

Vietnam received 1.65 million international arrivals in the first nine months of the year.

General Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) Nguyen Trung Khanh says Vietnam has successfully reopened international tourism, and has been recognized by the World Tourism Organization (WTO) as the first Southeast Asian country that removed travel restrictions in the post-Covid period.

Vietnam received 1.65 million international arrivals in the first nine months of the year, served 86.8 million domestic travelers, and had revenue of US$16.5 billion.

The figures, released at the Mekong Tourism Forum 2022 last week, showed the strong recovery of tourism with the number of domestic travelers in January-September 2022 exceeding that of 2019.

Vietnam welcomed 110,000 travelers from the Greater Mekong Sub-region, VNN reported.

However, Khanh was cautious about the future, citing challenges, including fuel price increase, high inflation and global supply chain interruption. These will increase transport and accommodation costs.

“The parties involved at all scales are encouraged to take full advantage of digital tools to support the recovery and sustainability of the tourism sector, as well as improve the capability of the industry through training programs,” he added.

Photo: VNN

At the forum, speakers from China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam shared the best solutions on taking full advantage of digital tools to optimize the positive impact of tourism on the environment and local community.

They also talked about challenges, solutions and opportunities for micro and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to better apply technologies and integrate into the digital economy.

Wouterus Schalken from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said that GMS countries should ensure the recovery and sustainability of tourism, with focus on high-quality infrastructure and nature-based solutions.

PATA’s (the Pacific Asia Travel Association) managing director Liz Ortiguera suggested that in the post-pandemic period, the tourism industry needs to be more sustainable.

Foreign Minister delighted at growing ties with Japan

Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son has expressed his delight at the strong and comprehensive development of Vietnam-Japan ties with high political trust.

During a reception in Hanoi on October 18 for Parliamentary Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan Takagi Kei, who led the Japanese delegation to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Southeast Asia Ministerial Forum 2022, Son spoke highly of Japan’s practical support and important contributions in its role as a co-chair of the OECD Southeast Asia Regional Program.

He suggested Takagi and the Japanese Foreign Ministry continue promoting bilateral ties in the fields of official development assistance, investment, trade, labor, tourism and locality-to-locality cooperation in mutually beneficial spirit, cited VNA.

Son proposed Japan assist Vietnam in speeding up industrialisation and modernisation; building an independent, self-reliant economy in combination with deep international integration, supply of new-generation ODA, strategic infrastructure, digital transformation and green transition.

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties next year, Son suggested the two foreign ministries work closely together to promote exchanges and high-level meetings, as well as hold activities in the two countries’ localities.

Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son (R) and Parliamentary Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan Takagi Kei. Photo: VNA

The host wished Japan would make it easier for Vietnamese citizens to apply for visas, thus bolstering tourism and people-to-people exchange between the two nations, and offer support to the Vietnamese community living and working there.

Vice Minister Takagi, for his part, affirmed that Vietnam plays a top important role in Japan’s external policy in the region.

Japan will continue assisting Vietnam in its development, he promised, adding that Japan wants to foster bilateral coordination from politics, diplomacy to trade, investment, climate change response, health care, education, labor, tourism, cultural exchange and locality-to-locality cooperation.

On cooperation in regional and global issues, Takagi congratulated Vietnam on its election to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 tenure. He vowed to work closely with Vietnam in OECD and ASEAN mechanisms and shared Vietnam’s stance on the South China Sea issue.

Local dengue fever cases record five-fold increase

The nation has recorded more than 258,480 dengue fever cases this year, marking a 4.8-fold increase compared to the same period from last year.

According to details given by the Ministry of Health, a total of 102 dengue fever deaths have been documented in the country this year, a year-on-year increase of 81 cases.

Photo: VOV

Between October 7 and October 14 health authorities nationwide reported 9,750 dengue fever cases, including one death confirmed in Binh Duong province, according to VOV.

The Ministry reported that since the start of the year the capital has since 6,779 cases, a 3.2 increase compared to last year’s figures, with a total of five deaths.

Specifically, over the past week Hanoi has recorded 1,034 cases, with 48 fresh outbreaks being found in 19 districts across the city.

Moving forward, the number of patients is predicted to increase due to the peak months for dengue fever normally falling between July and November each year.

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