Illustrative photo. Source: VNA

Vietnam logs 475 new Covid-19 cases on October 22

Vietnam reported 475 new Covid-19 infections on October 22, according to the Ministry of Health.

The new cases lifted the country’s total to 11,496,829.

The same day, 277 patients were declared to be free from coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, raising the total number of recoveries to 10,600,857.

Meanwhile, the death toll was kept at 43,159 as no fatality was reported on the day, cited VNA.

The country has so far administered more than 261,168,871 doses of Covid-19 vaccines.

Tropical depression enters South China Sea, rain expected in central Vietnam

A tropical depression entered the South China Sea on October 22 afternoon and is forecast to gain strength in the coming hours as it is heading for central Vietnam, according to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

At 1pm on October 22, the tropical depression was located in the northern part of the South China Sea, with winds gusting between 39-49kph near its center.

In the next 24 to 48 hours, the tropical depression is anticipated to gain strength and sweep across the Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago.

The tropical depression is forecast to gain strength before it will weaken when it moves into the Paracel islands of Vietnam.

Due to interactions with strong cold air waves from the north, the tropical depression is likely to change its course a bit and lose its strength when it moves into the Paracel islands, according to VOV.

However, the depression will cause high tidal surges and heavy rain when it moves closer to the central coast.

Over the past 24 hours, many parts of central Vietnam have experienced a large spell of rain, with rainfall of more than 200mm recorded in Quang Tri and Quang Binh provinces.

Meteorologists warned about a high risk of flashfloods and landslides in provinces from Quang Binh to Quang Nam.

Vietnam Delegation to UN meets US Military Academy learners

The Delegation of Vietnam to the UN on October 21 discussed the country’s contributions to and priorities at the UN with a delegation of learners from the US Military Academy.

This meeting took place within the framework of the academy’s training course for a strategic studies class whose learners are officers of the US army and other countries, including one officer from the Vietnam People's Army, reported VNA.

At the event, Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Tra, Charge d'affaires a.i. of Vietnam to the UN, briefed the delegation on Vietnam’s participation in and contributions to the UN since its membership began in 1977.

Vietnam always strives to make maximum contributions within its capabilities to the common work of the UN regarding all three pillars of sustainable development, human rights protection and promotion, and maintenance of international peace and security, she affirmed.

Tra said as a responsible member of the UN, the Vice Chair of the 77th UN General Assembly, and a member of the UN Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 tenure and many other important UN agencies, Vietnam will continue to work with other countries to deploy the UN’s major initiatives and priorities in the coming time.

The sides discussed a series of matters, including challenges facing the UN in the current period, and Vietnam's foreign policy in relations with big countries at the UN and its efforts in ensuring and promoting human rights as well as in Vietnam's engagement in UN peacekeeping activities, among others.

Vietnam and Chile facilitate multifaceted cooperation

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile held their seventh political consultation in Hanoi on October 21 to examine bilateral cooperation measures.

The Vietnamese delegation was led by Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang, while the Chilean delegation was headed by Secretary General of Foreign Policy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Alex Wetzig Abdale.

Both sides informed each other about their respective countries' situation and discussed measures to deepen the Vietnam-Chile friendship and comprehensive cooperation as well as ties between the two foreign ministries, cited VOV.

They agreed to continue working closely together to promote the exchange of reciprocal visits, maintain the efficiency of existing cooperation mechanisms, and encourage connectivity between the two countries’ ministries, agencies, localities and businesses.

Exchanging views on regional and international issues of mutual concern, they held the same view that international differences and disputes should be settled via peaceful measures in line with the UN Charter and international law.

As both Vietnam and Chile have been elected to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 tenure, the two sides pledged to collaborate closely at international organizations and multilateral forums of which they both are members in order to protect legitimate interests of their people and contribute to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

Receiving the Chilean diplomat on the same day, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son expressed his delight at the positive development of the Vietnam-Chile traditional friendship and comprehensive partnership in recent times despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

An overview of the seventh pollitical consultation between Vietnam and Chile in Hanoi on October 21. Photo: VNA

He welcomed the results of the political consultation and said both sides should continue implementing important contents of the bilateral agenda.

The minister also proposed that the two sides effectively uphold existing cooperation mechanisms, encourage their businesses to penetrate the other's markets, make the most of signed bilateral and multilateral legal frameworks, particularly the Vietnam-Chile Free Trade Agreement; and expand new cooperation areas such as climate change response, renewable energy and food security.

For his part, Abdale affirmed Chile always wants to further deepen its traditional friendship and cooperation with Vietnam in politics-diplomacy, economy-trade, culture-education, science-technology, and people-to-people exchanges.

He underscored the importance of cooperation when Chile is in the process of ratifying the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and strengthening the development partnership between Chile and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Singapore is a promising market for Vietnam: Trade official

Singapore is a promising market where Vietnamese products see both advantages and difficulties, Cao Xuan Thang from the Vietnam Trade Office in Singapore said in an interview granted to Vietnam News Agency.

Thang said that Singapore is a transit market of the world with a high level of openness.

With its major income coming from services, Singapore is almost completely dependent on imports of consumer goods, he said, noting that Singapore does not have any tariff and non-tariff restrictions or barriers on imported goods, except for the mandatory regulations on quality standards of international organisations.

According to Thang, Vietnam’s advantages include the capacity of supplying various kinds of goods, close geographical distance to Singapore, and being a member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) like Singapore.

Vietnam and Singapore are the only two countries in the region to have comprehensive deals with Europe and the UK, he added, holding that this is also an advantage for import-export activities between the two countries.

However, Thang underlined that Vietnam has also faced a number of challenges and difficulties in the market, including fierce competition with other suppliers, and high marketing cost.

A booth at the Vietnamese goods week in Singapore. Photo: VNA

He said that over the years, the Vietnam Trade Office has worked hard to support Vietnamese firms to approach the Singaporean market, especially through updating the policies and import-export situation of the country, guiding the companies to grasp export opportunities, and assisting them in introducing their products to Singaporean partners.

Last year, the office held a hybrid trade fair to promote Vietnamese products, he said.

After Singapore reopened its door at the beginning of the year, the office collaborated with its partners to organise a conference to provide information on the market and products of Vietnam to nearly 400 Singaporean firms.

In the coming months, the office will continue to support domestic firms to join trade fairs in Singapore and send samples to local firms, while holding online trade conferences and arranging for Singaporean enterprises to visit Vietnam to seek partnership with their Vietnamese peers, said Thang.

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