Illustrative image (Photo: baoquocte.vn)

EU always considers Vietnam an important partner: Ambassador

The European Union (EU) always affirms that Vietnam is an important partner in the region, Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium and head of the Vietnamese Delegation to the European Union (EU) Nguyen Van Thao told Vietnam News Agency in a recent interview.

The interview took place ahead of Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha’s trip to Brussels to attend the Global Gateway Forum from October 25-26 at the invitation of President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.

Thao said it will be the first time the EU has held the forum with topics covering sustainable development, energy transition, health care, education and connecting the EU with countries in the region, which match Vietnam's priorities and interests.

According to him, the forum will attract considerable interest from countries, especially those in Central Asia, Europe, and Africa, during which Ha will deliver a keynote speech on green transformation and energy transition, a topic to which Vietnam is strongly committed on the global stage.

Vietnam's attendance and Deputy PM Ha's speech will reaffirm that Vietnam is a responsible member joining in addressing critical issues alongside the world. It also reiterates the Government's determination and specific actions in fulfilling commitments made at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP 26) in Glasgow, the UK, in 2021.

The ambassador expressed his belief that via the event, cooperation between the EU and Vietnam will grow remarkably, especially in areas of Vietnam’s interest.

The event will afford the Vietnamese side a chance to share experience and discuss joint work with countries globally to deal with common issues, he said.

As part of the event, a cooperation agreement will be signed between the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Vietnamese Ministry of Finance, a concrete step taken by Vietnam in implementing the Just Energy Transition Partnership established in 2022 with G7 countries and the EU, cited VNA.

Thao revealed that the EU highly values the agreement signing between EIB and Vietnam, adding that other sessions on digital infrastructure, education, and health care also create opportunities to enhance cooperation between Vietnam and the EU and other countries around the world.

He added that EU leaders and officials will hold meetings with Deputy PM Ha and his entourage, demonstrating the EU's high regard for its relationship with Vietnam.

The diplomat expressed his belief that with the promotion of cooperation between Vietnam and the EU in new areas such as green development, sustainability, digital economy and blue economy, their collaboration will yield even better outcomes.

Vietnam and Cuba strengthen defense cooperation

Vietnamese and Cuban officials discussed measures to strengthen defense cooperation between the Vietnam People’s Army and the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces during talks in Hanoi on October 24.

Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Tan Cuong, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army and Deputy Minister of National Defense, and Senior Lieutenant General Roberto Legra Sotolongo, Chief of the General Staff and Deputy Minister of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces held talks shortly after the welcoming ceremony on the morning.

Cuong welcomed Sotolongo’s visit which he said would contribute to ramping up Vietnam – Cuba defense cooperation in line with the common perception of the two countries’ senior leaders.

Sotolongo for his part thanked Vietnam for its support to Cuba, emphasized the strong relationship between the two countries and armies, and vowed to work hard to cement the Cuban-Vietnam relationship.

The two officials affirmed that defense cooperation is one of the important pillars in the two countries’ relations, contributing to preserving revolutionary achievements, in accordance with the needs and strengths of each country, reported VOV.

Sen. Lieu. Gen. Nguyen Tan Cuong, Chief of General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army and Deputy Minister of National Defense holds talks with Sen. Lieu. Gen. Roberto Legra Sotolongo, Chief of General Staff and Deputy Minister of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces, in Hanoi on October 24. (Photo: PANO)

They shared the view that both sides have actively coordinated in deploying areas of cooperation, including delegation exchanges, training, defense industry, Party work, and military medicine, following a Vietnam visit in June 2023 by the Minister of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces.

Both sides agreed to continue to maintain the exchange of delegations, share professional experiences, and increase cooperation in Party building based on the signed memorandum of understanding. They also agreed to effectively deploy defense industry cooperation in accordance with the needs, capabilities and conditions of each side, while actively deploying cooperation in other areas such as military medicine, training, and military and defense-related legislation.

The two officials also exchanged views on regional and international issues of common concern.

Agoda announces Vietnam’s new outstanding destinations

Online travel platform Agoda on October 24 for the first time announced Vietnam’s New Horizons – a list of new emerging destinations in the country that few tourists have known.

This list is made based on the results of comparing search data for the same period in 2022 and 2023 about emerging destinations, increasing interest from both domestic and foreign tourists.

On the top of the list is Tam Dao resort in the northern mountainous of Vinh Phuc with search traffic increasing by 279% over the same period last year.

Other destinations are Bac Ninh - a spiritual city in the north with a 234% increase in search volume; Sam Son coastal city in the central province of Thanh Hoa, 228%; and Phu Quy - a small island off the coast of Binh Thuan province.

The coastal city of Quy Nhon with its romantic beaches and unique cuisine is also included in the list, according to VNA.

A beach in Quy Nhon City, the central province of Binh Dinh. (Photo: VNA)

Vu Ngoc Lam, Director of Agoda in Vietnam, said that in addition to the most popular and famous destinations in Vietnam which many tourists visit regularly, Agoda found that some places with fewer visitors had a clear increase in searches.

Agoda wants to take advantage of this opportunity to introduce new places and find out what attracts those who love to explore destinations that few tourists have come to.

He said Vietnam has many interesting things to explore, in which second and third-class destinations are increasingly sought after. Therefore. Agoda regularly introduces many incentives to help tourists have the best experiences when traveling to Vietnam.

Vietnam and Laos vow to ensure security along shared border

Vietnam and Laos will effectively implement a cooperation agreement between the Border Guard Command (Ministry of National Defense of Vietnam) and the Border Guard Department of the General Staff of the Lao People’s Army, as well as other signed agreements on border cooperation to ensure security along the two countries’ shared border.

The agreement was reached during annual talks for 2023 co-chaired by Lieutenant General Le Duc Thai, Commander of the Border Guard Command of Vietnam, and Major General Siphan Phoutthavong, Director of the Border Guard Department of Laos, held in Luang Prabang on October 24.

They agreed to strengthen coordination in border management and protection and conduct regular joint patrols to detect, prevent, and stop law-breaking violations, terrorist attacks, and subversive plots aimed at undermining the special solidarity between the two countries.

They will work closely to crack down on crimes and violations along shared border areas, such as drug smuggling, trade fraud, illegal trading of weapons and explosives, human trafficking, cross-border gambling, money laundering, and illegal immigration, cited VOV.

Border guards of Vietnam and Laos hold a joint patrol along their shared border.

The two sides also agreed to regularly share information, launch communication campaigns on hostile forces’ subversive schemes, and raise awareness of law observance among border area residents.

At the end of the talks, the two sides signed a document on border guard cooperation between the Ministries of National Defense of Vietnam and Laos, and the minutes of their talks on October 24.

Vietnam officially exports vaccines for African swine fever to five nations

Partners from five nations including Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Myanmar, and India have signed contracts to purchase made-in-Vietnam African swine fever (ASF) vaccines.

The signing ceremony took place in Ha Long city of the northern province of Quang Ninh on October 22.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien said, Vietnam's livestock sector has experienced an annual growth rate of 4.5 percent over the recent decade, and the sector accounts for 26.7 percent of the total value of the agricultural sector.

The pig farming industry and the livestock sector as a whole play a crucial role in promoting the growth of Vietnam's agricultural sector. Reportedly, Vietnam currently has a total of approximately 28 million pigs, VGP reported.

Made-in-Vietnam African swine fever (ASF) vaccines.

When the African Swine Fever outbreak occurred in 2019, Vietnam suffered an estimated loss of at least 6 million pigs, he noted, adding that disease prevention is a vital aspect as well as the foremost solution for livestock development.

Vietnam has become the first country to successfully develop and produce two vaccines against ASF, a disease that first appeared in Africa in 1921 with a mortality rate of up to 100 percent.

Earlier, the Philippines imported 300,000 doses of the vaccine from Vietnam.

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