Chief Representative of JICA Vietnam Office Shimizu Akira (Photo: VNA) Hanoi, (VNA) – Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) has greatly contributed to Vietnam’s cause of socio-economic development, poverty reduction and infrastructure building over the past 30 years, said Standing Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Vu. Vu made the remark during a reception on March 24 for Chief Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Vietnam Office Shimizu Akira, who came to bid farewell at the end of his tenure in Vietnam and introduce his successor Sugano Yuichi. The Deputy FM thanked the JICA Vietnam Office and Shimizu himself for their role in coordinating projects funded by ODA of the Japanese Government in Vietnam, as well as their cooperation with Vietnamese agencies in pushing ahead important joint projects of the two countries. He pledged that the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry is always ready to work with the Japanese side for the smooth … [Read more...] about Japanese ODA contributes greatly to Vietnam’s development: Deputy Foreign Minister
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Vietnam aims for five international-standard cities by 2045
The country should have a high level of urbanization comparable to ASEAN and Asia by 2045. Vietnam aims to have at least five cities of international caliber to serve as locomotives for regional and international development networks by 2045, according to an action plan released by the Ministry of Construction (MoC) recently. Under the action plan, the ministry will execute two resolutions, one by Politburo and the other by the Government, on the sustainable development, management, and construction of urban areas in Vietnam by 2030 with a vision for 2045. Hanoi from above. Photo: Huu Thang The country plans to build a high level of urbanization comparable to ASEAN and Asia by 2045. The urban system would be integrated, balanced, and sensitive to climate change, natural disasters, and epidemics, while promoting environmental protection and distinctively modern architecture with green and smart elements, according to the action plan. Other key targets … [Read more...] about Vietnam aims for five international-standard cities by 2045
Vietnam in sustainable management phase of COVID-19 pandemic: WHO representative
In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency, the official said that now in the fourth year of the pandemic, Vietnam and the world are in a much better place than they were even 12 months ago. “The tools and vaccines we have are proven to protect lives and significantly reduce risk of severe illness and death and also, in most places, to enable health systems to function more normally again,” she said. She added it is hoped that 2023 will be the year in which COVID-19 can be said to be over as a public health emergency of international concern. Assessing Vietnam's response to the COVID-19 pandemic for each stage of the pandemic, Angela said that from the start, Vietnam had well-calibrated and strong public health and social measures in place. These included a strong capacity for early detection and response, robust surveillance measures, strong border measures, and social restrictions, community adherence to personal protective behaviors; and healthcare capacity. “All … [Read more...] about Vietnam in sustainable management phase of COVID-19 pandemic: WHO representative
British explorers discover 5 new caves in central Vietnam
All of them are wet caves, although some have dry branches. Hung Tru 1 cave is 1,919 meters long, Hung Tru 2 cave is 502 meters long, Hung Tru 3 cave is 153 meters long, Hung Ka Vong 1 cave is 238 meters long, and Hung Ka Vong 2 cave is 537 meters long. Experts also discovered a cave with a long underground stream, but they were unable to study it entirely due to a lack of facilities. Boats, rescue vehicles, and dive tanks will be prepared for further inspection by the crew. One of five new caves discovered in Quang Binh Province in March 2023. Photo courtesy of the British Royal Cave Association Nguyen Hoai Nam, secretary of Tuyen Hoa District Party Committee, said that the area may still have many unexplored caves. "Some caves have large spaces, stunning stalactites, and good tourism potential," said Nam. "The district intends to make these locations safe tourism destinations once more precise information is provided." With more than 500 caves discovered, Quang … [Read more...] about British explorers discover 5 new caves in central Vietnam
Abandoned projects result in prime land waste in Da Nang
The three projects are located at prime locations on Hung Vuong Street in Hai Chau District, about 400 meters from the Han River. They are the Da Nang Center project (No. 1), Diamond Square project (No. 2), and the Golden Square commercial complex, office, hotel, and luxury apartment project (No. 3). The Da Nang Center project, invested in by Vu Chau Long Real Estate, covers an area of more than 7,800 square meters and has a total capital of nearly VND500 billion ($21.25 million). When construction started in March 2008, the project was advertised as high-rise apartment buildings, a high-class standard commercial center, and a five-star hotel and conference center. However, no development has been going on and rainwater has turned the project area into a pond. With its northern façade bordering a residential area, part of the project has now been turned into a landfill as locals arbitrarily throw trash … [Read more...] about Abandoned projects result in prime land waste in Da Nang
Hanoi seeks support from World Heritage Centre in restoration of Kinh Thien Palace
Secretary of the Hanoi Party’s Committee Dinh Tien Dung on March 24 asked for continued support from the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (WHC) for a project to restore Kinh Thien Palace in the Thang Long Imperial Citadel in Hanoi, which was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010. Kinh Thien Palace is the most important building of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel (Photo: VNA) He made the suggestion at a reception for the WHC’s director, Lazzarre Eloundou, who is on a visit to Vietnam to attend a conference entitled “Promoting the role of world cultural and natural heritage in sustainable development in Vietnam.” Dung said as a "Heritage City" with an extremely rich and diverse cultural heritage fund, Hanoi has received great attention and help from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in cultural conservation and development . He affirmed that the cooperation between Hanoi and UNESCO has contributed to … [Read more...] about Hanoi seeks support from World Heritage Centre in restoration of Kinh Thien Palace
ASEAN bolsters digital collaboration
Delegates at the first ASEAN Digital Senior Officials’ Meeting – ASEAN Telecommunications Regulators Council Leaders Retreat (1st ADGSOM-ATRC Leaders’ Retreat) (Photo: VNA) Jakarta (VNA) - The First ASEAN Digital Senior Officials’ Meeting and ASEAN Telecommunications Regulators’ Council (ADGSOM – ATRC) Leaders’ Retreat in 2023 took place on March 20-21 at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia. The event was chaired by the Philippines as ADGSOM Chair for 2023. The meeting discussed the outcomes and follow-up actions from the 3rd ASEAN Digital Ministers’ Meeting (ADGMIN) held from February 6-10 in Boracay, the Philippines. Taking a multi-faceted approach that considers the economic, social, and environmental dimension of digitalisation and digital technologies, the meeting recognised the urgent need for collaboration and synergy among the ASEAN member states to achieve a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient digital future. With the ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2025 … [Read more...] about ASEAN bolsters digital collaboration
Vietnam’s internet ranking rises despite cable disruptions
Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - February's Speedtest Global Index (SGI) showed that Vietnam jumped up six places to 39th in fixed broadband speeds, despite recent disruptions to all five of its submarine internet cables suffering outages. However, the country’s mobile internet speed slipped by nine ranks to 52. The average download speed of the country’s fixed broadband is 91.6 Mbps, while the upload speed is 93.38 Mbps. These figures for the mobile internet speed are 42.67 Mbps and 18.27 Mbps, respectively. Vietnam’s internet speeds are also higher than the global average, with a download speed of 39.77 Mbps and an upload speed of 10.18 Mbps for mobile internet. The global performance in fixed broadband download and upload speeds are 78.62 Mbps and 34.39 Mbps, respectively. Results from Speedtest, a widely popular online tool measuring internet speeds, are relatively similar to the statistics from Vietnam Internet Network Information Center … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s internet ranking rises despite cable disruptions