A street in Hanoi is flooded after heavy rains. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Alongside urbanisation , flooding in cities of Vietnam, a country highly vulnerable to climate change, is getting complicated and needs concerted solutions, according to experts. There are more than 800 cities nationwide, including the two special municipalities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Big and populous cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Vinh of Nghe An province have frequently suffered from heavy losses caused by downpours and flooding. Nguyen Van Tien, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Disaster Management Authority under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said Vietnamese cities, especially major ones, are centres of economic, social, and cultural activities and also concentrations of infrastructure facilities and residential areas. They are exposed to many disaster risks, including flooding, which requires proactive preventive and timely response measures. … [Read more...] about Urban flooding needs concerted solutions
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Vietnam supports expansion of UN Security Council
Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Tra, Deputy Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, speaks at the session (Photo: VNA) New York (VNA) - Vietnam supports the expansion of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in terms of both permanent and non-permanent members, with the fair representation of groups of nations, especially underrepresented ones, taken into account, Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Tra , Deputy Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, has said. Addressing the first meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council reform at the 77th UN General Assembly on January 26, Tra also emphasised improving the working method of the UNSC and limiting the use of veto power. She highlighted the importance of dialogues and discussions on the council reshuffle within the IGN framework, suggesting that this process be carried out in a transparent manner, with the participation of all members, and on the basis of respecting the interests of … [Read more...] about Vietnam supports expansion of UN Security Council
Paris Peace Accords decisive condition for Vietnam’s unification
The negotiation of the Paris Peace Accords (signed January 27, 1973) was one of the longest running negotiations in the history of international diplomacy. Why did it take 5 years for the Accords to be signed? An international negotiation would normally only take several days, or several months. But negotiations for the Paris Accords lasted almost 5 years for many reasons, including politics, complex historical contexts and unpredictability on the battlefield. First, the stances taken by U.S. officials and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam at the beginning of negotiations were vastly different, almost opposites of each other. The Democratic Republic of Vietnam asked the U.S. to pull its troops out of the South and end its military intervention, while the U.S. wanted the opposite, arguing that their role was necessary to maintain stability in the South. There were many times when negotiations had to stop as both sides could not reach an agreement on this key point. Second, … [Read more...] about Paris Peace Accords decisive condition for Vietnam’s unification
Retail market forecast to bustle this year
According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), the scale of the Vietnamese retail market is USD 142 billion, which is expected to reach USD 350 billion in 2025, with contribution of 59% to total GDP. Last year, the total revenue from retail sales of goods and services rose 21%, exceeding the target of 8%. A survey by Vietnam Report showed that over 53.8% of total retail firms enjoyed similar and higher business results compared to the pre-pandemic level. Experts held that growth of retail sales is being supported by rise in income and the strong recovery of the tourism sector as well as relevant sectors such as transport and accommodations, as well as the effectiveness of inflation control measures. Particularly, from now to the lunar New Year (Tet) Festival, which falls in late January, consumers are predicted to loosen their wallet dramatically. At the same time, there are signs of vibrant retail activities as many foreign investors have announced their plans to … [Read more...] about Retail market forecast to bustle this year
ASEAN discussing 5G deployment roadmap
Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Phan Tam speaks at the ASEAN Conference on 5G . (Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+) On the morning of October 11, in Hanoi, the ASEAN Conference on 5G took place within the framework of the International Digital Week organized by the Ministry of Information and Communications of Vietnam. Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Phan Tam said that ASEAN countries all have 5G development strategies but are facing problems with infrastructure, standards for deployment and information security. Therefore, the cooperation of ASEAN countries to build a 5G roadmap is one of the priority tasks and goals in the coming time. Lao Minister of Technology and Communications - Boviengkham Vongdara, said technology is one of the contents of long-term cooperation between Laos and Vietnam. "Laos wants to learn from the experiences of other countries, including Vietnam, which has achieved many achievements in digital transformation," … [Read more...] about ASEAN discussing 5G deployment roadmap
Prime Minister urges banking sector to make more innovations
The sector should continue to follow policies and guidelines adopted by the Party and the State, while closely coordinating with ministries, agencies and localities to fulfill socio-economic tasks, he said. Priorities should be given to maintaining the macro-economic stability, controlling inflation, spurring growth and ensuring major economic balances, the leader continued. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh asked the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) to improve its analyzing and forecasting capacity, provide timely consultancy and flexibly respond to developments of the domestic and international situation. The central bank was also urged to intensify inspection and supervision, ensure transparency, promote digital transformation, raise service quality, and support innovations and small- and medium-sized enterprises. It needs to further consolidate monetary institutions, mechanisms and policies to create a concerted legal corridor, thus giving a push to the monetary and credit markets, … [Read more...] about Prime Minister urges banking sector to make more innovations