Lao ministry of agriculture and forestry

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc said Vietnam will facilitate Russian-invested oil and gas projects. Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on December 24 held a phone talk with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev to keep a close watch of cooperation activities, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc holds talks with Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev on Dec 24. Photo: Baodansinh The talk, which is described as of “openness and trust”, focused on results of the implementation of agreements signed in PM Phuc’s Russia visit in May 2019, and measures to boost the efficiency of bilateral coordination in different fields. The two leaders hailed joint work to lift barriers for agro-aquatic and seafood products, helping to fully tap advantages of Vietnam – Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement (Vietnam-EAEU FTA) amid global economic uncertainties. PM Phuc emphasized that Vietnam always … [Read more...] about Vietnam PM holds phone talk with Russian counterpart, focusing on oil cooperation

Vietnam has the 15th largest population of smokers in the world, and approximately 40,000 people die each year from diseases caused by smoking. National lawmakers have called on the Government to ban all e-cigarette products in Vietnam soon, citing health concerns. A no-smoking sign is labeled at a bookstore in Hanoi. Photo: Văn Sinh/The Hanoi Times The Government should amend the Law on Tobacco Harm Prevention and related regulations to stop the trade, circulation and use of e-cigarettes in Vietnam, Hanoi deputy Nguyen Anh Tri said on June 1. All these actions should be dealt with under the Penal Code, he said. Tri said new generations of cigarette products, including e-cigarettes, may contain illegal drugs and cause severe damage to people's health. However, he said, hardly anything was done to prevent these products from adversely affecting society. He called on the government to reduce the smoking rate to 30% by 2030. "The Government needs … [Read more...] about Vietnamese Government urged to ban e-cigarettes

Indonesia sees 32 billion USD investment in EV battery chain (Photo source:auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com) Jakarta - Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan on May 30 revealed that the country can receive an estimated 31.9 billion USD in investments for project tied to battery supply chain by 2026. According to the minister, with the country rich in nickel used in batteries for electric vehicles (EV), the government wants to see more investment in nickel downstream sectors to boost economic growth. He said the Kalimantan region can receive 12.35 billion USD in investment while North Maluku and Sulawesi can attract 9.78 billion USD and 9.84 billion USD in battery supply chain projects, respectively. To encourage investment from emissions-conscious investors, the Indonesian government has touted the North Kalimantan industrial park on Borneo island as "green”, with a plan to power activities there with hydropower. … [Read more...] about Indonesia sees 32 billion USD investment in EV battery chain

Contributions of foreign direct investment cannot be denied, illustration photo In recent years, there has been a viewpoint that foreign direct investment (FDI) is a foreign element rather than an organic part of Vietnam’s economy. It is also sometimes believed that the domestic economy is weak due to the low spillover effects of FDI without a clear recognition of the need to promote the development of the domestic economy. However, if we assume something that did not happen in reality – that Vietnam never did have access to FDI – then we would see a vastly different nation today. The increasing proportion of FDI indicates that the economic growth rate of this area is usually higher than that of the domestic economy. Without, it would take many more years for Vietnam to reach the GDP scale of 2022 with $409 billion and average GDP per capita of $4,110, and with the economic growth rate at over 7 per cent annually, as seen in 1991-1997 and 2002-2007. In 2022, the realised … [Read more...] about Contributions of foreign direct investment cannot be denied

At the meeting, Karan Adani, CEO of APSEZ and Nguyen Canh Tinh, CEO of VIMC discussed the cooperation possibilities between the two sides. Tinh said that VIMC's fleet in India had received cooperation and support from Adani. As a government-run enterprise, VIMC will implement a strategy of strong breakthroughs in maritime service infrastructure, development of seaports, especially deep-water seaports in key economic regions of Vietnam. VIMC and APSEZ signed a MoU on May 24 “VIMC has always considered Indian enterprises like Adani Group as an important strategic partner in developing its shipping fleet, container fleet in inner Asia and the world, including the Indian market to develop a connection chain with key economic regions of Vietnam,” Tinh said. Adani said that VIMC and Adani were both leading enterprises in the maritime sector in each country, making important contributions to the countries’ economic development, and having similarities in providing … [Read more...] about VIMC, Adani cooperate on seaport development

Illustrative photo (Photo: businessinsider.com) Hanoi (VNA) – Four out of the five international undersea cables that were damaged last year and early this year have been repaired, the Department of Telecommunications under the Ministry of Information and Communications announced on June 1. Up to now, only the Asia Pacific Gateway (APG) internet cable that connects Vietnam with the rest of Asia is still experiencing errors. The APG, with 10,400 km of cable under the Pacific Ocean, is the cable with the largest bandwidth connecting to Vietnam. It provides a maximum bandwidth of 54 terabytes per second and opened in 2016. In late December 2022 and mid-January this year, the cable had an problem with its connection to Hong Kong and another cable 151 km offshore. The two errors affected the entire line. The errors on APG route are expected to be fixed in June. With the completed repair and restoration of normal operation by four undersea cable routes - IA , SMW3, AAE-1 … [Read more...] about Internet speeds up as four of five undersea cables repaired

Illustrative photo (Photo: thestar.com.my) Hanoi (VNA) – Myanmar ’s Central Committee on Prevention, Control and Treatment of COVID-19 on May 30 announced that the country will extend COVID-19 preventive measures until June 30. According to the committee, the extension includes all COVID-19 restrictions that were set to expire on May 31, excepting some that will be gradually eased, China's Xinhua News Agency reported on May 31. The extension applies to all orders, announcements and directives issued by relevant government organisations and ministries in their efforts to curb the spread of the pandemic. Official data showed that as of May 30, Myanmar recorded  638,818 COVID-19 cases. The death toll from COVID-19 in the country reached 19,494 and 617,774 patients have recovered./. VNA … [Read more...] about Myanmar extends COVID-19 restrictions until end of June

Illustrative image (Photo: AFP) Hanoi (VNA) - The Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU), the Health Ministry’s Fund for Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms and the Global Public Health Organisation Vital Strategies held a symposium in Hanoi on May 31 to discuss the harmful effects of e-cigarettes in schools. The event attracted the participation of over 600 students from the Hanoi University of Industry. They had a chance to join a mini-game to learn about the detrimental effects of e-cigarettes. Nguyen Tuan Lam, an expert in non-communicable disease prevention at the World Health Organisation (WHO)'s office in Vietnam cited data from the WHO as saying that there are currently about 20,000 flavorings in e-cigarettes, many of which are yet to be fully evaluated for health hazards. Nguyen Thi Thu Huong from the fund also warned that e-cigarettes could contain drugs that cause addiction, especially among young people. She said the … [Read more...] about Symposium urges youths to quit smoking

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha stressed the need to incentivise the conversion of fossil fuel-powered vehicles to electric vehicles and other types of clean energy . In his conclusions made at a meeting discussing the application of preferential electricity prices at electric vehicle charging stations, Ha said that the transition to green economic development is an inevitable trend and a goal that Vietnam is pursuing. It will also create opportunities for Vietnam to become a pioneer in the region in terms of green growth and recovery, thus keeping pace with the new development trends of the world, he added. The Deputy PM asked the Ministry of Transport to collaborate with the Ministries of Natural Resources and Environment, Finance, Industry and Trade, Planning and Investment, Science and Technology, and Justice; and related agencies to study international experience, conduct a comprehensive analysis of various … [Read more...] about Deputy PM stresses need to encourage use of electric vehicles

Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan has said that Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh would chair a meeting of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control this weekend to deliberate the downgrading of COVID-19 from its current placement in Class A infectious diseases down to Class B. Lan told the National Assembly that on May 29 that the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that COVID-19 no longer constituted a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, the designation that was attached to the viral disease more than three years ago, but the pandemic is not over yet. In accordance with the guidance of the Government leader, the Ministry of Health was also coordinating with other ministries and agencies to review the legal regulations, consult the experience of other countries, and review practical measures for the prevention and control of COVID-19 in Vietnam, Lan noted. The Ministry … [Read more...] about Vietnam to consider downgrading COVID-19 to flu-like status