Like the dry locks of Sinh Ton (Sin Cowe), Song Tu Tay (Southwest Cay), and Da Tay (West Reef) islands, the dry lock of Truong Sa Island is seen as a firm fulcrum for the task of marine economic development on Truong Sa archipelago. Stepping off fishing trawlers moored in the dry lock, captain of trawler NT 90228 TS Le Xuan Du received me. Du and crew-members on board come from Phuoc Dinh commune, Thuan Nam district, Ninh Thuan province. He shared that on average the trawler conducts fishing in the open sea for about 16 days, unless the trawler experiences some problems. They often make thorough preparations for the trip; however, things sometimes do not go as planned. In the past, Truong Sa archipelogo did not have any dry locks. When receiving the information about the upcoming storms, fishing trawlers ran back to the shore, resulting in the loss of money and materials. The dry lock is a place for fishing boats to take a rest and receive logistic and technical services. Thanks to … [Read more...] about Happy smiles on dry lock of Truong Sa
Social support world happiness report
International solidarity in Bambari
For Major Nguyen Van Hien, who is a member of the Bambari Operation Team, and his colleagues, it is the sincere support and sharing of international friends that have motivated them to overcome all difficulties and hardships to complete missions entrusted by the Party, State, and military. Recalling his first days in Bambari, a town in Ouaka of the Central African Republic, Major Hien said that although he had been well-prepared before being deployed to the area, he was still shocked at the harsh weather conditions which is filled with red soil and gravels. Dozens of families live in small cottages. On the way to the central area of Ouaka, he did not see any sign of medical, education, electricity, and water systems. Everything was far beyond the imagination of the Vietnamese blue beret soldier. Difficulties piled up when food and necessities transported by air from Vietnam could not reach the Central African Republic due to the complicated security situation. Meanwhile, local food … [Read more...] about International solidarity in Bambari
N.A. delegation attends Nevsky International Ecological Congress in St. Petersburg
At a meeting on May 25 with Yatskin, who is also head of the Russian Federation Council’s group for cooperation with the N.A. of Vietnam, Dinh affirmed that Vietnam always treasures the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia, and remembers the priceless support that the former Soviet Union and now Russia has given to Vietnam. Dinh, who is also Chairman of the Vietnam - Russia Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group, pointed to a number of problems in the economic-trade partnership between the two countries, and asked Russia to support the upgrade and adjust the free trade agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) to benefit bilateral relations. He also suggested that Russia create favourable conditions for the strengthening of labor cooperation in areas of each other’s strengths and demands, and simplify the visa-granting procedures for Vietnamese citizens. The Vietnamese official expressed his hope that the parliament and … [Read more...] about N.A. delegation attends Nevsky International Ecological Congress in St. Petersburg
ASEAN, Chinese senior officials meet on DOC implementation
Earlier, ASEAN member countries convened a meeting to coordinate their stances. Ambassador Vu Ho, Acting Head of ASEAN SOM Vietnam, led a Vietnamese delegation to the meetings. Myanmar, the coordinator of ASEAN - China ties, and China co-chaired the 20th SOM-DOC which took place after nearly two years of hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the meeting, delegates reaffirmed the value and importance of DOC in the region. They highly appreciated the positive results in the DOC implementation over the past time. They highlighted the effective implementation of specific cooperation activities in marine environment protection, marine scientific research, humane and fair treatment of fishermen, search and rescue operations at sea. They also noted activities in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the signing of the DOC in 2022. The delegates showed their concerns about the complex developments in the East Sea (South China Sea) which erode trust, increase tensions, and affect … [Read more...] about ASEAN, Chinese senior officials meet on DOC implementation
Top-to-bottom changes needed to save Mekong Delta from erosion
The 78-year-old farmer’s "used-to" means around 10 years ago. "The river was healthy and gentle, now it’s like a starving person who keeps eating into the bank." Erosion has occurred regularly along both the Hau and the Tien rivers, two tributaries of the Mekong, and many smaller river branches in the Mekong Delta. A report by the World Wide Fund for Nature in Vietnam and the Department of Natural Disasters Prevention at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said that by the end of 2021, the Mekong Delta had 621 major erosion areas that stretched for a total of around 610 km. Around 500 ha of land in the delta is lost to erosion every year, the report estimated. Erosion in the delta is not new, it’s just getting more serious. While climate change can be blamed as a natural cause, there are many man-made causes, from the construction of hydropower dams upstream along the Mekong, to the destruction of mangrove forests and sand mining. Nearly 40 million tons of … [Read more...] about Top-to-bottom changes needed to save Mekong Delta from erosion