Spying to discover state secrets

Nguyen Thi Hong, Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam, gives a report to the National Assembly during a meeting in Ha Noi on May 24. — VNA/VNS Photo The Government has asked for an extension to a pilot programme designed to handle bad debt from domestic financial institutions during a meeting with the National Assembly yesterday in Ha Noi. The programme, issued under Government Decree 42 in 2017, was set to be extended until the end of 2023. The programme, since its implementation five years ago, has contributed to the restructuring of numerous financial institutions and the collection of bad debt during the 2016-20 period, according to Nguyen Thi Hong, Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV). By the end of 2021, the programme had helped handle over VND380 trillion in bad debt, or 47.9 per cent of the country's entire bad debt since August 15, 2017. On average, some VND5.67 trillion in bad debt was processed each month during the period, significantly higher than the … [Read more...] about State Bank asks for extension to bad debt programme

The center will be a platform for educational and cultural programming, research support, and academic services. The new US-Vietnam Cooperation Center has officially come into operation after a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV), 69 Chua Lang Street, Hanoi. Speaking at the opening ceremony on May 25, US Ambassador Marc Evans Knapper said the center joins over 600 other American Spaces around the world, which encourage open dialogue and build bridges of understanding by serving as study centers for students and communal spaces for those interested in American culture and values. Participants at the US-Vietnam Cooperation Center's ribbon-cutting ceremony. Photo: US Embassy to Vietnam This partnership highlights not only the importance of the US-Vietnam relationship but also the close cooperation between the US Embassy in Hanoi and the DAV. It also demonstrates the US’ commitment to supporting the development of a strong, … [Read more...] about New US-Vietnam Cooperation Center inaugurated in Hanoi

Con Dao Airport According to the plan, the project will upgrade a runway and taxiway, air traffic management and control works, apron, fuel storage facilities, passenger terminal and auxiliary works. Currently, runway and taxiway upgrade has been implemented on schedule. However, there are no detailed plan for the remaining items of the upgrading project. The CAAV has proposed the Ministry of Transport work with the Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises (CMCS) to approve the investment project as soon as possible, including items such as the passenger terminal, apron and technology infrastructures at the airport. After being upgraded to serve both military and civil purposes, Con Dao Airport will have a capacity of two million passengers and 4,400 tons of cargo per year, and eight parking places. By Minh Anh – Translated by Kim Khanh … [Read more...] about CAAV proposes delay in construction of runway, taxiway at Con Dao Airport

The meeting was held by the Ministry of National Defense (MND) and chaired by its Deputy Defense Minister Senior Lieutenant General Le Huy Vinh, Head of the MND’s Steering Committee on Administrative Reform and E-Government. At the event, Senior Colonel Vu Quang Mien, Deputy Chief of Staff of the GDL, presented the draft plan of the coordination program. In particular, the two sides will support each other according to their functions and duties for the common goal of improving the quality of logistics services. While coordinating, the two signatories will observe the principle of consensus, State laws, and the MND’s regulations. In terms of coordination goals, the two sides will bring into play their strengths and potential, jointly implement tasks in accordance with the MND’s Plan No.4396 signed on November 4, 2021 on developing an e-Government, towards a digital government in the MND for the 2021-2025 period, with a vision to 2030 and the GDL’s Plan No.557 dated March 31, 2022 … [Read more...] about Viettel assists military logistics sector in digital transformation

The new U.S.-Vietnam Cooperation Center is a partnership between the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi and DAV and is located on the academy’s campus. This partnership highlights not only the importance of the U.S.-Vietnam relationship, but also the close cooperation between the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi and DAV. It also demonstrates the U.S.’s commitment to supporting the development of a strong, prosperous, and independent Vietnam. The U.S.-Vietnam Cooperation Center at DAV joins the American Hangout at Thai Nguyen University as the second American Spaces partnership in northern Vietnam, building on the success of American Center Hanoi’s popular STEM, English, career skills, women and youth empowerment, and environmental programming. “It joins over 600 other American Spaces around the world, which encourage open dialogue and build bridges of understanding by serving as study centers for students and communal spaces for those interested in American culture and … [Read more...] about U.S.-Vietnam cooperation center opens

At his meeting with British Cabinet Minister and President for the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) Alok Sharma, Khai said that Vietnam has been implementing many overall and comprehensive measures in the field of energy transition and growth model transformation towards a green and circular direction to realize commitments made at COP26. The official underlined that ensuring energy security for growth and reducing emissions at the same time is a very complicated problem that requires the support of the international community in terms of resources, technology, and governance capacity. Therefore, he said that Vietnam hopes that the U.K., the European Union (E.U.) and other member states of the Group of Seven (G7) will soon make specific commitments to supporting Vietnam in this area. For his part, Sharma held that Vietnam has made a proper decision to announce the net-zero emission commitment at the COP26, lauding Vietnam’s efforts to realize the commitments, … [Read more...] about Deputy PM busy with meetings on threshold of WEF meeting

Hue noted that economic cooperation and trade between Vietnam and Greece have seen positive progress, especially since the E.U. - Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) took effect. He proposed that the two countries continue to promote collaboration in areas of Greece’s strength and Vietnam’s demand such as maritime economy, shipbuilding, seaport, and tourism, while working together to reach a double taxation avoidance agreement and another on maritime transportation to create favourable conditions for economic exchange and trade. The N.A. leader thanked the Greek parliament for ratifying the EVFTA, suggesting that it hasten the act on the E.U. - Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) as well as the removal of the “yellow card” on Vietnamese fisheries sector. The two sides should work closely together to optimise advantages from the two deals, protecting the legitimate interest of businesses of both countries during their investment and business activities in each other’s … [Read more...] about N.A. leader meets Greek President in Hanoi

A four-year-old Vietnamese girl has passed away after she was bitten by a venomous snake but no venom antiserum against the species was available for use to save her then, local authorities said. The little girl, S.T.N.N., died on Sunday, a week after being bitten by a Malayan krait snake, one of the venomous snake species, while sleeping at home in Phuoc Tan Commune, Son Hoa District, Phu Yen Province, located in the south-central region. N.'s mother found her daughter being bitten by the snake at 0:00 on May 16 and took the girl to the district health center immediately, the commune authorities said. Due to her critical condition, the girl was transferred to the Phu Yen Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital at 2:30 am the same day in a state of lethargy and difficulty breathing. Doctors later performed endotracheal intubation on the girl as she showed signs of apnea, said Dr. Phan Van Minh, the hospital director. They promptly transferred her to the provincial General … [Read more...] about In Vietnam, little girl dies of snakebite as hospitals couldn’t find corresponding antivenom

Businesses across Ho Chi Minh City have increased prices of essentials due to higher production costs despite consumer purchasing power having decreased by up to 25 percent, a survey of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper has shown. Enterprises in Vietnam have issued warnings that food prices will continue to rise unless solutions are found to restrain surging food input costs, including raw materials, gasoline, and animal feed. As a case in point, cooking oil is now being sold 15-20 percent more expensive at supermarkets in Ho Chi Minh City than at the beginning of the year, and 70-90 percent higher than the price of 2020. Notably, Tuong An cooking oil now sells for VND60,000-160,000 (US$2.6-$6.9) per liter, depending on the type, while a set of 10 chicken or duck eggs is offered at VND33,000-VND38,000 ($1.4-$1.64) at traditional markets. The rates are about 20 percent higher than earlier this year, and nearly double those of last year, mostly owing to higher production costs and … [Read more...] about Purchasing power drops, food prices rise in Ho Chi Minh City

At the talk, the military commands of the two provinces updated each other on the socio-economic, defense-security situations in 2021 and the first quarter of 2022, and reviewed their coordination in military-defense task performance over the past time. In particular, in 2021, the two sides maintained information exchange and promoted dissemination among local people of information about the traditional relationship between the two parties, states, and peoples, as well as regulations and border restrictions signed by the two countries. Additionally, the two military commands coordinated with each other to prevent and control the COVID-19 pandemic while addressing immigration issues, maintaining security, social order and safety in the shared borderline, and combating cross-border crimes. Since 2020, the Thanh Hoa provincial Military Command has presented anti-COVID-19 medical supplies and equipment, worth more than VND 2.5 billion, to the Houaphanh provincial Military Command and … [Read more...] about Vietnamese and Lao military units promote defense cooperation