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
Vietnam 1 month itinerary
Positive prospects for Vietnam’s stock market this year
The VN-Index, which tracks the performance of the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE), closed above the resistance area of 1,100 points, equivalent to 1,120 points of the VN30-Index, in the last trading week. Although cash flow has not improved much, supply pressure has not put great pressure on the market. The market is expected to continue to be supported and gain points in the next trading sessions. Therefore, investors can still expect the market to expand the uptrend and exploit some short-term opportunities in stocks with positive accumulation background, said Viet Dragon Securities Co. 2022 was an eventful year for the Vietnamese stock market with many records set. After a prosperous 2021, the VN-Index continued to stay at its historic peak for the first three months of 2022. However, the market then declined, putting itself on the list of the worst performers in the world. As of December 27, the benchmark had dropped 34.2% to 1,004.57 points, from the 1,520-point peak … [Read more...] about Positive prospects for Vietnam’s stock market this year
Indonesia to set emission quotas for several coal-fired power plants
NIllustrative image (Photo: internationalfinance.com) Jakarta (VNA) - Indonesia has set a target of issuing emission quotas for some coal-fired power plants within this month as a first step towards creating a mechanism for domestic carbon trading. Last year, Indonesia , among the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitters, set a more ambitious goal of reducing carbon emissions by 31.89% on its own or 43.2% with international support, by 2030. That compared to its 2015 Paris Agreement pledge to cut emissions by 29% or 41% with international help. Mohamad Priharto Dwinugroho, an official of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, said that the quotas will be set the latest by January 31. After obtaining the quotas, businesses are required to carry out carbon trading . The first phase of carbon trade will cover coal power plants with minimum 100 megawatt capacity that are directly connected to power grids owned by state utility Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN), … [Read more...] about Indonesia to set emission quotas for several coal-fired power plants
Ba Ria – Vung Tau welcomes nearly 2,400 international cruise tourists
The passengers, mainly from Germany, were presented with flowers and gifts by representatives of the provincial Department of Tourism at a welcome ceremony held at the port. Of the passengers, about 1,800 will tour Ho Chi Minh City, Ba Ria - Vung Tau or some southwestern provinces while the rest will follow the itineraries that they had booked before. Vietnam is one of the destinations for Mein Schiff 5 during its tour of Asian countries. Earlier, the cruise ship anchored in Malaysia and Thailand is its next destination. Its journey started from January 18 in Singapore and will end on February 1. Source: VNA … [Read more...] about Ba Ria – Vung Tau welcomes nearly 2,400 international cruise tourists
Prime Minister launches New Year tree-planting festival
Co-organized by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of National Defense and Hanoi municipal authorities, the tree-planting festival started a series of activities nationwide for the program “For a green Vietnam” with an aim to plant 22.5 million trees this year. Speaking at the event, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh recalled that 64 years ago, President Ho Chi Minh called on the entire people to respond to the tree-planting month which has become a tradition every lunar new year since then. According to him, Vietnam’s forest coverage expanded from 28% in 1990 to over 42% in 2022, absorbing over 70 million tons of carbon dioxide. The PM highlighted Vietnam's commitment to achieve net zero by 2050 and expressed his belief that the tree-planting campaign 2023 will produce positive achievements, helping the country deliver its commitment and contributing to national development. At the launch ceremony, he joined delegates in planting 3,000 trees at the … [Read more...] about Prime Minister launches New Year tree-planting festival
Hoi An, HCM City among world’s top 25 trending destinations in 2023: TripAdvisor
Germany’s famous travel site reisereporter.de has run an article highlighting the world’s top 25 trending destinations for 2023, including Vietnam’s Hoi An ancient city and Ho Chi Minh City, recently voted by readers of TripAdvisor – the world's largest travel guidance platform. Hoi An in the central province of Quang Nam occupies the second place, following Cuba (Photo: Screenshot) Specifically, Hoi An in the central province of Quang Nam occupied the second place on the list as part of the annual Travelers' Choice Best of the Best Awards, following Cuba, while the southern metropolis secured 11th place. The category reveals destinations with the greatest year-over-year growth in interest on Tripadvisor based on travelers' reviews over a 12-month period between November 1 and October 31. "Hoi An on the central Vietnamese coast is a well-preserved example of the important Southeast Asian trading port it was from the 15th-19th centuries," Tripadvisor commented. … [Read more...] about Hoi An, HCM City among world’s top 25 trending destinations in 2023: TripAdvisor
Prime Minister launches New Year tree planting festival
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh offered incense to President Ho Chi Minh and launched the annual New Year tree planting festival at K9-Da Chong relic site, Hanoi’s outlying district of Ba Vi, on January 27, the sixth day of the Year of the Cat. PM Pham Minh Chinh joins in tree planting at the relic site (Photo: VNA) Co-organised by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of National Defence and Hanoi municipal authorities, the tree planting festival started a series of activities nationwide for the programme “For a green Vietnam” with an aim to plant 22.5 million trees this year. Speaking at the event, PM Chinh recalled that 64 years ago, President Ho Chi Minh called on the entire people to respond to the tree planting month which has become a tradition every lunar new year since then. According to him, Vietnam’s forest coverage expanded from 28% in 1990 to over 42% in 2022, absorbing over 70 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. … [Read more...] about Prime Minister launches New Year tree planting festival
Co Loa Temple Festival opens
Co Loa Citadel represents the thousand-year history of the nation. This annual event is held to pay tribute to King An Duong Vuong, founder of the ancient Vietnamese kingdom of Au Lac, who led the fight against foreign enemies and ruled the country for 50 years in the 3rd century BC. The colorful festival of Co Loa Temple will take place until February 6. Photo: VNA At the opening of the festival, Dong Anh District People's Committee Chairman Nguyen Xuan Linh recalled that more than 2,300 years ago, after leading the resistance war against more than 50,000 Qin soldiers, King An Duong Vuong established the capital of the Au Lac Kingdom in Co Loa. “This is one of the extremely valuable historical sites with unique architecture and also an important archaeological site of the country,” he said. "The Co Loa citadel has become a symbol of the proud ancient Vietnamese civilization," he added. Being considered one of the oldest festivals in Vietnam, Co Loa … [Read more...] about Co Loa Temple Festival opens
Hanoi longest spring festival opens
The Huong Pagoda Festival, the longest of its kind in Vietnam, opened on January 27 in Hanoi’s outlying district of My Duc. Coming to the festival, which will last for three months until April 23, visitors can sightsee pagodas, temples and caves, and join Buddhist ceremonies. The pagoda has seen thousands of visitors over the past few days. Despite the rainy cold weather, many waited through Thursday night until the festival officially opened at 12 am on Friday. A visitor, Nguyen Tuan Anh, 38, said that he joined a group of over 10 friends to go to the pagoda at 8 pm on January 26. They took a trip along the Yen River and visited some sites through the night. The Huong Tich Cavern displays the autograph of the defacto ruler of north Vietnam Lord Trinh Sam from 1770, describing the cavern as the most beautiful cave in the country. … [Read more...] about Hanoi longest spring festival opens
Neu pole wards off evil spirits, welcomes blessings
Vietnamese people erect a Neu tree in front of their house to show off their land holdings and mark the border of their house. The bamboo pole was stripped of its leaves, except for a tuft at the top. The decoration on the Neu trees varies between regions and periods. On the top of the bamboo tree, they often hang a snatch of pineapple leaves, chicken feathers and a circle of New Year cards made of bamboo and do (poonah) paper. According to cultural researchers, the circle of bamboo cards symbolizes happiness and chicken feathers represent holy birds with powers that can help the family. The pole is also believed to ward off ghosts and demons from entering the community during Tet. It also seeks to show the way to ancestors who want to return home for the lunar New Year holiday. As legend goes, the Tet pole erecting tradition is originated from the Buddhism. Legend has it that long time ago, devils occupied the land of humans. Seeing humans’ suffering, the Buddha helped them … [Read more...] about Neu pole wards off evil spirits, welcomes blessings