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/ June 20, 2021

Argentina hopes for strategic partnership with Vietnam: ambassador

Argentinian Ambassador to Vietnam Luis Pablo Maria Beltramino (Photo courtesy of the Argentinian Embassy) Hanoi – The new Argentinian Ambassador to Vietnam, Luis Pablo Maria Beltramino, has affirmed his country’s willingness to upgrade its relations with Vietnam to a strategic partnership, especially when the two sides are preparing to mark the 50th founding anniversary of their diplomatic ties in 2023. Talking to the Vietnam News Agency after presenting his credentials to President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Beltramino expressed his honour to be appointed Ambassador of Argentina to Vietnam and pledged all-out efforts to continue promoting the solidarity, friendship, and cooperation between the two countries, which set up their comprehensive partnership in 2010. Valuing the flourishing extensive cooperation, he highlighted its three pillars of political dialogue, trade, and technical collaboration. The ambassador noted the political dialogue mechanism has been deployed in the form of all-level mutual visits, especially those at high levels. Meanwhile, he went on, the two economies are complementary to each other, and Argentina is ready to diversify products to meet Vietnam’s demand. On the other hand, the Southeast Asian nation also boasts a number of high-quality products like technology, textile-garment, and footwear, which are all popular in his country. The seventh meeting of the inter-governmental committee on economic-trade and scientific-technological cooperation will take place in August to discuss trade opening, Beltramino announced. He applauded the effectiveness of bilateral technical cooperation over the last two decades, noting the implementation of 15 joint projects in various fields, including industry and agriculture, which are the strengths of both Argentina and Vietnam. The diplomat also talked about bilateral collaboration in forensic anthropology, in which the South American nation has been helping Vietnam to identify war martyrs. …

/ June 4, 2021

Vietnam approves Sinopharm Covid vaccine for emergency use

The vaccine, called Vero Cell, Inactivated, is produced by the Beijing Institute of Biological Products Co.Ltd. The National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology suggested for the vaccine to be approved, and its approval was signed by deputy health minister Truong Quoc Cuong on Thursday. The National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology will be responsible for cooperating with vaccine manufacturers to ensure the production of this vaccine and its safety and quality. The institute will also cooperate with the Administration of Science, Technology and Training under the health ministry to evaluate the vaccine's safety and effectiveness, and with the National Institute for Control of Vaccines and Biologicals to evaluate the vaccine by providing samples and other relevant materials, before the vaccine could be put into use. The institute will also provide instructions on how to store, distribute and use the vaccine. The Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine is the third one to be approved by Vietnam for emergency use, after Russia’s Sputnik V and the one made by British-Swedish firm AstraZeneca. The vaccine was approved by China last December and by WHO for emergency use last month. Some 42 countries and territories have been using the vaccine, of which 200 million doses have been shipped worldwide. Vietnam has been using the AstraZeneca vaccine for its vaccination program, under which over 1.1 million people have got shots so far. The country aims to secure about 150 million vaccine doses this year to cover 70 percent of its population. …

/ June 20, 2021

Singapore committed to cooperating closely with Vietnam for post-pandemic recovery

Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan (Photo: AFP/VNA) Singapore - Singapore is committed to cooperating closely with Vietnam so that both countries can emerge stronger post-pandemic, Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said ahead of his trip to Vietnam to attend the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) High Level Policy Dialogue from June 20-23. In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency’s correspondents in Singapore, the minister noted that Singapore and Vietnam have a close Strategic Partnership anchored by strong political and economic relations, warm people-to-people ties, and wide-ranging cooperation. He described the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks in seven locations across Vietnam as icons of the two countries’ excellent economic collaboration. The minister went on to say that the two countries also work closely in many regional and multilateral fora including ASEAN and the UN, and share a common interest in promoting a free, inclusive and rules-based multilateral trading system. He stressed that despite the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy, trade and investment ties between Singapore and Vietnam remain strong, calling attention to the fact that Singapore was Vietnam’s largest source of Foreign Direct Investment in 2020 and also the first quarter of 2021. “We have supported each other during this difficult time, including by exchanging donations of medical supplies and working together to keep regional supply chains open. Both countries are also fully committed to vaccine multilateralism, as well as the fair and equitable distribution of vaccines. We have also collaborated closely with Vietnam during Vietnam’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2020 and non-permanent membership on the UN Security Council in 2020 and 2021,” Balakrishnan said. According to him, as the two countries prepare to reopen their borders, they can consider how to gradually and safely resume travel between Vietnam and Singapore. “I believe …