NDO/VNA – Vietnam has attached special importance and given high priority to maintaining and developing its traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Indonesia, said Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. During their talks, following a welcome ceremony for the Vietnamese leader in Jakarta on August 23, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Indonesian President Joko Widodo expressed their delight at the development of their bilateral ties over the past six decades, especially since the establishment of their strategic partnership in 2013. The two leaders informed each other of the situation in each country and discussed the major orientations to further deepen the Vietnam-Indonesia strategic partnership and push forward the bilateral ties, across all spheres, in a more practical and effective manner. They expressed their belief that the two-way trade value would soon be raised to US$10 billion, from US$ 6 billion last year, thanks to measures … [Read more...]

NDO/VNA – Novel technologies and achievements in the automation sector, such as robot technology, smart works, environment supervision equipment and automated machines in industrial production are being introduced at the Automation Techmart 2017, which opened in Hanoi on August 23. The event, the first of its kind in the country, is jointly held by the National Agency for Science and Technology Information under the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Vietnam Automation Association (VAA). It provides opportunities for institutes, science-technology organisations, businesses and universities to seek partners, enlarge their market and transfer technology, making contributions to the country’s industrialisation process. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Nguyen Quan, former Minister of Science and Technology and VAA Chairman, affirmed that automation technology plays a vital role in the context of industry 4.0 as it links all technology sectors and is … [Read more...]

NDO/VNA – Novel technologies and achievements in the automation sector, such as robot technology, smart works, environment supervision equipment and automated machines in industrial production are being introduced at the Automation Techmart 2017, which opened in Hanoi on August 23. The event, the first of its kind in the country, is jointly held by the National Agency for Science and Technology Information under the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Vietnam Automation Association (VAA). It provides opportunities for institutes, science-technology organisations, businesses and universities to seek partners, enlarge their market and transfer technology, making contributions to the country’s industrialisation process. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Nguyen Quan, former Minister of Science and Technology and VAA Chairman, affirmed that automation technology plays a vital role in the context of industry 4.0 as it links all technology sectors and is … [Read more...]

NDO/VNA – National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan has expressed her hope that young Japanese parliamentarians would contribute to deepening the Vietnam-Japan relations, at a reception in Hanoi, on August 23, for a delegation from the Liberal Democratic Party’s Youth Division. Intensifying cooperation with Japan is one of the priorities in Vietnam’s foreign policy, she affirmed, adding that the high political trust is a firm foundation for close and effective cooperation between the two sides. NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Ngan took the occasion to thank Japan for providing official development assistance (ODA) for Vietnam, which, she said, has helped the country to boost socio-economic development and reduce poverty. She spoke of the initiative to organise a seminar between the two countries’ young parliamentarians as it contributed to strengthening their mutual understanding. The top legislator asked the two sides to maintain visits and … [Read more...]

NDO/VNA – National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan has expressed her hope that young Japanese parliamentarians would contribute to deepening the Vietnam-Japan relations, at a reception in Hanoi, on August 23, for a delegation from the Liberal Democratic Party’s Youth Division. Intensifying cooperation with Japan is one of the priorities in Vietnam’s foreign policy, she affirmed, adding that the high political trust is a firm foundation for close and effective cooperation between the two sides. NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Ngan took the occasion to thank Japan for providing official development assistance (ODA) for Vietnam, which, she said, has helped the country to boost socio-economic development and reduce poverty. She spoke of the initiative to organise a seminar between the two countries’ young parliamentarians as it contributed to strengthening their mutual understanding. The top legislator asked the two sides to maintain visits and … [Read more...]

NDO/VNA – Vietnam’s Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Indonesian President Joko Widodo witnessed the signing of a series of cooperation documents between the two countries in Jakarta, on August 23, following their talks. The documents signed include a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation between Vietnam’s Ministry of Justice and Indonesia’s Ministry of Law and Human Rights and a MoU on information development cooperation between Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Indonesia’s Ministry of Village, Disadvantaged Region Development and Transmigration. Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade and Indonesia’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources signed a MoU on cooperation in gas use in border areas and another on cooperation in the coal industry. Meanwhile the two countries’ coast guard forces signed a letter of intent on cooperation enhancement and the Vietnamese and … [Read more...]

NDO/VNA – Vietnam’s Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Indonesian President Joko Widodo witnessed the signing of a series of cooperation documents between the two countries in Jakarta, on August 23, following their talks. The documents signed include a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation between Vietnam’s Ministry of Justice and Indonesia’s Ministry of Law and Human Rights and a MoU on information development cooperation between Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Indonesia’s Ministry of Village, Disadvantaged Region Development and Transmigration. Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade and Indonesia’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources signed a MoU on cooperation in gas use in border areas and another on cooperation in the coal industry. Meanwhile the two countries’ coast guard forces signed a letter of intent on cooperation enhancement and the Vietnamese and … [Read more...]

NDO/ VNA – The second meeting of the APEC Sub-Committee on Standards and Conformance (SCSC) began in Ho Chi Minh City on August 23, focusing on debating trade facilitation, alignment with international standards and active participation in international standardisation. Delegates also discussed effective regulatory practices, technical infrastructure development, food and product safety, and standards and conformance education. China presented a report on the project “Best practices sharing and technical capacity building for measurement and verification standards of energy savings.” Malaysia reported on the project on “APEC product safety incidents information sharing system,” while the US talked about facilitating trade in information and communications technologies (ICT) projects through the encouragement of electronic labeling. Vietnam shared it’s views on the best practices of the sharing of standards and conformity assessment … [Read more...]

NDO – Hundreds of solar projects have registered to invest in Vietnam as of the end of July 2017, with a total capacity of up to 17,000 MW. According to the World Bank's solar-powered potential map, Vietnam's solar energy resources are plentiful, with thermal radiation of approximately 2,056 kW/m2/year, extending from the central provinces down to the Mekong Delta. Solar power is the main source of energy for renewable energy development, which is increasingly drawing attention from both domestic and foreign investors. Representatives from the US Agency for International Development's Energy Programme said that by the end of July 2017, hundreds of solar projects have registered to invest in Vietnam, with a capacity of up to 17,000 MW, proving that solar energy has attracted great attention from investors both at home and abroad. Accordingly, Ninh Thuan province has a huge potential for solar power, attracting around 140 projects, followed by Ninh Thuan with … [Read more...]

NDO - A smart industry conference and exhibition, entitled Smart Industry World 2017 is scheduled to take place in Hanoi from December 4-5, the Central Economic Commission, which will host the show, has announced. The Commission’s deputy head Ngo Van Tuan said that the event provides a forum for the Vietnamese government’s advisory bodies, researchers, experts and the business community to discuss the measures needed to attract investment and develop the smart industry in Vietnam. The show will also help to connect domestic and foreign businesses in the field with Vietnam’s government agencies and local authorities. Participants in the conference and exhibition will be able to experience smart technologies of renowned partners from the US, Japan, Israel and the Republic of Korea. According to the organisers, Smart Industry World 2017 is the first time that such a large scale event will be held in Vietnam, with the participation of more than 1,500 … [Read more...]

NDO/VNA – APEC officials shared the views that finance remains one of the biggest challenges to the health sector at a meeting in Ho Chi Minh City on August 23. The seventh APEC High-Level Meeting on Health and the Economy forms part of the third APEC Senior Officials Meeting (SOM 3). In his opening remarks, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam described the meeting as a specific action in materialising the APEC leaders’ commitments towards a healthy Asia-Pacific region. The official pointed out a range of challenges to the health sector, such as the rapid spread of new diseases, population aging and the prevalence of non-communicable diseases. “Vietnam has paid great attention to developing good-quality medical centres and the staff of health workers, while seeking ways to facilitate residents in remote areas and vulnerable groups to access the best health services, especially preventive medicine” he said. To that end, it is necessary to … [Read more...]

MADRID: A suspected member of the terror cell that unleashed carnage in Spain last week admitted to a judge on Tuesday (Aug 22) that the militants had planned to hit monuments in an even bigger attack. Mohamed Houli Chemlal, suspected of involvement in the terror cell that carried out twin attacks in Spain, is escorted by Spanish Civil Guards from a detention center in Tres Cantos, near Madrid, on Aug 22, 2017. (Photo: AFP/Stringer) Mohamed Houli Chemlal, 21, said he knew of the plans two months ago, as he, and three other suspects, appeared in court for the first time following twin attacks that killed 15 people and wounded more than 100. The four are the only surviving suspects from what was believed to be a 12-man terror cell that rammed a van into pedestrians on a tourist-packed boulevard in Barcelona on Thursday. … [Read more...]

PARIS: A Jose Callejon goal helped Napoli ease into the Champions League group stage on Tuesday (Aug 22), while Sevilla also went through and Celtic suffered a scare in Kazakhstan before winning their play-off tie. Scott Sinclair's double helped Celtic to a 5-0 thrashing of Astana in their Champions League play-off round first leg in Glasgow. Third in Serie A last season, Napoli were too strong for Nice, winning 2-0 in France with Callejon and Lorenzo Insigne both scoring as they progressed 4-0 on aggregate. Beaten by eventual winners Real Madrid in the last 16 last season, Maurizio Sarri's side took the lead when Marek Hamsik deposited a low cross from the left for Callejon to convert at the back post in the 48th minute. The dangerous Dries Mertens then hit the post before Insigne sealed the Italians' win a … [Read more...]

NDO/VNA – Several groups of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) met in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, on August 23, to discuss how to coordinate their activities in terms of food security and climate change. They are the Agricultural Technical Cooperation Working Group (ATCWG), the Policy Partnership on Food Security (PPFS), the Oceans and Fisheries Working Group (OFWG) and the High-Level Policy Dialogue on Agricultural Biotechnology (HLPDAB). Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh informed reporters that this is the first joint meeting of the four groups, aiming to share experience, avoid overlapping activities and ensure effective cooperation. The groups considered whether they should meet for the second time in 2018 and evaluated the meeting's contribution to coordination in enhancing food security among the APEC economies. They also looked into the draft Can Tho Statement on Enhancing Food Security and Sustainable … [Read more...]

NDO/VNA – Several groups of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) met in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, on August 23, to discuss how to coordinate their activities in terms of food security and climate change. They are the Agricultural Technical Cooperation Working Group (ATCWG), the Policy Partnership on Food Security (PPFS), the Oceans and Fisheries Working Group (OFWG) and the High-Level Policy Dialogue on Agricultural Biotechnology (HLPDAB). Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh informed reporters that this is the first joint meeting of the four groups, aiming to share experience, avoid overlapping activities and ensure effective cooperation. The groups considered whether they should meet for the second time in 2018 and evaluated the meeting's contribution to coordination in enhancing food security among the APEC economies. They also looked into the draft Can Tho Statement on Enhancing Food Security and Sustainable … [Read more...]

NDO - The exports from the Republic of Korea (RoK) to Vietnam increased by nearly 50% in the first seven months of 2017, compared to the same period last year, making Vietnam among the top three shipment destinations for RoK goods. According to RoK Customs Service, RoK's exports to Vietnam, in the January-July period, reached US$26.95 billion, up 49.8% against the same period last year, and nearly three times higher than the 16.3% increase for RoK’s exports as a whole. With this total amount, Vietnam ranks third among the export markets of RoK, following US$79.25 billion for China and US$39.66 billion for the US. Vietnam has recently surpassed Hong Kong (China) to make the top three export destinations this year. RoK's exports to Vietnam have been increasing by double digits every year since 2010, except for 2014, due to RoK firms moving their production facilities to Vietnam. Increasing industrial demands in Vietnam and the implementation of the free … [Read more...]

NDO – The sixth Vietnam International Book Exhibition and Fair – 2017 officially opened at Thong Nhat Park, Hanoi, on August 23. The fair features the participation of 94 publishing houses from home and abroad, introducing nearly 40,000 book titles. Speaking at the event, Minister of Information and Communication Truong Minh Tuan said that the sixth Vietnam International Book Exhibition and Fair offers an opportunity for publishing houses to meet and exchange their experience in managing and organising international activities and events on publishing; introduce their publications to domestic and international readers; and promote copyright transactions and the expansion of international cooperation in publishing activities. The exhibits were divided into various different themes, including books on islands, territories and sovereignty; books on ASEAN; translated books; e-books; books published by other materials; books honoured with State Awards, Ho Chi Minh … [Read more...]

The real estate sector in Vietnam is predicted to see many more acquisitions in 2018. Duong Thuy Dung, senior director and head of professional services at CBRE Vietnam, predicted that in 2017-2018, the three segments that will attract the most mergers and acquisitions (M&As) include houses for sale in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, hotels and condotels in coastal provinces, and industrial properties stretching from the north to the south of the country. The optimistic forecasts were also shared by Nguyen My Phuong, CEO of Tien Phuoc Group, who foresaw more deals at increased values. Masataka Sam Yoshida, senior managing director of Japan’s M&A consultant firm Recof Corporation, said that Japanese investors began showing interest in the Vietnamese real estate market in 2015, especially in the high-end residential, commercial, and … [Read more...]

Over the past 170 years of development, German conglomerate company Siemens has been continuously improving sustainable energy. Dr. Armin Bruck, Siemens’ regional CEO, spoke with VIR’s Thanh Dat about how the firm can become the world’s first major industrial company to achieve a net-zero carbon footprint by 2030, and contribute to Vietnam’s sustainable energy mix and greenhouse gas emission reductions. Sustainability is now regarded as one of the most critical and globally relevant topics on the political and business agenda. What is Siemens’ perspective on this trend? What are some of the actions the company is taking? From Siemens’ viewpoint, sustainability encompasses three dimensions: planet, people, and profit. It should protect our environment and conserve natural resources – our planet. It … [Read more...]

Rapper-turned-actor Mark Wahlberg was named the world’s highest paid actor on Tuesday, earning an estimated US$68 million before taxes over the past 12 months. Mark Wahlberg stars in the Transformers: The Last Knight. The rapper-turned-actor is the world’s highest paid actor, according to Forbes magazine, which said the 46-year old former rap star earned estimated US$68 million before taxes over the past 12 months. - AFP Photo The 46-year-old star won his place at the top of the list compiled by Forbes magazine, thanks to earnings from Transformers: The Last Knight and comedy sequel Daddy’s Home 2, due out in November. "The former may have scored a miserable 15 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and the lowest gross of the franchise to date, but Wahlberg need not worry – fixed compensation means he … [Read more...]