Day: March 2, 2023

The 15th National Assembly of Vietnam elected Vo Van Thuong as the new President of Vietnam at its fourth extraordinary session on Mar 2.

With 487 out of 488 votes, or 98.38% of the NA’s membership, the NA passed a resolution on the election of Thuong. The resolution took effect immediately after it was approved.

Under the resolution, Thuong, who is a member of the Politburo, permanent member of the 13th Party Central Committee’s Secretariat, and a deputy of the 15th NA, will serve as President of Vietnam in the 2021-2026 tenure.

Taking the oath of office the same day, Thuong vowed to stay absolutely loyal to the Fatherland, the people and the Constitution, and work hard to complete all tasks assigned by the Party, State and people.

Biography summary of Vo Van Thuong

1. Full name: VO VAN THUONG

2. Date of birth: December 13, 1970

3. Native place: An Phuoc commune, Mang Thit district, Vinh Long province

4. Ethnic group: Kinh

5. Date of Party admission: November 18, 1993 Date of official Party admission: November 18, 1994

6. Training, qualification:

– General education: 12/12

– Degree: Bachelor of Philosophy

– Master of Social Sciences and Humanities

7. Reward: Third-class Labour Order; Medal “For Young Generation”; Certificate of Merit by the Prime Minister (2004)

8. Discipline: Collective reprimand for the Standing Committee of Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee (2010-2015)

9. Positions:

– Alternate member of the Party Central Committee, 10th tenure;

– Member of the Party Central Committee: 11th, 12th and 13th tenures;

– Secretary of the Party Central Committee: 12th and 13th tenures;

– Member of the Politburo: 12th and 13th tenures;

– Deputy to the National Assembly: 12th, 14th and 15th tenures.

10. Working career

– From 1988 to 1992: Student of Faculty of Philosophy of Ho Chi Minh City University.

– From 1992 to 1993: Member of the Central Committee of Vietnamese Students’ Association.

– From 1993 to 2004: Vice Secretary and then Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU); Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union; Member of the HCYU Central Committee and the Standing Board of the HCYU Central Committee; Member of the HCM City’s Party Committee (from October 2003).

– From November 2004 to October 2006: Member of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, Secretary of the Party Committee of District 12.

– April 2006: At the 10th National Party Congress, elected alternate member of the Party Central Committee.

– October 2006: Permanent Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee, First Secretary of the Youth Union Central Committee (from January 2007), President of the Vietnam Youth Federation, Chairman of the National Committee for Vietnamese Youth. Deputy of the 12th-tenure National Assembly.

– From January 2011 to April 2014: At the 11th National Party Congress, elected member of the Party Central Committee; Secretary of the Quang Ngai provincial Party Committee (from August 2011).

– From April 2014 to January 2016: Member of the Party Central Committee, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee.

– January 2016: At the 12th National Party Congress, elected to the Party Central Committee, elected to the Politburo by the Party Central Committee; assigned to the Secretariat by the Politburo.

– From February 2016 to January 2021: Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Party Central Committee’s Commission of Information and Education; Deputy of the 14th-tenure National Assembly.

– From January 2021 to now: At the 13th National Party Congress, elected to the Party Central Committee, elected to the Politburo by the Party Central Committee; assigned to serve as Permanent member of the Secretariat by the Politburo (February 2021).

– On March 2, 2023, at the fourth extraordinary meeting of the 15th-tenure National Assembly, elected President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Source: Lao News Agency

The National University of Laos and the D-Book Publishing will organize Book Festival 2023 on the main campus of the university in Dongdok, Vientiane on March 8-12 to raise awareness of reading among students and general public and the publication of children’s books.

“This book festival aims to translate into reality the strategic plan on human resource development of the government and increasing of the ratio of readers to 2/3 of the country’s population by 2025,” Director of D-Book Publishing, Mr Somsamay Phommachan told a press conference in Vientiane on Mar 1.

The event will also provide the opportunity to cartoonists, writers, publishers to exchange points of view on how to gain access to target readers.

Art and cultural performances, debates, prize award events will be held on the sidelines of the festival along with book donations and food and drink sales.

Source: Lao News Agency

The government of the Republic of Korea said Thursday it will help double the country’s exports of cultural content to US$25 billion by 2027 by expanding its overseas markets to the Middle East, North America and Europe.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea reported the plan during a government meeting on export strategies, presided over by President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Korea’s exports of the content industry hit an all-time high of US$12.4 billion for the country in 2021, boosted by the global boom of Korean pop culture, according to government figures.

The ministry said it will increase the exports by an average of 12.3 per cent every year to achieve US$25 billion in 2027 by pushing for its so-called 3E strategies for K-content exports.

The 3Es stand for “expansion” of the export market, “extension” of the content industry and utilization of the premium “effect” of the global popularity of Korean content, according to the ministry.

The content industry is an umbrella term for organizations that make copyrighted works available to the public, such as publishing, music, games, broadcasting, films, cartoons, animation, characters, advertising, knowledge information and content solutions.

“As it has gained global popularity, the K-content industry has seen its exports grow and is creating enormous economic value considering its impact to other industries,” Yoon was quoted by a ministry official as saying during the meeting.

He asked the public and private sectors to be united as one team to make the country a content power.

The ministry said it plans to inject about 1.1 trillion won (US$847.5 billion) into the project to support the industry this year and possibly more next year through consultations with the budgetary authority.

For the goal, the government will try to expand the industry’s markets to the Middle East, Europe and North America, areas where Korean content is less popular than in Asia.

Currently, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan account for more than half of South Korea’s content industry exports together while the shares of North America and Europe are 13.3 per cent and 10.9 per cent, respectively. Other regions, including the Middle East, represent only 5.8 per cent.

To expand the markets, the government said it will try to increase chances to expose Korean cultural products in foreign countries such as by hosting a Korean content exposition in the United States and Britain this year.

It also plans to build overseas content hubs in such global cities as New York, London, Frankfurt, New Delhi and Mexico City to increase the number of hubs from currently 10 in nine countries to 15 in 13 countries.

The ministry said it will provide support of a combined 9 billion won to 30 local game companies so they can make console games popular in North America and Europe.

Considering the growing interest of Middle Eastern countries in high technologies and cultural content, the government also plans to distribute customized content considering local languages and cultural backgrounds and promote Korean content through cultural events, such as K-pop performances.

The government is also seeking to extend the scope of the content industry by actively supporting web-based cartoons, online streaming services and other fields related with the platform industry.

As the growth of the content industry can have a positive influence on exports of other related industries, such as fashion, beauty, home appliances, IT and construction, the ministry will try to find more ways to utilize the premium of the Korean content. Exposing their brands or products in popular Korean content and developing in-bound tour packages, including a K-pop concert, could be good examples, it added.

Source: Lao News Agency

Road safety and air quality in the capital city of Laos are set to benefit from better public transport options with contribution of new and improved buses and related equipment from Japan.

The Government of Japan will provide 500 million yen (approximately US$3.7 million) in grant aid to support the improvement and enhancement of public transportation.

Assistance from Japan will support 52 public buses, bus maintenance equipment and materials, driving simulators, and more.

The “Handover Ceremony for Economic and Social Development Plan (Provision of Public Buses and Bus-related Materials and Equipment)” was held at Don Chan Palace Hotel in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, on February 28.

Presiding over the handover was Ambassador of Japan to Laos Mr Kobayashi Kenichi and Minister of Public Works and Transport Ngampasong Muongmany. The Lao capital seeks to improve and strengthen its public transportation system to address the challenges of Vientiane’s urbanization and population growth. Rapid urbanization has resulted in increased traffic congestion, especially in the morning and evening.

In addition, approximately 1,400 serious accidents occur in Vientiane per year, killing about 200 persons and injuring about 1,900.

To date, no major accidents have occurred involving public buses in the capital. There has not been a single fatal accident in the last 10 years. Affordability is also a key factor when compared to other typical public and private transportation modes, with the cost of bus travel being approximately 20% of the cost per passenger for an average journey utilizing private vehicles. It is expected that the quality of public transportation will be improved and strengthened through a low-fare, safe and reliable public bus network.

The use of public buses for transit can also be expected to reduce air pollution and health hazards by reducing exhaust emissions per passenger.

In addition, the emissions of carbon dioxide, a factor in climate change, can likewise be reduced. The provided buses are 5 meters shorter in length than the buses Japan provided to Laos in the past. These models will be able to make tighter turns and pass narrower and curving roads.

As a result, the buses will be able to operate more conveniently and allow passengers to explore new routes. Japan seeks to continue to support the improvement and enhancement of public transportation in the Lao capital through the provision of vehicles as well as bus-related equipment and materials under this assistance programme.

Japan will continue to work with Lao counterparts to provide high-quality, practical economic cooperation through high-quality infrastructure and related assistance, maintaining and strengthening close ties to successfully address the various issues that the Government of Laos is tackling.

Source: Lao News Agency