Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala will pay an official visit to Vietnam from April 20-22.
The visit will be made at the invitation of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, according to an announcement of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs./.
Source: Vietnam News Agency
Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien had a working session with Australian Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell in Hanoi on April 17, discussing specific measures to enhance economic and commercial ties and effectively implement the Vietnam – Australia Enhanced Economic Engagement Strategy.
They agreed that the bilateral economic and commercial partnership is at its best ever, with the two economies complementing one another.
Data showed that their trade has risen significantly in recent years. Vietnam is currently Australia’s 12th largest trading partner and 9th largest export market. Meanwhile, Australia is the 7th largest trading partner of Vietnam.
The ministers expressed their delight at the increasing number of Vietnamese enterprises established and operating in Australia and Australian businesses’ remarkable contributions to the Vietnamese economy and vice versa.
Talking about mutual benefits brought about by the above-said strategy, particularly in the areas of trade, industry, agriculture, energy, digital economy, and education, the two sides reaffirmed they will further carry out it effectively.
They agreed to soon sign a memorandum of understanding on the establishment of a ministerial-level dialogue mechanism on trade and co-chair the first dialogue – a key initiative in the strategy for this year.
Confirming their commitments to devote efforts to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) serving the creation of a rules-based framework for global trade, Dien and Farrell concurred to continue building positive momentum towards the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC13) slated for 2024.
They took note of the importance of trade agreements that both nations are members – such as the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) – in supporting free trade and economic growth. Australia’s engagement in the ASEAN-led process was also acknowledged.
The ministers stressed that their countries are jointly addressing new opportunities and challenges such as the digital economy, supply chains, energy and the climate./.
Source: Vietnam News Agency
Vietnam and Australia need to develop bilateral trade in a more balanced way by promoting the export of Vietnamese products to the Southwest Pacific nation, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said while receiving Australian Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell in Hanoi on April 17.
Farrell is on a working visit in Vietnam to co-chair the third Vietnam-Australia Economic Partnership Meeting together with Vietnamese Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, which took place on the same day.
Being informed by the guest on the sound outcomes of the meeting, PM Chinh recommended the minister to work closely with Vietnamese competent agencies to effectively implement the results and the Vietnam – Australia Enhanced Economic Engagement Strategy (EEES) announced in December 2021.
The host and guest reviewed and lauded achievements in the bilateral ties as this year marks the 50th founding anniversary of their diplomatic relations, which was upgraded to a strategic partnership in March 2018. In their meeting earlier this month, Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong and Australian Governor-General David Hurley agreed to exchange views on the upgrade of the relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership at an appropriate time in the future.
Last year, bilateral trade hit 15.7 billion USD, up nearly 27% year on year. Vietnam is now Australia’s 10th biggest trading partner and Australia is Vietnam’s 7th largest trading partner.
Vietnam is implementing three strategic breakthroughs – institutional building, human resource and infrastructure development, PM Chinh said, noting that in the process, the country has always received support from Australia.
He took this occasion to thank Australia for assisting Vietnam in COVID-19 prevention and control and socio-economic recovery.
The PM proposed Australia make it easier for Vietnamese electronic, footwear, textile, and agricultural products to access its market and give a boost to a number of fields where both nations have strength such as education-training, digital economy, innovation, renewable energy, labour, tourism, people-to-people exchange, and high-tech farming. He hoped that Farrell, in his post, will make contributions to fostering the bilateral trade and cooperation towards effectiveness and practical outcomes, helping the two sides fully tap their potential.
PM Chinh expressed his wish that Australia will share experience to help Vietnam build an independent, self-reliant economy in association with extensive and effective international integration, particularly in the fields of innovation, capital support, technology, personnel training, and management experience serving such areas as digital economy, green economy, circular economy, energy transition, and climate change.
He asked the minister to convey his invitation to the Australian PM to visit Vietnam at an appropriate time.
Agreeing with the host’s suggestions, Farrell said he will collaborate with Vietnamese ministries and agencies to realise the PM’s wishes.
He affirmed that Australia wants Vietnam to play a more important role in the country’s trade partner diversification strategy and act as a bridge to promote its relationship with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)./.
Source: Vietnam News Agency
President Vo Van Thuong hosted a reception in Hanoi on April 17 for ASEAN ambassadors who came to congratulate him on being elected as the Vietnamese State leader.
On behalf of the ASEAN diplomats, Indonesian Ambassador Denny Abdi conveyed congratulations and greetings from leaders of Indonesia and ASEAN member states to President Thuong.
He affirmed that over the past 28 years, Vietnam has played an important role in strengthening the solidarity and central role of ASEAN, as well as in building the ASEAN Community Vision beyond 2025. Vietnam’s GDP growth of 8.02% last year will generate momentum for regional economic development.
Committing to actively supporting and contributing effectively to further enhancing the relationship between Vietnam and ASEAN countries, he believed that under the sound leadership of the President, their friendship and cooperation will increasingly grow, making important contributions to maintaining peace, security and stability in the region.
Hailing the theme of ASEAN this year “ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth”, which reflects the role of the bloc in the region and the shared aspirations of ASEAN for development in peace, prosperity and harmony, Thuong affirmed that Vietnam will accompany ASEAN 2023 Chair, and all member countries in achieving these goals.
ASEAN holds an extremely important position, and is an integral part of Vietnam’s foreign policy. Unity, flexibility, harmony and inclusiveness are the “golden keys” to opening the door to a new regional space with ASEAN at the centre, toward realising the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and beyond, with the community spirit permeating among people of all strata, he said.
Vietnam always attaches importance to ties with Southeast Asian neighbouring countries, he added.
According to him, Vietnam and Southeast Asian nations have been working closely together in all important fields such as national defence-security, economy, trade, investment, education-training, and people-to-people exchange, and expanding into new areas in the industry 4.0 era, such as innovation, digital transformation, digital connectivity, circular economy, green economy, clean energy, among others.
The host wished that ambassadors would serve as important bridges, contributing more to promoting friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and ASEAN member states.
On the occasion of the traditional New Year of Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and the Ramadan in Muslim countries, Thuong extended his warmest wishes to the leaders and people of these countries./.
Source: Vietnam News Agency
Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha hosted a reception in Hanoi on April 17 for Chris Taylor, the UK’s special envoy on climate change, and Principal Adviser on Energy Diplomacy at the European Union Tibor Stelbaczky, who are on a working visit to Vietnam.
At the meeting, Ha thanked the British Government, the EU and other International Partners Group (IPG) members, namely France, Germany, the US, Italy, Canada, Japan, Norway and Denmark, for their cooperation with Vietnamese agencies in negotiating and approving the Political Declaration on establishing the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) with Vietnam.
The Vietnamese Government is implementing commitments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions towards net zero by 2050 with domestic resources and international support, he said, adding that Vietnam considers JETP a key channel to receive technological and financial support from developed countries and financial institutions for just energy transition.
Vietnam takes its responsibility seriously for working with other countries in responding to climate change, reducing net greenhouse gas emissions to zero, and transitioning energy equitably, said Ha.
Sharing content of the draft Power Development Plan VIII, which is being finalised, the Deputy PM expressed his wish that the EU and the UK will share experience and technologies in clean energy transition, smart grid development, and increasing the proportion of renewable energy, promoting energy storage technology, and ensuring the balance and stability of the energy system at a cost suitable to the level of development of the economy and income of people.
Expressing his support for the initiative to establish the JETP Secretariat, Ha also suggested the EU and the UK support Vietnam in completing the legal framework, mechanisms and policies, and choosing renewable and green energy projects to solve problems in credit, technology, and governance.
Tibor Stelbaczky appreciated the political commitments of the Vietnamese Government on green transition as well as the implementation of JETP, emphasising the partnership’s role in achieving the set goals.
He showed his hope that the JETP Secretariat will soon be established to listen to comments, and a plan will be built to mobilise resources for the implementation of JETP. He stressed the need for strong commitments from relevant parties in terms of resources and technology, as well as mutual support in energy transition and green transition.
Chris Taylor expressed the willingness to support and share experience with Vietnam in the implementation of JETP, stressing the need for a harmonised policy to solve challenges, and pledging to continue to promote investment in Vietnam in the coming time.
According to him, to achieve long-term goals in JETP and green transition, the engagement of ministries, sectors, localities and people is essential. The UK and the EU are ready to support Vietnam in technical expertise, technology as well as methods of mobilising necessary resources from global partner countries, he added.
The JETP will mobilise an initial 15.5 billion USD of public and private finance over the next three to five years to support Vietnam’s green transition.
Under the agreement, the partnership will support the country to deliver on its ambitious net zero 2050 goal, accelerate the peaking of its greenhouse gas emissions and transition away from fossil fuels to clean energy./.
Source: Vietnam News Agency
Various organizations, including party-list groups, on Monday filed a petition before the Supreme Court (SC) to declare unconstitutional Republic Act 11934 or the SIM (subscriber identity module) Card Registration Act. Data showed about 57 million users have registered with only less than two weeks before the April 26 deadline, or just 34 percent of the estimated 168.977 million SIM cards in use nationwide. In their 59-page petition, the groups said the law restricts the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech and violates the right against unreasonable searches, seizures, and the right to substantive due process. The petitioners said the SIM Registration Act imposes a system of prior restraint through mandatory registration. The petition filed by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, journalist Ronalyn Olea, former Bayan Muna Party-list representative Eufemia Cullamat, Bayan Muna secretary general Renato Reyes Jr., information technology professional Maded Batara III of Junk SIM Registration Network, fisherfolk leader Alberto Roldan of Pamalakaya, peasant leader Danilo Ramos and lawyer Michael Christopher de Castro, among others, asked the SC to issue a temporary restraining order while their plea is pending and the respondents to “cease and desist from using, storing, transferring, and processing all information gathered into the SIM Register and destroy data already gathered.” Named as respondents are the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), Department of Information and Communications Technology, National Privacy Commission and the Trade and Industry, the Interior and Local Government, and the Education departments. The law signed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Oct. 8, 2022 requires Public Telecommunication Entities (PTEs) or direct sellers to demand end users of SIM cards to present identification document to validate their identities. PTEs must submit verified lists of their authorized dealers and agents nationwide to the NTC and updated lists every quarter. Telecommunications companies have asked the government to extend the registration deadline ‘to help give ample time to all mobile users, particularly the marginalized sectors and those located in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas of the country, to register their SIM cards.’ Unregistered SIM cards past the deadline will be deactivated. (
Source: Philippines News Agency
