Day: June 1, 2023

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha stressed the need to incentivise the conversion of fossil fuel-powered vehicles to electric vehicles and other types of clean energy.

In his conclusions made at a meeting discussing the application of preferential electricity prices at electric vehicle charging stations, Ha said that the transition to green economic development is an inevitable trend and a goal that Vietnam is pursuing.

It will also create opportunities for Vietnam to become a pioneer in the region in terms of green growth and recovery, thus keeping pace with the new development trends of the world, he added.

The Deputy PM asked the Ministry of Transport to collaborate with the Ministries of Natural Resources and Environment, Finance, Industry and Trade, Planning and Investment, Science and Technology, and Justice; and related agencies to study international experience, conduct a comprehensive analysis of various aspects, fully assess impacts, clarify legal and political foundations, and ensure consistency in implementing the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies and laws, thus proposing synchronous and feasible support policies.

The Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Transport were required to issue plans, criteria, regulations, and standards for investing in public infrastructure development serving electric vehicles and other environmentally friendly means of transport in urban areas.

The agencies will be also responsible for guiding localities in planning public infrastructure facilities to ensure compliance with safety standards./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

At present, one out of every four natural disasters occurring worldwide happens in Latin America and the Caribbean, as warned by attendees at the 1st Regional Conference on South-South Cooperation in Chile.

Specialists from international bodies and government representatives shared their knowledge and experiences during the event.

An important segment was goal-oriented to forms of international cooperation in the comprehensive management of risks and natural disasters and also how to avoid damage to population and infrastructure in nations.

These phenomena do not respect borders and are beyond our control, so preparedness is critical to face them, said Mario Lubetkin, regional representative of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Lubetkin recalled that disturbances linked to climate change have doubled in the last 20 years, while adding that 26% of this damage occurs in low- and middle-income countries such as those in this area. When it comes to drought issues, the figure climbs to 82%.

Lubetkin recalled that in 2022 alone, the number of inhabitants of the region at food risk was just over 17 million.

For such a reason, Latin American and Caribbean countries must act urgently and in a coordinated manner to share experiences and knowledge, with South-South cooperation being the main instrument for mitigating damage.

Source: Lao News Agency

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith, on behalf of the government of Laos, has pinned a Friendship Medal on outgoing Ambassador of Singapore to the Lao PDR Leow Siu Lin in recognition of her contributions to strengthening the friendly relations and cooperation between Laos and Singapore.

Mrs Leow Siu Lin has served her diplomatic duty in the Lao PDR since September 2019.

At amicable talks in Vientiane on May 31, Deputy Prime Minister Saleumxay spoke highly of the ambassador’s efforts in strengthening the cooperation between Laos and Singapore in various areas including politics, trade, investment and energy.

The ambassador has also played an important role in mobilising Singaporean government’s support for SMEs, tourism, education and health in the Lao PDR as well as the establishment of a cooperation mechanism between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Laos and Singapore.

Deputy Prime Minister Saleumxay also expressed thanks to the government of Singapore for its assistance and support to Laos in areas of human resource development, Covid-19 response and Laos’ ASEAN chairmanship in 2024.

In reply, the Singapore Ambassador expressed her gratitude to the government and the Lao people as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lao PDR for their cooperation and support that has helped fulfil her diplomatic mission in the Lao PDR.

Source: Lao News Agency

On May 31, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Saleumxay Kommasith received outgoing Ambassador of the United Kingdom to the Lao PDR John Pearson as the latter is concluding his diplomatic obligations in the country.

At amicable talks in Vientiane, Deputy Prime Minister Saleumxay Kommasith appreciated the ambassador’s achievement of his diplomatic task.

The vice premier appreciated the ambassador’s active contributions to strengthening the relations and cooperation between Laos and the United Kingdom over the past almost four years, especially his mobilization of Chevening scholarships for Lao students, and his efforts to promote the exchange of high-level delegations between the two countries including the visit by then UK’s Minister for Asia and the Middle East Amanda Milling in 2022, and the coming visit, Jun 4-5, of UK’s Minister of State for Indo-Pacific Anne-Marie Belinda Trevelyan.

He also praised the ambassador for helping secure the UK government’s assistance for Covid-19 response in the Lao PDR including over 1 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine and personal protective equipment (PPE) worth more than GBP 255,000.

The ambassador was also appreciated for his coordination of UK’s technical support for green and clean energy development in the Lao PDR, and a 100-million-GBP environment and biodiversity protection project that benefits three Mekong countries – Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia, as well as his efforts to list Laos as a beneficiary of UK’s new Developing Countries Trading Scheme along with Cambodia and Myanmar.

In reply, the ambassador expressed gratitude to the government and people of the Lao PDR for supporting him in accomplishing his diplomatic duty in the Lao PDR.

Source: Lao News Agency

Hyundai Motor Group said Thursday it has completed its first overseas hydrogen fuel-cell systems plant in China in a move to make inroads into the local hydrogen vehicle market.

In March 2021, Hyundai Motor began construction of the HTWO Guangzhou hydrogen fuel-cell systems plant with an annual capacity of 6,500 units.

The Republic of Korean automotive group aims to secure a leading status in China’s hydrogen fuel-cell and hydrogen-powered vehicle markets based on the HTWO plant, the company said in a statement.

“Hyundai Motor Group will strengthen its strategic partnership with Chinese companies to contribute to China’s central and Guangdong provincial governments’ hydrogen projects and carbon neutrality plans,” Hyundai Motor President and Chief Executive Officer Chang Jae-hoon said in the statement.

In the completion ceremony, the group signed a memorandum of understanding with state-run companies in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, to provide 1,500 hydrogen fuel-cell electric commercial vehicles by 2024, the statement said.

The HTWO Guangzhou plant is wholly owned by the Korean automotive group.

Hyundai expects demand for hydrogen fuel-cell systems to grow further in China, the world’s biggest automobile market, as the Chinese government seeks to provide 1 million hydrogen-powered vehicles by 2035.

In its broad hydrogen road map, Hyundai aims to produce 500,000 hydrogen vehicles and 700,000 hydrogen fuel-cell systems by 2030 to cement its leading status in global hydrogen vehicle markets.

Hyundai currently operates a domestic hydrogen fuel-cell systems plant. It also plans to build such plants in Europe and the United States.

Source: Lao News Agency

The total number of overnight stays by foreigners at hotels and other accommodation facilities in Japan topped 10 million in April for the first time since January 2020, government data showed Wednesday, buoyed by a weaker yen and increased international flights.

The figure rose 19.5-fold from a year before to 10.38 million, equivalent to 92.0 percent of the total in April 2019 before the coronavirus outbreak, according to the preliminary data released by the Japan Tourism Agency.

Even in 2019, when a record-high number of foreigners visited the country, the monthly total of guest nights by foreigners eclipsed the 10 million mark only three times.

As for Japanese guests, the April figure climbed to 37.24 million, up 12.5 percent from a year earlier but down 5.6 percent from the pre-pandemic year of 2019, the data showed.

The cumulative total of overnight stays by foreign and Japanese guests at hotels and inns in April stood at 47.63 million, up 41.6 percent from a year earlier but down 6.1 percent from April 2019.

The tourism industry is regaining ground since the country lifted its pandemic-prompted ban on individual, non-prearranged trips last October.

The figure is likely to increase more in the coming months as Japan lifted its COVID-19 border controls for all arrivals on April 29, meaning entrants are no longer required to present certification of at least three coronavirus vaccinations or a negative coronavirus test taken within 72 hours of departure.

The number of foreign entries in April was more than 1.9 million, up nearly 14-fold from a year before, marking the highest number of foreign visitors since February 2020, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.

Besides a weaker yen, the organization said that Japan’s cherry blossom season, an increase and resumption of flights in East Asia and the start of the holiday season in various parts of the world bolstered the number of visitors to the country that month.

Source: Lao News Agency