The forest protection division of Ha Giang province’s Meo Vac district releases the stump-tailed macaque on November 17. (Photo: baohagiang.vn)
A stump-tailed macaque (Macaca arctoides), a rare primate species, was released to the wild in the Chi San Nature Reserve in Meo Vac district, the northernmost province of Ha Giang, on November 17.
The 12kg macaque, in good health condition when being released, had been discovered and cared for by a local resident before it was handed over to the forest protection division of Meo Vac, the division said.
The stump-tailed macaque was listed in Appendix IIB of the Government’s Decree No 06/2019/ND-CP on the management of endangered and rare forest plant and animal species and the implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The Chi San Nature Reserve covers nearly 5,500ha in five communes and one township of Meo Vac district. It is home to 663 flora and 121 fauna species, including 58 plant and 22 animal ones listed in the red data books of Vietnam and the world.
The same day, the forest protection division of Dong Phu district, the southern province of Binh Phuoc, received a crested serpent eagle (Spilornis cheela) which is also a threatened species.
A local resident caught the bird while working at a rubber plantation and then handed over it to the Dong Phu forest protection force, which said the eagle will receive care for a period of time and be reintroduced back to the nature when its health becomes stable.
Vietnamese culture promoted to international friends in Laos
Traditional culture of Vietnam has been promoted at a tea party organised on November 17 by the Women’s Union of the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Vientiane, aiming to tighten connections among domestic and foreign female diplomats in Laos.
The party brought together the wives of diplomats along with female staff members of Laos, other countries, and international organisations, including those from the women’s union of the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos.
In her opening speech, Alouni Kommasith, the spouse of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Laos Saleumxay Kommasith, said that this year’s tea party is of great significance as Laos is preparing to assume its role as ASEAN Chairmanship in 2024.
Furthermore, the Lao Government has launched a programme themed “Visit Laos Year 2024” and Lao people are willing to welcome senior leaders of ASEAN countries and other partner countries to attend the ASEAN Summit and many other related events, she said.
The tea party featured booths showcasing participating countries’ traditional handicrafts, cuisine, and tourism information. Singing and dancing performances put on by the diplomatic corps also made up a significant part of the occasion.
At the event, representatives of the Embassy of Vietnam in Laos introduced Ao Dai (traditional long dress) and typical dishes such as spring rolls and tea lotus to visitors.
They also displayed their homeland’s handicrafts, drawing plenty of attention from international friends.
Awards ceremony for country’s best Francophone writers
The awards ceremony of the eighth “Young Francophone Reporters Competition” took place on Friday November 17 in recognition of 14 prize winners.
Hosted by the only French-language newspaper in Việt Nam, Le Courrier du Vietnam, this annual event serves as a platform for young talents to showcase their passion for the French language and express their interest in the rich cultural tapestry of the Francophone world.
Nguyễn Hồng Nga, editor-in-chief of Le Courrier du Vietnam, said: “With this year’s theme of ‘Francophone and a shared culture’, the competition aims to promote the cultural diversity and positive values within the French-speaking community, a goal pursued by the International Organisaion of the Francophonie (IOF).”
Đoàn Thị Tuyết Nhung, deputy general director of Vietnam News Agency, added: “Writers come from all parts of the country and a variety of educational backgrounds. Some are high school students whereas others are undergraduates.”
Pierre Du Ville, head of the Wallonia-Brussels Delegation in Việt Nam, said he was impressed with the accuracy of the writers.
He said: “The use of the French language is impeccable. I appreciated their rigor on spelling, which often remains the Achilles heel of many Francophone speakers.”
Edgar Doerig, IOF’s regional representative for Asia-Pacific, added: “Here, you will find a collection of the top 20 articles from the competition.
“I greatly appreciated their originality, and I take this opportunity to congratulate all the writers and the teachers who have instilled in them the passion for the French language.”
A total of 174 writers participated in the competition with 118 articles, of which 20 made it to the final round.
Among the 14 prize winners, the first prize went to Nguyễn Đức Minh Hoàng, the author of “The Fairy of Huế: A Heart that Beats for Culture and Humanity in Distress”.
Seminar promotes preservation of tug-of-war rituals and games
Experience in organising educational activities to preserve and promote the value of traditional tug-of-war rituals and games were shared among representatives of Vietnamese museums, relic sites and universities and those from the Gijisi tug‐of‐war preservation association in the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s Dangjin city at a seminar held in Hanoi on November 17.
The event was part of the 2023 Performance Festival of the Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity: Tug-of-war Rituals and Games.
President of the Cultural Heritage Association of Vietnam Associate Prof. Dr. Do Van Tru described the tug-of-war rituals and games as a valuable cultural heritage element, highlighting communities have an important role in preserving the folk games.
Representatives from the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, Vietnam National Museum of History, Hanoi Museum, and Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature) shared their heritage education stories. They have developed attractive tours and join hands with schools to take students to the sites.
Meanwhile, Jeong Seok Yong, secretary of the Gijisi tug‐of‐war preservation association, said when Gijisi Juldarigi (tug-of-war) was recognised as UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the association developed a tug-of-war education box in 2020, which features information and models of the heritage as well as heritage education methods.
Director of the Hanoi municipal Department of Culture and Sports Tran Thi Van Anh said that education is significant to help the community get a better insight into the heritage’s values.
On the occasion, Dangjin city presented a tug-of-war education box to the Hanoi Museum, and introduced the unique traits of the RoK’s tug of war games.
The RoK’s tug-of-war game uses a 200-metre rope made from straw. Tug-of-war rituals and games of Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines and the RoK were added to the UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2015.
The rituals and games are practiced in Vietnam’s Lao Cai, Vinh Phuc, Bac Ninh and Hanoi.
The Performance Festival of the Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity: Tug-of-war Rituals and Games is organised for the first time by the municipal Department of Culture and Sports in collaboration with the Cultural Heritage Association of Vietnam and Long Bien district from November 17-28. It aims at enhancing connectivity and exchange between communities that carry out the tug-of-war rituals and games.
The event drew the participation of nearly 500 artisans and practitioners from Vietnam, and the RoK’s Dangin city.
National target programme on sustainable poverty reduction reviewed
Vietnam aims to reduce the poverty rate to about 0.9% by 2025, heard a national conference on November 17 to review the implementation of the National Target Programme for Sustainable Poverty Reduction for 2021-2025 held in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai.
According to Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Le Van Thanh, the national target programme has focused on helping impoverished communities and people living in difficult areas access basic social services, gain employment, and improve incomes and the quality of life. The programme also aims to assist areas to escape extremely difficult situations, contributing to promoting sustainable socioeconomic development and poverty reduction.
The programme has contributed to reducing the poverty rate by 1 to 1.5% per year, with that in ethnic minorities decreasing by over 3% per year.
Nine localities nationwide have issued multidimensional poverty standards for the 2021-2025 period, while four others implemented specific poverty reduction policies for social welfare beneficiaries.
It is expected that the multidimensional poverty rate in Vietnam will reduce to 2.93%, and the ratio of poor households in poor districts and ethnic minority areas will be brought down to 33% and 7.82%, respectively, by the end of this year.
According to the Ministry of of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Steering Committee for national target programmes for the 2021-2025 will implement policies related to preferential credit, vocational training, healthcare and legal assistance, and supporting labourers from poor and ethnic minority households to work abroad.
Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung, who is also vice head of the Steering Committee, said the ministry will accelerate the disbursement of capital allocated to the programme in 2023 and continue to effectively implement projects and sub-projects under the programme. He added that the ministry will research and perfect the multidimensional poverty standards in alignment with sustainable development goals.
Delegates at the event also shared useful experience and good practices in poverty reduction.
Hanoi: Hang Dau water tower opens to visitors
Hanoi’s Hang Dau water tower, built in 1894 during the French colonial period, has been made the venue of an exhibition on water art installation which opened for the public on November 17, drawing a large number of visitors who are interested in exploring the historical relic with special architecture.
Entrance to the site is free but the number of visitors for a certain duration of time is limited due to the narrow space inside the tower, which was built in 1894 and remained in operation until 1960.
Located at the junction of the old streets of Hang Than, Hang Luoc, Hang Giay, Hang Dau, Quan Thanh and Phan Dinh Phung, the 25m-high water tower, which is likened to the “Roman Colosseum”, has classic and sophisticated European architecture.
To this day, it still retains the characteristic architecture of the period and is considered a vestige of old Hanoi.
It has been transformed into an art space with two key installation systems. The sound installation represents the sound of water in nature and the light installation expands the visual image of artifacts recycled from urban waste.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports Do Dinh Hong underlined that the exhibition is one of the activities held within the framework of the Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2023.
The Hang Dau water tower and the nearby Van Xuan garden are among the main venues of the festival where many creative cultural activities are held.
Along with the exhibition, a fine art sculpture exhibition themed “Sat” (iron) and a photo exhibition on the cultural heritage of Ba Dinh district have also been launched at Van Xuan garden.
The activities will run until November 26.
Vietnam’s tourism potential popularised in France
Vietnam’s tourism potential and opportunities were spotlighted at a seminar held at the Vietnamese Cultural Centre in Paris on November 16.
The event was attended by Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung, Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang, Director of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT) Nguyen Trung Khanh, and representatives of travel firms in France.
In his opening remarks, Khanh laid stress on the country’s rich endowments of natural resources and culture, which have been capitalised on to boost sustainable tourism development.
He went on to say that an array of Vietnamese destinations and tourism offerings have been highly rated by some of the world’s renowned travel sites and media giants such as the World Travel Awards, TripAdvisor, or Telegraph, CNN and BBC.
Travel between Vietnam and France has been promoted on the back of bilateral cooperative agreements and direct flights that help connect big cities and travel hubs of both sides, he said, adding the Vietnamese tourism sector has organised an array of promotion activities in France with a view to enhancing exchanges of visitors between the two sides.
The Vietnamese Government’s visa-exemption for French visitors since 2015, and recent extension of visa-free stays to 45 days, coupled with easy immigration procedures, attractive tourism products, and locals’ hospitality are ideal conditions to enhance tourism activities, he said.
Expressing their wish to increase the number of French tourists to Vietnam, many French travel firms proposed measures for Vietnam’s tourism to develop in a stronger manner not only in France but also in the other markets.
Guillaume Linton, General Director of Asia Voyage which has run tours to Vietnam over the past 35 years, said inviting journalists, professional tour operators and tourism partners to discover new tours in Vietnam will help them gain a better insight into the country’s cultural identity.
Meanwhile, Anoa Suzanne Dussol, Vietnamese Tourism Ambassador to France, said she wants to branch out business and conference tours so as to bring more French enterprises to northern mountainous areas.
She said the combination of culture, tourism and enterprises will benefit all stakeholders.
In the framework of the forum, delegates witnessed the handover of cooperation minutes between Vietravel’s branch in France and Vietnam Airlines; and the Vietnamese Cultural Centre and the association for Vietnamese culture and tourism promotion in France and Europe.
Vietnam supports reform of UN Security Council
Vietnam supports stepping up the intergovernmental negotiations (IGN) on United Nations Security Council (UNSC) reform, which includes the addition of necessary elements like other UN negotiation processes, affirmed Minister Counsellor and deputy head of the Permanent Delegation of Vietnam to the UN Nguyen Hoang Nguyen.
Making the statement at the General Assembly’s annual debate on how to reform the 15-nation organ held in New York on November 16, Nguyen noted that the council, more than ever, needs to innovate by increasing its representation and effectiveness to adapt to and fit current realities.
The diplomat recommended the council be expanded in both permanent and non-permanent membership to ensure enhanced representation with seats allocated to the most underrepresented regions, especially developing countries in Africa and the Asia-Pacific. The Council should also conduct more public meetings and the use of veto should be restrained.
He also expressed his appreciation for initiatives implemented in the past time such as the webcasting of meetings, the establishment of a repository for documents, and the open-house meetings, which helped facilitate candid discussions and bring in fresh ideas.
Participating member countries highlighted the urgent need for the organ to undergo reforms in terms of quantity, member structure, and working methods to ensure that it can effectively carry out its mission of maintaining international peace and security, especially given increasing tensions and conflicts in many regions.
Since 1992, the UNSC reform has been included in the annual agenda of the General Assembly based on Resolution 47/62. Since 2008, following the assembly’s Decision 62/557, the IGN process was established, serving as a dedicated mechanism for discussing issues related to the reform.
National conference discusses implementation of NA supervision programme for 2024
The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee held a national conference on the implementation of supervision programmes for 2024 in Hanoi on November 17 under the chair of NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.
Opening the event, NA Vice Chairman Tran Quang Phuong said that from the start of the 15th tenure, the NA Standing Committee has organised an annual conference on the implementation of the NA supervision programme for the following year, which is a step of the legislature to enhance its operational efficiency.
Phuong said that the NA has chosen two topics for its supervision activities in 2024, which are the implementation of Resolution No. 43/2022/QH15 issued by the NA on January 11, 2022 on fiscal and monetary policies to support socio-economic recovery and development, and the NA resolutions on a number of important national projects until the end of 2023; and the implementation of policies and laws on the management of the real estate market and social housing development from 2015 to the end of 2023. The supervision result of first topic will be reported to the NA at the seventh session, and the second at the eighth session.
Meanwhile, the NA Standing Committee’s supervision programme for 2024 will cover the enforcement of policies and laws on renovating the organisational and management system, enhancing the quality and efficiency of operations of public non-business agencies in the 2018-2023, and the implementation of policies and laws related to traffic order and safety from 2009 to the end of 2023.
The NA Vice Chairman asked participants to evaluate achievements and experience in supervision activities, while pointing out difficulties and shortcomings in the work as well as reasons behind them.
At the same time, they should discuss coordination and measures to effectively implement supervision activities of the NA and NA Standing Committee in 2024, contributing to bringing policies and laws into life, meeting the aspirations of the people and voters, said Phuong.
After the opening, NA General Secretary and Chairman of the NA Office Bui Van Cuong delivered a report summing up the outcomes of the NA’s supervision activities in 2023 and plans for the implementation of the 2024 supervision programme.
Countries see Vietnam as model in implementing SDGs: UN official
Many countries consider Vietnam as a model in implementing sustainable development goals (SDGs) and promoting the reform of the UN development system, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Vietnam Pauline Tamesis has stated.
In a meeting with Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, in New York on November 16, Tamesis expressed the desire to continue seeking resources to support Vietnam in promoting education and training development and expanding to new areas such as big data and strategic forecasting, towards helping Vietnam reap more achievements in sustainable development.
According to the UN official, the UN Secretary-General has assessed Vietnam as one of the emerging economies with potential and resources, and emphasised the need for the UN to continue implementing more effective measures to support Vietnam in implementing socio-economic development strategies.
Ambassador Giang spoke highly of efforts by the resident coordinator and UN agencies in Vietnam in supporting the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, affirming that Vietnam will continue to support the reform of the UN development system, including ensuring sustainable finance and effective operation for the resident coordinator system.
The diplomat said he hopes that the UN will continue to assist Vietnam in seeking resources and share knowledge and experience with the country in its efforts to achieve sustainable development goals, international commitments on climate action, digital transformation, and energy transition.
Previously, during the global meeting of Resident Coordinators on November 15, Tamesis delivered a presentation on Vietnam’s achievements and efforts in implementing sustainable development goals, as well as the support of UN agencies for Vietnam’s endeavours in developing human resources, ensuring social security, and promoting post-pandemic recovery.
Ambassador Giang highly valued the role of UN agencies in general and the Resident Coordinator in particular in coordinating with and supporting Vietnam in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
He suggested the two sides continue effectively implementing the Strategic Framework for Sustainable Development Cooperation 2022 – 2026, intensifying collaboration in new areas such as green transformation, energy transition, and digitisation, with a focus on inclusive social policies so that no one is left behind.
PM joins celebration of great national unity day in Lai Chau
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh joined local people in Sin Ho district’s Sa De Phin commune, the northern mountainous province of Lai Chau, in the festival of great national unity on November 19.
The event is on the occasion of the 93rd anniversary of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) (November 18, 1930 – 2023).
Speaking to local residents at the event, the PM emphasized the importance of promoting the great national solidarity, saying this is a precious tradition throughout the struggle for national independence and reunification in the past as well as in national building and safeguarding today.
The strength of great national unity is an important driving force and a decisive element in all victories of the Vietnamese revolution, he stressed.
He said in 2023, although the world situation continues to be complicated, with many unprecedented challenges, Vietnam still has achieved many important attainments in fields, continuing to be a bright spot of the global economy.
He attributed the outcomes to the thorough and timely leadership and direction of the Party Central Committee, the supervision and companionship of the National Assembly and agencies in the political system, the drastic, firm, flexible, and practical direction and management of the Government, sectors and localities, the cooperation and support from international friends, the support and active participation of the business community and people nationwide, especially the solidarity and efforts to overcome difficulties and challenges of the entire nation.
He noted with pleasure that in recent years, Party committees, authorities at levels, and the VFF’s chapter in Lai Chau have promoted the tradition of solidarity and exploited potential and outstanding opportunities, and competitive advantages to achieve positive results in many aspects.
The PM highly valued efforts by the Party organisation, authorities, VFF committee, socio-political organizations, and residents in Lai Chau in general and those in Sa De Phim commune in particular to help strengthen the great national unity, promote socio-economic and culture development, and care for locals’ material and spiritual lives, thus contributing to the country’s development.
He urged the local community to promptly and seriously implement investment projects in the area on schedule, effectively perform the national target programs on socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, building new style-rural areas, and sustainable poverty reduction, and actively engage in emulation movements towards building a strong great solidarity bloc.
On the occasion, PM Chinh handed over funds to the Party Committee, VFF and people of Sa De Phin commune to build “Great Solidarity” houses, and buy schooling equipment for kindergartens, primary and secondary schools in the locality.
Rivers, irrigation works in Central Highlands facing serious landslide
For the last many years, Krong No River in Dak Nong Province has seen severe landslides, damaging a large area of crops, traffic and irrigation works. The irrigation dam in Kon Tum Province has been broken for 5 months without any fixing yet.
Along Krong No River from the communes of Buon Choah to Nam Ndir, Duc Xuyen, and Quang Phu, there are hundreds of landslide places, some of which even destroy crop land of nearby residents. The most serious location is in Nam Ninh Village in Nam Ndir Commune, where about 300m of riverbank has disappeared already without any sign of stopping. Besides taking away crop land, the landslide also harmed hundreds of meters of the in-field road here.
Not far from that, a pump station and an irrigation canal system were damaged as the river itself suddenly expanded. Head of Nam Ninh Village Dam Van Dinh informed that this landslide began a few months ago. The long heavy rain last month increased the water level of the river, and thus worsening the already terrible situation. It destroyed 30m of in-field road and 100 coffee trees of a household ready for harvesting.
Deputy Director of the Dak Nong Province Department of Natural Resources and Environment Vo Van Minh explained that these landslides stem from the weak geological formation, hydroelectric plant operation, sand exploitation, and negative effects of natural disasters.
According to Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Krong No District, the landslide along Krong No River has lasted for so many years and is becoming more and more complicated in the section passing Nam Ndir Commune. Crop land, irrigation works, and traffic facilities are on the verge of damage.
The district has proposed that both the People’s Committee of Dak Nong Province and the provincial Steering Committee Natural Disaster Prevention and Control urgently apply suitable measures to stop landslides along the riverbank as well as supporting local residents. In the long term, there should be construction of embankments to prevent similar incidents and protect the riverbank, the key food areas plus the dwellers.
Moving to Kon Tum Province, Dak Ngao 1 Irrigation Dam in Sa Thay Town (Sa Thay District) was built decades ago to provide irrigation water for farmers in Village No.3 and Village No.4 of the town. This July, about 35m of the dam unexpectedly eroded, washing away a part of the dam’s shoulder and making it unable to store water. In addition, the eucalyptus farm and production land of nearby residents were damaged.
Head of Village No.3 Vo Duy Duong shared that without irrigation water from the dam, the downstream fields can no longer grow crops while the upstream rice and coffee fields of 50 households along the stream experienced landslide when it rained.
Lung Lau 2 Irrigation Work (sited in Sa Son Commune of Sa Thay District) is showing signs of damages. The two water pipe sections of Canal N2 and Canal N6 were washed away due to heavy rain and floods. The People’s Committee of Kon Tum Province directed the Sa Thay District People’s Committee to allocate budget for repair to answer the water supply demands of local residents.
Meanwhile, dwellers of Village No.5 in Doan Ket Commune of Kon Tum City reported that Tan Dien reservoir’s irrigation canal system was filled with sediment. Together with landslides, this has caused flooding to crop land. Therefore, the residents proposed urgent canal dredging to minimize further damages.
Vice Chairman Nguyen Ngoc Sam of the Kon Tum Province People’s Committee informed that the provincial Irrigation Work Management Board has cooperated with the concern localities to inspect the irrigation canal route from Tan Dien Reservoir. Reports show that in the rainy season, water from Provincial Highway No.671 and the residential areas along the road, usually with soil and rock, pours directly into the route to cause flooding, siltation, and erosion of the canal banks.
At present, to ensure sufficient irrigation water distribution, this board is going to actively dredge the affected canal. However, to completely solve the problem, the People’s Committee of Kon Tum City is asked to direct any units in charge to build drainage works for this irrigation canal so as not to negatively impact farming activities of local residents.
Art performance spotlights Vietnamese culture in France
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in collaboration with Vietnam’s permanent delegation to UNESCO in France, organised an art performance programme at the Vietnamese Cultural Centre in Paris on November 17.
Themed Dem Di san Viet Nam (Night of Vietnamese heritage), the event offered a chance for delegates to enjoy a unique art programme performed by artists of the Viet Bac folk art troupe.
In her speech, Ambassador Le Thi Hong Van, head of Vietnam’s delegation to UNESCO, said promoting the cultural values and strengths of the Vietnamese people is the key to realising the aspiration to build a prosperous country.
She took the occasion to thank the valuable support and effective cooperation of UNESCO in preserving and promoting heritage, affirming that Vietnam is committed to working closely with UNESCO and its member countries to ensure that cultural heritage is not only living heritage, a source of diversity and creativity, but also a motivation for peace, resilience and sustainable development, and inspiration for the future.
Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung said Vietnam considers culture to be both a goal and a driving force for development, and culture is placed on par with economics, politics, and society.
According to the minister, with more than 35 pieces of heritage of various types recognised by UNESCO, and cities joining the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, Vietnam is proud of its diverse and rich culture imbued with national identity.
Vietnam is ready to exchange and share experience and expertise with countries around the world to boost conservation of the value of the world heritage system, Hung stressed.
As an active and responsible member of UNESCO and a candidate for a seat in the World Heritage Committee in the 2023-2027 tenure, Vietnam wishes to spread the message and calls on countries around the world to join hands in further pushing the preservation work of world heritage on a global scale, he went on.
Tamara Rastovac Siamashvili, Chairperson of the Executive Board of UNESCO, applauded Vietnam’s active participation in UNESCO’s activities, saying that those have contributed to promoting the diversity of Vietnam’s culture.
Party leader’s book on great national solidarity launched
A book on the promotion of the great national solidarity tradition written by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made debut at a ceremony held in Hanoi on November 18.
The launch was organised on the occasion of the 93rd founding anniversary of the Vietnam National United Front – the traditional day of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) (November 18, 1930 – 2023) by the VFF Central Committee, the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Information and Education, and the Su that (Truth) National Political Publishing House.
The 748-page book comprises an overview, 75 outstanding speeches, articles, interviews, letters and appeals by the General Secretary, along with 142 photos reflecting his visits to the 63 provinces and cities nationwide.
Of the three sections, the first focuses on the great national solidarity as the internal strength and the decisive factor of the success of the national construction and defence. The second is on the promotion of the core political role of the VFF and socio-political organisations to help achieve the country’s socio-economic development targets. The third is about the promotion of people and localities’ role to contribute more to the national reform.
The book is assessed as a precious work on the building and promotion of the great national solidarity bloc, thus helping improve awareness, boost consensus, and strongly inspire patriotism and the aspiration to make dedications among cadres, Party members, people, and the entire political system.
President of the VFF Central Committee Do Van Chien stressed that the book became even more meaningful as it debuted amid the 93rd founding anniversary of the Vietnam National United Front. It will be a long-term theoretical and practical handbook on the promotion of the strength of the great national solidarity in the current context, helping all-level Party committees, VFF committees, cadres, and Party members in the political system to consider and apply in reality.
The book also provides a political basis for building an action plan for implementing the resolution of the 13th Party Central Committee’s eighth session on continuing to bring into play the great national solidarity tradition to develop Vietnam into an increasingly strong, prosperous, civilised, and happy nation, he added.
Aside from the printed version, the Su that National Political Publishing House also launched the electronic version of the book, available for free on its website www.stbook.vn.
Measures sought to sustainably develop tourist accommodation establishments
An international wokshop discussing measures to promote sustainable development of tourist accommodation establishments was held in Ha Long city, the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh, on November 18.
Hosted by the Vietnam Executive Housekeepers Association (VEHA) under the Vietnam Hotel Association, the event brought together 300 local delegates and those from housekeepers associations of Kuwait, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.
VEHA President Nguyen Quang said, according to a report by the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT), the country has only 41out of 38,000 accommodation establishments with the ASEAN Green Hotel certification.
Investing in green and sustainable hotels will bring a lot of value to investors, employees, customers, the society and the environment, he noted.
The event offers a venue for delegates to discuss thus properly understanding sustainable tourism, the development status of tourist accommodation facilities in Vietnam and goals in the coming time, and solutions to promote green transition in hotels in Vietnam and the world, Quang said.
Experts, and managers shared useful information and measures on how to develop hotels in a sustainable way, ensuring a balance between the interests of investors and the rights of labourers.
Malaysian representatives shared topics related to building detailed plans with specific management systems to improve service quality and sustainable development of Malaysia.
Representatives from Indonesia shared about typical and effective practices at St.Regis Bali Resort – the leading resort in Bali and the world. Meanwhile, green and sustainable development solutions at hotels in Kuwait and Thailand were also introduced at the event.
Vietnam attends 6th ICAPP Media Forum
A delegation of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) joined more than 30 other delegations of political parties and media agencies from the 15 member countries of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) Standing Committee at its 6th Media Forum in Seoul, the Republic of Korea, on November 18.
In his opening remarks, Kang Hoon-sik, Co-chairman of the Forum, highly valued the growing interaction between the ICAPP and people in the region through more diverse and widespread coverage of the ICAPP’s activities on mass media.
At the event, the CPV degelegation expressed Vietnam’s hope that the ICAPP in general, and the ICAPP Media Forum in particular, to continue to serve as a mechanism for all member parties to discuss and share measures to promote digital transformation, effectively utilise social networks, improve internet access and digital skills for people, and foster the promotion of countries’ image.
As a member of the ICAPP Standing Committee, the CPV wished to strengthen cooperation in popularising the ICAPP’s activities widely on media and among Vietnamese people from all walks of life, and at the same time, closely coordinate with the ICAPP Secretariat to further spread information about ICAPP activities on international and regional media.
At the event, participants approved two initiatives on establishing the ICAPP Media Network with the expanded participation of all political parties and media agencies in the region, and publishing ICAPP Newsletter quarterly to update ICAPP activities.
The CPV delegation actively engaged in discussions on the Forum’s action programme, and had meetings with representatives of several political parties attending the event to discuss measures to promote cooperation in the future.
Established in September 2000 in Manila, the Philippines, the ICAPP serves as the largest dialogue forum of more than 350 political parties in Asia. The ICAPP Media Forum was initiated in September 2015 to promote cooperation between political parties and the media, contributing to realising ICAPP’s goals of building a peaceful, stable, harmonious and prosperous community in Asia.
Khanh Hoa eyes stronger golf tourism development
With quality courses, ideal climate, and tournaments held recently, the central province of Khanh Hoa boasts substantial potential for golf tourism to attract a large number of international golfers and tourists.
Some travel companies forecast from now to the year’s end, Khanh Hoa will be a magnet for visitors from such countries as the Republic of Korea (RoK) and Japan who will come here for their winter holidays, and many of them prefer relaxation combined with playing golf.
Ung Van Nhut, Chairman of the Khanh Hoa-based Global Open Tour JSC, said this province holds many advantages for this type of tourism such as a low rainfall that enables visitors to play golf year round. It is also home to many golf courses with good infrastructure, including the one on Hon Tre Island. Besides, the flight duration from the RoK, Japan, and Taiwan (China) to Khanh Hoa is relatively short.
A representative of Inter Travel noted as Korean tourists like playing golf, the company has also offered 3D golf services so that they can play the sport frequently without concern for the weather conditions or high expenses.
Nhut said more investment is needed to turn golf into a tourism product. For example, the course on Bai Dai (Long Beach) is convenient for players to access but this area still lacks night-time entertainment services. Meanwhile, services at the one on Hon Tre Island are relatively costly.
Suggesting more golf tournaments be organised to advertise the province and attract more visitors, he said authorities should assist travel firms to partner with one another to boost the connectivity among golf destinations.
Khanh Hoa can hold a common golf tourney for existing courses or open a golf tour linking its renowned coastal city of Nha Trang with the resort city of Da Lat in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong to enrich the experience for tourists, he recommended.
From November 27 to December 2, Vinpearl DIC Legends Vietnam 2023 will take place in Nha Trang, featuring friendly games and official competitions. It will see the participation of 60 golf legends, including Michael Campbell – winner of the 2005 US Open and eight-time champion of the European Tour, Ian Woosnam – winner of the 1991 Masters Tournament and captain for the 2006 Ryder Cup, and Paul McGinley – captain for the 2004 Ryder Cup and winner of four European Tour titles.
The coming tourney is part of the Legends Tour, and Vietnam is the first in Southeast Asia to host this tour.
Last April, Asia’s premier golf tournament – International Series Vietnam 2023 also took place at the course of KN Golf Links Cam Ranh in Khanh Hoa.
Nguyen Trung Khanh, Director of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, said as golf tourism is gradually becoming a trend in the country, the organisation of golf tournaments is expected to help Vietnam establish itself in the world’s professional golf map and promote the tourism sector.
The Government-approved tourism development strategy by 2030 also identified golf tourism as a main trend that will help bolster socioeconomic development and stimulate travel demand, he noted.
Nguyen Thi Le Thanh, Director of the Khanh Hoa Tourism Department, said golf tourism as well as other types of high-quality sports tourism is now a new trend, and many investors are planning to build more courses in the province.
In the time ahead, she added, the local tourism sector will work to develop more golf tours to offer to travellers.
Source: VNA/SGT/VNS/VOV/Dtinews/SGGP/VGP/Hanoitimes
