Vietnam gives highest priority to developing ties with Laos: PM

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has told Lao Minister of Planning and Investment Khamchen Vongphosy that Vietnam always attaches great importance to and gives the highest priority to maintaining and developing its special relationship with Laos, considering it as a valuable asset with an important role in the revolutionary cause in each country.

Receiving Khamchen, who is also head of the Committee for Laos-Vietnam Cooperation in Hanoi on September 14, PM Chinh asked the two Ministries of Planning and Investment and the two cooperation committees to work more closely together and urge other ministries, sectors, and localities to actively promote their collaboration mechanisms while strengthening the efficiency of the cooperation committee mechanism.

The two sides should coordinate closely in preparing for the 46th meeting of the Vietnam-Laos Inter-Governmental Committee, and completing the Vietnam-Laos cooperation plan for 2023, contributing to concretizing agreements reached by senior leaders of the two countries with specific results and breakthroughs, he said.

Particularly, the two sides should strengthen economic connectivity, especially connections in transport, consider deploying the Vientiane-Vung Ang railway project, remove difficulties facing major joint projects, and launch new cooperation projects, he said.

He stressed the need to promote investment activities of businesses of the two sides with suitable mechanisms and policies while optimizing each other’s advantages to supplement each other in terms of markets and materials and rolling out measures to enhance two-way trade, cited VNA.

The Vietnamese leader suggested the two sides continue strengthening their political-diplomatic relations and meetings among leaders of ministries, sectors, and localities; promoting cooperation in security and defense; coordinating in ensuring political stability, social security, safety, and order in each country, especially along the shared border, and collaborating closely at multilateral forums.

For his part, Khamchen briefed his host on the outcomes of the mid-term meeting of the Cooperation Committee between the two countries. He proposed Vietnam continue supporting Laos in performing the role of ASEAN Chair in 2024.

The minister affirmed that the Lao Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Laos-Vietnam Cooperation Committee, as well as himself, will continue to work hard to foster collaboration between the two countries and concretize agreements and directions of senior leaders of the two nations, thus bolstering the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive between the two countries.

PM Chinh pledged that Vietnam always stands side by side with Laos and supports the neighboring country in successfully performing the role of ASEAN Chair 2024.

Vietnamese PM to attend CAEXPO and CABIS 2023 in China

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will lead a Vietnamese delegation to the 20th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO 2023) and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (CABIS 2023) in China, this weekend.

Pham’s tour will be made at the invitation of the Government of China, said Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang at a press briefing on Thursday.

CAEXPO and CABIS are jointly held annually by China and ASEAN in Nanning. It is one of the top 10 exhibition fairs in China.

The 20th CAEXPO and CABIS are themed “Working together for a harmonious home and a shared future-promoting the high-quality development of the Belt and Road and Nurturing new growth center”.

These two events are part of a series of activities to mark the 20th founding anniversary of the China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership.

Vietnam welcomes initiatives to promote regional economic connection and cooperation based on ensuring the principles of equality, cooperation, mutual benefit, and mutual respect, by international law and the UN Charter, towards contributing to the common development and prosperity of all countries, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Pham Thu Hang said on September 14.

Responding to reporters’ queries regarding cooperation between Vietnam and China within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative in recent years at the ministry’s regular press conference, Hang informed that Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung attended the 8th Belt and Road Summit held in Hong Kong, China on September 13 – 14, reported VNA.

Vietnam – China-friendly relations have maintained a development trend, including frameworks for cooperation and connectivity between Vietnam and China in general and connections within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative in particular, the spokeswoman stressed.

The two governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly promote the connection between the “Two Corridors, One Belt” framework of Vietnam and the Belt and Road Initiative, Hang said, adding that for many years, Vietnamese and Chinese businesses have actively cooperated in transporting goods on the corridor running from Chongqing city of China through Vietnam and some other ASEAN member countries, and from Vietnam to Central Asia and Europe through China.

“Vietnam hopes that the Belt and Road Initiative will continue to contribute to promoting economic linkages and regional connectivity, supporting countries in building infrastructure and expanding markets, narrowing the development gap among countries, and bringing new opportunities to businesses and people in the region and around the world,” said the spokesperson.

In the latest meeting between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Chinese Premier Li Qiang, the two sides agreed to continue promoting strategic connectivity and cooperation in building a high-quality Belt and Road initiative, strengthening road connections, developing a multi-modal, efficient, and durable logistics system to bring new opportunities to businesses and people of the two countries, as well as positively contribute to peace, stability and prosperous development in the region and the world, Hang said.

HCM City meeting marks 50 years of Vietnam – UK diplomacy

The administration of Ho Chi Minh City held a ceremony on September 14 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the UK.

In his speech, Pham Van Mai, head of the municipal administration, emphasized that after half a century, Vietnam – UK relations have been continuously strengthened and developed both bilaterally and multilaterally, especially following the establishment of their strategic partnership in 2010.

The two countries have maintained many important cooperation frameworks and mechanisms, including the strategic dialogue, the joint committee for economic and trade cooperation, and the working group on defense.

Trade cooperation is an important pillar in bilateral relations, with two-way trade turnover reaching US$6.8 billion last year thanks to the enforcement of the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, making the UK Vietnam’s third-largest trading partner in Europe and the ninth-largest export market in the world.

In addition, bilateral cooperation in other fields such as culture, education, and people-to-people exchanges has also been strengthened.

He especially noted with satisfaction the fruitful cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and the UK, especially in the fields of trade, investment, education, health, tourism, and cultural exchange.

As of July 2023, the UK ranked 11th out of 120 countries and territories investing in the southern metropolis, with 273 projects valued at nearly US$960 million, cited VOV.

The UK has run training courses to improve the capacity of local civil servants for the city’s financial hub project and is providing technical support for the locality to build smart urban areas.

Taking the floor, British Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Emily Hamblin for her part expressed her belief that the UK would be a reliable partner for Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City in particular in the coming decades.

She voiced the UK’s hope that Vietnam would achieve its set sustainable development goals, realize the net zero commitment by 2050, and move towards becoming a high-income country by that time.

The UK is proud to join hands with Vietnam in addressing global issues for the common interests of the two countries, she stressed.

She pledged the UK would support Ho Chi Minh City in undertaking its ambitious projects, including those to become a financial service center, an innovation center, and a smart city.

Vietnam’s tourism gears up for peak winter season

Representatives of lodging facilities said they will offer big discounts to those using high-end services in the last months of the year that mark the peak travel season.

According to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT), with breakthrough visa and immigration policies, and positive trends after the Covid-19 pandemic, the domestic tourism sector expects to welcome more international tourists in the time ahead, especially during the peak time, from September to March.

In anticipation of the peak season, most lodging facilities are working on improving services and personnel quality, and are stepping up promotional activities.

In the north, apart from hotels rated from two to four stars, many five-star hotels in Hanoi have joined the race, with discounts of up to 66%.

Visitors to Premier Village Halong Bay, a five-star hotel in Quang Ninh province, home to the UNESCO-recognized Ha Long Bay, will also enjoy up to 55% off on this occasion.

Others in the central region such as Premier Village Danang Resort in Da Nang City, and Premier Residences Phu Quoc Emerald Bay are following suit.

Since September, several online tourism booking platforms have also rolled out a range of promotion programs for travelers booking for five-star hotels.

Experts suggested that apart from cutting room prices, hotels should raise their service quality to lure holidaymakers sustainably, reported SGGP.

Given the fact that domestic tours are more expensive than outbound tours due to rising airfares, the Vietnam Airlines Group said it will provide nearly 400,000 seats on domestic flights from August 31-September 5, to meet the increasing demand during the National Day holiday.

The figure marks a 15% increase from the same period in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic broke out.

In the domestic market, there is high demand for flights between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh and Da Nang, Nha Trang, and Phu Quoc, Vietnam Airlines said, pledging that it will adjust flights to stay flexible and satisfy travel demand.

Vietnam Airlines Group also informed the media that it will also offer more than 155,000 seats on international flights, more than doubling that recorded in the same period last year.

Airlines also encouraged passengers to utilize various check-in methods to avoid crowded airports, including online check-in through the website or mobile app, self-service kiosks, and automatic or telephone check-in.