Day: April 14, 2023

Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, said that the government's open sky policy has spurred tourism investment flow into Siem Reap province.

At the celebration of the 10th anniversary of annual Angkor Sankranta and the opening ceremony of Angkor Sankranta 2023 held in Siem Reap province this morning, Samdech Techo Hun Sen said that when he allowed direct flights to Siem Reap in 1998, there were many reactions, but later on they turned to support the move.

“Direct flights have boosted investment to the province. From just a few old hotels at that times, now we have hundreds of hotels. This is made possible under the open sky policy framework,” he stressed.

With the current progress, Samdech Techo Hun Sen continued, the increase in foreign arrivals and investments has made Siem Reap province the country’s Rising Star in the North.

The new US$880-million Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport in Siem Reap province would be put into operation in October this year, the Premier said.

SOURCE: AGENCE KAMPUCHEA PRESSE (AKP)

A seminar on building smart and digitalised cities was held in Hanoi on April 14, as part of the 12th Vietnam France decentralized cooperation conference.

The event was co-chaired by Permanent Vice Chairman of the Da Nang municipal People’s Committee Ho Ky Minh and President of the Nevers Agglomeration Denis Thuriot.

Speaking at the event, Minh shared the approach to smart city development in Da Nang under the pillars of infrastructure - data – intelligence, with people and organisations being placed at the centre to assess its effectiveness.

Thuriot, for his part, said the smart city model in Nevers Agglomeration encompasses various themes, including education, culture, safety, as well as green technology to become an even better model of waste management.

Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Huy Dung said his ministry always encourages cooperation and sharing of knowledge about digital transformation and transfer of modern and eco-friendly technology to Vietnam.

The ministry pledges to continue partnering with localities in national digital transformation process, he said, adding that French companies are strong in various fields such as telecommunications, renewable energy, environment, health care, manufacturing, food, infrastructure and logistics services, which presents an opportunity for cooperation between the two countries' localities./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

A workshop on sustainable urban areas was held in Hanoi on April 14 as part of the 12th Vietnam-France decentralised cooperation conference.

The experience shared at the workshop has helped localities and units seek suitable, effective cooperation forms in urban development in both Vietnam and France, covering sustainable transport development.

Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Transport Do Viet Hai said the capital city aims to complete its transport infrastructure, reduce travel time, improve comfort and safety for passengers, cut cargo transportation costs and apply new technologies by 2030 with a vision towards 2045.

Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Duong Duc Tuan noted that over the past years, urban planning and development has remained a priority in cooperation between Vietnam and France.

Programmes have been launched at different levels and in various forms in order to address challenges to urbanisation, he said, stressing that Hanoi has paid attention to international cooperation in the process, including collaboration with the Ile - de - France region and many localities of France.

Beaudet Stephane, Vice President of the Ile - de - France region, suggested Vietnam pay more heed to green transport, people’s fundamental access to green space and the maximisation of resources as its urban residents mainly live in deltas that are affected by global warming and climate change.

For Hanoi, he stressed the need to place importance to reducing waste and plastics, saying the French region plans to cooperate with the city in this regard./

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The US Embassy wishes to cooperate with Vietnam to remove the Southeast Asian nation from the US’s special watch list on religious freedom, Ambassador Marc E. Knapper told Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vu Chien Thang during their meeting in Hanoi on April 14.

The ambassador noted that the Vietnam-US relationship has been expanded in various fields, and the two countries held candid, open talks over various issues and at different levels, recalling the long phone talks between Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Joe Biden last March.

Ten years since the establishment of the bilateral comprehensive partnership and 28 years since the normalisation of the bilateral ties, representatives from the two countries have compared notes many times on issues of shared concern, including those relating to religious freedom, in a frank, open and respectful manner, the diplomat continued.

Knapper said he had served as the political counselor of the US Embassy in Vietnam from 2004 to 2007. During that time, the embassy coordinated with Washington in removing Vietnam from the list of countries of particular concern regarding religious freedom. This decision was made based on the US’s objective assessment that Vietnam has made significant progress in creating conditions for religious followers to practise their belief and religion as they desire, he stressed.

Knapper said he was proud of Vietnam’s achievements in improving conditions for religious followers at that time, emphasising that the country is also making progress in this regard.

The ambassador said the above-said watch list is not fixed but is reviewed annually, suggesting local authorities quickly take actions to help people facing difficulties in practising their belief and religion.

He also urged Vietnam to simplify procedures for religious registration, proving its commitments to ensuring the freedom of belief and religion, and affirmed that the US government wants to cooperate with the country in these efforts.

Vietnam should contact the embassy when it finds any inaccurate information in the US’s report on religious freedom, Knapper suggested, noting that the bilateral exchange channel always opens. For his part, Thang expressed his wish that Knapper will significantly contribute to promoting the relations between the two governments and peoples, and work as Vietnam’s “ambassador of religion and religious policy” in the US.

Vietnam has announced a white book on religions, which provides official information about the religious situation in Vietnam, as well as relevant policies and guidelines, and achievements it recorded in this field, he told the ambassador.

The official affirmed Vietnam’s consistent policies on religious freedom that facilitate the development of religions. He, however, pointed to obstacles to realising the policies as Vietnam is a developing nation.

It is also not easy for Vietnam, a multi-religion country, to make its Law on Belief and Religion cover all conducts of religions, he went on.

The Deputy Minister laid emphasis on an undeniable fact that progress has been made in policies on religious freedom, as well as religious practice in Vietnam. Therefore, it was a surprise to those directly engaging in religious affairs and legal religious organisations when the US Department of State decided to place Vietnam on the special watch list on religious freedom, he said.

The Ministry of Home Affairs is working hard together with religions, with the support of agencies, to deal with this issue, he said, noting his hope that with efforts by both Vietnam and the US, Vietnam will soon be removed from the watch list.

The Vietnamese Constitution and policies consider the demand for belief and religion a legitimate need of all people, regardless of their background, including those who have been deprived of their citizenship as well as foreigners residing in Vietnam, the official said, briefing the ambassador on efforts by localities, agencies, ministries and the Prime Minister in this field.

Thang, therefore, urged the US to take a holistic view to assess the policies and guidelines of the Vietnamese Party and State, and called on the embassy and the ambassador himself to support this./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reiterated Friday that Cambodia had to diversify its export markets to cope with slower economic growth in the United States and Europe.

Krishna Srinivasan, director of the IMF’s Asian and Pacific Department, told a news conference in Washington that “those two markets are clearly affecting Cambodia's growth.”

A one percent decline in U.S. growth "leads to an 0.5 percent decline in Cambodia's growth,” he said.

“These are clear headwinds for Cambodia's growth prospects. Now, one needs to diversify your trading partners and where you export.”

Cambodia’s free-trade agreements with China and South Korea as well as the Regional Comprehensive Partnership (RCEP) are “providing an opportunity to diversify your export markets,” Srinivasan said.

ASEAN: ‘TWO SETS OF FACTORS AT PLAY’

Asked about the growth prospects for ASEAN overall, the regional director said: “There are two sets of factors at play here.

“One is slowing growth in U.S. and Europe, because ASEAN countries do export quite a bit to U.S. and Europe. That is a headwind.

“At the same time, China is opening up, so there's a tailwind there. So, you put the factors together, on balance we see improvement in our ASEAN's growth outlook.”

Referring to Thursday’s announcement of an unexpectedly sharp year-on-year increase of 15 percent in China’s exports in March, Srinivasan noted that “a lot of the exports were to ASEAN countries …

‘NORMALIZATION OF SUPPLY CHAINS IN CHINA WILL HELP THE REGION’

“The linkages between ASEAN and trade and China are important and so normalisation of supply chains in China will help the region."

In its World Economic Outlook released Tuesday, the IMF forecast growth to slow from 2.1 percent last year to 1.6 percent this year in the United States and from 3.5 percent to 0.8 percent in the euro area.

But China’s rate of expansion is projected to jump from 3.0 percent last year to 5.2 percent this year.

Among other countries in the 15-member RCEP — which took effect last year — Cambodia, the Philippines and Vietnam are forecast to grow at an even faster pace of around 6 percent, with Indonesia and Malaysia expanding by around 5 percent.

“Asian growth this year is expected to contribute 70 percent to global growth,” Srinivasan said.

INFLATION ‘STILL PRETTY HIGH’ IN VIETNAM

Asked about Vietnamese efforts to contain inflation, which is forecast to hit 5.0 percent this year, the regional director said: “We see inflation as still being pretty high.”

Srinivasan highlighted the importance of the central bank tackling the problem directly “so that you don't have to tighten much faster later.

“If you lose it now, it can have a bearing on expectations and so on. So, I think it's important for Vietnam to address inflation head on."

LAOS ‘ENGAGING WITH THE CREDITORS ON SOME KIND OF A DEBT TREATMENT’

Asked about external debt in Laos, Srinivasan stressed the importance of the government raising revenues for a "credible and well-fleshed short, medium-term fiscal framework that can help reduce debt.

“Now, going beyond that, we've also been informed by the authorities that they're engaging with the creditors on some kind of a debt treatment.

“We are not privy to that. But again, that's something which could also help address the debt issue.”

SOURCE: AGENCE KAMPUCHEA PRESSE (AKP)

Global integration in the fields of politics, national defence and security has been carried out scientifically and proactively, ensuring national interests and their harmony with interests of partners, said Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son.

Speaking at a meeting of the inter-sectoral steering committee on global integration in the fields of politics, national defence, security in Hanoi on April 14, Son, who is its deputy head, said the effort has contributed to maintaining an environment of peace and stability for national construction and protection, safeguarding sovereignty and territorial integrity, pooling external resources for socio-economic development and enhancing the strength of each sector in particular, improving the role and position of the country and each sector.

Chairing the event, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang, who is also the committee’s head, hailed the ministries of foreign affairs, public security and national defence for working closely together to deploy integration in terms of politics, national defence and security in a comprehensive, extensive and effective manner, contributing to deepening bilateral and multilateral ties with countries and partners while well performing citizen protection work and overseas Vietnamese affairs.

Given the rapid and profound changes in the global and regional situation, he asked delegates to point out shortcomings and propose solutions to them, thus elevating global integration and enhancing cooperation among the pillars of global integration and between central and local agencies.

The leader asked for reviewing the 10-year implementation of the Politburo’s Resolution on global integration, strengthening coordination between global integration in terms of politics, national defence and security and other pillars such as economy, socio-culture, science-technology, and education-training.

It is necessary to raise the awareness of global integration among all ministries and agencies from the central to local level, especially its new requirements and tasks in the current context, he said./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The National Assembly Standing Committee wrapped up its April law-making meeting in Hanoi on April 14 after two days of sitting under the chair of NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

Speaking at the event, NA Chairman Hue said the committee has completed the set agenda, including giving opinions on three draft laws in the Law and Ordinance Building Programme for 2023, including the amended Law on Real Estate Business, the revised Law on Telecommunications, and the amended Law on Citizen Identification.

They also agreed to suggest the legislature add the draft law on forces for security and order at the grassroots level into the Law and Ordinance Building Programme for 2023 at the fifth session.

The committee decided to submit the draft Law on Roads and the draft Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety to the NA for first-time consideration in the sixth session and for approval in the seventh session.

They concurred with a proposal on the draft law on amendments and supplements of several articles of the Law on Exit and Entry of Vietnamese Citizens and the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam, and add them to the Law and Ordinance Building Programme for 2023. They are scheduled to be passed by the NA in the fifth session.

The top legislator asked the NA Committee for Science, Technology and Environment to acquire feedback and conclusions at the meeting to complete examining a project connecting Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan and Lam Dong provinces through a road from Yang Bay - Ta Gu linking with National Highway 27C and provincial road DT.707 in Ninh Thuan.

In conclusion, he assigned the NA’s Legal Committee to collect all remaining contents after this meeting to prepare for the NA Standing Committee’s regular meeting in May.

The NA Council for Ethnic Affairs and NA organs were tasked with working with the NA’s Legal Committee to prepare the contents under their respective responsibilities./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

A tourism resort development investment project has received green light from the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC).

With an investment capital of US$30 million, the project will be developed on Koh Totoeung island located in Koh Sdach village, Koh Sdach commune, Kiri Sakor district, Koh Kong province by Den Nokor (Cambodia) Investment Co., Ltd., according to a CDC’s news release issued yesterday.

The new project is expected to generate 142 jobs for the locals, it added.

At the same time, CDC approved five other investment projects with a total capital of US$43.9 million, creating some 1,579 job opportunities.

The newly approved projects are sola panel production and cardboard box factories in Ang Snuol district of Kandal province, agricultural processing and packaging factory and banana plantations in O’ Raing Ov district of Thbong Khmum province, furniture factory in Samrong Torng district of Kampong Speu province, and “Koh Muoy” development project in Koh Rong city of Preah Sihanouk province.

SOURCE: AGENCE KAMPUCHEA PRESSE (AKP)