Author: Singapore News Gazette

Hanoi: The following is a brief review of the day's events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency. - Officials, Party members, and people are concerned about how the Party will select the leadership capable of shouldering the immense revolutionary tasks entrusted by the history, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said at the first meeting of the sub-committee on personnel affairs of the 14th National Party Congress on March 13. In his book titled 'Resolutely, persistently fighting corruption and other negative phenomena to contribute to building more transparent and stronger Party and State', the leader also stressed disciplining officials is something very painful and heartbreaking that no one desires. - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on April 24 requested more efforts to step up institutional improvement, create a full legal corridor to promote national digital transformation and develop the digital economy while addressing the eighth meeting of the National Committee for Digital Transformation. Chinh, who is head of the committee, stressed the need to speed up the upgrade of digital infrastructure and digital platforms to create an important premise for digital economic development; promote the creation of digital data and the development of digital services; step up the development of digital human resources and skills to meet socio-economic development requirements; and ensure cyber security and information security to protect the national cyberspace sovereignty early and from afar. - Acting State President Vo Thi Anh Xuan on April 24 hosted a reception for Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yamada Takio who came to bid farewell to her. Congratulating Yamada on his successful tenure, Xuan spoke highly of his efforts to bolster the Vietnam - Japan relations in various domains. - Standard Chartered Bank has lowered Vietnam's GDP growth forecast in 2024 to 6% from the previous 6.7% due to lower-than-expected Q1 growth and global trade headwinds. However, it is still an improvement from 5% in 2023. The count ry's Q1 GDP growth moderated to 5.7% (from 6.7% in Q4-2023). The bank lowered Q2 year-on-year growth forecast to 5.3% (from 6.3%) and Q3 to 6%. But Q4 growth is expected to be recovered to 6.7%. - Though the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) has announced it is selling the US dollar to intervene in the USD/VND exchange rate since April 19, the greenback price has remained high, which has been directly affecting many domestic enterprises. The USD/VND exchange rate listed at VietinBank and BIDV on April 23 was at 25,180 VND and 25,485 VND per USD dollar for buying and selling, an increase of 20 VND compared to the previous session. - The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) on April 23 took some moves like issuing treasury bills (T-bills), further employing T-bills as an open market operation (OMO), and stipulating liquidity and interest rates in the inter-bank market in the face of surging USD/VND exchange rates. The central bank lent nearly 36 trillion VND (1.4 billion USD) for a 14-day term to nine members via the OMO channel. The bid-winning interest rate rose to 4.25% per year from 4% per year as recorded recently. - Five Vietnamese enterprises operating in the fields of food and hospitality are attending the Food and Hotel Asia (FHA) 2024 which is taking place in Singapore from April 23-26. This year's event attracts over 1,500 businesses from more than 50 nations and territories and expects to welcome 60,000 visitors. - A delegation of Vietnamese negotiators joined those from 176 countries worldwide at the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) on plastic waste in Ottawa on April 23. This session is to work towards finalising an agreement on a global treaty to eliminate plastic pollution by the end of this year. To achieve this goal, negotiators will need to reach a comprehensive legally binding compromise on plastic waste./. Source: Vietnam News Agency

Hanoi: Vietnamese Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang on April 24 received Deputy Defence Minister of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Kim Seon Ho, who is in Vietnam to attend the 11th Vietnam-RoK defence policy dialogue. Giang affirmed that Vietnam consistently values its diplomatic relations with the RoK, and wants to work with the country to further deepen bilateral ties for the common benefits of their people, contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world. He acknowledged the RoK's care and support for Vietnam's efforts to overcome war consequences, especially the removal of unexploded ordnance for the RoK - Vietnam Peace Village project to clean up areas still contaminated with mines and bombs in Vietnam. He proposed the two sides continue to promote and actively implement effective cooperation in addressing war consequences in Vietnam and defence industry. The minister took this occasion to invite the Korean Defence Ministry's leaders and Korean defence enterprises to attend the second International Defence Exhibition slated for this December. Speaking highly of the two countries' defence relations, Kim Seon Ho agreed to fully implement the contents of the Memorandum of Understanding on defence cooperation between the two defence ministries, and important cooperation activities agreed upon by the two ministers during Giang's visit to the RoK in 2023./. Source: Vietnam News Agency

Hanoi: Acting President Vo Thi Anh Xuan congratulated outgoing Ambassador of Algeria to Vietnam Abdelhamid Boubazine on his successful tenure in Vietnam during a reception in Hanoi on April 24. Xuan was delighted to note that during his tenure, ties between Vietnam and Algeria have seen positive developments in all areas. Bilateral cooperation mechanisms such as the third political consultation and the 12th meeting of the Inter-Governmental Committee have been revived after a period of inactivity, providing platforms to discuss measures to boost all-around cooperation. In 2023, two-way trade witnessed impressive growth compared to the previous year. Cultural and people-to-people exchanges have also consolidated the solid foundation of the two countries' friendship. Recognising the vast potential for economic and trade collaboration, particularly in energy and agriculture, President Xuan expressed her hope that Ambassador Boubazine would continue to champion these sectors. A stronger partnership in these are as, she emphasised, could contribute significantly to energy and food security in each nation and the region. She envisioned a future where Vietnam serves as a bridge between Algeria and ASEAN countries, while Algeria plays a similar role connecting Vietnam with African nations. Looking beyond the diplomat's current role, Xuan wished that he would continue contributions toward facilitating bilateral cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. Boubazine, for his part, was satisfied with the remarkable progress in bilateral ties over the past years, including in politics, economy, trade, and people-to-people exchange. He expressed his profound gratitude for the unwavering support that the Vietnamese State and people extended to Algeria during its struggle for independence, saying that Vietnam was one of the first countries to recognise the provisional government of the Algerian Republic in 1958 and established diplomatic relations following Algeria's independence in 1962. Highlighting ample room for coordi nation in investment, trade, agriculture, healthcare and environment, he concluded by pledging to remain a bridge between the two nations in whatever capacity he serves in the future, working to elevate the bilateral relationship to even a greater height./. Source: Vietnam News Agency

Hanoi: Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi co-chaired the fifth meeting of the Vietnam-Indonesia Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) in Hanoi on April 24. Son congratulated Indonesia on its successful general election earlier this year, believed that Indonesia would continue to prosper, elevate its position on the international arena, and become a developed country by 2045, its 100th founding anniversary. Marsudi, for her part, affirmed that Indonesia always values and wishes to further enhance its strategic partnership with Vietnam. She hailed Vietnam's successful organisation of the ASEAN Future Forum, which has significantly contributed to promoting the building of a strong and self-reliant ASEAN Community, upholding its central and pioneering role in coping with regional challenges. The two ministers agreed to further facilitate all-level exchanges and meetings, effectively uphold existing cooperation mechanisms, expedite the co mpletion of the action plan for the 2024-2028 period, contributing to fostering political trust and deepening bilateral cooperation in various fields, toward elevating bilateral relationship to new heights. Indonesia is currently Vietnam's third largest trading partner while Vietnam is the fourth biggest trading partner of Indonesia in ASEAN. Two-way trade hit 14 billion USD in 2023, and reached 3.6 billion USD in the first quarter of 2024, up 20% annually. Toward a two-way trade of 18 billion USD by 2028, with a more balanced fashion, both sides pledged to encourage the early organisation of a meeting of the Joint Commission on economic, scientific and technical cooperation, hold trade promotion activities and help firms access each other's markets. Minister Marsudi stressed that Indonesian enterprises are increasingly interested in expanding their investments in Vietnam. In reply, Son suggested that both sides create favourable conditions for their businesses to expand and diversify investments, particul arly in new and promising fields such as green economy, circular economy, renewable energy, semiconductor industry, digital economy, electric vehicles and Halal cooperation. Host and guest vowed to reinforce collaboration in national defence-security, fight against cross-border crimes, including cyber and human trafficking crimes. They also encouraged promoting air connectivity and increased cooperation in agriculture, aquaculture, education, tourism and people-to-people exchange. On the global and regional issues of shared concern, including the East Sea and Myanmar issues, they promised to continue offering mutual support at multilateral and regional organisations and forums, such as the United Nations, ASEAN, and sub-regional cooperation. The two sides concurred to maintain ASEAN's solidarity and agreed principles on the East Sea issue to ensure regional peace, stability and prosperity on the basis international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). They also pledged to step up the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and actively push for the early conclusion of a substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) that is in line with international law and the 1982 UNCLOS. The sixth meeting of its kind is scheduled to be held in Indonesia in 2026./. Source: Vietnam News Agency