President Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) welcomes new Azerbaijani Ambassador Shovgi Kamal Oglu Mehdizade. Photo: VNA

President Phuc receives Azerbaijani and Brunei ambassadors

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc received the Ambassadors of Azerbaijan and Brunei who came to present their letters of credence at the Presidential Palace on December 1.

Congratulating Shovgi Kamal Oglu Mehdizade on his appointment as Azerbaijani Ambassador to Vietnam on the occasion of the two countries' 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations (1992 - 2022), President Nguyen Xuan Phuc affirmed that Vietnam always attaches importance to traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Azerbaijan that have been nurtured and built up by generations of leaders and people of the two nations.

Vietnam wishes to augment multifaceted and substantive cooperation with Azerbaijan, commensurate with the good traditional friendship as well as both nations’ great potential.

Emphasizing the importance of trade cooperation, the Vietnamese State leader stated that economic and trade cooperation between Vietnam and Azerbaijan has made positive progress but is still far from matching their potential.

Therefore, the two sides need to make greater efforts to bolster cooperation in key. Vietnam wishes to export to Azerbaijan electronic products, components, pepper, and import crude oil from Azerbaijan.

It is essential to expand bilateral cooperation in other fields, including culture, education, tourism, defence and people-to-people exchanges, he said.

The State, Government and Vietnamese ministries and sectors will create all optimal conditions for the Ambassador to have a successful working term in Vietnam, Phuc said, while voicing his hope that with long-term experience in the diplomatic sector, the ambassador will make practical contributions to bolstering bilateral cooperative ties in the time ahead.

Ambassador Shovgi Kamal Oglu Mehdizade affirmed his nation’s recognition of great importance to relations with Vietnam, and conveyed the Azerbaijani President’s invitation to attend the Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to be held in early 2023 to senior Vietnamese leaders.

This is an important meeting for leaders to discuss issues related to NAM member countries to overcome the post- COVID-19 pandemic period.

The ambassador said he would do his best to contribute to the further development of relations between the two countries, and step up communication about the traditional close friendship between the two countries, especially among younger generations, cited VOV.

Congratulating Datin Paduka Malai Hajah Halimah Malai Haji Yussof on her appointment as the Ambassador of Brunei to Vietnam, the President affirmed that Vietnam and Brunei are two countries in the ASEAN region that enjoy a close-knit relationship.

He shared his good impressions on meetings with the Sultan of Brunei, especially the visit to Vietnam by the Sultan of Brunei in March 2019 that opened a new chapter in bilateral relations when the two countries upgraded their bilateral ties to a comprehensive partnership.

The President expressed his delight at the rapid development of economic cooperation between the two countries with trade turnover exceeding the target of US$500 million set for 2025.

Phuc also asked the Ambassador to continue boosting economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, facilitating the import of Vietnamese goods, especially rice and agricultural and aquatic products into the Brunei market, thus creating favorable conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to cooperate with Bruneian enterprises in the coming period

The Bruneian Ambassador conveyed his respectful greetings to Brunei Darussalam Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah and expressed his delight at the deepening relations between the two countries, especially in the fields of agriculture, commerce, national defence, and people-to- people exchange.

The Ambassador emphasized that the upgrading of the Vietnam - Brunei relationship to a comprehensive partnership during the Sultan's visit to Vietnam in March 2019 is the clearest example of strengthening relations between the two countries.

He expressed his thanks to Vietnam for greatly supporting Brunei in the field of agriculture and fishery. In addition, the two countries always support each other at international and regional forums.

The Ambassador believed that the comprehensive partnership between the two countries would grow stronger in the coming time and affirmed that he would make every effort to propel bilateral relations forward in line with the aspirations of both nations’ leaders and people.

Vietnam-Laos trade reaches 1.36 billion USD in ten months of 2022

The total trade value between Vietnam and Laos during the first ten months of 2022 reached 1.36 billion USD, up 28.3% over the same period last year.

Vietnam exported 512.3 million USD worth of goods to Laos, a year-on-year rise of 3.7%.

Display booths at the 2022 Vietnam-Laos Trade Fair in Vientiane. Photo: Trinh Dung

Vietnam’s main exports to Laos included fruits and vegetables, oil products, fertilisers, machinery and equipment, and steel products.

On the opposite side, Lao exports to Vietnam rose 49.5% to 849.5 million USD, mainly rubber, fertilisers, timber and timber products, ores and other minerals, according to NDO.

In October, Vietnamese exports to Laos fell 9.2% to 46.3 million USD, while the country imported 94.4 million USD worth of goods from Laos, up 0.5% against the previous month.

According to the Vietnamese trade mission in Laos, bilateral trade between the two countries is on track to reach 1.63 billion USD this year, up over 20% from 2021 and meeting the target set by the two countries’ leaders.

Seven-day Tet holiday fixed for State employees

Officials, civil servants, public employees and workers of State administrative and socio-political organisations will enjoy a seven-day Lunar New Year (Tet) and four-day National Day holidays next year.

In a dispatch recently sent to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Government Office said that Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam agreed with the ministry’s proposals, reported VNA.

Illustrative image. Photo: hanoimoi.com.vn

Accordingly, officials, civil servants, public employees and workers of State administrative and socio-political organisations will have seven days off from January 20 (Friday) to January 26 (Thursday) for Tet celebrations.

Meanwhile, the National Day break will span from September 1-4.

Other weekly and holiday breaks will be arranged in line with the Labour Code.

Vietnamese exports set to record spectacular achievements this year

With just one month to go until the end of the year, relevant ministries, localities, and enterprises have exerted great efforts in order to fulfill the export target of US$368 billion set by the Government, according to industry insiders.

Statistics compiled by the Ministry of Industry and Trade reveal that the total import and export turnover of goods during the initial 11 months of the year is estimated to be at US$673.8 billion, with the country enjoying a trade surplus of US$10.6 billion.

The nation has seen 35 products record an export turnover of over US$1 billion, of which eight export items grossed over US$10 billion.

Most notably, Vietnamese seafood exports fetched a turnover of US$10 billion during the reviewed period for the first time ever, cited VOV.

Truong Dinh Hoe, general secretary of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), pointed out that the seafood industry has fulfilled its export target ahead of schedule, adding that this can be considered as an important historical milestone for the sector.

Do Xuan Lap, chairman of the Vietnam Timber & Forest Products Association (VIFORES), emphasised that with timber and wood exports reaching US$14.6 billion during the 11-month period, meeting the wood industry’s export target this year is completely feasible.

Photo: VOV

Tran Thanh Hai, deputy director of the Import-Export Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, analysed that the positive export results indicate that local enterprises have taken full advantage of free trade agreements (FTAs), such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), as a means of accelerating exports.

Experts therefore stressed the need to continue fully taping into the FTAs, diversifying export markets and products, effectively co-operating with Vietnamese trade offices abroad, simplifying administrative procedures, and making thorough preparations for trade remedy lawsuits as part of efforts to boost exports moving forward.

Petrol prices continue falling

The retail prices of petrol dropped in the latest adjustment on December 1 by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the Ministry Finance.

The price of RON 95-III bio-fuel went down 1,080 VND per litre to 22,700 VND (0.92 USD) per litre from 3pm on December 1.

Meanwhile, the retail price of E5 RON 92 decreased by 1,000 VND to 21,670 VND per litre, VNa reported.

A customer refills her motorbike at a petrol station in Hanoi. Photo: VNA

The prices of oils also reduced sharply, with that of diesel oil cut by 1,590 VND to 23,210 VND per litre, and that of kerosene down by 1,080 VND to 23,560 VND per litre. Mazut oil was priced at 13,950 VND per kg, a decline of 830 VND.

The two ministries also determined to extract 300-400 VND per litre from petrol, diesel and kerosene prices for the petrol price stabilisation fund.

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