Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) and malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim during their meeting on the sidelines of the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Indonesia. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam and Malaysia vow to enhance strategic partnership

Vietnam will work closely with Malaysia to promote the strategic partnership between the two countries in a deep and effective manner. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim during their meeting in Indonesia on May 10.

Chinh and Anwar were in Indonesia for the 42nd ASEAN Summit that opened on the islands of Labuan Bajo island on May 10.

The two sides expressed their satisfaction at the positive results recorded in the Vietnam – Malaysia cooperation, especially in economy, investment and trade. To further promote these results, they agreed to maintain visit exchanges, and effectively implement bilateral cooperation mechanisms, particularly in 2023 when the two countries are celebrating 50 years of their diplomacy.

The two sides affirmed their determination to boost trade growth through fully tapping into the potential of cooperation, and increasing the import and export of their major staples, including farm products, food, and electronic components, cited VOV.

Chinh suggested that Malaysia create more favourable conditions for Vietnamese goods and services to access the Malaysian market, including Halal products, encourage Malaysian businesses to increase investment in Vietnam, assist Vietnamese workers in Malaysia under the 2022 labour cooperation agreement, and establish a maritime management and consultation mechanism.

Anwar affirmed that Vietnam is Malaysia’s important partner in the region, and Malaysia is looking forwards to Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong’s visit to Malaysia later this year. He also said he expects to visit Vietnam soon.

He assured Chinh that he will continue to direct relevant Malaysian agencies to further promote cooperation with Vietnam, including maritime cooperation. He agreed to consider setting up a hotline to facilitate the settlement of issues that may arise at sea.

Exchanging regional and international issues of mutual concern, the two sides agreed that ASEAN should be the central force in Southeast Asia and the Asia - Indo - Pacific region. In line with this, they said Vietnam and Malaysia will work closely together to build a strong, resilient and united ASEAN Community, and will support each other’s candidacy at international organizations and the United Nations.

Reaffirming ASEAN’s stance on the East Sea, the two PM shared the importance of peace, stability, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea. They said Vietnam and Malaysia will regularly work alongside other countries to successfully develop an effective and efficient Code of Conduct in accordance with international law.

On this occasion, Chinh invited Anwar to visit Vietnam at an appropriate time.

Vietnamese, Chinese business associations cooperate in industrial development

The Hanoi Supporting Industries Business Association (HANSIBA) and Association for Trade Promotion of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) of China’s Suzhou city on May 9 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in industrial development.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Nguyen Hoang, Chairman of HANSIBA, said that Vietnamese businesses wish to cooperate with international partners, including those from Suzhou city to tap the potential market of industrial products and accessories in both the ASEAN region and the world.

Hanoi boasts specialised industrial parks for supporting industries and high technology developed under a new generation ecosystem with full facilities to serve the demand of manufacturers, Hoang noted. Enterprises in the city are also capable of operating hi-tech production chains, VNA reported.

At the signing ceremony. (Photo: VNA)

The official emphasised that the association has offered preferential policies for high-tech enterprises manufacturing in Vietnam, including those from Suzhou city.

In terms of traffic and geography, Vietnam and China share a border of almost 1,400 km, which facilitates the transport of products to markets in the world in the most convenient and cheapest way, he said.

Pan Dong Ming, acting head of the Association for Trade Promotion of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) of Suzhou city said regarding geographical advantages, enterprises in Suzhou have a great advantage because Suzhou is close to Shanghai city and seaports.

It takes a week to transport goods from Shanghai to Hanoi by waterways, he said adding that it takes only 2-3 days via roads.

Vietnam to expand list of countries with visa-free entry

The Government has requested that the National Assembly move to consider and grant approval to a resolution at its upcoming session to facilitate visa and immigration policies in an effort to promote socio-economic development and stimulate tourism.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will submit a Government proposal to the National Assembly for consideration and approval, including expanding the list of countries with free-visa entry to Vietnam.

As of 2023, citizens of 25 countries can travel to Vietnam without having to apply for a visa, with visitors allowed to stay between 14 and 30 days on average.

Vietnam is expected to expand list of countries with visa-free entry.

The Government has also proposed increasing the duration of an e-visa from no more than 30 days to no more than 90 days; issuing e-visas to citizens of all countries and territories; and increasing the duration of temporary residence certification at the border gate for people subject to unilateral visa exemption from 15 days to 45 days, cited VOV.

During a national tourism conference held in March, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh asked relevant ministries, agencies, and localities to urgently amend and complete policies on entry and exit procedures for international visitors by increasing the number of countries exempted from visas and extending the stay of visitors in the country. He also asked the designated agencies to create favourable conditions for domestic and international airlines seeking to open routes and directly connect Vietnam with key and potential tourism markets worldwide.

Vietnam was the first country in Southeast Asia to reopen its borders following the COVID-19 pandemic, although the recovery rate of the tourism industry is the lowest throughout the region. According to experts, the visa policy is one of the bottlenecks that hampers tourism recovery in Vietnam. At a seminar on tourism development in Ho Chi Minh City held early this year, experts suggested that Vietnam should revise its inefficient visa policy or it will lose out to regional neighbours in attracting foreign travelers.

The National Assembly will hold its fifth session in Hanoi from May 22 to June 23.

PM attends dialogues on ASEAN Community

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and leaders of other ASEAN countries on May 10 engaged in dialogues with representatives of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), the youth, the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ABAC), and the High-Level Task Force (HLTF) on the ASEAN Community’s Post-2025 Vision.

The events took place on the sidelines of the ongoing 42nd ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia.

Addressing the dialogue with AIPA representatives, PM Chinh outlined three orientations for enhancing the effectiveness of coordination between legislative and executive bodies.

First, they need to boost coordination to perfect regulations and harmonise laws to remove barriers and bottlenecks, especially in trade and investment. Second, it is necessary to review and increase legal frameworks to facilitate intra-bloc labour flows. And third, in the face of the increasingly complex international and regional situations, AIPA should maintain solidarity and close coordination to join ASEAN in protecting and upholding the bloc’s principles and common stances, particularly respecting standards of conduct and complying with international law, he noted.

At the dialogue with the youth, the Vietnamese leader emphasised their pioneering role and encouraged them to participate in resolving social issues and take the lead in voluntary activities to bring positive changes to the community, according to VNA.

The dialogue between ASEAN leaders and the High-Level Task Force on the ASEAN Community’s Post-2025 Vision in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, on May 10. (Photo: VNA)

He affirmed that Vietnam pledges to join other member countries in creating the best possible conditions for the youth to develop, have their voice heard, and engage in making decisions about the future of the ASEAN Community.

The PM also proposed the ASEAN Community be turned into a “learning community” to help the youth develop their skills and into a “creative community” so that the bloc will become an incubator for young people to bring into play their creativity.

Talking to ABAC representatives, he spoke highly of enterprises’ role in trade and investment facilitation, digital transformation, and sustainable and inclusive development.

To make breakthroughs for the ASEAN Economic Community, the leader recommended businesses join hands with the member countries to perfect regulations, develop strategic infrastructure, and create high-quality human resources, especially in digital transformation, green transition, and high technology.

In his remarks at the dialogue with the HLTF, PM Chinh asked the task force to have a breakthrough mindset with a creative and flexible approach so as to map out strategic directions for ASEAN development by 2045.

He also suggested the HLTF closely follow the three breakthroughs in terms of connectivity, growth promotion, and human development.

Vietnamese broken rice among top 100 most popular rice dishes in Asia

International food magazine TasteAtlas recently selected Com Tam, Vietnamese broken rice, as one of the top 100 most popular rice dishes throughout Asia.

According to the newswire, Com Tam is a traditional Vietnamese dish that is typically sold as a street food. It normally consists of broken and imperfect rice grains that have been traditionally thrown away after the milling process, but nowadays it makes up a signature dish of Ho Chi Minh City.

The magazine revealed that broken rice boasts a texture that is similar to normal rice, just smaller. When served, Com Tam is accompanied by numerous toppings, including fried eggs, shredded pork skin, grilled pork chops, or deep-fried fish patties.

Photo: VNN

The usual garnishes include lime wedges, chopped spring onions, and mint, while accompaniments served on the side include sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, pickled vegetables, or dipping sauces.

Furthermore, two other Vietnamese dishes were also named in the list, including Com Chien, Vietnamese Fried Rice, and Xoi Ga, Sticky Rice and Chicken.

TasteAtlas is widely viewed as one of the world's most prestigious traditional culinary experience travel guide websites, featuring a catalog of more than 10,000 types of food and drink from around the world. The recipes posted on this website are greatly appreciated by both food critics and journalists.

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