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Oct 17, 2023 / 12:26

Vietnam news in brief - October 17

Check out the latest events about Vietnam.

Thai energy firm eyes LNG power projects in Nam Dinh province

Thailand's Gulf Energy Development proposed on October 16 to convert the Nam Dinh I power plant from coal to liquefied natural gas (LNG). The company also recommended building another NLG power plant of 1,500-3,000 MW, an LNG power center, and an LNG port capable of accommodating 200,000 DWT ships to provide LNG-related supplies and services to the northern region.

According to Gulf Energy Development, northern Vietnam suffers from power shortages during the dry season and the situation is expected to continue in the near future.

Vietnam, India launch joint postage stamp

 The joint Vietnam-India stamp. Photo: VGP

Government agencies of Vietnam and India launched a joint postage stamp on October 16 to promote the cultural values, people and scenic beauties of the two nations. The joint stamp features Vovinam and Kalarippayattu, the traditional martial arts of the two countries. The stamp will be on sale until June 30, 2025.

Vietnam and India established diplomatic relations on January 7, 1972. The two countries became comprehensive strategic partners in 2016. Since 1982, the two governments have collaborated and issued several stamps to commemorate their bilateral relations.

Vietnamese Government seeks closer ties with Chongqing city

Vietnam's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang and Zhang Guozhi, Deputy Mayor of China's Chongqing City, have agreed to improve two-way transportation between Vietnamese localities and Chongqing. The two officials consented to promote bilateral relations by organizing more exchanges between high-ranking officials and people of the two sides and providing better transportation for people and goods.

In addition, the Vietnamese official suggested Chongqing open more direct flights and railway lines to Vietnam to connect the two nations.

Binh Thuan estimated to set Guinness World Record for Vietnam's largest kite

The southern province of Binh Thuan will hold a kite festival from October 22 to 29, which is expected to set a Guinness World Record for the largest kite in Vietnam. The festival will feature 10 professional kite teams flying 1,000 kites and attract 3,000 participants. The Guinness record giant kite will be 23 meters wide and 38 meters long.

The kite festival is part of the Visit Vietnam 2023 Year, themed "Binh Thuan - Green Convergence". The festival will be an important step in establishing the Kite Federation in Binh Thuan.

Hau Giang soon to set Guinness World Record with "Vietnam Rice Paddy Road"

The People's Council of the southern province of Hau Giang is planning to organize the International Paddy Rice Festival as part of the 20th anniversary of the province's founding. The festival is expected to be held from December 11 to 15, during which the "Vietnam Rice Paddy Road" exhibition will be listed in the Vietnam Guinness World Record.

The road includes models of primitive planting, smallholder farming, industrial farming, and modern technology in rice production. At the end of the road is a rice paddy map with specialties from 63 cities and provinces nationwide.

Vietnam aims to be among top four tertiary education systems in Southeast Asia

The Ministry of Education and Training aims for Vietnam to be among the top four tertiary education systems in Southeast Asia and the top 10 in Asia by 2030. The 2030 vision aims to achieve an education level of 260 undergraduate and 20 postgraduate students per 10,000 people.

Vietnam will strive to have universities and fields of study ranked among the top international universities. The Ministry of Education and Training also proposes to change the management and development policy for educators to attract talented teachers and researchers to the country.

Information technology group FPT sees stable profit growth in 9 months

Vietnam’s leading information and telecommunication group FPT posted a total revenue of nearly VND38 trillion (US$1.5 billion) in January-September, up 22.4% year-on-year. The company's nine-month pre-tax profit grew by nearly one-fifth year-on-year to VND6.8 trillion (US$277.7 million).

The technology sector (including domestic and global IT services) played a key role, contributing 59% of revenue and 46% of pre-tax profit. In particular, revenue from global IT services increased by nearly 31% year-on-year to VND17.6 trillion ($718.7 million), thanks to the growing demand for digital transformation in Japan and other international markets.