News highlights for April 3, 2023

The 7^th Vietnam International Choir Competition starts

Slovakian artists perform on the opening night of the seventh Vietnam International Choir Competition on April 2. Photo: Bao Quang Nam

The seventh Vietnam International Choir Competition opened on April 2 in Quang Nam Province’s ancient town of Hoi An. Eighteen troupes with nearly 600 artists of seven nationalities, including Vietnam, Slovakia, India, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, will compete in 13 categories with eight grades. The competition, co-organized by Interkultur and authorities of Hoi An Ancient Town since 2011, will introduce and share a wide range of the cultural traits and beauties of the participating nations to the public, thus boosting international relations.

Hanoi launches communication project on human rights

The authorities of Hanoi have announced a plan to carry out communication activities on human rights. Under the plan, the city will inform local people of their social welfare and ensure their full rights. Local government officials will join training courses on human rights, find ways to limit the spread of fake news to the community and develop a wide range of positive and humane news to boost social morale. In addition, local people will get access to international laws and Vietnam’s agreements on human rights and enjoy better care for their living conditions so that no one is left behind.

Cuc Phuong Jungle Paths 2023 ends in success

The two-day marathon competition Cuc Phuong Jungle Paths 2023 ended on April 2 in the Cuc Phuong National Park area and several communes of Ninh Binh, Hoa Binh and Thanh Hoa provinces. The competition, themed “Run for preservation” involved some 2,200 Vietnamese and 120 foreign competitors. There were five categories of distance ranging from 10 kilometers to 100 kilometers. The event aimed to celebrate the 1,055^th anniversary of the ancient dynasty of Dai Co Viet (Great Viet, former name of current Vietnam), founded in 968, and promote the natural and cultural beauties of Ninh Binh Province and the national park to international friends.

Vietnam, Israel agree to sign free trade agreement

Vietnam and Israel on April 2 agreed to conclude the discussions over the Vietnam-Israel Free Trade Agreement (VIFTA). The new FTA is expected to boost their bilateral trade, in which, Vietnam will benefit from Israel’s experiences in high technology, green economy, and sustainable growth through the ease of both tariff and non-tariff barriers as well as improvement of business and trade conditions. Israel is the third-largest export market and the fifth-largest trade partner to Vietnam in West Asia. In 2022, Vietnam and Israel saw bilateral trade values increase by nearly 18% on-year to US$2.2 billion.