Vietnam News Highlights for May 15, 2023

Vietnam sends battleship to LIMA 2023

Officials and soldiers of Ship 20 prepare to depart Danang on May 14. Photo: qdnd.vn

Ship 20 of Navy Region 3's Brigade 172, along with a delegation from the Vietnam People's Navy (VPN), departed Danang on May 14 for the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) in Malaysia and the fourth Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo (MNEK-4), an international fleet review, in Indonesia.

The events will include a naval ship show, fleet reviews, exercises at sea, sporting events, and an international maritime security conference. The trip will consolidate and strengthen Vietnam's friendship and cooperation with other participating countries and enhance the ability to work together in responding to common maritime security challenges.

Ha Nam hosts Vietnam-Japan art exchange

The northern province of Ha Nam held a  Vietnam-Japan traditional art exchange on May 14 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries, which falls on September 21 this year. Audiences enjoyed Kyogen, the first comic art form in Japan with a 650-year history, which depicts people's daily life in medieval times.

The event was part of the Ha Nam Culture and Tourism Week, which ran until May 20 and featured a wide range of activities, including art performances, a fireworks show, a hot air balloon festival, and a trade fair.

Vietnam's first table tennis gold medal in 26 years

Tran Mai Ngoc and Dinh Anh Hoang have crowned mixed doubles table tennis champions at the 32nd SEA Games on May 14, marking Vietnam's first gold medal in 26 years. The Vietnamese duo defeated their Singaporean rivals 3-1 in the final.

At midnight on May 14, Vietnam topped the 32nd SEA Games medal tally with 291 medals, including 107 gold, 90 silver, and 94 bronze medals. The Southeast Asian sporting extravaganza will conclude on May 17.

Meeting, photo exhibition on Paris Peace Accords signing held in Paris

The General Union of Vietnamese in France held a meeting and photo exhibition last week to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Paris Peace Accords to end the war and restore peace in Vietnam after more than 200 meetings in nearly five years.

The event was held at the UGVF headquarters at 16 Petit Musc Street, Paris - a key venue for the successful negotiation of the Accords on January 27, 1973 - and featured archived photos of negotiation sessions and Vietnamese history books.

Vietnam is becoming a new star in Asian logistics: Agility

Vietnam could become Asia's new logistics hub in the near future, according to leading global freight forwarder and contract logistics provider Agility. A 2022 report shows that the Vietnamese logistics sector is growing at an average annual rate of 14% to 16% and is valued at $40-42 billion annually, ranking 11th among the world's 50 emerging logistics markets.

The report states that socio-political stability, favorable geographic conditions, and booming e-commerce will attract global manufacturers to set up local operations in Vietnam. Therefore, local authorities need to figure out how to reduce costs and improve transportation facilities to facilitate further growth of the sector.

PM calls for urgent measures to tackle heat, drought, saltwater intrusion

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has asked local authorities to conserve fresh water and prevent salinity, and quickly complete and put into operation irrigation and water supply works to cope with the prolonged heat wave, drought, and saltwater intrusion.

According to the Meteorological Office, major reservoirs' water levels are low. It's forecast and high probability of El Niño phenomenon in the second half of 2023 may cause severe heat, drought, and water shortage nationwide, especially in the Central, Central Highlands, and Southeast regions.