Vietnam news in brief - December 17
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Vietnam, Japan enterprises, agencies sign 30 deals
Vietnamese and Japanese businesses, organizations and agencies signed 30 agreements on business cooperation at the Vietnam-Japan Business Summit in Tokyo on December 16. The summit was part of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's visit to Japan to attend the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Japan relations.
Among the outstanding deals were the US$2 billion Thai Binh liquefied natural gas (LNG) power plant project, two US$250 million Aeon Mall centers in the southern city of Cantho and the northern province of Bac Giang, and agreements between Vietnam Airlines and Japan's Kagoshima and Shimane provinces.
Google celebrates 29 years of Ha Long Bay as a World Heritage Site
| Aerial shot of Ha Long Bay. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper |
Global search engine Google honors Vietnam's Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh province with a doodle on its homepage today (December 17). The doodle features an image of limestone, a wooden boat and some seagulls. Clicking on the doodle brings up about 10 million results related to Ha Long Bay.
Today also marks the 29th anniversary of Ha Long Bay's inscription on UNESCO's World Heritage List (December 17, 1994 - December 17, 2023).
Vietnam, Russia resume direct flights
Russian airline Aeroflot announced today (December 17) that it will resume direct flights between the two countries on January 31, 2024. Aeroflot will operate two flights from Moscow to Ho Chi Minh City on Sundays and Wednesdays, and return flights on Mondays and Thursdays. The flight takes nine hours and 15 minutes.
Vietnam Airlines, Vietnam's national flag carrier, will also launch direct flights between Hanoi and Moscow in mid-January 2024. The route has been suspended since March 25, 2022.
500,000 vaccine doses arrive in Vietnam for expanded immunization program
About 500,000 doses of 5-in-1 vaccine arrived in Vietnam on December 16 for the Expanded Vaccination Program. The doses were provided by the Australian Government through UNICEF and will be stored by the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology before being distributed to provinces and cities.
China's Guizhou Province eyes direct flights to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City
China's southwestern province of Guizhou plans to open direct flight routes to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, a conference heard on December 16. At the conference, some 300 travel companies from Vietnam and China discussed ways to attract Vietnamese tourists to Guizhou and inked several agreements to bolster their performance.
Guizhou is known for its popular scenic spots, tasty cuisine and rich cultural features. It is home to five world heritage sites, especially the Huangguoshu Waterfall, the location of the movie Journey to the West.
Maroon 5 stars love Vietnam, plan future comeback
Guitarist James Valentine and keyboardist PJ Morton of the US band Maroon 5 said on December 16 that they are excited to perform in Vietnam. James said he plans to return to Vietnam with his wife.
Maroon 5, led by world-star singer Adam Levine, appeared on stage at the 8Wonder Winter Festival music show on Phu Quoc Island on December 16. The band performed for 75 minutes with 15 songs such as Songs About Jane, This Love and Sunday Morning. Maroon 5 was the third international band to perform in Vietnam this year after Charlie Puth and BlackPink.
