Vietnam news in brief - February 23

Nem chua among the world's tastiest spicy dishes

Nem chua is wrapped in some layers of banana leaves and left to ferment for 3-5 days. Source: Anuongthanhhoa

Nem chua (fermented pork dish) has just been ranked a list of the 52 most delicious chilli dishes in the world by Taste Atlas, a famous culinary website. It is the only representative of Vietnamese cuisine listed in such a category.

The culinary experts at Taste Atlas have described this dish as "a traditional Vietnamese dish". It is made by mincing pork, mixing it with shredded pork skin and adding spices, chilli, and garlic. The mixture is then left to ferment in banana leaves for 3-5 days.

Vietnam sends four more military officers for peacekeeping missions

Four Vietnamese military officers will begin their peacekeeping missions in the Central African Republic, South Sudan, and the Abyei area. 

Vietnam has contributed more than 790 officers, soldiers and specialists to UN peacekeeping missions. Of them, 83 have completed their assignments and returned home, and 25 have been commended for their achievements.

Jetski athletes to perform on Phu Quoc Island
15 international jetski athletes and three flyboarders will make their debut at Sunset Town on Phu Quoc Island, Kien Giang Province, on February 27. Notable among the three flyboarders is Kristina Isaeva, who has performed incredible somersaults over the Moscow River.
The performances will take place daily from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. The show is part of an agreement between Vietnamese resort operator Sun Group and global entertainment company H20 Events.

Vietjet Air and Airbus sign new aircraft deal
Low-cost carrier Vietjet Air has signed a contract with Airbus for the purchase of 20 A330-900 widebodies, the European manufacturer announced on February 22. The wide-body aircraft will replace Vietjet's current fleet of leased A330-300 and allow the carrier to expand its long-haul network.

The new aircraft will help Vietjet modernize its fleet, meet its global network expansion plan, and partly contribute to Vietnam's net-zero emissions by 2050.

Russia awards Vietnam 1,000 scholarships 

The Government of the Russian Federation has awarded 1,000 scholarships for Vietnamese to study in this country at the bachelor, master, and doctoral levels, as well as specialist and Russian-language internships.

The deadline for Russian documents is March 20, 2024 and for Vietnamese documents is June 30, 2024. This scholarship includes a tuition fee waiver, a monthly stipend, and accommodation costs covered in accordance with Russia's regulations.

Hoi An and Danang rank in Asia's top 10 most beautiful beaches

An Bang Beach in Hoi An (central province of Quang Nam) and My Khe Beach in Danang City have been ranked 5th and 6th, respectively in the top 10 most beautiful beaches in Asia, according to TripAdvisor. In 2023, My Khe Beach was the only Vietnamese beach on the list. The selection criteria were based on the beaches' popularity, accessibility, scenic beauty, clean blue water, and a variety of activities for tourists both on land and underwater.

Forestry and aquaculture firms to receive US$1.22 billion support package

Vietnam is to introduce a VND30 trillion (US$1.22 billion) program to support the production, processing, and export of forestry and aquaculture products, in addition to the existing VND15 trillion (US$614 million) support, according to Dao Minh Tu, Deputy Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV). At the end of 2023, outstanding loans in the agriculture, forestry, and aquaculture sector increased by 6.95%, said SBV. 

HAGL Agrico to invest $750m in agricultural project in Laos

HAGL Agrico, the agricultural company owned by billionaire Tran Ba Duong, plans to invest a total of VND18 trillion ($750 million) in a combined fruit and cattle farming project in Laos. HAGL Agrico's shareholders recently approved the investment plan for the agricultural project in Laos at an extraordinary general meeting. The total investment of the project includes VND9.65 trillion ($395 million) in equity and the remaining amount will be borrowed from domestic and foreign banks. Once operational in 2028, the project is expected to generate annual revenues of VND13.5 trillion ($550 million) and profits of VND2.45 trillion ($100 million).