Vietnam news in brief - June 30

Japanese Ambassador pledges new ODA projects for Vietnam

The new Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam, Ito Naoki, told a press conference this week that he will propose new generation ODA projects for Vietnam, focusing on infrastructure, digital transformation, green transition, response to climate change and health care.

Over the past 30 years, Japan has provided a total of 3.26 trillion yen (US$20.3 billion) in ODA loans to Vietnam. Vietnam and Japan announced the establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in November 2023.

Primary school in Haiphong wins national English contest

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang (left) and Nguyen Pham Duy Trang, President of the Ho Chi Minh Young Pioneers Central Council, present the award to the winner. Photo courtesy of the organization.

Nguyen Thuong Hien Primary School in Haiphong beat 15 other teams from across the country to win first prize in the "Vietnamese Children Reaching out to the World" competition. The award ceremony was held by the Ho Chi Minh Young Pioneer Central Council in Ho Chi Minh City on  June 29.

The competition was launched in late November 2023. More than 20,000 articles were submitted to the contest, which is part of a series of activities to improve the English language skills of Vietnamese students in 2022-2030.

Khanh Hoa Province earns $1 billion from tourism in Jan-Jun

The central coastal province of Khanh Hoa earned more than VND26 trillion ($1 billion) from tourism activities in the first half of 2024. The province hosted nearly 5.2 million tourists, up 88% year-on-year. Of these, the number of international guests tripled year-on-year to 3.2 million. The majority of foreign tourists come from South Korea, China, Thailand, and Malaysia.

Quang Tri agrees in principle to coal conveyor project

The government of the central coastal province of Quang Tri has given the green light to a VND1.5 trillion ($59 million) conveyor project to import coal from Laos into Vietnam. The conveyor will be built in A Ngo Commune, Dakrong District, to reduce the workload at the La Lay international border gate and increase coal imports to Vietnam.

The project covers a total area of almost 24 hectares with a total length of 6,115 meters. Once completed in 2031, it will be capable of transporting 30 million tons of coal per year.

Vietnam takes over rotating chairmanship of the ASEAN Committee in Prague

Vietnamese Ambassador Duong Hoai Nam has taken over the rotating chairmanship of the  ASEAN Committee in Prague (ACP) from Malaysian Ambassador Suzilah Mohd Sidek. The handover ceremony took place during the 26th Session of the ACP in Prague, Czech Republic, on June 28 to review the activities of the Committee for the first six months of 2024.