☕ Afternoon briefing on February 22

-A diplomat of Vietnam has affirmed the country’s willingness to continue expanding the deployment of personnel to United Nations peacekeeping operations in the coming time.

Minister Counsellor Nguyen Hoang Nguyen, deputy head of the Permanent Delegation of Vietnam to the UN, delivered a speech at the opening general debate of the annual session of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (also known as the C34) on February 21.Read full text

- The rescue team of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) presented nearly 25 tonnes of relief to Turkey on February 21 to help with the settlement of earthquake aftermath.

The aid, including packed rations, rice, milk, medical supplies, and many other essentials, was handed over at the Hatay stadium in Antakya city, the capital of Hatay province.Read full text

-The Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) has always been interested in promoting the friendship and partnership with international labour organisations, especially the United Nations’ members such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO), stated VGCL President Nguyen Dinh Khang.

Receiving Regional Director for ILO Office for Asia and the Pacific Chihoko Asada-Miyakawa on February 21, Khang said that the VGCL has received effective technical and financial support from the ILO in general as well as the ILO Office for Asia and the Pacific and ILO Office in Vietnam in particular.Read full text

- The Vietnam Coast Guard and the Japan Coast Guard held talks in Hanoi on February 21 to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation.

Senior Colonel Vu Trung Kien, deputy commander in charge of law of the Vietnam force, affirmed that bilateral cooperation between the two sides is on the right track, saying he believes that more significant and in-depth collaboration will be carried out in the time ahead.Read full text

- Nguyen Thi Le, Vice Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee and Chairwoman of the municipal People’s Council, on February 21 hosted First Deputy Speaker of the Russian Federal Assembly’s Federation Council Andrey Yatskin.

Yatskin, who is also head of the council’s group for cooperation with the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA), is on a working visit to Vietnam.Read full text

-Vietnam’s Agri VMA company has set up a branch at the Mariel Special Economic Development Zone (ZEDM) of Cuba, becoming the fifth with Vietnamese capital established at the zone, which is about 45km west of Havana capital, according to the zone’s office.

In a statement posted on ZEDM's website, a representative of the special zone emphasised that Agri VMA’s new investment, estimated at 21 million USD, contributes to strengthening the position of the Asian country with the largest presence here.Read full text

- The Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (Petrovietnam) and a joint venture between the Trading Construction Works Organisation (WTO) and Japan’s Marubeni Corporation signed a gas sale heads of agreement for O Mon II Thermal Power Project on February 22.

The main content of this heads of agreement is to unify the principles and main provisions of the Gas Sale Agreement (GSA) and serve as a basis for the parties to accelerate the investment progress of all projects in Block B gas - power project chain.Read full text

-Ministers and officials from members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the UK on February 22 attended an online ministerial meeting to discuss the negotiations of the UK’s accession to the deal.

The meeting was chaired by Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Shigeyuki Goto who is also the chairman of the UK’s Accession Working Group.

Minister of Trade and Industry Nguyen Hong Dien led a Vietnamese delegation to attend the meeting.Read full text/.