☕ Afternoon briefing on February 25

Hanoi (VNA) - The following is a news summary of the day’s events by the Vietnam News Agency.

- An official welcome for President Nguyen Xuan Phuc was held at The Istana in Singapore on February 25 morning. The guest was invited to review the Guards of Honour and joined talks with his host President Halimah Yacob after the ceremony at the presidential palace. During the state visit from February 24-26, President Phuc is scheduled to have talks with Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong, and witness the exchange of cooperation agreements between ministries and sectors of the two sides. Read full story

- Promoting investment attraction, particularly in clean energy and sustainable development, is a priority of Vietnam in the time to come, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc affirmed while receiving executives of some leading Singaporean groups on February 25 as part of his ongoing State-level visit to the nation.

Lauding its investment in the VSIP projects that have attracted investors and generated many jobs, Phuc hoped that Sembcorp will build similar IPs in Quang Tri and Quang Nam in central Vietnam and further invest in its projects in Quang Ngai and Nghe An. Read full story

- Vietnam is concerned about the armed conflict in Ukraine and is paying special attention to the situation of the Vietnamese community in the country, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang said on February 25. She called on relevant parties to exercise restraint, abide by the United Nations Charter and basic principles of international law, not to use force, protect people, and continue dialogue to seek peaceful solutions, thus contributing to ensuring peace, security, stability and cooperation in the region and the world. Read full story

- As one of the countries heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam is determined to pursue green and inclusive recovery, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh said at the International Conference “Green and Inclusive Economic Rebound: Lessons from International Experience” in Hanoi on February 25.

According to the Deputy PM, Vietnam has issued a programme on socio-economic recovery and development to further support businesses and people, and speed up socio-economic recovery. Read full story

- An 80-cm rise in the sea level could leave 31.94 percent of the Mekong Delta permanently flooded, according to the 2020 version of the climate change scenario report recently released by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE). The risk of flooding caused by sea level rise will be likely to increase on account of a combination of different factors, from geological uplift, subsidence, to tides and storm surges. Read full story

- The analysis centre of Medlatec General Hospital has received CAP (College of American Pathologists) Laboratory Accreditation, becoming the first in Vietnam to win the US standard on testing. Trinh Thi Que, Director of the Medlatec analysis centre, said that the winning of this certificate proves that the quality of testing is guaranteed, and doctors can diagnose a disease early and accurately, thereby leading to higher treatment results. Read full story

- The F.I.T and Crystal Bay groups on February 25 began the construction of the over-1-billion-USD Cap Padaran Mui Dinh project in the south-central coastal province of Ninh Thuan’s  Thuan Nam district. In his remarks, Nguyen Van Sang, Chairman of the Board of Directors at F.I.T Group, said the international-standard project covering nearly 800ha features hotels, resorts, beach villas, and entertainment and sport complex, among other facilities. In its first phase, the 64ha Bai Trang resort will be built at a cost of about 150 million USD. Read full story

- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh praised members of the Vietnam's U23 football team immediately after their victory over Timor Leste in the semi-final match of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) U23 Championship 2022 on February 24, which helped them win the ticket to the final round. This is a big victory for Vietnam in the context that many team members were unable to play because they have been tested positive for COVID-19. Read full story

- The tourism sector in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh, home to the iconic UNESCO-recognised World Heritage Site Ha Long Bay, is launching a series of measures to operate in a new normal condition, ensuring safety for visitors, according to local authorities. The move is in response to the Government’s approval of reopening tourism activities in such condition starting from March 15 after a two-year hiatus because of the COVID-19. Read full story/.