☕ Afternoon briefing on June 8 hinh anh 1
Hanoi (VNA) - The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.

- The 15th National Assembly (NA) on June 8 successfully wrapped up a question-and-answer session as part of its fifth sitting after two-and-a-half days.

In his closing remarks, NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue said apart from the four ministers who fielded questions within their remit, Deputy Prime Ministers Tran Hong Ha and Tran Luu Quang, and the ministers of finance, planning and investment, and agriculture and rural development gave further explanations on issues regarding labour, invalids and social affairs, science-technology, transport and ethnic affairs. Read full story

- A Vietnamese diplomat underlined the importance of maritime technologies to sustainable development while addressing the ongoing 23rd meeting of the UN Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and Law of the Sea (ICP23) in New York.

The meeting, themed “New Maritime Technologies: Challenges and Opportunities”, is taking place from June 5 to 9 with the participation of nearly 100 representatives of UN member states and international organisations. Read full story

- Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son met with the UK’s Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of China’s Hong Kong Algernon Yau Ying-wah, and Foreign Minister of Lithuania Gabrielius Landsbergis in Paris on June 7.

The meetings took place on the sidelines of the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting 2023. Read full story

- Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son is taking part in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation Development (OECD) Ministerial Council Meeting 2023 in Paris on June 7 - 8.

Minister Son attended the event as representative of Vietnam – co-chair of the OECD Southeast Asia Regional Programme, at the invitation of OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann and the UK’s Foreign Secretary James Cleverly. Read full story

- A delegation of the Vietnamese Ministry of Health led by Deputy Minister Do Xuan Tuyen has attended the BIO International Convention in the US’ Boston city from June 5-8.

The BIO International Convention is the world's largest, most influential biotech conference, bringing together more than 23,000 delegates from 65 countries and territories worldwide. Read full story

- Executive Vice President of the European Commission (EC) Valdis Dombrovskis, who is also Trade Commissioner, has affirmed that the European Union (EU) has regarded Vietnam as its important partner in the region, and called the Southeast Asian nation a model in impressive trade cooperation, especially after the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) came into force in 2020.

Speaking at a meeting with the ASEAN Brussels Committee (ABC) in Brussels on June 6, Dombrovskis noted that the EU will increase its investment in Vietnam, particularly in significant such areas as just energy transition, and sustainable development. Read full story

- The northern region is facing the risk of power shortage at almost every point of time each day, according to Tran Viet Hoa, head of the Electricity Regulatory Authority of Vietnam under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT). Read full story

- Ho Chi Minh City has handed over more than 81% of the land needed for the section crossing the city of Belt Road No.3 project, enabling its construction to be launched on June 18 in Long Binh ward of Thu Duc city, according to HCM City’s Management Board of Traffic Works Construction and Investment.

The board reported that so far, localities across the city have provided the investor with about 335 hectares out of the total 410 hectares of land for the project in the city. Read full story

- An international consultation workshop was held on June 8 to help compile a dossier seeking membership of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network for Da Lat city, the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, in the field of music.

The hybrid event, held by the Da Lat People’s Committee, the Lam Dong Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts Studies, was attended by 150 Vietnamese and international delegates. Read full story

- Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City is expected to serve 150,555 flights and up to 23.9 million passengers in the summer’s peak season from June 1 to August 15.

The figure represents an increase of 6.64% in the number of flights and 7.6% in the number of passengers compared with the same period last year. Read full story

- The Slovak Government on June 7 officially recognised the Vietnamese community as the country’s 14th ethnic minority group and approved regulations for the community.

The decision was made on the basis of the recommendations of the Slovak Government council on human rights, ethnic minorities, and gender equality, and experts. Accordingly, the Vietnamese community fully meets the criteria "in quantity", "has lived in Slovakia for nearly 70 years and the 3rd generation has fully integrated into society". Read full story

- Thanks to a trend of hiking in coffee prices, experts have predicted that this year’s export revenue of this product may exceed last year’s record of 4 billion USD.

In the Central Highlands region, the major coffee production hub of Vietnam, coffee prices have risen strongly last week and hit a record in three months. Read full story

- The Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) sent a diplomatic note to the General Administration of Customs of China (China Customs) on June 8, calling for the early signing of a protocol on food safety and quarantine requirements for fishery exports and imports between the two countries. Read full story

- The tax department in Ho Chi Minh City has directed its affiliates to focus on speeding up value-added tax (VAT) refunds for businesses.

Deputy Director of the department Nguyen Tien Dung said almost all businesses that submitted sufficient dossiers have received tax refunds. Read full story

- The 11th Hanoi International Plastic, Rubber, Printing, and Packaging Industry Exhibition (Hanoi PlasPrintPack 2023) was opened in Hanoi on June 8, attracting 200 companies with 340 booths.

The companies are from 11 countries and territories including China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan (China), Hong Kong (China), Thailand, the UK, and Vietnam. Read full story

- Vietnamese swimmers continued to shine and brought home two golds, three silvers, and one bronze and set more new records at the 12th ASEAN Para Games in Cambodia on June 8.

Danh Hoa brought home one gold in men’s 100-metre freestyle S4 event and set a new record of the ASEAN Para Games with 1 minute and 36.23 seconds. He has become one of the athletes with the highest individual achievements in the Vietnamese swimming team, with four gold medals and three new records. Read full story

- Two newcomers to the Da Nang International Firework Festival (DIFF) 2023 - French and Canadian teams - are actively preparing for their performance on June 10 evening. Read full story

- The New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) officially kicked off the “Made With Care” 2023 retail campaign on June 8, in which high-quality imported food and beverage (F&B) products will be offered in Ho Chi Minh City.

From June to end of July, Vietnamese consumers can visit retailers in the city including AEON Mall, Central Retail, LOTTE Mart and WinMart to purchase and taste outstanding imports from New Zealand. Read full story./.
VNA