☀️ Morning digest on May 13

Hanoi, (VNA) - The following is a list of selected news summaries last night by the Vietnam News Agency.

- Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on May 12 met with voters from Dong Da, Ba Dinh and Hai Ba Trung districts ahead of the third session of the 15th National Assembly.

Voters in Hanoi presented their views on the necessity to amend the Land Law to improve the efficiency of land management and use, and deal with corruption in this field. Read full text

-President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and the Ho Chi Minh City delegation of National Assembly (NA) deputies met voters in the city's Districts 5, 8 and 11 to listen to their opinions and requests ahead of the third plenary session of the 15th NA.

The voters raised a number of issues, including the building of more schools for Hoa (ethnic Chinese) and Cham communities in the city; policies to support family members of dead victims of COVID-19 and people affected by the pandemic; the inspection of delayed projects; and the development of local healthcare, as well as the construction of more infrastructure and transportation works. Read full text

-Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien on May 11 (local time) accompanied Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in many activities in the US, including meetings with US partners operating in the field of energy.

US partners are interested in Vietnam's energy development orientations for the next years, especially the Power Development Planning VIII (PDP8) as well as the adjustments and supplements to the legal framework that paves the way for the development of a competitive power market in Vietnam. Read full text

-Vietnamese Minister of Investment and Planning Nguyen Chi Dung handed over an investment certificate and a business registration certificate for the Son My liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal project to PetroVietnam Gas JSC (PV Gas) and the AES Corporation of the US, in the presence of visiting Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and US Secretary of Commerce  Gina   M. Raimondo in Washington D.C. on May 11. Read full text

-The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Ho Chi Minh City Development Joint Stock Commercial Bank (HDBank) signed a memorandum of understanding on May 11 to become strategic partners for helping small and medium enterprises scale up finance and participate in global supply chains, including high-tech agricultural chains. The signing took place during the visit to the US by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. Read full text

-Also in the framework of the PM's trip, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan also held a working session with representatives from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Washington D.C. on May 11. Read full text

-An annual report on foreign investment in Vietnam, the first of its kind, was released at a ceremony in Hanoi on May 12.

The report was published by the Science and Technics Publishing House in coordination with the compiling council of the annual report on foreign investment in Vietnam. Read full text

-Vietnam has reached mutual recognition for COVID-19 vaccination certificates, called “vaccine passports”, with 20 countries so far, said Deputy Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Doan Khac Viet.

Addressing the ministry’s routine press conference on May 12, he said on May 11, the European Commission decided to recognise Vietnam’s e-vaccine passport. Accordingly, the Vietnamese passport will be recognised by 27 EU member countries. Read full text

The deputy spokesman also said at the conference that Vietnam supports humanitarian activities by countries, the United Nations and international partners to assist people affected by the Ukraine conflict. Read full text

-The Ministry of Construction and the French Development Agency (AFD) have signed a cooperation agreement to help Vietnamese cities build climate change resilience.

The two sides will step up their traditional partnership in support of sustainable urban development and resilience, especially promoting the implementation of the commitments made at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) through technical assistance projects on climate-resilient urban development, smart city building, and urban development investment. Read full text

-The 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31), the region’s biggest sporting event, officially began with a grand opening ceremony held at My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi on May 12 evening.

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, and Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam were among the Vietnamese leaders attending the ceremony.

International guests include Speaker of the Singaporean Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin, ministers and heads of the sports delegations of the 11 participating countries, chief representatives of international organisations, and foreign ambassadors. Read full text./.