Young delegates from Vietnam (Photo: VNA)
According to Vietnam News Agency, the 46th Ship for the Southeast Asian Youth Program (SSEAYP) docked at Hiep Phuoc port in Vietnam’s southern economic hub of Ho Chi Minh city on November 10th.
The SSEAYP is a cooperation program between governments of the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Japan, with a view to enhancing cultural exchanges and friendship between ASEAN and Japanese youths.
Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Youth Union Central Committee Nguyen Ngoc Luong said the SSEAYP has promoted sound relations and increased mutual understanding between Japan and ASEAN countries over the past 46 years, as well as helped youngsters improve their skills for international integration.
Yamamoto Shigeki, general manager of the SSEAYP, expressed his pleasure at visiting a beautiful, peaceful and hospitable Vietnam.
He described the program as a bridge to strengthen solidarity and understanding between ASEAN and Japanese youths, as well as encourage them to actively contribute to community activities and experience various cultures in the region.
Since 1996, 12,000 ASEAN and Japanese youths have taken part in the program, including 700 Vietnamese.
This year’s program aims at providing communication and leadership skills for youngsters, in addition to legal regulations and international relations.
The 46th SSEAYP Nippon Maru departed on November 3th from Japan with the participation of 328 ASEAN and Japanese youths, including 29 Vietnamese.
Vietnam, RoK target USD100 billion of bilateral trade value
Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister (PM) Trinh Dinh Dung and Chairman of the Republic of Korea’s Presidential Committee on the New Southern Policy Joo Hyung Cheol have agreed to boost investment and trade activities to achieve USD100 billion of bilateral turnover in 2020.
Deputy PM Trinh Dinh Dung receives Chairman of the Republic of Korea’s Presidential Committee on the New Southern Policy Joo Hyung Cheol. (Photo: VGP)
This information has been revealed at the Viet Nam- RoK Business Summit in Chu Lai Open Economic Zone in the central province of Quang Nam.
Mr. Joo Hyung Cheol shared that aiming to achieve the goal; the Korean side will promote logistics and manufacturing activities of Korean businesses in Vietnam.
“We need to promote hi-tech and take advantages of the 4th Industrial Revolution, the development of 5G networks, and the trend of innovative startups, and develop smart cities through economic cooperation,” he added.
Addressing the event, Deputy PM Trinh Dinh Dung said Vietnam is carrying out the “Make in Vietnam 4.0” campaign, thus he encouraged Korean investors to create products suitable with the 4th Industrial Revolution in the country.
“Manufacturing industry, supporting industry, energy, hi-tech, infrastructure, health care and biology are the fields that Korean businesses may be interested in,” he added.
The Deputy PM also suggested that the RoK loosen conditions for textile, wooden, and rubber products to access the market more easily. In contrast, Vietnam will create every condition for many strong Korean products to enter Vietnam.
The RoK is also one of Vietnam’s top trading partners, with the bilateral trade value hitting USD 65.8 billion in 2018 and USD44 billion in the first eight months of 2019.
Vietnam among Top 5 wooden product exporters to Germany
Vietnam is the fifth biggest supplier for wooden furniture to Germany in the first 7 months of 2019, worth USD86.2 million, a year-on-year rise of 8.4%; according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Photo for illustration
The share of Vietnamese wooden furniture in Germany increased 0.3% compared to the same period of 2019, equivalent to 2.9%. China, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Vietnam are the main suppliers of wooden arm chairs to the market.
The share in Germany’s total imports of wooden products is still low, so this is a potential market for Vietnam’s timber industry. However, local traders should note that laws of Germany are much stricter than the EU.
Aiming to boost exports to the markets, businesses need to pay attention to standards of quality, product hygiene and social responsibility. As their brands and products enter the market, it is easier to find ways to other markets in the EU./.