Ten more officers assigned to join UN peacekeeping operations (Photo: VNA)
Addressing the ceremony, Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh, who is head of the Defence Ministry’s steering committee for Vietnam’s participation in UN peacekeeping activities, appreciated the preparation work of the Vietnam Department for Peacekeeping Operations, reported VNA.
He asked the officers to strictly follow the external policy of the Party, State and army, and prove their capacity in all aspects in undertaking their missions.
The deputy minister also reminded the officers to update the Vietnam Department for Peacekeeping Operations on the security and epidemic situation in their host countries and share Vietnam’s experience in COVID-19 prevention and control with colleagues.
On behalf of the officers, Lt Col. Luu Dinh Hien, commander of the Vietnamese force at the Central African Republic mission, pledged to do the best to overcome all difficulties to fulfill the mission assigned to them by the Defence Ministry and the UN.
Seafood exports increase after EVFTA comes into effect
The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) has said that seafood exports to Europe have seen many positive signs since the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) came into effect at the beginning of this month.
Illustrative image (Photo: tuoitrie.vn)
The number of orders in the European market alone since the beginning of this month has increased by about 10 percent compared to last month, specifically, for shrimp and squid.
Nguyen Thi Anh, Director of Ngoc Xuan Seafood Corporation, shared EU customers had started negotiating orders with the corporation again recently.
Although it had not increased strongly, this was a positive signal for businesses to recover after a long delay and contract cancellation, said Anh.
Assessing the initial results since the EVFTA's implementation, Truong Dinh Hoe, Secretary-General of VASEP, said the association expected the EVFTA would help seafood exports grow by about 20 percent in the EU, however, in the current pandemic context, an increase of 10 percent was encouraging.
The EVFTA took effect from August 1 and many key products of Vietnam will benefit from this agreement.
Stricter COVID-19 countermeasures to be applied in Hanoi
Starting at 0:00 on August 19, food and beverage places must arrange seats at least a metre from each other and partitions are encouraged.
The statement was made by Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Ngo Van Quy at the recent meeting of the city’s Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.
The meeting of the city’s Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control
(Source: ncov.moh.gov.vn)
All restaurants and cafes in Hanoi must strictly follow regulations on COVID-19 prevention or face closure.
Staff at restaurants and cafes must wear masks and measure customers’ temperatures. Hand sanitiser must be available while frequently-contacted objects should be cleaned regularly.
The move is believed to be necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Hanoi has recorded 33 COVID-19 cases since July 25. Of those, 10 are local infections and the remaining are imported cases who are quarantined upon arrival.
As of 6.00hrs August 19, Vietnam has registered 649 community acquired cases, including 509 cases tied to the Da Nang outbreak. The remaining 340 cases were infected with the virus before they returned to Vietnam.
Amid the complicated developments of COVID-19, the Health Ministry urged residents to install Bluezone app to receive infection risk warnings./.