Chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vu Tien Loc, who is also Chairman of the East Asia Business Council (EABC) in 2020
Priorities of the Council this year will focus on boosting post-pandemic recovery in tandem with comprehensive commerce development, promoting the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement as a tool for economic recovery, and ensuring supply chains and facilitating cross-border business connectivity amid COVID-19.
The EABC Council will convene three meetings and those of working groups to prepare for dialogues between EABC and the ASEAN Senior Economic Official Meeting Plus Three (SEOM+3), and the ASEAN Plus Three Economic Ministers' (AEM+3).
Notably, the Council is to compile a report on recommendations of business communities in the region and submit to ASEAN 3 leaders at the EABC-ASEAN+3 dialogue, which is scheduled for November in Brunei.
Loc said that despite COVID-19, the EABC reaped fruitful results in 2020, citing as an example its RCEP working group’s contribution to a report of the Council on business communities’ support for the signing of the trade pact.
As a result, the RCEP was signed at the 37th ASEAN Summit and related ones. The agreement is the largest free trade agreement in ASEAN, covering 2.2 billion people and US$26.2 trillion in GDP, equivalent to two thirds of the world.
In addition, during talks between the EABC and leaders of ASEAN+3 and AEM+3, the leaders welcomed and showed support for EABC activities which aim to bolster regional economic growth in the context of COVID-19.
They also spoke highly of the Council’s contribution to promoting the RCEP agreement.
Hoi An launches unprecedented tourism product
Hoi An ancient town. (Photo: VNA)
A live entertainment show entitled “Hoi An show – Gratitude”, which is considered an unprecedented tourism product, will be held on January 30 in the ancient city of Hoi An, reported Nhan Dan News.
The programme will partly reproduce the atmosphere of the prosperous trade port in Hoi An from the 16th to 18th centuries and in the 20th century.
In addition, several legendary stories as well as highlights on the culture, history and people of Hoi An will be recreated at the programme.
The weekly show will be a harmonious combination of dancing art, monologue, drama and Cham dances.
The highlight of the show is that local people will be the main actors in addition to professional actors, actresses and artists from many provinces and cities around the country.
Through the event, visitors will know more about the history of the ancient city of Hoi An as well as the spirit and integrity of local people who have constantly risen up to catch up with the new life.
Egypt's newspapers highlight Vietnam’s achievements
An article about the 13th National Party Congress published in Egypt's Events Magazine (Screenshot photo: VNA)
Egyptian newspapers have published articles lauding Vietnam’s outstanding accomplishments in recent years, especially as the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) is on the horizon, reported Vietnam News Agency.
Online newspaper Events Magazine ran an article titled “2016-20 term: Vietnam's relations with the Middle East - Africa and Egypt rise to new heights”, in which journalist Ahmed Hassan noted that the Congress is “an important political event that takes place every five years, attracting the attention of public opinion inside the country and the world”.
Over the past five years, under the leadership of the CPV, Vietnam overcame many challenges and made special economic achievements, thus raising the country's role and position in the international arena.
On the international arena, Vietnam's partners are increasingly diverse, with the relationship between Vietnam and the Middle East - Africa in general and bilateral ties between Vietnam and Egypt in particular elevated.
According to the article, the year 2020 - a very special year, as Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said, should be considered the most successful year in Vietnam in the past five years in terms of spirit and will to rise in all difficulties and challenges, a year in which the people's confidence is higher.
While the majority of countries had negative growth or entered a recession due to the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Vietnamese economy was still growing by 2.91 percent, and Vietnam is in the group of countries with the highest growth rate in the region and in the world, it said.
Regarding to foreign affairs, the article said, Vietnam has also made remarkable achievements by connecting and enhancing friendly relations, cooperation and confidence between countries inside and outside the region in the context of geopolitical instability. The author attributed the results to the CPV’s strategic orientations.
The article attributed those achievements to the clear-sighted leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam founded by President Ho Chi Minh.
It concluded the Party’s upcoming 13th congress in Hanoi is of paramount importance as it will chart a new course of development for Vietnam in the next five years and beyond.
Al Messa newspaper also reported the upcoming Congress, highlighting that this offers Vietnam an opportunity to study and discuss measures to foster reform and economic restructuring.
The 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam is taking place in Hanoi from January 25 to February 2./.