☕ Afternoon briefing on February 24

Hanoi, (VNA) - The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.

-Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on February 24 asked the health care sector to develop a fair, high quality, effective and internationally integrated medical system, with the growth of both State-owned and private medical systems and the modern and traditional medicine.
Chairing a national conference to launch health care tasks for 2023, the government leader highlighted the significant role of the medical sector, and lauded the achievements that the sector made in 2022 in protecting public health. Last year, the sector successfully conducted the largest ever COVID-19 vaccination campaign and effectively responded to other diseases, he highlighted. Read full text

-The third security dialogue at the deputy-ministerial level between Vietnam and Australia took place in Canberra on February 22 to enhance bilateral cooperation in security and law enforcement issues of common concern.
The dialogue, held under the countries’ joint statement on their strategic partnership signed in March 2018, was co-chaired by Sen. Lt. Gen. Luong Tam Quang, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Public Security, and Sophie Sharpe, Deputy Secretary at the Australian Department of Home Affairs.Read full text

-From a backward, poor and essentially rural-based society and economy, isolated from the rest of the world, Vietnam has developed into a thriving, dynamic, modern, middle-income country with extensive international commercial and human links, former Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Graham Alliband has said.
In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the nations’ diplomatic relations (February 26, 1973-2023), he further said the changes in Vietnam over the last 32 years since he finished his term of office in the country have been dramatic, "almost revolutionary".Read full text

-Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thi Thang and State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Udo Philipp co-chaired the second meeting of the Vietnam-Germany Joint Committee for Economic Cooperation in Berlin on February 23.
The committee noted that last year, two-way trade between Germany and Vietnam reached nearly 15 billion EUR, up from 10 billion EUR in 2015. The German side wished to join in projects in energy, healthcare and digitalisation through the exchange of experience and technological transfer.Read full text

-Similarities in culture, historical linkage, and the friendly sentiments that people of Vietnam and Japan give each other as well as many shared interests have closely connected the two nations, stated Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang at a ceremony held by the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam on February 23 to celebrate the 63rd birthday of Japanese Emperor Naruhito.
Extending greetings to the Emperor, the Empress, the Royal Family as well as the Government and people of Japan, Quang underlined that the relations between Vietnam and Japan were initiated in the eighth century when “Phat Triet” (Buttetsu) who came from Champa, an ancient kingdom that extended across the coast of what is today central Vietnam, introduced Rinyu-gaku – a composite ritual art comprising orchestral music and dance – to Japan.Read full text 

-The Ministry of National Defence held a ceremony in Hanoi on February 24 to commend officers and soldiers of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) who had participated in humanitarian relief and search and rescue operations in Turkey following the devastating earthquake on February 6.
The VPA sent a 76-member team to Turkey, who were assigned to work in Hatay province, one of the localities hardest hit by the quake. During the deployment period from February 13-22, the VPA team performed search in 31 locations and located 15 points with victims, including two with signs of survivors. As a result, 28 bodies of victims had been brought out of the debris.Read full text

-Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Phan Van Mai received Takebe Tsutomu, Special Advisor to the Japan - Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance, on February 23 to discuss the organisation of the eight Vietnam - Japan Festival.
The host appreciated his guest’s efforts and enthusiasm in coordinating with the city to prepare for the coming festival, scheduled to open on February 25, and said he believes the event will be successful to become a demonstration of bilateral friendship and help promote cultural exchanges between the two countries.Read full text

-Vietnamese airlines have to temporarily postpone the resumption of air routes to China until late April or May to wait for China’s next decisions about the allowance of its tourists to Vietnam, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV).
In mid-February, China announced the reopening of tours to 20 countries, excluding Vietnam, which is said to have affected Vietnamese airlines’ flight plans.Read full text/.