Dear valued members and friends of Beluxcham,
The first meeting of the European Union-Việt Nam Joint Committee for the implementation of the EU-Việt Nam Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation (PCA) took place in Hà Nội on Friday.
Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tô Anh Dũng and Director for Asia and Pacific in the European External Action Service (EEAS) Gunnar Wiegand co-chaired the event.
Close to 80 delegates from Việt Nam’s ministries and sectors as well as 40 representatives from the EEAS, the European Trade Commission, the EU delegation, and embassies of EU member countries in Việt Nam participated in the meeting.
The launch of the Joint Committee aims to speed up the implementation of the PCA, which took effect from October 1, 2016. Việt Nam and the EU pledged to strengthen the overall cooperation through the bilateral comprehensive partnership and cooperation.
At the meeting, the two sides highly evaluated the development of Việt Nam-EU relations over the past three decades, emphasising their wishes to further deepen bilateral cooperative ties in the fields of delegation exchanges, security-defence, trade-investment, law, justice, science-technology, clean energy, and agro-forestry-fishery.
The EU extolled Việt Nam’s socio-economic development achievements and position in the region and hoped to enhance coordination with the Southeast Asian country to promote ASEAN-EU ties.
The EU also voiced its support for the maintenance of security and safety of navigation and aviation and respect for law in the East Sea.
Enhancing bilateral cooperation in global issues will contribute to peace and development in the region and the world, according to the EU side.
The two sides affirmed to promote the signing of the EU- Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the Investment Protection Agreement (IPA) in the coming weeks.
The early implementation of the deals will help create a strong boost for business and investment ties as well as a strong wave of high-quality investment from both sides.
Việt Nam and the EU also discussed necessary procedures towards the ratification and effective implementation of basic conventions of the International Labour Organsiation (ILO).
The two sides exchanged views on the bilateral development cooperation programme for the 2014-20 period, and agreed to focus on the fields of rural electrification, effective use of energy, renewable energy development, climate change adaptation and sustainable development, judicial cooperation, public financial management and economic matters, human resources training, culture, education, tourism and people-to-people exchanges.
They applauded the enforcement of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance, and Trade (FLEGT) between Vietnam and the EU from June 1, 2019.
The EU recognised Việt Nam’s efforts in reforming the legal framework to address issues related to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The two sides also agreed to implement a mid-term review mechanism to ensure the effective implementation of the achieved results, actively contributing to the reinforcement of the bilateral comprehensive partnership and cooperation.
They consented to hold the second meeting of the Joint Committee in Brussels, Belgium, in 2020. — VNS
New-age airline Vietjet has teamed up with the Youth Theatre to organise a special art project “Flying Dreams” following the success of the series last summer.
The “Flying Dreams” series last year brought unique performances to more than 12,000 children in Hà Nội and neighbouring provinces.
From International Children’s Day on June 1, 80 special shows will be held for children in Hà Nội and HCM City every week for a year.
The Youth Theatre will stage famous plays such as “The Blue Bird” and “Sơn Tinh – Thủy Tinh”.
“The Blue Bird” is a mythological play by Belgian playwright and poet Maurice Maeterlinck, featuring a journey of two kids to find The Blue Bird – known as the messenger of happiness to cure their neighbour’s baby.
“Sơn Tinh – Thủy Tinh” is the latest play created by Youth Theatre artists from a story familiar to many generations of Vietnamese children, the musical is dramatised with a brilliant, colourful artistic space and exciting music.
“Flying Dreams” was established and developed by Vietjet and the Youth Theatre with the aim of delivering stories that would impart humane values to children and enable them to nurture their dreams.
Vietjet is enthusiastically involved in social and community activities towards the elderly, disadvantaged people and especially children.
The airline has developed programmes such as “Warm Tet”, “Wing the Dreams” and “Light up Dreams” scholarships and gifts for children.
VNS
Belgian conductor Michel Jakobiec will perform with the National Academy of Music of Vietnam during a concert in Hanoi on May 9.
The performance will feature pianists Hong Thach and Thanh Thi. Free tickets can be collected at the reception of Daeha Building, 360 Kim Ma Street, Hanoi.
The concert is co-organised by the academy and the Conservatory of the City of Tournai (Belgium).
Jakobiec, head of the Vocal Ensemble of the Conservatory of Tournai, has been giving master classes to students majoring in composing, conducting, musicology and vocals at the National Academy of Music of Vietnam who will take part in the concert.
This project is part of the Co-operation Programme between Wallonia-Brussels and Vietnam from 2019-2021.
Jakobiec graduated with great distinction from the Royal Conservatory of Music of Mons in opera singing. He pursues a multi-facet career as a singer, lecturer and choir conductor. He devoted himself in choral singing in all of its forms, both amateur and professional.
Jakobiec conducts several choirs, and involves in the establishment of choirs. He also composes musical works for choirs and gives training for choirs.
He worked as director of the Conservatory of Music of Tournai from 2006 to 2018.
The Conservatory of Music of Tournai was founded in 1829. It has contributed to the cultural and artistic development of the city and offers a wide range of training in the fields of music, theatre and dance.
Vietnamese enterprises are showcasing their products at the Brussels Seafood Expo 2019 in Belgium from May 7-9, aiming to give Vietnamese seafood a firmer foothold in the European market.
On the sidelines of the event, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development worked with the Vietnamese Embassy and Trade Office in Belgium and the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) to hold a forum on Vietnamese seafood and cooperation prospects.
VASEP also collaborated with the Directorate of Fisheries and the southernmost province of Ca Mau to organise a seminar on tra fish and Vietnamese shrimp.
Speaking at the forum, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien said the Vietnamese fisheries sector focuses on developing its products towards applying modern technology, increasing product quality and values, diversifying products, and ensuring food security, safety and hygiene.
Javier Cordova Fernandez, Deputy General Manager at Mitsui & Co Europe PLC, said the company has bought Vietnamese shrimp products for years thanks to their good quality and competitive prices.
European consumers pay attention to their health, he stated, advising Vietnamese enterprises to increase product traceability and expand the use of organic feed in aquatic farming.
Last year, Vietnam exported 275,800 tonnes of aquatic products to the EU, earning 1.4 billion USD, making it the second biggest importer of Vietnamese aquatic products.
The signing and ratification of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement in the time ahead is also expected to raise the Southeast Asian nation’s export turnover thanks to tariff cuts.