Southwest region boosts cooperation with Australia, Germany
The Steering Committee for Southwest Region had a working session with the Australian and German ambassadors to Vietnam in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on November 28, with a focus on stimulating further engagement among the sides.
Fruit haverst in Can Tho (Illustrative image: VNA)
Can Tho (VNA) – The Steering Committee for Southwest Region had a workingsession with the Australian and German ambassadors to Vietnam in the MekongDelta city of Can Tho on November 28, with a focus on stimulating furtherengagement among the sides.
At themeeting, Son Minh Thang, deputy head of the committee, informed his guests thatthe region plans to build an information centre in the Mekong Delta between2017 and 2018 in a bid to enhance intra-regional connectivity.
He said climatechange impact is a pressing issue facing the region that needs internationalassistance, particularly from Australia and Germany, to tackle.
Hecontinued reviewing cooperation between the region and the two countries overpast time.
Accordingto Thang, a marine zone management programme, sponsored by the Germaninternational cooperation agency GIZ, has introduced farming models as well aswater and budget management methods to coastal localities in the Mekong Delta,helping them adapt to climate change.
Meanwhile,the delta has, for many years, benefited from Australian-funded projects ineducation, poverty alleviation, health and climate change adaptation.
Thang spokehighly of the outcomes of these projects and expected sides involved tocontinue working effectively in the future.
Herequested Germany and Australia consider providing technical and financial assistancefor the building of the Mekong Delta information centre.
AustralianAmbassador to Vietnam Craig Chittick said the Australian Government pays aparticular interest in helping the Mekong Delta manage its water resources, andhas sponsored to ensure the supply of water from upstream Mekong River to thearea.
Australia hasalso supported the region in infrastructure development, he said, adding thatthere have been joint projects between Can Tho University and Australianresearch institutes.
He pointedto the success of the Vietnam-Australian company in applying Australiantechnologies in shrimp farming, thus increasing productivity by up to 40 times.
Chittickexpected Australia and the southwest region will soon form partnership.
GermanAmbassador Christian Berger said he is impressed by the region’s developmentplan in the coming time and the network formed by collaboration between theGIZ, banks and other international organisations here.-VNA
Transport Minister Truong Quang Nghia has urged the Mekong Delta City of Can Tho to restructure local transportation, focusing on the waterway network to fully tap regional potential.
Measures to control saltwater intrusion and store freshwater in the Mekong Delta region were shared at a workshop held in Hau Giang province on July 13.
A delegation of the EU has sought closer cooperation with the Steering Committee of the Southwest Region in order to increase socio-economic partnership between the EU and the Mekong Delta region.
The forum also served as an occasion to celebrate national cultural values, review efforts to teach and promote the Vietnamese language within the Vietnamese community in Japan, encourage scientific and technological collaboration, and highlight the resilience and global integration of Vietnam’s younger generation, full of ambition to progress.
The programme, featuring tens of thousands of soldiers and people, aimed to spread messages of cultural values, creativity and the spirit of selflessness for the country and devotion to the people.
Within the framework of the August 9 programme co-hosted by the Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia and members of the Vietnam–Cambodia Business Association (VCBA), around 600 local residents and people of Vietnamese origin received general health check-ups, basic tests, medical consultations, free medicine, and gift packages containing daily necessities.
Party General Secretary To Lam, his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly, and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation attended the inauguration ceremony of a statue of late President Ho Chi Minh in the Vietnamese Embassy’s campus in Seoul, the RoK, on August 10.
More than 5,000 people gathered at Dam Sen Cultural Park in Ho Chi Minh City for the solidarity walk for victims of Agent Orange/dioxin (AO), marking the 64th anniversary of the AO disaster in Vietnam (August 10, 1961 – 2025).
The embassy advises Vietnamese citizens travelling in Greece that they should avoid standing close to cliff edges, boat sides, and refrain from going out to sea during storms to prevent unfortunate incidents.
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Vietnam has over 4.8 million people exposed to AO/dioxin, including hundreds of thousands in the second, third, and even fourth generations. Many live with severe disabilities, facing high medical costs and loss of earning capacity.
Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Hoang Giang reaffirmed that amnesty is a humanitarian policy of the Party and State, reflecting the Vietnamese tradition of compassion and winning attention and high praise both domestically and internationally.
Vietnam officially grants limited-term visa-free entry to high-profile foreigners whose presence is deemed beneficial to the country’s socio-economic development.
With support from the Vietnamese Association in Ufa, Vietnamese language classes for children have been offered for many years. Currently, 60 children of various ages are attending two classes taught by Duc Anh, free of charge.
Vietnam ranked among the top four countries and territories at the 2025 International Olympiad on Artificial Intelligence (IOAI), reaffirming its strong position in international academic competitions.
All 20 crew members aboard the Vietnamese oil tanker GT Unity were successfully rescued from a fire in the vessel’s engine room, thanks to the swift response of the Liberian-flagged ship Androusa and Vietnamese maritime rescue teams.
Describing Agent Orange as one of the most severe and enduring legacies of the war in Vietnam, Vietnam's former Honorary Consul to Belgium Joseph-Michel de Grand Ry warned that its impact – still affecting generations more than five decades later – could last another two to three decades.
Running from August 4 to September 2, under the hashtag #TuHaoVietNam, the campaign invites participants in two categories: “I Love My Country” video clips and “I Love My Country” check-in photos.
Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP, which took effect on the issuance date, introduces amendments that integrate the procedure for reporting and explaining the demand for foreign workers into the process of submitting applications for work permits.
With a tight 13-month deadline, the move is under a strategic and urgent policy to bridge educational gaps, train the local workforce, and shore up territorial sovereignty in some of the country’s most remote areas.
The parade and personnel send-off ceremony will officially take place on August 10 at the area surrounding the Statue of King Ly Thai To and Dinh Tien Hoang street of Hoan Kiem ward, with the participation of nearly 3,000 officers, soldiers, and local residents.
According to national technical regulations, AIS installation is mandatory for boats carrying more than 50 passengers. However, operators of smaller vessels (under 50 seats) in Ha Long Bay have voluntarily committed to completing installation by the deadline to enhance operational safety.
The activities include a Vietnamese language teaching training course for overseas Vietnamese teachers from August 13 to 28 in Hanoi, Ninh Binh, and Thai Nguyen.
Fruit haverst in Can Tho (Illustrative image: VNA) 
