Belgium funds projects on governance, education in central region
The Belgian government is placing priority on a number of non-refundable projects in education, public health, water and sanitation in Vietnam, Belgian Ambassador to Vietnam Paul Jansen said during a visit to the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum.
Belgian Ambassador to Vietnam Paul Jansen visits Mang Canh Kindergarten in Kon Plong district in Kon Tum province (Photo courtesy of Belgian Embassy)
HCM City (VNS/VNA) - The Belgian government is placing priority on a numberof non-refundable projects in education, public health, water andsanitation in Vietnam, Belgian Ambassador to Vietnam Paul Jansen said during avisit to the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum.
Duringthe visit from December 11-13, Jansen surveyed the progress ofBelgian-funded projects in Kon Tum, Ha Tinh and Nghe An provinces
Theprojects include “Support for Responsive Accountable LocalGovernance” with a budget of 1 million euros (1.11 million USD) for eachprovince. It aims to strengthen citizen-government engagement as a meansof promoting more transparent, accountable and responsive local governance.
It alsotargets improving delivery of public services and increasedlevels of citizen satisfaction, while conducting mutual learning between thethree provinces and with other national institutions.
TheBelgian government has also funded educationprojects implemented by the non-governmental organisations PlanInternational and Education for Development.
The project“We Strive for a Just World that Advances Children’s Rights and Equality forGirls” is being carried out from 2017 to 2021 in Kon Plong andSin Ho districts in Kon Tum and Lai Chau provinces, in partnership withthe Vietnam Women's Union and Live andLearn with a budget of 2.5 million euros.
Based ona child-centred development approach, the project focuses on the rights toa high-quality education and a smooth transition to primaryschool for children under eight years old.
Anotherproject, “Mitigating Preschool Children’s Barriers to Learning inDisadvantaged and Ethnically Diverse Districts-BAMI” from 2017-2021, hasa budget of 4.142 million euros. It focuses on improving the qualityof learning of three- to five-year-old children in early childhood education inpoor ethnic minority districts in Kon Tum, Quang Nam and Quang Ngai.
Itstrengthens the competencies of pre-school teachersin process-oriented child monitoring and enables preschool teachers toaddress gender, and environmental and ethnic diversity barriers to learning andparticipation, and ensures deep learning among all children.
Over thelast four decades, the Belgian Development Cooperation programme has supportedVietnam in a number of areas, especially infrastructure-focused projectsand poverty reduction, among others.
Kon Tum provincewas the first area in the Central Highlands region selected by theBelgian government to be given support through both governmental andnon-governmental channels./.
Vietnam and Belgium’s Wallonie-Bruxelles region signed cooperation minutes for the 2019-2021 period in Brussels on November 21, covering a total of 25 projects, as part of the 10th meeting of the Vietnam – Wallonie-Bruxelles Joint Committee.
The Belgium – Vietnam Friendship Association and its Chairman Pierre Grega have been awarded the Friendship Order of Vietnam for their contributions to reinforcing the two countries’ friendship, solidarity and people-to-people cooperation.
The programmes have brought about positive changes to rural infrastructure, comprehensively improved the material and spiritual lives of farmers, and contributed to Vietnam's economic restructuring, said PM Pham Minh Chinh.
The festival highlighted the contributions and robust development of Vietnam's revolutionary press over the past century while promoting press products and showcasing the creativity of Vietnamese journalists.
The programme on sustainable poverty reduction has achieved its annual targets for reducing the poverty rate as assigned by the National Assembly and the Government. It has fulfilled five specific objectives and five five-year goals, and met nine out of 12 indicators related to addressing basic social service shortages.
UNICEF stands ready to support the Government in implementing this important law and in continuing to invest in teachers as the cornerstone of a resilient, inclusive, and high-quality education system for all children.
PM Pham Minh Chinh highlighted how Vietnam's revolutionary press has continuously evolved and strengthened over the past century, affirming its role as a sharp and vital political, cultural, and ideological weapon serving the Fatherland and the people in the glorious revolutionary cause of the Party.
Vietnamese Consul General in Fukuoka Vu Chi Mai highlighted the growing demand for Vietnamese workers in Kyushu, especially in Fukuoka, Oita, and Saga prefectures. Currently, the region employs about 35,000 Vietnamese manual workers and over 5,000 IT engineers.
In Vietnam’s case, she said, President Ho Chi Minh demonstrated his strategic vision by founding the revolutionary press a century ago. The late leader understood the press's role not only as a means to reflect the country’s realities but also as a powerful tool to strengthen national unity and inspire the resistance wars and national construction process.
In recent interviews granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s reporters in Mexico, prominent figures reflected on the press’s legacy and its global influence.
VietnamPlus e-newspaper of the VNA clinched an A prize in the “Outstanding Press Product” category for its immersive 3D multimedia project, “Epic of Reunification,” a groundbreaking blend of storytelling and technology. The VNA won another A prize for its eye-catching exhibition booth.
Today, the press for foreign service has evolved into a distinct, irreplaceable force, bridging Vietnam with the world and portraying a nation that is stable, peace-loving, and fully integrated into the international community.
At a review conference held on June 21, Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Van Sinh praised the province’s scientific, coordinated, and flexible approach. He noted that the early completion reflects the strong commitment of local authorities, the business community, philanthropists, and residents in improving housing conditions for disadvantaged groups.
The VNA delegation, led by General Director Vu Viet Trang, actively participated in the event, engaging in both professional and diplomatic activities.
In the context where AI dominates and produces vast volumes of content, the only sustainable path forward for journalism is to focus on high-quality content and core values. Journalism must redefine its mission - not to report the fastest, but to provide the most profound and trustworthy value.
Granma and the VNA have great potential for cooperation, especially in sharing content regularly, so that VNA products are published on Granma platforms and vice versa, thereby helping Cuban and Vietnamese people access true information and gain a deep understanding of each other's country and people.
During his stay in China’s Guangzhou city from 1924 to 1927 to prepare for the establishment of a Communist Party to lead Vietnam’s revolution, President Ho Chi Minh founded “Thanh nien” newspaper and released its first issue on June 21, 1925.
Vietnam and Cambodia are hoped to strengthen their robust collaboration across various sectors, particularly in resolving remaining border issues to transform the border area into a zone of peace, friendship, cooperation, and development.
The strategic product, managed and operated by the Vietnam News Agency Digital Media Centre (VNA Media), is an official channel for popularising the Party and State’s information and documents as well as delivering mainstream and trustworthy news to both domestic and international audiences through various kinds of multimedia formats.
Since President Ho Chi Minh founded Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper in 1925, the Vietnamese revolutionary press has become the voice of the people. During the resistance war against the colonialists, journalists took great personal risks to inspire patriotism and the will of rising up against foreign invaders.
The total investment exceeded 319 billion VND (12.2 million USD), including over 261 billion VND from the state budget and 57.5 billion VND mobilised from businesses, organisations, and individuals.
Belgian Ambassador to Vietnam Paul Jansen visits Mang Canh Kindergarten in Kon Plong district in Kon Tum province (Photo courtesy of Belgian Embassy) 
