Kiev (VNA) – The eighth congress ofthe Ukraine-Vietnam Friendship Association was held in Kiev on December 12.
Chairman of the association Shlapak Alexandr Vitalievichsaid the association will carry out practical activities in 2020 to promoteVietnamese land and people in Ukraine, as well as serve as a bridge to connectbilateral relations in economy, trade and culture.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Ukraine and MoldovaNguyen Anh Tuan said the embassy will always support and accompany theassociation in implementing people-to-people diplomacy activities to increasemutual understanding, friendship and cooperation between the two countries inall fields.
The congress discussed and adopted a Memorandumof Understanding (MoU) on cooperation between the Ukraine-Vietnam FriendshipAssociation and the Vietnam-Ukraine Friendship Association for 2020-2024, and acooperation plan between the two sides in 2020.
It also elected a new executive committee with10 members. Shlapak Alexandr Vitalievich, vice chairman of Ukraine’s businessassociation, former Minister of Finance, was re-elected as chairman of theassociation./.
Trade between Vietnam and Ukraine was valued at 35.5 million USD last month, an increase of 22.2 percent year-on-year, according to the General Department of Customs.
A training course has been organised in Odessa, Ukraine, to provide Vietnamese expatriates in the country, especially students and young people, with knowledge related to Vietnam’s foreign affairs and international integration.
Vietnamese expatriates have joined 33 other foreign communities in the Czech Republic’s Ustecky province at the biggest local annual multicultural exchange festival.
Authorities of the Ukrainian province of Lviv will create favourable conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to invest in and do business here, stated head of Lviv Regional State Administration Markiyan Malsky.
Knapper reaffirmed the US's commitment to supporting a strong, independent, prosperous and resilient Vietnam, while respecting each other’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, independence and political systems.
Vietnam is deeply concerned about the escalating and complex conflict in the Middle East, which poses a serious threat to the lives and safety of civilians, as well as to regional and global peace and stability.
The Vietnamese Embassy advises the Vietnamese community living, studying, and working in Israel to strictly comply with directions from the Home Front Command and local authorities.
Lawmakers are set to vote on revisions and amendments to a broad spectrum of legal frameworks and impactful resolutions during the final week of the 15th NA's 9th session.
The State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs (SCOVA) has served as a bridge connecting and uniting the community with the homeland, becoming a trusted source of support for Vietnamese expats in times of hardship.
The programme to eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses has achieved notable results, with nearly 263,000 housing units addressed to date, including 225,000 houses inaugurated and 38,000 under construction. Thirty-eight provinces and cities across the nation have already fulfilled their targets.
Stronger efforts and determination are required to achieve and surpass the set targets, especially in the eradication of makeshift and dilapidated houses nationwide, the acceleration of public investment disbursement, and the implementation of nationally important transport projects, PM Pham Minh Chinh noted.
The trip will be made at the invitations of Chinese Premier Li Qiang and WEF President and CEO Børge Brende, according to an announcement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Long spoke highly of the dynamic, positive, and comprehensive development of Vietnam – Russia relations in recent years. He affirmed that the Vietnamese Party and State place great importance on further strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia in a substantive and effective manner, in line with the development needs of both nations.
At the conference, participants reported that the Government has so far issued 28 decrees on the delegation of responsibilities and powers between the central Government and two-tier local administrations. Several localities have already piloted the new governance model.
Reality is the ultimate benchmark for success, he said, urging drafting agencies to work out policies that foster development, reduce bureaucratic hurdles, and respect practical conditions.
Under the official dispatch signed on June 20, ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, and chairpersons of provincial and municipal People’s Committees are requested to concentrate efforts on implementing core measures to ensure the smooth operations of the new administrative framework.
The Party chief underscored the need for the press to innovate relentlessly, evolve to keep pace with the country's development, transform into a truly professional, humanistic, and modern sector that serves the cause of the Party, the State, and the people on the path to national construction and development.
The UN Secretary-General praised Vietnam’s remarkable achievements in socio-economic development and international integration in recent years, noting that the country has emerged as a model in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), promoting international peace and security, and engaging in key UN processes.
Nghia affirmed that this is a milestone of special significance, affirming and honouring the the Vietnamese revolutionary press’s glorious tradition of 100 years of serving the revolutionary cause of the Party, serving the Fatherland, and serving the people.
The Party and State of Vietnam always attach great importance to and give top priority to the development of Vietnam–China relations. Vietnam is ready to work with the Chinese Party and State to further deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership and promote the building of the Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.
Under the leadership of President Ho Chi Minh and the CPV, President Cuong said, the press has been a steadfast force on the ideological and cultural front, rallying the masses to pursue national aspirations.
Delegates at the congress (Photo: VNA) 
