Vietnam Today

At a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) on November 1, Prime Minister Pham Minh asked him to increase the import of Vietnamese agricultural products to bring two-way trade to $15 billion as soon as possible and also to increase scholarships for Vietnamese students. Prime Minister Morrison said he will continue to support Vietnam with 3.7 million Covid-19 doses.

During his visit to the UK to attend the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) and pay a working visit, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh witnessed the signing of 26 cooperation agreements in the fields of trade, agriculture, energy, health, education and training, environmental protection, and sports between the two sides worth billions of dollars.

At a meeting with Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on October 31 while in Glasgow to attend the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed a wish that Scotland would share its experience, support human resources training, and send consultants and investment to help Vietnam in renewable energy. He also asked that Scotland create more favorable conditions for Vietnamese exports to access the market.

The Ministry of Finance (MoF) has proposed the Prime Minister agree to the continuation of reductions on fees and charges to the end of the first half of 2022, to help ease ongoing difficulties facing people and businesses. The government has cut VND3 trillion (131.87 million) from 30 types of taxes and fees this year.

The State budget surplus is continually decreasing due to difficulties in revenue collection as more is being spent on the prevention and control of Covid-19. The surplus in the first eight months of the year was VND82 trillion ($3.6 billion), then VND58 trillion ($2.55 billion) in the first nine months and VND20 trillion ($879.13 million) in the first ten months.

Vietnam has five higher education institutions in the Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings for emerging economies in 2022, two more than in 2021. Of note, Ton Duc Thang University is in the top 100, at 82nd.