Vietnam Today

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea (RoK) in Vietnam kicked off the “Establishing a smart and safe agricultural product value chain in Vietnam” project on May 17, to be deployed over three years in the central highlands’ Lam Dong province and with funding of 3.5 billion Won (over $2.8 million) from the RoK Government. It will transfer and apply advanced techniques from a South Korean smart farm model, providing high-quality and safe food to consumers and boosting productivity and farmer incomes.

On May 17 in San Francisco, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who was in the US on a working visit, attended a Vietnam - US trade, investment, and tourism promotion conference with the theme “Rediscovering Vietnam”. In an address, he called on investors to continue cooperating with Vietnam in various fields, including tourism. Vietnamese businesses also exchanged MoUs with US partners at the conference.

During his recent visit to the US, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held a working breakfast in San Francisco on May 17 with a number of overseas Vietnamese business leaders in the fields of finance and technology. He expressed a hope that the entrepreneurs will make continued efforts in technology and digital transformation, diversify supply chains, and actively contribute to the homeland, the US, and to Vietnam - US relations.

At a roundtable discussion with CEOs of some leading corporations and investment funds listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on May 16, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who is paying an official working visit to the US, affirmed that Vietnam welcomes foreign investors in emerging industries and that the government has been introducing many measures to create a favorable and competitive business and investment environment.

Difficulties in determining the value of land use rights and planning are among the main bottlenecks facing State-owned enterprise (SOE) equitization and divestment in recent times. Minister of Finance Ho Duc Phoc has said that if shareholders convert land use purposes to construction projects or sell the company and close the factory, it may lead to less production and many workers becoming unemployed. Enterprises must still pay annual land rentals post-equitization, he went on, and retain the land use purpose. If they do not need to use the land, it should be returned to the State or auctioned by the State to change the purpose.

At a meeting with leaders of the United Nations on May 16, within the framework of his working visit to the US, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested the body provide technical and professional advice to Vietnam on establishing an energy transition partnership with G7 countries and also assist it in developing a climate finance mobilization strategy.