I. ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. President of the National Assembly of Cambodia pays an official visit to Viet Nam

At the invitation of President of the National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue, President of the National Assembly of Kingdom of Cambodia Samdech Heng Samrin and Spouse will pay an official visit to Viet Nam from 12 to 14 September.

This visit is an important high-level activity in the Viet Nam - Cambodia and Cambodia - Viet Nam Friendship Year 2022 as the two countries celebrate 55 years of diplomatic relations (24 June 1967 - 24 June 2022).

As part of the visit, President of the National Assembly Samdech Heng Samrin will hold talks with President of the National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue, and pay courtesy calls on Vietnamese high-level leaders. Both sides are expected to discuss measures to strengthen the Viet Nam - Cambodia cooperation in various areas, particularly between the two National Assemblies.

2. Deputy Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies of Singapore pays an official visit to Viet Nam

At the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister Lê Minh Khái, Deputy Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies of Singapore Heng Swee Keat will pay an official visit to Viet Nam from 11 to 15 September.

The visit takes place as the Viet Nam - Singapore Strategic Partnership has continued to flourish substantively, recording a number of positive results as the two countries look toward the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership in 2023.

As part of the visit, the Deputy Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies of Singapore will pay courtesy calls on Vietnamese high-level leaders, hold talks with Deputy Prime Minister Lê Minh Khái, and work with leaders of Ho Chi Minh City.

3. Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son pays an official visit to Australia and co-chairs the 4th Viet Nam - Australia Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

At the invitation of Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Penny Wong, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son will pay an official visit to Australia and co-chair the 4^th Viet Nam - Australia Foreign Ministers’ Meeting from 10 to 13 September.

In recent years, the Viet Nam - Australia Strategic Partnership is growing stronger and more effective. Both countries have maintained bilateral exchanges at the high-level and at all levels. Bilateral trade turnover in 2021 reached 12.4 billion USD, an almost 50% increase compared to 2020. Both countries are focusing on strengthening some new areas of cooperation such as climate change response, digital transformation, and energy transformation. 

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son is expected to pay a courtesy call on the Prime Minister of Australia, and co-chair the Viet Nam - Australia Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, among other important activities. 

4. Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son pays an official visit to New Zealand and co-chairs the 1^st Viet Nam - New Zealand Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

At the invitation of Foreign Minister of New Zealand Nanaia Mahuta, from 13 to 15 September 2022, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son will pay an official visit to New Zealand and co-chair the 1^st Viet Nam - New Zealand Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. This is the first meeting of the Viet Nam - New Zealand Foreign Ministers’ Meeting mechanism which leaders of both countries had agreed upon in the Action Program to implement the Viet Nam - New Zealand Strategic Partnership for 2021 - 2024.

The visit takes place as relations between Viet Nam and Zealand are flourishing. High-level leaders have maintainted bilateral exchanges even throughout the pandemic. Bilateral trade turnover has witnessed positive growth with each passing year. Cooperation in education, training, labor, agriculture, security and defense have witnessed positive development, and there remains potential to be explored.

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son is expected to pay a courtesy call on the Speaker of the House of Representatives of New Zealand, and co-chair the Viet Nam - New Zealand Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, among other activities.

5. The Chairman of the Committee on International Trade of the European Parliament pays a visit to Viet Nam

At the invitation of Chairman of the National Assembly Committee on Foreign Affairs Vu Hai Ha, Chairman of the Committee on International Trade Bernd Lange will pay a visit to Viet Nam from 08 to 10 September.

The visit takes place as the cooperation between Viet Nam and the European Union is going from strength to strength. As part of the visit, the delegation will pay a courtesy call on high-level leaders of the National Assembly and the government, work with the National Assembly Committee on Foreign Affairs and a number of Vietnamese ministries and agencies, to strengthen bilateral cooperation, particularly in trade and investment.

6. Senior Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan Yamada Shigeo pays a visit to Viet Nam

Senior Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan Yamada Shigeo will pay a working visit to Viet Nam from 07 to 09 September.

During the visit, Senior Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Yamada Shigeo will meet with with Standing Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyễn Minh Vũ, and work with leaders of a number of Vietnamese ministries agencies to discuss measures to strengthen bilateral cooperation as both countries look toward the 50^th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2023, and discuss international and regional issues of mutual interest.

7. 9^th Viet Nam – Egypt Political Consultation (09 September)

Implementing the Cooperation Protocol between the two Foreign Ministries (signed in June 1996), Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Hieu and Assistant Foreign Minister of Egypt Ayman Aly Kamel Aly will co-chair the 9^th Political Consultation on 09 September in Hanoi.

This takes place as both countries are preparing to celebrate the 60^th anniversary of diplomatic relations (01 September 1963 - 01 September 2023). Throughout the years, the traditional friendship and cooperation between Viet Nam and Egypt is witnessing positive development. Both countries have maintained regular delegation exchanges at all levels. Egypt is also among Viet Nam’s five largest trading partners in Africa.

During his stay in Viet Nam, Assistant Foreign Minister Ayman Aly Kamel Aly will pay a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and meet with leaders of Vietnamese ministries and agencies to discuss measures to strengthen bilateral cooperation in various areas.

II. Q&A

1. Sputnik: At the 7^th Eastern Economic Forum (05 - 08 September 2022) in Vladivostok, Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Chernyshenko stated that Russia is negotiating with countries in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and China on the use of the MIR payment system. Does Viet Nam have any plans of using Russia’s MIR system in the near future?

In the process of economic integration, multilateralization and diversification of relations with partners in the world, acting on the direction of the Prime Minister, currently, Vietnamese competent authorities are building legal frameworks on the participation in international payment systems, and from there, consider the possibility of participating in international payment systems on the basis of ensuring Viet Nam’s interests, and in accordance with international law.

2. Tuoi Tre: According to reports by the press, recently, many have come to queue at the Consular Department in the night to finalize their documents for traveling abroad. The Consular Department has advised them to book their appointments online, but the overcrowding has persisted. What is the reason for this, and what are the measures implemented by the authorities to help the people process their applications in a timely and convenient manner? 

As we reported on 1 September 2022, due to the rapidly increasing demand to travel, work, and study abroad as the pandemic is being brought under control and the country is reopening, recently, the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recorded a sharp increase in the number of applications for consular certification for documents required for traveling abroad, with an increase of 200 – 300% compared to last June.

Faced with this, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has directed the Consular Department and relevant departments within the Ministry to implement a series of resolute measures in terms of both human and material resources to meet the demands of the people.

Firstly, to maximize the number of documents processed within their technical capacity.
Secondly, throughout the holidays, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has upgraded its technical infrastructure, and installed additional equipment.

Thirdly, nearly 20 seconded officers have been dispatched from other departments to the One-Stop Shop Unit at the Consular Department. So far, the number of application-receiving doors has doubled to 10 doors where it was previously 5. The online appointment booking software has also been upgraded, nearly doubling the maximum allowed online appointments (more than daily 100 appointments compared to the previous maximum of about 60 appointments a day).

The Consular Department has also arranged information desks, put up notices, bulletin boards, and posted on the electronic portal on consular affairs to instruct on the procedures, recommending the use of flexible forms of application such as by post or through authorized local Departments of Foreign Affairs.

These measures have yielded positive results. Since the end of the holidays, every day, the unit that receives consular legalization and certification applications receives an average of 360 applications a day (where it previously was 150-250 applications a day). In the past 3 days, it received more than 1000 applications and certified nearly 800 documents. Those who get in line and get a queue number on the same day, if they meet the requirements of the procedure, will have their application accepted, which means they won’t have to return to get in line again the next day.

In the time to come, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to look into this matter and advise the Government on the simplification of consular certification and legalization procedures in particular and of consular procedures as a whole, increase the delegation of receipt of applications, and apply information technology to process citizens' requests in a prompt manner.

3. Tuoi Tre: Regarding citizen protection measures for Vietnamese nationals who have been scammed into illegal labor in Cambodia, can the Ministry of Foreign Affairs provide additional information on how many have been scammed, and how many have been rescued. Have Cambodian authorities come to any decision with regard to the manager of Casino Rich World, where over 40 Vietnamese nationals escaped from labor exploitation?

As we have reported on numerous occasions, recently, Vietnamese competent authorities, localities, and representative agencies in Cambodia have actively worked with Cambodian authorities to review, investigate, clarify the cases and rescued Vietnamese nationals who were scammed by brokers into illegal labor in Cambodia. So far, over 600 Vietnamese nationals have been safely repatriated, while thousands of others have received assistance in their legal procedures.

According to Vietnamese representative agencies in Cambodia, while reviewing illegal migrants and foreign laborers, Cambodia also rescued 12 Vietnamese nationals who suffered abuse from their employers in Sihanoukville and in Phnom Penh, and returned them to Vietnamese authorities.

At the direction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vietnamese representative agencies in Cambodia will continue to closely follow the situation of Vietnamese laborers in Cambodia, and work with Cambodian and Vietnamese competent authorities to implement citizen protection measures as necessary.

4. Tuoi Tre: Recently, a number of Vietnamese and FDI businesses have complained about their projects being delayed due to the time-consuming visa processes for their foreign experts. In some cases, some have been denied a visa multiple times. Visa duration for experts is limited to 30 days, which is not long enough for them to monitor the projects in-depth. Some foreign business associations have requested that Viet Nam increase the duration for the expert visa. Can the Ministry of Foreign Affairs provide additional information on the current visa duration and application processes for foreign experts, and on the measures to resolve the current expert visa issue as reported by businesses, to assist them in the post-pandemic era?

Recently, with the goal to create favorable conditions for international tourists, experts and investors to enter Viet Nam, and to contribute to post-pandemic economic recovery and growth, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has taken the initiative to propose policies and reopening measures to the Government, most notably the resumption of visa exemption policies for citizens from 13 countries, and the resumption of visa granting for international tourists. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also actively discussing with relevant agencies to simplify the entry processes for citizens, taking note of feedback from people and businesses of Viet Nam and other countries, to finalize an entry policy that meets the requirements of the new era of development.

According to the Law on entry, exit, transit and residence of foreigners in Viet Nam, foreigners entering Viet Nam to work with businesses and projects must go through an approval process at the Immigration Department of the Ministry of Public Security. The type and duration of the visa is decided by the Immigration Department. After being approved by the Ministry of Public Security, individuals eligible for working visas of 30 days and longer may receive their visas at Vietnamese diplomatic missions abroad.

In the time to come, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to work with the Ministry of Public Security, as well as relevant Ministries and agencies to look into, propose and advise on building appropriate entry policies in line with the new situation.

5. DPA:  Recently, we did some paperwork to request for the “certification of work permit exemption” in Viet Nam. Despite receiving the support from the Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there have been difficulties in meeting the demands in paperwork by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs. Decree no. 152 of the Government states that foreign correspondents are exempted from work permits, so why must they still request a “certification of work permit exemption”, which is not dissimilar to the process of applying for a work permit? In the near future, will there be any solutions to resolve these difficulties for our foreign correspondents?

 Once again I would like to reiterate that the policy by the Government of Viet Nam is to open our doors and create every favorable condition for foreign nationals to work, study, reside and travel in Viet Nam in accordance with relevant regulations of the law on entry and exit.

However, recently, during the actual implementation process, there were some regulations that affect the request for visa extension and the residence of foreign news agencies’ correspondents in Viet Nam. We will take note of your suggestion, and in the time to come, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue working with relevant agencies, such as the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, to make an effort to simplify the processes in accordance with Vietnamese law, to create further favorable conditions for foreign correspondents applying for visa extensions.

6. VnExpress: According to the police of Bavet city, Svay Rieng province, Cambodia, a Vietnamese national named Duong, a 34-year-old chef, was assaulted with bats by a group of people in front of Casino 67 on the morning of 26 August. Cambodian authorities have determined that his attackers, also Vietnamese, have gone on the run after committing the crime. Can the Ministry of Foreign Affairs provide additional information on the incident, and the citizen protection measures implemented?

According to the Embassy of Viet Nam in Cambodia, on 26 August 2022 there was an altercation in the area near Casino 67 in Samraong commune, Chanthrea district, Svay Rieng province, which resulted in the death of one Vietnamese national.

Immediately after being notified, the Embassy of Viet Nam contacted Cambodian authorities to seek clarification on the matter, and request for an investigation. The Embassy has also contacted the family of the victim and assisted in bringing them to Cambodia to carry out the after-death arrangements and repatriate the remains of the deceased. Currently, Cambodian authorities are still investigating the incident.

At the direction of the MOFA, the Embassy of Viet Nam in Cambodia will continue to closely follow the situation and work with Cambodian competent authorities in the investigation, and ready citizen protection measures as necessary, to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Vietnamese nationals.

7. VnExpress: According to the police in Yokohama, Japan, on 05 September, Le Thi Ngoc Hanh, a Vietnamese citizen, was arrested, after she chased down a man with a knife and murdered him in a police station in Isogo. The victim was brought to a hospital, but didn’t make it, as the wound was in the torso. Can the Ministry of Foreign Affairs provide additional information on the incident and the citizen protection measures implemented, if any?

Regarding this incident, after being notified and acting on the direction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Embassy of Viet Nam in Japan contacted Japanese authorities to clarify the information and implement appropriate citizen protection measures. Currently, Japanese police say the case is still under investigation.

8. Central News Agency: Recently, Cambodia had plans to establish a Department of Vietnamese Studies at the Royal University of Phnom Penh. This has attracted much attention and discussions among Cambodians on the necessity of such a Department. Those who oppose it believe that the establishment of a Department of Vietnamese Studies will increase Viet Nam’s cultural influence over Cambodia. What is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ response to this?

As close neighbors with a long-lasting, close-knit traditional friendship, Viet Nam and Cambodia wish to strengthen their expansive cooperation in various areas, including education and training.

With the approval of both governments, the first Department of Vietnamese Studies in Cambodia will be established at the Royal University of Phnom Penh. We believe that this significant event will contribute to strengthening cooperation in education, trade, investment, increase mutual understanding and people-to-people exchange between the two countries, actively contributing to the neighborliness, traditional friendship, and comprehensive, sustainable and long-term cooperation between Viet Nam and Cambodia.

9. Channel News Agency: Joseph Schooling, a Singaporean athlete, has recently admitted to using cannabis in May, around the time he participated in the 31^st SEA Games in Viet Nam. Is the use of cannabis prohibited at the 31^st SEA Games? Did the organizing committee test Mr. Schooling for doping, and does it plan on conducting doping tests for the SEA Games after this?

According to our information, so far the organizing committee of the 31^st SEA Games has not received any information in writing by any organization or individual on this matter.  

Doping control at the 31^st SEA Games was carried out in accordance with relevant regulations of the World Anti-Doping Code, as well as laws, circulars and decrees of Viet Nam.