I. ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. The 38^th and 39^th ASEAN Summits (taking place via videoconference from 26 to 28 October 2021)

At the invitation of the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, His Majesty Hassanal Bolkiah, the 2021 ASEAN Chair, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will attend the 38th and 39th ASEAN Summits, related Summits with ASEAN’s partners (including China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, India, the United States, Australia and Russia), the ASEAN Plus Three Summit and the East Asia Summit via videoconference. Other Summits with sub-regional countries in ASEAN will also be convened. These high-level events are ASEAN’s most important events this year.

At these Summits, Viet Nam will uphold its policy of making proactive, active and responsible contributions to the concerted efforts of countries in building the ASEAN Community. Such endeavors also serve to further deepen ASEAN’s ties with its partners, strengthen ASEAN’s centrality, and maintain peace, security and stability in the region.

Viet Nam will also work with the ASEAN Chair, Brunei Darussalam, to step up the implementation of Viet Nam’s priorities during its 2020 ASEAN Chairmanship in close association with the priorities for 2021, particularly responding to COVID-19, reviewing the implementation of the ASEAN Charter, formulating the ASEAN Community Vision post-2025, and promoting ASEAN’s role in sub-regional cooperation.

2. Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan’s bilateral visits to Bulgaria and Greece, and participation in the Global Summit of Women in Portugal, and in a number of relevant bilateral activities.

At the invitation of President of Greece Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Vice President of Bulgaria IlinaLotova, and President of the Global Summit of Women, Irene Natividad, Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan will pay a visit to Bulgaria and Greece, attend the Global Summit of Women in Lisbon, Portugal, and engage in bilateral activities in Portugal from 25 October to 02 November 2021.

Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan’s upcoming activities, including her participation in the Global Summit of Women and other bilateral exchanges in Portugal, and her visit to Bulgaria and Greece, serve to introduce and affirm Viet Nam’s policy, law, efforts and notable achievements in promoting gender equality, and strengthen Viet Nam’s friendship and cooperation with other countries.

Tentatively, Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan will deliver important remarks during the opening session of this Summit, and represent Viet Nam to receive the Country Leadership Award during the Summit’s Global Women’s Leadership Award Ceremony. She will also meet with leaders of participating countries, and President of the Summit Irene Natividad. In Bulgaria, Greece and Portugal, Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan will meet with high-level leaders and local Vietnamese communities, and partake in other important bilateral activities. 

II. Q&A

1. Viet Nam News Agency: Can you provide information on measures to assist Vietnamese enterprises and foreign investors as Viet Nam shifts to a new strategy?

Thanks to vigorous pandemic control measures, Viet Nam was able to gradually put COVID-19 under control, and move towards a ‘new normal’. The Government adopted Resolution no. 128/NQ-CP dated 11 October 2021 on the temporary measures of “safely and flexibly adapting to novel circumstances, and effectively containing COVID-19.” Such efforts would allow the country to transition to the ‘new normal’ at the earliest, potentially in 2021. These would also bring all pandemic control efforts under a single coordinating authority, and put a stop to the stagnation in socio-economic activities.

The Government is taking bold action to curb this pandemic, such as establishing a Governmental Task Force to address the difficulties facing businesses, and adopting many resolutions and policies to support enterprises, cooperatives, and household businesses amid the pandemic.

The Government of Viet Nam always stands ready to listen to foreign businesses and investors, and fully support them in overcoming challenges. The Government has also made every effort to foster a ‘new normal’, thereby soon resuming business and investment activities, on the basis of preventing disruptions to supply chains, ensuring the flow of goods nationwide, and calling for the elimination of inappropriate regulations in localities.

I wish to further inform you that as of 20 September 2021, Viet Nam recorded FDIs worth 22.15 billion USD, an increase of 4.4% in comparison with the same period last year. There are over 1,200 FDI projects with newly registered capital totaling 12.5 billion USD. While this is a decrease of 37.8% with regard to the number of projects, it is an increase of 20.6% with regard to total registered capital against the same period last year. This reflects the trust of foreign investors in the investment environment and the expanding scale of investment projects in Viet Nam. 

2. Sputnik: Can you elaborate on the official visit to the Russian Federation by President Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the invitation of President of Russia Vladimir Putin? During this visit, which issues will Viet Nam prioritize for discussion?

The external activities of Vietnamese high-level leaders will be announced at a suitable time.

At present, Vietnamese and Russian competent authorities are working closely to arrange the schedule and agenda of this visit.

3. Tuổi Trẻ: Can you provide your comment on the information that last week, ASEAN Foreign Ministers have agreed against extending an invitation to the Senior General of Myanmar to attend ASEAN Summits? Can you also elaborate on further developments following this unprecedented decision?

On 15 October 2021, at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting via videoconference, the ASEAN Chair - Brunei Darussalam - has decided to invite a representative of Myanmar, at a suitable level, to attend the 38th and 39th ASEAN Summits and related Summits.
Viet Nam looks forward to and supports the continued exchanges among all parties concerned to ensure the success of the 38th and 39th ASEAN Summits and related Summits, build trust, and continue to build the ASEAN Community, for peace, security and stability in the region.

At present, ASEAN members are working to make preparations for these Summits.

4. The World and Viet Nam Report: Will the topic of responding to COVID-19 be discussed at upcoming ASEAN Summits?

Responding to COVID-19 is one of the main topics of discussion at upcoming ASEAN Summits. In particular, countries will use the 10.5 million USD package from the ASEAN COVID-19 Response Fund to purchase vaccines for ASEAN Member States, with a view to receiving the first shipment in the 4th Quarter of 2021 or the 1st Quarter of 2022. Countries will also continue to call for further contributions to the Fund and the ASEAN Regional Reserve of Medical Supplies. In the spirit of being an active and responsible contributor, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is expected to announce a list of medical equipment and supplies worth 5 million USD that Viet Nam wishes to donate to the ASEAN Regional Reserve of Medical Supplies during these Summits.

With regard to recovery efforts, ASEAN will continue to discuss measures to effectively realize the Comprehensive Recovery Framework and its Implementation Plan. In addition, ASEAN Leaders are expected to adopt the ASEAN Travel Corridor Arrangement Framework, and continue to exchange views on further agreements to facilitate essential travelling in the region, and the mutual recognition and use of digital vaccine certificates.

5. DPA: The US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations recently passed Act S.1657 on sanctioning Chinese individuals and organizations involved in China’s territorial disputes in the South China Sea and East China Sea. Can you comment on whether Viet Nam plans to support the efforts of the US Congress and Government in passing this Act? How will this Act affect the situation in the South China Sea?

Viet Nam’s consistent position is that all countries need to observe international law, including the UNCLOS 1982, and respect the sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction of littoral countries.

6. Thanh Niên: Many Vietnamese and foreign nationals have been fully vaccinated overseas and received sufficient certificates. However, upon entering Viet Nam, they were not granted COVID-19 green cards, as their certificates have not been verified in Viet Nam. This is hindering the travelling and work of people entering Viet Nam. Does Viet Nam plan to implement any policy or measure to assist people from overseas who have been fully vaccinated in coming to Viet Nam, including the granting of green cards?

In this spirit of Resolution no. 128/NQ-CP dated 11 October 2021 on “safely and flexibly adapting to novel circumstances, and effectively containing COVID-19,” Viet Nam has temporarily recognized the vaccine certificates/vaccine passports of 72 countries and territories that were official introduced to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If you are interested, we can forward the list of these 72 countries and territories to you.
Accordingly, people holding these documents can use them directly in Viet Nam, and have their quarantine duration reduced to 07 days in line with the Ministry of Health’s guidance on reducing quarantine time for people who have been fully vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19. In addition, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is engaging in discussions with around 80 partners on the mutual recognition of vaccine certificates, also called vaccine passports.

In addition, at the instruction of the Prime Minister on providing more favorable conditions for workers, experts, investors and other groups conducive to development, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has consulted with other Ministries, agencies and localities on outstanding difficulties, and reported to relevant authorities on making necessary adjustments to approval processes for the entry of foreigners. Vaccine passports, or vaccine certificates, can be added to their visa applications, so as to reduce processing time and improve specialization among Ministries and agencies.

7. Thanh Niên: Many countries in the region have granted international vaccine certificates to people upon their request. Does Viet Nam plan to recognize and grant international vaccine certificates to people who have been vaccinated in Viet Nam?

As I have stated earlier, Viet Nam is engaging in discussions with around 80 partners on the mutual recognition of vaccine certificates. In reality, Viet Nam’s vaccine certificates have been recognized by a number of countries.

8. Thanh Niên: Can you provide Viet Nam’s response to the announcement on 19 October by CGTN on the live-fire exercise of Chinese fighter bombers in the South China Sea? 

I reiterate that Viet Nam consistently wishes for the South China Sea to be a sea of peace, stability, cooperation and development in line with international law.

9. VnExpress: Can you comment on Viet Nam’s response to the collision of the US’ nuclear submarine in the South China Sea?

We were informed of this matter. Viet Nam believes that all activities at sea need to observe the provisions of the UNCLOS 1982, and other relevant regulations and norms, and make active and substantive contributions to maintaining peace, stability, security and safety in the South China Sea.