Vietnam-India people’s friendship festival opens in Hanoi
The eighth Vietnam-India people’s friendship festival kicked off in Hanoi on December 3, with a string of activities to take place in several different localities.
Hanoi (VNA) – The eighth Vietnam-India people’sfriendship festival kicked off in Hanoi on December 3, with a string ofactivities to take place in several different localities.
During the week-long festival, delegates will pay tribute toPresident Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum and visited the Presidential Palace inHanoi. They will also visit the Birla Children’s Village, an orphanage that hasprovided care and education for the city’s children since 1987.
The delegates are also scheduled to tour the Mekong Deltacity of Can Tho where they will pay a courtesy visit to the municipal leadersand go on trips to the Cai Rang floating market, the My Khanh tourist site andthe Truc Lam Zen Monastery.
In Ho Chi Minh City, they will pay a courtesy visit to thecity’s leaders and tour the Ben Thanh market.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Vietnamese Minister ofScience and Technology Chu Ngoc Anh highlighted the Vietnam-India relationship,which was founded by President Ho Chi Minh and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru,and fostered by generations of Vietnamese leaders and people.
The minister expressed his belief that with a favourabledevelopment momentum and strong resolve of leaders and people of the twocountries, the bilateral friendship and cooperation will reap greaterachievements, bringing pragmatic interests for both nations, for the sake ofpeace, stability, cooperation and prosperity in the region and the world at large.
The festival takes place after Vietnam and India elevatedtheir relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership and are preparingfor the Vietnam-India Friendship Year in 2017 which marks the 45th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties and ten years of the strategicpartnership, he said.
The official said he hopes the delegates will take theoccasion to review the solidarity, friendship and mutual support betweenVietnamese and Indian people, and propose measures to deepen the comprehensivestrategic partnership in a more tangible fashion.
Lakshminarayanan Kannan MLA, Vice President of the All IndiaPeace and Solidarity Organisation, reassured India’s whole-hearted support forVietnam’s revolutionary cause at international forums.
Vietnam is bringing about the best strategic opportunitiesfor India’s “Act East” policy through the strategic partnership, he said.
The relationship should be enhanced at both bilateral andmultilateral forums, especially exchanges between the two countries’ citizens,he said, noting his wish to promote Indian culture in Vietnam.
He used the occasion to affirmed India’s solidarity withmillions of Vietnamese Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin victims.-VNA
The Directorate General of Anti-dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD) has recommended not to impose anti-dumping duty on AA dry cell batteries imported from China and Vietnam.
PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc sent a message of condolences to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi over the loss of lives in the derailment of an express train in Kanpur Dehat district of Uttar Pradesh state.
Vietnam has over 4.8 million people exposed to AO/dioxin, including hundreds of thousands in the second, third, and even fourth generations. Many live with severe disabilities, facing high medical costs and loss of earning capacity.
Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Hoang Giang reaffirmed that amnesty is a humanitarian policy of the Party and State, reflecting the Vietnamese tradition of compassion and winning attention and high praise both domestically and internationally.
Vietnam officially grants limited-term visa-free entry to high-profile foreigners whose presence is deemed beneficial to the country’s socio-economic development.
With support from the Vietnamese Association in Ufa, Vietnamese language classes for children have been offered for many years. Currently, 60 children of various ages are attending two classes taught by Duc Anh, free of charge.
Vietnam ranked among the top four countries and territories at the 2025 International Olympiad on Artificial Intelligence (IOAI), reaffirming its strong position in international academic competitions.
All 20 crew members aboard the Vietnamese oil tanker GT Unity were successfully rescued from a fire in the vessel’s engine room, thanks to the swift response of the Liberian-flagged ship Androusa and Vietnamese maritime rescue teams.
Describing Agent Orange as one of the most severe and enduring legacies of the war in Vietnam, Vietnam's former Honorary Consul to Belgium Joseph-Michel de Grand Ry warned that its impact – still affecting generations more than five decades later – could last another two to three decades.
Running from August 4 to September 2, under the hashtag #TuHaoVietNam, the campaign invites participants in two categories: “I Love My Country” video clips and “I Love My Country” check-in photos.
Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP, which took effect on the issuance date, introduces amendments that integrate the procedure for reporting and explaining the demand for foreign workers into the process of submitting applications for work permits.
With a tight 13-month deadline, the move is under a strategic and urgent policy to bridge educational gaps, train the local workforce, and shore up territorial sovereignty in some of the country’s most remote areas.
The parade and personnel send-off ceremony will officially take place on August 10 at the area surrounding the Statue of King Ly Thai To and Dinh Tien Hoang street of Hoan Kiem ward, with the participation of nearly 3,000 officers, soldiers, and local residents.
According to national technical regulations, AIS installation is mandatory for boats carrying more than 50 passengers. However, operators of smaller vessels (under 50 seats) in Ha Long Bay have voluntarily committed to completing installation by the deadline to enhance operational safety.
The activities include a Vietnamese language teaching training course for overseas Vietnamese teachers from August 13 to 28 in Hanoi, Ninh Binh, and Thai Nguyen.
Specifically, the ships will carry out patrols from 7am to 6pm daily along the main tourist routes in Ha Long Bay, with one ship permanently stationed at Ti Top island. From 6pm to 7am the following day, the mobile vessels return to Tuan Chau island to maintain a 24/7 on-call duty shift, ensuring constant readiness.
The Ministry of Construction (MoC) plans to open to traffic 208km of expressways of six key projects by August 19, bringing the country’s total expressway network to 2,476km.
As of July 1, a two-tier local government model started in 34 provinces and cities, streamlining administration but creating a surplus of public properties. If not promptly addressed, these assets could become a financial burden.
Whether they grow up to become journalists, diplomats, or professionals in other fields, these children can one day become bridges of friendship and cooperation, telling new and inspiring stories of Vietnam – China relations, said Ambassador Pham Thanh Binh.
A 21-year-old Indian tourist was successfully resuscitated and treated by doctors at Hoan My Da Nang Hospital after a near-drowning incident left him in critical condition. After three days of intensive care, the man was discharged from the hospital and has since returned to India.
In an document issued on August 5, the PM emphasised the need to stablise living conditions for people hit by floods, landslides, and flash floods in late July and early August in northern and north-central provinces, especially Dien Bien, Son La, and Nghe An which suffered some of the worst damage.
Although millions of Vietnamese were affected by AO, only over 626,000 individuals, including war veterans and their children suffering from dioxin-related conditions, are currently receiving state benefits.
A performance at the festival (Source: VNA)
