The number of people with two-dose vaccinations against COVID-19 as of May 23 stood at 166.9 million out of the target of over 208 million (Photo: AFP/VNA) Jakarta (VNA) – UN Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed has praised Indonesia for successfully controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) held in Bali, Indonesia , Amina expressed the UN appreciation to Indonesia for its steps to handle and respond to the pandemic. She described the co un try’s effort to vaccinate 217 million citizens against the pandemic as a great achievement. Amina affirmed that Indonesia is an important partner of the UN in disaster risk mitigation efforts. Meanwhile, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said his government implemented dynamic policies to handle COVID-19 and strike a balance between public health and economic interests. According to the president, Indonesia has administered 411 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines … [Read more...] about UN praises Indonesia’s achievements in fighting COVID-19
Indonesia idul fitri holiday
Indonesia, Switzerland sign bilateral investment agreement
Indonesian Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia (right) and Swiss Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin at the signing ceremony of the Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement between the two countries. (Photo: VNA) Jakarta (VNA) – After conducting seven rounds of negotiations which began in 2018, Indonesia and Switzerland have signed an Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (P4M) to boost trade and investment between the two countries. The signing took place on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2022 underway in Davos, Switzerland . The scope of the P4M includes guarantees on several issues, including non-discriminatory treatment, freedom to transfer or repatriate and options to solve disputes through international arbitration. Indonesian Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said the agreement was made to boost investments in both countries by providing legal protection and business certainty for Indonesian and Swiss investors. He also said he … [Read more...] about Indonesia, Switzerland sign bilateral investment agreement
Carriers add flights to summer holiday roster
Vietnam Airlines Group said it plans to provide 32,400 domestic flights between June and August during the peak summer travel season, up 10 percent against the same period in 2019, the year before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. There would be 160 daily flights connecting Vietnam’s three biggest cities Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang. It will also operate over 3,600 international flights during the period, 40 percent of pre-pandemic time. Vietravel Airlines said it will increase the frequency of flights from Hanoi to HCMC and Da Nang by two a day from June. Air tickets for domestic routes between June and August are nearly fully booked. The carrier also plans to launch charter flights from HCMC to Jakarta and Can Tho to Bangkok, but the schedule has not been determined. A representative of Vietravel Airlines, which was launched in December 2020 amid the turbulence created by the pandemic, said the carrier is facing many difficulties like personnel and aircraft … [Read more...] about Carriers add flights to summer holiday roster
Indonesian athlete hurls verbal abuse at Vietnamese SEA Games volunteers
Yeremia Rambitan, 22, runner-up in the men’s doubles contest, had finished the last day of the badminton tournament on May 22. The Indonesian badminton athletes were saying goodbye to Vietnamese volunteers in the northern province of Bac Giang when Yeremia allegedly laughed and used "inappropriate language" in a loud voice. The incident was livestreamed on social media, the Indosport reported. Yeremia explained that he had said things in jest, but he still faced a backlash from the Indonesian community. The Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) issued an official statement regarding the incident Thursday, with general secretary Muhammad Fadil issuing a warning to Yeremia. He said Yeremia had apologized for his actions and promised not to repeat it. Yeremia’s coach Aryono Miranat said he only learned of his ward’s actions when he was returning to his country. He said he would like to apologize if Yeremia’s words had hurt anyone. … [Read more...] about Indonesian athlete hurls verbal abuse at Vietnamese SEA Games volunteers
IPEF should treasure openness, inclusiveness and transparency: foreign ministry
The regional framework should be in line with international laws and ASEAN Centrality. Vietnam has highlighted the role of international economic initiatives when talking about the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) which was launched by the US three days ago. “Vietnam has joined a number of international economic initiatives that help make the most of domestic and foreign resources, serving the country’s development,” Spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said today. Hang made the statement at the press conference on May 26 when talking about Vietnam’s participation in the launch of IPEF through a speech delivered by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. Chinh said the launch of IPEF will kickstart a serious discussion in exchange of ideas towards addressing critical regional and global issues together, issues that no one can address on their own like ones on a global scope – supply chains diversification and resilience, technological … [Read more...] about IPEF should treasure openness, inclusiveness and transparency: foreign ministry
Opportunities for e-commerce in Vietnam to boom
Illustrative image. (Photo: SGGP) According to Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Dung, Chairman of Vietnam E-commerce Association (Vecom), in 2021, despite being heavily affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, Vietnam's e-commerce still maintained a good growth momentum with an increase of about 20 percent and a scale of $16 billion. Keeping the growth momentum, Vietnam is now one of the countries with the largest e-commerce market size in the region, besides Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia. Vietnam's internet economy in 2021 grew by 31 percent compared to 2020 and reached a scale of $21 billion. Of which, the online retail sector enlarged by 53 percent and touched a scale of $13 billion. There are two waves that have contributed to the steady development of e-commerce in Vietnam in 2020 and 2021 and will be the driving force for the next period. The first wave took place during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, and the second one from June to September 2021, during the fourth … [Read more...] about Opportunities for e-commerce in Vietnam to boom