World news

Angkor Wat, a UNESCO world heritage site, is the tourist icon of Cambodia. (Photo: Khmer Times) Phnom Penh (VNA) - Cambodia expects to welcome 1.2-1.3 million international tourists in 2022, said Director General of Tourism Development and International Cooperation at the Ministry of Tourism Thong Rathasak. Recovering fast from the COVID-19 downfall, Cambodia is banking on increased arrival of foreign tourists this year, compared to the last two years. According to Rathasak, the Southeast Asian nation served over 500,000 foreign visitors in the first half of this year, and this was a good comeback compared to the number of 200,000 tourist arrivals last year.. COVID-19 was a big lesson as Cambodia n people learned to coexist with a pandemic, he said, hoping that people who left the tourism sector would come back and rebuild their businesses or careers. For Cambodia, 2022 started well as it got the chance to organise the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF), which was … [Read more...] about Cambodia eyes to serve 1.3 million foreign tourists in 2022

Illustrative image (Photo: Geonoise Asia) Bangkok (VNA) – The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) may procure 3,200 electric buses to phase out fossil-fueled buses from its fleet in three years, said Deputy Permanent Secretary for Transport Sorapong Paitoonphong. The plan is part of BMTA’s revised business rehabilitation plan, which will be sent to the Thai Government for approval in about two months, he added. The development of electric vehicle industry is an important part of the Thai Government’s efforts to restructure the economy with focus on hi-tech industry, biological-circular-green economic model, health care and tourism. Last month, the Thai Government approved two tax incentives to promote the use of electric vehicles and help Thailand become a major manufacturer of electric vehicles in the world./. VNA … [Read more...] about Thailand plans to use entirely electric buses in Bangkok in three years

Workers checking a roof top solar system. — VNA/VNS Photo As the energy industry has a crucial role in achieving net zero emissions by 2050, it requires a structural transition toward green growth. Therefore, Việt Nam needs assistance from developed countries regarding both financial and technical issues. To detail the national green growth strategy, the Prime Minister on July 22 approved the national action plan on green growth for 2021-2030 with four important goals. The goals are to reduce greenhouse gas emissions per GDP, to green economic sectors, to green lifestyles and promote sustainable consumption, and to green the transition on the principles of equality, inclusion, and resilience. Speaking at the conference on the impact of COP26 on the energy transition towards green growth launched on Wednesday, Nguyễn Thị Bích Ngọc, deputy minister of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, said that resources are the biggest problem in realising the goals of the energy … [Read more...] about Viet Nam needs extra $368 billion to achieve net zero emissions

An overview of the seminar (Photo: VNA) Vientiane (VNA) – The Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Laos and Vietnam co-organised a seminar on economic diplomacy in Vientiane on August 17. Speaking at the event, Nguyen Minh Hang, Assistant to the Minister, Director of the economic affairs department, said that the Vietnam ese Foreign Ministry identifies economic diplomacy as one of the basic and central tasks of a comprehensive and modern diplomacy, and a driving force for the development of the country. The ministry is willing to share assessments and opinions on the world economic situation and emerging issues, as well as experience in developing economic diplomacy with Laos. At the seminar, both sides agreed on the importance and role of economic diplomacy in contributing to national development, affirming the necessity for the two ministries’ cooperation and sharing of experience in this field in the context of an extremely complicated world situation. … [Read more...] about Vietnam, Laos enhance cooperation in economic diplomacy

Dry port in Udon Thani (Source: Bangkokpost) Bangkok (VNA) - The Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) has said that it is planning to develop a dry port in Udon Thani, with the aim of developing the northeast province into a centre for regional land transport, linked with the Chinese-Lao high-speed train system. According to the IEAT’s leader Veeris Ammarapala, the new inland transport facility will support trade among provinces in the northeast and the Thai economy. This port will also improve the efficiency of Thai logistics and land transport via roads and railways, he said. The IEAT is also confident the dry port in Udon Thani has the potential to serve ASEAN as a new transport hub in the future because Thailand is located in mainland Southeast Asia, surrounded by Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia, with southern China nearby. The IEAT said the new dry port can be linked with Laemchabang deep-sea port in Chon Buri and Map Ta Phut deep-sea port in … [Read more...] about Thailand eyes to own regional land transport centre

Indonesian Navy corvette (Photo:indonesiaexpat.biz) Brussels (VNA) – The European Union and Indonesia held their first joint naval exercise in the Arabian Sea on August 14-15. The exercise involved Indonesian Navy corvette KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda and EU NAVFOR Somalia – Operation Atalanta frigate ITS Virginio Fasan. It was based on the scenario of an anti-piracy operation, including cross-deck helicopter landings, complex tactical evolutions at sea, boarding of suspicious vessels and fuel replenishment at sea. The EU project on Critical Maritime Routes in the Indo-Pacific (CRIMARIO) provided its Indo-Pacific Regional Information Sharing (IORIS) platform for communication between participants in the exercise. The EU and Indonesia have conducted a regular Security Policy Dialogue to strengthen cooperation on security issues. In November 2021, the sixth meeting of the dialogue discussed maritime security alongside the fight against terrorism and violent extremism, … [Read more...] about EU, Indonesia hold first joint naval exercise