Social News 25/9 Vietnamese students attend World Youth Rhino Summit Six Vietnamese junior and senior high school students have been participating in the World Youth Rhino Summit in South Africa from September 21-23. The trip is sponsored by the US Embassy in Vietnam and the US Consulate in Durban, South Africa. The students, from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and the Central Highlands province of DakLak, was chosen from a nation-wide art competition sponsored by WildAct Vietnam, the Humane Society, and the Hanoi Department of Education and Training. This is the first time such an event has been held in response to the World Rhino Day, drawing more than 140 students from 20 countries. They planned to discuss measures to directly address the rhino poaching crisis and stop burgeoning wildlife crime. Quake-resistant building nabs prize Students from Duy Tan Private University won first prize in an earthquake engineering design competition held in Taiwan last week. The competition, Introducing and Demonstrating Earthquake Engineering Research in Schools, included students from 44 schools across 10 Asia-Pacific countries and regions. The Duy Tan team's building design won the competition with a score of 139 -14 points over the Taiwanese runner-up. It was the team's first win after placing seventh in 2012 and third in 2013. The team, the only one from Viet Nam, designed a building capable of withstanding an earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale. The two-day competition drew 110 teams competing in high-school, university and post-graduate divisions at Taiwan's Centre for Research on Earthquake Engineering. Singaporean volunteers join activities in Thua Thien-Hue More than 30 students of NGFF ANN Singapore college participated in voluntary activities in Quang Dien district in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue on September 23. In addition to funding sourced from the college, Singaporean students mobilised donors to raise another US$20,000 to support their activities in the province. During 15 days, they built 60 square metres of fences and school gates for Kindergarten Number 2, exchanged painting skills, played folk games, sang English songs with local children, granted 1,400 glasses for poor people. Singaporean volunteers’ diverse activities have helped further promote cooperation with Thua Thien-Hue. The country has assisted the province a US$3.52 million tourism plan for the 2013-2025 period, including US$470,000 corresponding fund from Thua Thien-Hue province. RoK shares experience in agricultural mechanization with Vietnam Experience made by the Republic of Korea (RoK) during its process of agricultural mechanisation was shared in a workshop in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on September 22. The event was jointly organised by the Korea Agricultural Machinery Industry Cooperative (KAMICO), the Vietnam Technology Arboretum Development Centre in Can Tho, and the municipal People’s Committee. Delegates discussed bilateral cooperation on agriculture and technology, and technology transfer in agriculture, with a view to increasing the quality and efficiency of Vietnam’s agricultural production. Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Truong Quang Hoai Nam said the workshop provided a chance for Vietnamese policy-makers and experts to review the agricultural mechanization process in the country, and propose feasible plans for applying technological advances in production. Vietnam’s MDG achievements highlighted at UN session Over the past decade, Vietnam has recorded remarkable progress in giving effect to the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) action programme, resulting in better healthcare services for the country’s citizens. Vietnamese Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien was speaking at the 29th special session of the UN General Assembly on population and development on September 22, to review the ICPD action programme adopted in Cairo, Egypt, in 1994. During the period 1990-2010, the maternal fatality rate and mortality rate among children under five tapered off sharply, Tien said, adding that Vietnam is also on the fast track of achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2015. In the years to come, she said, the country will focus on sustainable development programmes, especially those on policy-related issues, to deal with challenges caused by aging population, gender inequality, and negative impact of urbanisation. Vietnam will also increase capacity for the reproductive healthcare system, by educating young people in safe sex, and pay due attention to health care for ethnic minority people and immigrants from rural to urban areas. The same day, Minister Tien and other Vietnamese delegates held a working session with leaders of UNICEF and UNFPA to discuss issues relating to child nutrition and vaccination. UNICEF representatives pledged further aid to Vietnam in capacity building and vaccine production, while UNFPA committed to helping Vietnam finalise a population law and providing technical assistance in the fields of population and reproductive health. Japan helps in source water treatment The Halvo Co., Ltd from the Japanese prefecture of Kagoshima has been implementing a project on source water treatment at 29 localities in central Ha Tinh and southern Vinh Long provinces. The project, launched three years ago, is supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). For river and well water, the company has been using H-O-H technology to purify, and for waste water from factories and industrial zones, it has been applying Kiyomarukun technology to treat, said Halvo Director Yagyu Yoshiharu. In April, the company invested JPY100 million (US$1 million) in building a water treatment factory in Long An province’s Phuc Long industrial zone. At present, the factory, which aims to produce materials for water treatment, has been put into operation. Currently, Japan has over 200,000 small- and medium-sized enterprises operating in various fields, mainly in support industry. Deputy PM attends Vietnamese-Lao school’s ceremony Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc joined the teachers and students at the Vietnamese-Lao T78 Friendship School in Hanoi on September 23 for its ceremony to launch the 2014-2015 academic year. The event was also attended by representatives of the Laotian Embassy to Vietnam , ministries, agencies and local authorities. The Vietnamese-Lao T78 Friendship School, founded in 1958, was the first boarding school to teach Vietnamese to Lao students in Vietnam . So far, the school has provided training for 21,768 Lao students and almost 10,000 Vietnamese ethnic minority students. Speaking at the ceremony, the Deputy PM hailed the school’s achievements in recruiting and training high-quality teaching staff and enhancing the Vietnamese-Lao friendship. He urged the institution to make its curricula more practical and learner-oriented, and focus on social skills. TOEFL Primary Challenge 2014 held The TOEFL Primary Challenge 2014 competition qualifying round is set to begin October 11. The contest started from February 2014 in 11 cities and provinces across the country, So far, the contest has attracted nearly 18,700 students from 690 primary schools. The event organized by IIG Vietnam JSC includes three rounds. TOEFL international tests are administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS). Contestant who passes the first round will receive TOEFL Primary certificates. He/she will get TOEFL Junior certificates if they get a place in the third round. Students from the 3rd to 5th grade in 2014-2015 academic year can register for the contest in their primary schools which send the list to the organizing board through email address toefl.hn@iigvietnam.com. They can also directly apply at http://toefl.com.vn/toeflprimary2014. Vocational training helps cut youth unemployment In recent years, the graduate unemployment has been on an upward trend. Employment is always a big issue in Vietnam given the pressures derived from the high ratio of the population of working age. There is a big pool of qualified graduates who are having a hard time to find the jobs that they desire. One the one hand, some businesses in Hanoi recently released statistics revealing that over 70 percent of employees with university degrees are working in unskilled or semi-skilled positions. On the other, many employers say they cannot find people with the right skills The country is not creating a sufficient number of high-quality positions to soak up its educated youngsters. Worse yet, the number of graduates and the number of institutions of higher education have been on the rise in recent years. There are many reasons why graduates take positions unrelated to their studies. According to an official from the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL), Government's policies relating to education, vocational guidance, employment administration and wage policies are all unsynchronized and provide no direct support to graduates. Secondly, Vietnam is rapidly developing the tertiary education. Many new universities have been established with many joint-venture training programmes. Therefore, the number of students of the tertiary education system has increased dramatically in recent years. Thirdly, university degree obsession exists among many families. A survey conducted among high school students showed that most of respondents intended to go to university, or college but very few of these students, actually planned to join a vocational training programme. The Ministry of Labour, War-Invalids and Social Affairs recently released an alarming figure of 72,000 unemployed graduates and post graduates. According to an official of the VGCL, the Government should implement more comprehensive policies, particularly policies relating to vocational training and tertiary education, there must be fundamental change. Hai Duong, Phu Tho commence measles-rubella vaccination drive The northern provinces of Hai Duong and Phu Tho launched a measles-rubella inoculation campaign on September 22, targeting children under the age of 14. Between now and October 4, Tu Ky district in Hai Duong will offer three rounds of vaccines to over 35,200 children. The remaining districts will run the campaign from October 5 until the end of the year. Nearly 40,000 children are expected to be immunised against the diseases during the campaign in Hai Duong province. In Phu Tho, more than 1,700 children, 86.88 percent of the total children in Thanh Son district, turned up at their schools for the vaccination. Between now and February 2015, the drive is expected to benefit over 307,000 children in the province. Under a directive issued by the Prime Minister recently, all provinces and centrally-run cities are to vaccinate at least 95 percent of children aged 1-14 by early next year. A measles epidemic broke out in 61 out of the 63 cities and provinces earlier this year. Figures released in June 2014 showed that as many as 5,031 cases of measles were recorded. The outbreak was brought under control by the end of May with 73,639 children aged nine months to 10 years old vaccinated.- Project helps promote non-fired brick usage The Prime Minister has approved a project to promote non-fired brick (NFB) production and utilisation. The project aims to help Viet Nam reduce greenhouse gas emissions by gradually cutting down on the use of fossil fuels and good quality soil for brick making, while increasing the production, sales and utilisation of NFBs. Funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the five-year project has total investment of nearly US$39 million, of which $2.8 million will be provided by GEF as non-refundable aid through the UN Development Programme (UNDP). In the decade following project completion, direct and indirect CO2 emissions will be reduced by an estimated 383 ktonnes and 13,400 ktonnes. Thu Duc Hospital opens new building A new building for general healthcare services opened yesterday at Thu Duc Hospital after one and a half years of construction. The seven-storey building, with a total area of 5,813 sq.m, will provide 180 beds for inpatients and serve 3,500 patients a day. Thu Duc District has seen an increase in population due to migrants who work at its three industrial parks and export processing zones. Moreover, the increase of students at 20 universities in the district has created additional pressure on the hospital. Putting the building into use would help solve the overload at city-level hospitals as well, authorities said. The HCM City government provided capital of VND76 billion (US$3.6 million) for the construction. Dr Nguyen Tan Binh, head of the city Department of Health, told Tin Tuc (News) newspaper that many other district hospitals, including ones in districts 2, Tan Phu and Can Gio, were investing in upgrading and constructing more buildings to better serve residents. They have also invested in facilities and medical equipment, and placed a higher priority on improving the professional skills of their doctors and nurses. Tang Chi Thuong, the department's deputy head, added that one of the city's outstanding achievements was the improvement in the capacity of health care services for residents at grassroots levels. Because of improved health care, district hospitals have been able to cut the number of patients they send to city hospitals by 70-90 per cent, reducing pressure on city-level hospitals. Workshop focuses on migrant labour Migrant labour was the focus of an ASEAN meeting held yesterday in Ha Noi. The National Preparatory Workshop met ahead of the upcoming ASEAN Forum on Migrant Labour (AFML), an annual gathering for ASEAN countries to discuss migrant labour issues. Yesterday's workshop aimed to share information on the success of previous AFML recommendations to protect and promote the rights of migrant workers. Ta Thi Thanh Thuy, deputy director of the Department of Overseas Labour's Personnel Section – a division of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs - summarized Viet Nam's effort to implement the previous AFML's recommendations. She encouraged ASEAN countries to collect and share information on migrant workers and enhance the effectiveness of complaints mechanisms. "The complaints mechanisms are designed to make sure both labour importers and intermediaries – or, labour exporters - are responsive to workers' complaints," Thuy said. Vietnamese overseas workers can seek support at the Migration Resource Centre, a service financed by the International Organisation for Migration, which will provide them with advice and assist them with filing complaints. Nguyen Luong Trao, President of the Viet Nam Association of Manpower Supply (VAMAS), said Viet Nam labour exporters will continue to improve the quality of migrant workers' pre-departure orientation and training. The organisation introduced the use of information booklets to assist overseas workers in countries and territories such as Japan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Taiwan. Contents of the booklets included information on the host country's geography, society, customs, regulations, foreign workers' rights and benefits, as well as guidelines for getting loans and transferring money back home. VAMAS also stressed the importance of building a Code of Conduct for Viet Nam, with 12 principles intended to set professional and moral standards for labour exporters. Head of the Department of Socio Economic Policy, Viet Nam Confederation of Labour, said the confederation will closely monitor recruitment processes and promote pre-departure vocational training for overseas workers. "Union representatives need to improve their legal knowledge to be able to protect the right of overseas workers," he said. Delegates from the International Labour Organisation and the International Organisation for Migration participated in group discussions to prepare recommendations to submit to the seventh AFML on 20-21 November in Naypyidaw, Myanmar. Pig store owner fined for dubious practices Tien Giang's Police Office on Environmental Crimes imposed a VND5.5 million (US$250) fine on pig store owner Nguyen Viet Long yesterday for violating the veterinary services and animal feed policy. Long was caught red-handed pumping water into pigs to increase their weight before transporting them to slaughterhouses. He had already pumped water into 30 of the 59 pigs at the scene. All of them had been certified by Ben Tre's Veterinary Department. Long, who had been operating the business for a month, pumped water into about 30 pigs per day before transporting them to the Tan My Chanh Co-operative slaughterhouse in My Tho City. Import tax on medical equipment spare parts waived The Prime Minister has just issued an order waiving the import tax on spare parts used for installing prioritised medical equipments. As stated in the order, the spare parts imported for investment projects on installing and manufacturing medical equipments are on the priority list, which also includes equipment for diagnosis, treatment, sterilisation, testing, medical waste and wastewater treatment and rehabilitation. The import tax exemption will be valid for five years, starting from the date of commencement of the projects. The spare parts that have been exempted from paying import tax must not have been manufactured locally. Contest gives students taste of investing Vietcombank Securities Company and the University of Economics HCM City on Monday began a stocks investment contest for university students for which the former will provide a sum of money to each contestant for investing. From a qualifying round, 12 teams of three to five member will be selected given two days' training plus VND10 million (US$480) to trade securities. Those with good portfolios will get an additional VND30 million ($1,440) if they wish to trade further. The contestants have to make their investments between October 20 and November 14, and on the final day the securities must be sold to assess the profit or loss. VCBS will take back the principal amounts while the students can keep any profits they make. But losing teams are not required to compensate VCBS for the losses. Some 5,500 students from six universities have registered to participate. Climate change affects children Migrant and homeless children, children living in informal housing and children engaged in labour were more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change in Da Nang. This was one of the key findings of a research project announced yesterday at a regional workshop held by Save the Children International in Viet Nam. The project aimed to outline the key vulnerabilities of urban children to climate change, focusing on the central coastal city of Da Nang as well as cities in Bangladesh and the Philippines, said international consultant Sudeshna Chatterjee. Researchers observed that in Da Nang, the new city-level Climate Change Coordination Office was only beginning to develop effective co-ordination mechanisms between departments and sectors. Moreover, authorities had little understanding about children's vulnerabilities to climate change. They found few climate change adaptation activities for children. Textbooks and other learning aids on climate change adaptation were not available at primary and secondary schools, nor were teacher training materials and guides on local community based adaptation. Nguyen Minh Hung, deputy director of Da Nang's Education and Training Department, said that the department was compiling a set of documents about climate change adaptation that would be integrated with subjects such as Geography and Citizen Education. The documents would provide students from primary to high school level with basic skills for adapting to climate change. Da Nang and other central coastal localities are hit hardest by climate change and extreme weather. One or two strong storms have battered the city annually in recent years and flash floods and landslides have become more frequent, damaging local schools and infrastructure, Hung said. Heat waves and environmental pollution also caused health problems for children, especially those who were underprivileged or disabled, he added. Vietnamese goods displayed at Casino Saint-Didier supermarket Vietnamese Goods Week was launched at Casino Saint-Didier supermarket in Paris on September 22, aiming to penetrate the French and European market. The event was jointly organised by the Vietnam Ministry of Industry and Trade and leading French retailer, Casino Group. Vietnamese Goods Week will run until September 28, showcasing and selling various types of Vietnamese goods such as fresh and dried fruits, frozen seafood, fried spring rolls, noodles, vermicelli and other items. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister Ho Thi Kim Thoa appreciated the co-operation between Vietnam and France, particularly the successful investment of Casino Group in Vietnam with its Big C supermarket chain in Vietnam's major cities. She said that the organisation of Vietnamese Goods Week in France was a practical and meaningful event, contributing to celebrating one year since the signing of the Vietnam-France Strategic Partnership. Vietnamese Ambassador to France, Duong Chi Dung valued efforts made by Big C in introducing Vietnamese goods at supermarkets in France. He noted that the presence of Vietnamese goods at Casino supermarket was a positive sign and an important milestone for Vietnamese exporters. The Ambassador also encouraged Vietnamese enterprises to continue to study French market to better meet demands of French consumers. This is the second time that Vietnamese Goods Week has been held in Paris, after the launch in 2011 and the fourth time in Europe after the opening at Metro in Germany in 2012 and June 2014. Disaster-proof communal house inaugurated in Ninh Thuan The People's Committee of Ninh Thuan province on September 23 inaugurated a disaster-proof communal house for local people in Chat Thuong hamlet, Phuoc Hau commune, Ninh Phuoc district, Ninh Thuan province. The disaster-proof house has a very important meaning to the local people in hurricane season and it also plays as a primary school for local pupils. The two-storey work including 10 rooms covers an area of 1,100 square metres which has been completed after four months of construction. The project has a total investment of nearly VND6 billion (US$282,000) with half funded by the PetroVietnam Fertiliser and Chemicals Corporation through the Central Region Natural Disaster Prevention and Support Fund and the remainder from the province's budget. This is the fifth work of its kind in Ninh Thuan built by the Central Region Natural Disaster Prevention and Support Fund and the 72nd of its kind in the Central region. Innovative campaign promotes success from within A groundbreaking campaign was launched yesterday at the International Press Conference Centre in Hanoi to promote the importance of individual character, determination and will as the secrets to success. The “Strength of Chi” campaign is based on the concept of ‘Chi’ (‘Will’) within Vietnamese culture, signifying the power of what lies within. “The most charismatic and successful men create their own good fortune,” is the essence of the campaign. The Chi campaign promotes the idea that success, masculinity and good luck, flow from an individual’s internal strength of character and refutes the view that these traits come from a piece of horn. “The Chi campaign is a new approach to tackling the illegal practice of buying and using rhino horn and reinforces the leadership shown by Vietnam to proactively reduce illegal trade and consumption of rhino horn and fulfill its obligations under the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)”, said Naomi Doak, coordinator of TRAFFIC’s Greater Mekong Programme. “The global decline of rhino populations is of grave concern and impacts natural ecosystems, deprives local communities of their livelihoods and only serves to line the pockets of criminals,” Doak added. Developed by TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, in partnership with PSI-a global social marketing organisation- the Chi campaign represents best practices in behavior change communication techniques, including use of multiple communication channels such as outdoor billboards, in-store and digital signage, interpersonal activation teams, business networking events and others to target urban men aged 35-50 in the two main cities of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. “Using local insights, values and creative approaches, the Chi campaign celebrates the significance of the Chi concept within Vietnamese culture, and promotes the reality that dynamic and impressive individuals do not need a piece of horn to prove their prosperity, luck or strength,” said Josselyn Neukom, country director of PSI. According to Josselyn, since 2005 the PSI has developed numerous, successful communication campaigns to address Vietnam’s critical health and social issues. Affiliated with an international network of social marketing organisations spanning more than 60 countries around the world, one of PSI’s core competencies involves listening to and learning from target audiences to apply creative insights from within local culture and society, to design multi-channel campaigns consistent with international best practices in communication. “The Chi campaign is the first campaign designed to tackle misperceptions regarding the rhino horn using insights collected within Vietnam. Research clearly showed a range of misunderstandings about the horn—and a range of reasons for using the horn, but research also identified opportunities—including the possibility of publicising and promoting new, positive social norms linked to individual strength of character to address these issues,” she shared. Results from a number of independent focus groups indicate that messaging created exclusively for the “Chi” campaign will resonate with the target group and also have a profound effect in reshaping public views about use of Rhino Horn. Long, a successful 45 year old businessman living in Hanoi explained, “I love the ‘Chí’ logo and tagline. It is extremely powerful. I get it and it’s very Vietnamese.” Another, 42 year old businessman from Ho Chi Minh City shared, “Since these concepts—power, charisma and luck—come from what I do myself, this campaign makes me feel good as a man.” In fact, illegal wildlife trade remains one of the greatest threats to biodiversity with a number of the world’s iconic species currently facing unprecedented threats from poaching for illegal trade. Rhino poaching in South Africa has increased from 13 animals illegally killed in 2007 to 1,004 in 2012, undermining government capacity and resources for protection. “This campaign will motivate individuals from within the target consumer group to demonstrate to their peers that their success comes from within,” said Huynh Tien Dung, Conservation Programme Manager from WWF-Vietnam. “Through targeted messaging aimed at the underlying motivations for consumption we can reduce the demand for rhino horn and help stop the senseless killing of the world’s rhinos,” he added. High school pole dance brings scrutiny over school events The HCM City Department of Education and Training asked local schools to tighten control over student events after a pole dance was performed in a high school playground. On September 5, ceremonies were held to mark the new school year at many schools across the country. After the official ceremony, students of Le Thi Hong Gam High School gathered in the playground to watch each other perform various acts. The next day, a video clip of a pole dance performance by a former student quickly spread across the internet. The clip shows a young man dressed in women's clothes performing a pole dance. Even though the clip shows that some teachers were present, the performance was not stopped. The video attracted much criticism from those who think that the performance was inappropriate at a high school. Two meetings were held later in order find solution to the problem. The assistant of the school's youth association was reprimanded for lax management. Since the performer had already graduated, the school could not sanction him, however the teachers who appear in the clip may be subject to disciplinary measures. The school also reported the case to HCM City Department of Education and Training. On September 23, the department responded by saying that heads of all educational units must take responsibility for the organising the school festivals. Schools must now create pre-planned programs, assign specific responsibilities to each member and keep close control over the content. Teachers will have to monitor the festival in order to deal quickly with any unforeseen situations. Heads of any educational units that allow content in their events which brings about negative public reactions must take full responsibility before the Department of Education and Training. ‘ Mekong Delta farmers earn good livelihood catching eels Farmers in the Mekong Delta region have been earning good money by catching eels as the flood season comes. Even though eels can be caught here for only three months during the flood season, the profit for the farmers is significant. There are several ways used to catch eels, ranging from using wild grass to electric devices. However, farmers in several localities in Hau Giang, Can Tho, and Vinh Long Provinces still maintain the traditional method of catching eels. Nguyen Van Tuan, an old farmer in Tan Long Hamlet, Hau Giang Province, has been at it for five years. “In my hometown, few people are trying to catch eels compared to five or six years ago.” According to Tuan, a family with three or four people doing working together can earn millions of VND per day. He catches four to five kilos of earls per day, and prices range from VND70,000 to VND120,000 per kilo. MoT focuses on 23 key transport projects The Ministry of Transport (MoT) would implement 23 important transport projects by late 2015. In Q4, 2014, the MoT intended to launch seven crucial projects with a total investment of VND 9.2 trillion. Especially, the construction of a bypass over Phu Ly City of Ha Nam province as part of National Road No. 1 will begin in October. The VND 2.3 trillion project was jointly invested by Civil Engineering Construction Corporation No.1 (Cienco 1),Engineering and Underground Construction Joint Stock Company (FECON) and Construction and High Technology Development Investment Joint Stock Company (Decotech). Also in October, three large-scale projects will begin construction including a bypass over Son La City and a bypass over Soc Trang City, belonging to National Road No. 6, and Thai Ha Bridge crossing the Red River to connect Ha Nam and Thai Binh provinces. In November, the Ministry will enlarge a National Road No. 1 section in Bac Lieu town and build  National Road No. 91B in Can Tho City. In 2015, 15 other projects worth around VND 64.8 trillion will be kicked off. Netherlands, Vietnam boost cooperation in climate change Vietnam and the Netherlands have agreed to step up joint efforts for sustainable urban management and climate change adaptation under the framework of a cooperation program between the two countries in 2015, according to the Government web portal chinhphu.vn. At the fourth session of the Vietnam-Netherlands Inter-Government Commission on Climate Change Adaptation and Water Management in The Hague on September 22, representatives of both countries reviewed and assessed the results of the Strategic Partnership on Climate Change Adaptation and Water Management achieved since the previous meeting. The event was co-chaired by Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai and Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and Environment Melanie Schultz van Haegen. The partnership includes a post-graduate education project majoring in water management, climate change adaptation, establishment of a land bank, HCMC-Rotterdam cooperation and Hanoi-Amsterdam cooperation. The two countries agreed to continue the deployment of the projects under the partnership and pledged to facilitate the participation of international donors. Both sides also presented a cooperation project on water resources planning for the Red River basin to improve management over reservoirs along the river in northern Vietnam. Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Nguyen Thai Lai and Minister of Infrastructure and Environment Melanie Schultz van Haegen signed a cooperation memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the Red River basin’s water resources planning under the witness of Both sides agreed to organize the fifth session in Hanoi City next year. Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai also met with Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte on September 22. The Dutch Prime Minister said his nation will share know-how and technology with Vietnam in the fields it needs. Source: VNN/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/ND