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% AT A GLANCE Congratulations on Icelandic Independence Day

LEADERS HOLD PHONE TALKS RELATIONS WITH CUBA AND CHINA
During phone talks on May 5 with Bermudez, for his part, described the phone talks as a vivid illustration
newly-elected First Secretary of the of the special friendship between the two nations. He said the CPC’s
Central Committee of the Commu- new leadership will do its utmost to consolidate and develop Vietnam -
nist Party of Cuba (CPC) Miguel Cuba relations, which were established and nurtured by President Ho
Diaz-Canel Bermudez, who is also Chi Minh and President Fidel Castro. Meanwhile, in phone talks on
President, Party General Secretary May 24 with Chinese Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping,
Nguyen Phu Trong affirmed that Vietnam attaches much importance State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc affirmed the significance of the
to and wants to deepen its special friendship with Cuba. He suggested Vietnam-China relationship and proposed several measures to boost
the two sides work closely to effectively carry out high-level agreements bilateral relations. President Xi, meanwhile, pledged to foster the
to develop the Vietnam - Cuba relationship in a deep, practical, and friendship and cooperation between the two countries, thus advancing
sustainable fashion. Mr. Trong congratulated the CPC on the successful their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. He affirmed
organization of the 8th National Party Congress and Mr. Bermudez on that China backs Vietnam in multilateral cooperation mechanisms and
his election as First Secretary of the CPC Central Committee. Mr. is willing to cooperate and support the country in its Covid-19 fight.

DEPORTATIONS CALLED FOR FOREIGN WORKERS
In a dispatch sent to Chairpersons of workers at all businesses and other establishments and to strengthen
city and provincial People’s Committees the management of all entries by foreigners as well as the registration
in mid-May, Minister of Labor, Invalids of the employment of foreigners. Meanwhile, Ministry of Foreign
and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung asked Affairs spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang told a regular press conference
that they consider deporting foreign on May 13 that Vietnam has decided to temporarily suspend and
workers without work permits and those failing to comply with entry restrict the entry of foreigners and overseas Vietnamese in order to
and exit rules applicable to foreigners in Vietnam, as many foreigners focus on implementing pandemic prevention and control measures
have entered Vietnam illegally to seek employment. He also asked in the country. Vietnam, she said, had earlier suspended the entry of
local authorities to strengthen labor inspections and strictly deal with foreigners and only allowed the entry of investors, technical experts,
any individuals or organizations that have employed illegal workers. highly-skilled workers, and business managers, on the condition they
Relevant agencies are required to review the employment of foreign meet quarantine and medical requirements.

DIEN BIEN PHU PANORAMIC ARTWORK OPEN TO PUBLIC

“Dien Bien Phu” - a panoramic artwork 132 meters wide and 9 meters said it aims to convey the image of a
high completed by some 30 painters over the course of three years - people’s war. Mr. Luong Xuan Doan,
was approved by an arts council on May 4 to mark the 67th anniversary Chairman of the Vietnam Fine Arts
of the Dien Bien Phu victory (May 7, 1954 - May 7, 2021). Placed at the Association, described it as an epic
Dien Bien Phu Victory Museum in Dien Bien Phu, the capital of the work of art. The Dien Bien Phu Campaign lasted from March to May
northern province of Dien Bien, the artwork, featuring 4,500 characters, 1954 under the command of General Vo Nguyen Giap. Victory on
is a panorama of the battlefield. Mr. Nguyen Van Mac, Director of the May 7 led to the signing of the 1954 Geneva Accords, under which
Cultural Heritage Preservation Company and a manager of the project, France had to withdraw from its colonies in Indochina.

PURCHASES A PRESSING MATTER COVID-19 VACCINES

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh signed Facility arrived in Hanoi. According to Minister of Health Nguyen
government Resolution No. 09/NQ-CP Thanh Long, around 110 million doses will be supplied to Vietnam
on May 18 on purchasing Covid-19 vac- this year, including 38.9 million from the COVAX Facility and 30
cines being an urgent task that must be million from AstraZeneca. The ministry has also registered to buy an
carried out immediately. Later, on May additional 10 million doses through COVAX under the cost share
19, the government portal quoted the Ministry of Health as confirming mechanism, while negotiations are underway to purchase more vaccines
that Vietnam had signed an agreement to purchase 31 million doses of from Moderna, Johnson&Johnson, CureVac, Sputnik V, and Sinopharm.
the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which will be delivered in the third and Four Vietnamese vaccines are currently under development. As of
fourth quarters of this year. Earlier, on May 16, the second batch of May 15, 977,032 frontline medical workers and members of commu-
1.682 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine through the COVAX nity-based anti-Covid-19 groups in Vietnam had been vaccinated.

EXPAT LIVING VIETNAM 10TH BEST

Vietnam ranked tenth on a list of the best places for expats to live in survey varied. Expats rated Malaysia as
2021 in the Expat Insider 2021 survey, which had 12,420 expat respondents the second-best country in the Ease of
representing 174 nationalities living in 186 countries and territories, Settling In index, while respondents in
according to a report from InterNations, which conducted the survey. Vietnam reported the highest levels of
Vietnam, Malaysia, and Taiwan (China) represented Asia in the ten overall job satisfaction worldwide. Viet-
best expat destinations worldwide. While respondents in all three like nam ranked ninth in the Working Abroad Index and in the Finding
the local cost of living and its impact on their personal finances - Friends sub-category, while ranking fourth in the Career Prospects &
Vietnam even placed first in both indices - results in other areas of the Satisfaction sub-category and first in overall job satisfaction.

4 | VIETNAM ECONOMIC TIMES | JUNE 2021