Briefly

NEPAL

First climbing permit given for Qomolangma

The first climbing permit has been issued for the expedition of the world's tallest Mt. Qomolangma in the spring season, said Nepal's Department of Tourism on Monday. A nine-member team comprising climbers from the United States, Australia and Canada received the permit on Sunday to climb the 8,848-meter-high Qomolangma, also known as Mount Everest in the West, that straddles Nepal and China. The department is expecting over 300 climbers to receive climbing permits for Qomolangma in spring.

VIETNAM

Arrivals from abroad jump almost 90%

Vietnam had nearly 91,000 international arrivals between January and March, up 89.1 percent year-on-year, largely due to the reopening of international tourism activities and the resumption of several regular flights, said the General Statistics Office of Vietnam on Tuesday. Foreign visitors entering the country by air accounted for around 90.5 percent of the total, with 64.3 percent of the arrivals from Asia. The country has targeted serving over 5 million overseas tourists this year, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.

PACIFIC

Fiji, NZ to strengthen bilateral cooperation

Fiji and New Zealand inked a partnership agreement on Tuesday to further strengthen bilateral and regional cooperation between the two countries. The Fijian government said the Duavata Partnership was signed by Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and visiting New Zealand's Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta. Last week, New Zealand's Defense Minister Peeni Henare also visited Fiji and both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to improving security in the region.

Xinhua - Agencies