40th anniversary of Paris Agreement marked in Paris

Nguyen Thi Binh, Foreign Minister of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of South Vietnam, penned the agreement on January 27, 1973.

The French Communist Party in coordination with the authorities of Choisy-le-Roi city hosted a ceremony on October 7 to mark the signing of the 1973 Paris Agreement.

The ceremony began with a one-minute silence in honour of General Vo Nguyen Giap who passed away on October 4.

Addressing the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to France Duong Chi Dung hailed the agreement as a historic victory of the Vietnamese people and progressive forces in the world in their fight for world peace and justice.

He thanked the French Communist Party, the Choisy-le-Roi authorities and the French people for providing their spiritual and material help to Vietnam throughout the agreement negotiation process.

National Secretary of the French Communist Party Pierre Laurent underlined that the photo display and film screenings at the ceremony aimed to convey the message of solidarity among nations, profound humanism and human aspiration for peace.

A documentary by French directors Daniel Roussel and Yann de Sousa on the negotiations of the Paris Agreement was screened at the ceremony.

On the occasion, the French Communist Party and Choisy Le Roi authorities hosted a street photo exhibition themed “1968 – 1973, Choisy – city of peace”, showcasing scores of big-sized photos around the party’s headquarters in Colonel Fabien square.

Choisy le Roi, a suburban city 20km to the east of Paris, is where the two negotiation delegations of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of Southern Vietnam stayed during the Paris talks from 1968 to 1973.

President Sang stressed determination for TPP negotiations

President Truong Tan Sang and other leaders of the countries involved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreed to settle remaining issues in order to complete negotiations within the year in a bid to reach a comprehensive and balanced deal.

The agreement was made at the end of their meeting on October 8 following a separate round of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum on the Indonesia island of Bali.

Speaking at the meeting, President Sang called on TPP negotiating countries to take into account their different levels of economic development while offering technical support and improving capacity to realise commitments.

Leaders of TPP members adopted a statement and a report by their trade ministers, saying that TPP is a potential economic arrangement in the region that makes up 40 percent of the world gross domestic product and one third of global trade.

TPP, alongside other key economic linkage mechanisms like the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), ASEAN and its partners, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, are establishment of a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP).

The 12 TPP negotiating members include Brunei, Canada, Chile, the US, Malaysia, Mexico, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.-

China attaches importance to relations with Vietnam

Premier Li Keqiang’s October 13-15 visit to Vietnam demonstrates China’s desire to develop its comprehensive, strategic cooperation partnership with Vietnam, said China’s Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin.

This is Li’s first visit to Vietnam since China’s new leadership was elected in March 2013.

China hopes the visit will help further strengthen the friendly and neighbourly relations, and increase strategic trust and practical cooperation between the two countries, Liu said at a press briefing in Beijing on October 7.

He said both countries’ senior leaders have maintained regular contact and reached consensus on strengthening political trust, expanding mutually beneficial cooperation, satisfactorily settling sensitive issues, and setting orientations for bilateral relations in the new context.

China will work closely together with Vietnam to realise their leaders’ common consensus, as well as signed cooperation agreements to develop bilateral relations in a healthy and stable manner, and in line with general interests and aspirations of the two peoples, for peace, stability and prosperity in the region and the world, he stressed.

Also at the press briefing, China’s Vice Minister of Commerce Gao Yan confirmed China will help Vietnamese commodities penetrate deep into its market.

Both sides have huge potential and opportunities to upgrade their economic and trade ties, she noted.

Vietnam vows to promote social development

Vietnam is strongly committed to working with other member states and the United Nations for a comprehensive and implementable post-2015 development agenda with the aim to eradicate poverty, achieve inclusive economic growth, promote social development and preserve the environment for future generations.

Vietnamese Ambassador Le Hoai Trung, head of the Vietnamese mission to the UN, made the commitment at the third Committee of the 68 th Session of the UN General Assembly on Agenda item 27: Social Development in New York on October 7-8.

“As the 2015 deadline for the realisation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) approaches and the international community is working to define the post-2015 development agenda, there is an urgent need for the international community to take prompt and effective actions to deal with unemployment and social inequality, and ensure social protection,” he said.

Development experience in every country shows that in designing the post-2015 development agenda, adequate attention must be paid to the issues related to growth and the establishment of a favorable international trade and financial environment, he added.

Applauding the achievements made by countries in realising MDGs, Trung noted that there remain serious social challenges with enormous complexity and consequences.

He also highlighted Vietnam ’s achievements in promoting and ensuring the rights of the disabled and elderly as well as its efforts to create jobs for young people.

The diplomat also reaffirmed his country’s commitment to the Copenhagen Declaration and Program of Action, and the initiatives adopted by the General Assembly at its 24th special session.

At the debate, participants voiced concern about negative impacts of the global financial crisis, rising food prices and climate change on efforts to reduce poverty and generate jobs, thus affecting the fulfillment of the MDGs.-

Decree details implementation of anti-money laundering law

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has promulgated Decree No. 116/2013/ND-CP detailing the implementation of the Law on the Prevention of Money Laundering.

The legal document says the State Bank of Vietnam is responsible to the Government for the State management of the prevention of money laundering and gives concrete provisions on the responsibilities of the Ministry of Public Security and other relevant ministries and authorities in the work.

It will take effect from October 10, 2013, replacing another issued in 2005.-