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The visit is being made at the invitation of Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang.
Leaders pledge even stronger bond with Laos
Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong yesterday said that Viet Nam would continue raising relations with Laos to a higher level for the benefits of the two countries and for regional peace, stability and development.
He made this statement while receiving Lao Politburo Member of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, Deputy Prime Minister cum Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongloun Sisoulith who is on a visit to Viet Nam to co-chair the sixth friendship meeting between the two countries' ministries of foreign affairs.
Trong highly valued the co-operation between the two ministries in recent years, expressing his belief that they would continue to co-ordinate closely to boost information and experience exchanges and implement co-operation agreements reached by their parties and governments.
He suggested that the two ministries should work together to organise events and festivals to celebrate the Year of Viet Nam-Laos Solidarity and Friendship 2012.
Thongloun Sisoulith also conveyed warmest regards from Lao Party General Secretary cum State President Choummaly Sayasone to Viet Nam's Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.
He expressed his pleasure at visiting Viet Nam and attending the friendship meeting between the two ministries, and also congralutated the country on its achievements in its renewal process.
He emphasized that the Lao Party, State and people would make efforts to develop long-lasting relations between the two countries.
On this occasion, Trong expressed his pleasure at Laos' achievements in the first year of implementing the Resolution of the 9th National Congress of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and hoped that the country would attain greater results in its renewal process.
On the same day, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung also received Thongloun Sisoulith.
Dung expressed his hope that Laos and Viet Nam's foreign affairs ministries would strengthen their co-operative activities to contribute to developing not only their bilateral relations but also their relations with other Asean countries.
He also affirmed that Viet Nam was willing to assist Laos in hosting international meetings.
Thongloun Sisoulith said that he hoped Viet Nam would continue sharing experiences in social-economic development and suggested that they should boost exchange visits between officials at all levels and pay attention to educating their younger generations about the two countries' traditional relations and solidarity.
Vietnam, Germany push defence cooperation
A high-ranking defence delegation from Vietnam, led by Deputy Defence Minister Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Thanh Cung, conducted a working visit to Germany from March 12-17.
At a meeting with Rüdiger Wolf, State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry of Defence, the two sides discussed regional and international issues of common concern and the situation in their respective countries.
They said they hope defence cooperation will grow well on a par with the strategic partnership reached by the two nations.
While in Germany, the Vietnamese delegation also had a chance to learn about the organizational structure, functions and tasks of the German military's judicial system.
Vietnam eager to strengthen cooperation with Andorra
Vietnamese ambassador to Andorra, Duong Chi Dung, has presented his credentials to Co-Prince of Andorra Joan Enric Vives Sicilia.
Ambassador Dung expressed his pleasure at the development in relations between the two countries. He said he hopes that Vietnam and Andorra will seek opportunities for bilateral cooperation in culture, tourism and investment within the Francophone countries as well as coordinating at multi-lateral forums.
He conveyed best wishes from the Vietnamese State President to the Co-Prince and the Andorran people.
The Co-Prince said he supports the expansion of bilateral ties and agreed that the two states should exchange visits to promote mutual understanding.
Later, Ambassador Dung met with the Andorran General Syndic of the General Council Josep Dallerès Codina, Prime Minister Atoni Marti Pettti, Minister of Foreign Affairs Gilbert Saboya Sunye, and Minister of Tourism and Environment Francesc Camp Torres, as well as leaders from the Chamber of Commerce.
Andorran leaders expressed their wish to boost bilateral and multilateral cooperation with Vietnam for mutual benefits.
Press briefing on Belgian Crown Prince’s visit
A press briefing to review the results of Belgian Crown Prince Philippe's visit to Vietnam was held by the Belgian Embassy and Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City on March 17.
During the visit, 37 contracts and agreements were signed in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Four of the documents are state level agreements on double taxation avoidance, public finance, cooperation in the space technology, financial support for Vietnam to purchase a small satellite from Belgium, and public-private partnerships for developing seaports.
There were also commercial contracts for medical waste treatment, high-tech application for early cancer detection, building a hospital, improving port infrastructure facilities and cooperation projects between universities.
Other key projects, including dredging the Soai Rap river and handling the mud treatment were also signed between the Sai Gon Water Supply Corporation and the Balteau Company from Belgium.
Belgian Ambassador Bruno Angelet said the success of the Crown Prince’s visit is evident through the number of contracts and agreements signed as well as the enhanced economic and cooperative ties between the two countries.
He said he hopes their ties will grow and flourish in the future, especially as Vietnam and Belgium will celebrate the 40th anniversary of their diplomatic ties in 2013.
Vietnam committed to boosting comprehensive cooperation with Cambodia
Vietnam attaches great importance to developing the ties of the time-honoured friendship and comprehensive cooperation with Cambodia.
National Assembly (NA) Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung made this affirmation while receiving the Chairman of the Cambodian Parliament's Committee for External Affairs, International Cooperation and Information, Chheang Vun in Hanoi on March 16.
NA Chairman Hung asked the Committees for External Affairs of two legislative bodies to create the best possible conditions for cooperation activities to celebrate the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Cambodia.
For his part, Mr Vun conveyed the best regards from the Cambodian parliament speaker, Heng Somrin to the Vietnamese NA leaders and people and informed NA Chairman Hung the outcome of talks with the NA Committee for External Affairs which took place the same day.
Both sides agreed to enhance cooperation between the two NAs by promoting the exchange of visits between NA agencies and members of parliament and signing bilateral cooperation agreements. They also discussed measures to increase future cooperation in the Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia Development Triangle.
FAO Regional Conference wraps up
The 31st meeting of the FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (APRC) concluded in Hanoi on March 16.
The five-day conference focused on the challenges facing the Asia-Pacific region, including rising food prices, natural disasters as a consequence of climate change, food exporting policies and the increasing use different kinds of food for producing bio-fuels.
FAO Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) Hiroyuki Konuma said trends in food production, poverty reduction, in socio-economic development, and national and regional initiatives were also discussed at the conference,..
Participants debated two technical reports on ensuring sustainable growth and diversification of agricultural plants, developing value chains and minimizing post-harvest losses for small farmers.
The decisions and proposals made at the event will serve as a foundation for establishing future FAO priorities, programmes and actions and policies for providing consultation and technical support for member countries.
Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) Cao Duc Phat thanked the FAO members, observers from seven United Nations organisations and six inter-governmental organisations, 28 civil organisations and special observers from Singapore, Brunei and Vatican for their great contributions to the event's success.
He said that the most important message from the conference was raising the percentage of sustainable agricultural production to 60 percent by 2050 and halving the rural poverty rate by 2015.
These are major issues for the Asia-Pacific region and the entire world, he said, adding that they will require concentrated efforts from the governments of the related parties.
After the conference, the FAO will help regional countries with food production and poverty reduction, focusing on developing their primary agricultural products, namely rice, coconuts and seafood.
Minister Phat said FAO Director General José Graziano da Silva has asked countries in the region to clarify their priorities and present specific proposals to the FAO for appropriate support for each country and the whole region. The FAO also urged countries to send their experts to work for its sub-organisations.
Delegates also considered the draft of the FAO APRC working programme in the 2012-2015 period and approved Mongolia’s offer to host the next APRC in 2014.
Mr Phat said Vietnam and Mongolia will do their best to implement the working programme effectively.
Both countries called for support and dynamic participation from FAO member countries and their colleagues at the FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy, as well as the Asia-Pacific Regional Office in Bangkok, Thailand, and the Asia-Pacific Sub-Regional Office in Samoa to ensure the programme's success.
PM works with Vietnam Farmers’ Association
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has emphasised the necessity for the Government and the Vietnam Farmers’ Association (VFA) to coordinate in reducing poverty and narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor, especially in ethnic-inhabited rural mountainous areas.
At his working session with the VFA Standing Committee in Hanoi on March 16, PM Dung reviewed the results of coordination between the Government and the association.
The Government and the VFA should jointly implement mechanisms and policies to protect farmers’ legitimate rights and benefits through increasing their incomes and providing vocational training and jobs for rural workers and healthcare, education and safe water for rural people.
The VFA reported that it has actively coordinated with agencies and businesses to organise agroforestry and fisheries training courses for more than 6 million members and help its members sell their own products and buy fertilizers and agricultural machines worth hundreds of billions of VND each year.
The association’s chapters have actively mobilised farmers, organisations and businesses to become actively involved in supporting the Fund for the Poor and implementing social welfare programmes.
In past years, these chapters have also launched farmers’ movements and activities to directly help farmers in production and business development, poverty reduction and wealth generation.
PM Dung said the agricultural sector’s comprehensive development in 2011 has contributed to the nation’s achievements.
However, he said a number of farmers still face difficulties in their lives through poor development of rural infrastructure, a lack of information for production and environmental pollution in rural areas.
President Sang sends sympathy to Belgium
State President Truong Tan Sang on March 15 sent his condolences to King Albert II of Belgium regarding the tragic coach accident in Sierre, Switzerland on March 12, which killed 28 people, 22 of them children.
On behalf of the State and people of Vietnam, President Sang conveyed his deepest sympathy to the victims’ families and expressed his wish that the families and the country as a whole would overcome this difficult time.
On March 13, Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan also sent a message of condolence to the Belgian Crown Prince Phillipe who was visiting Vietnam.
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