President receives Congolese Foreign Minister

President Truong Tan Sang has reiterated Vietnam's foreign policy of attaching special importance to relations with traditional friends, including Congo.   

The President received Congolese Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Basile Ikouebe in Hanoi on October 30.

President Truong Tan Sang meets Congolese Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Basile Ikouebe in Hanoi on October 30.

He thanked the Congolese people for their support for Vietnam during its past struggle for national independence as well as current development.

Sharing the same view with Minister Basile Ikouebe on the need of fostering bilateral ties, President Sang suggested the two sides enhance cooperation in every aspect in preparation for the visit to Vietnam by Congolese President Denis Sassou N'guesso and the Vietnam-Congo Intergovernmental Committee's 2 nd meeting in 2014.

Vietnam is ready to cooperate with Congo in the fields of information technology, health, education, oil and gas, he said, adding that the two nations need to work out specific projects to realise their commitments.

For his part, Basile Ikouebe extended his deep condolences to the Vietnamese Party, State and people over the death of General Vo Nguyen Giap, who is admired by the Congolese people.

As the two countries will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic ties in 2014, the minister said that his country wants to further strengthen cooperation with Vietnam.

Vietnam and Congo boast their own strengths and this is a favourable condition for them to boost cooperation, he noted, affirming that his visit is a step towards the celebration of bilateral diplomatic relations.

Congo is actively working with Vietnamese ministries and agencies to prepare for the Vietnam-Congo Intergovernmental Committee meeting, he added.

During its economic restructuring, Congo pays attention to Vietnam's strengths such as mining, agriculture and aquaculture, and is willing to facilitate Vietnamese businesses' investment in the country, he said.

Laos, Vietnam prepare for 2014 joint meeting

The Vietnam-Laos and Laos-Vietnam Cooperation Sub-Committees met in Quang Tri province from October 26-31 to prepare for the 36th session of the inter-governmental committee in early 2014.

The meeting was co-chaired by Cao Viet Sinh, deputy head of the Vietnam-Laos sub-committee and Phonesouk Khounsombat, deputy head of the Laos-Vietnam sub-committee.

Vietnam has 413 projects in Laos with a total capitalisation of more than US$4.9 billion. In the past 10 months of this year, Vietnamese businesses poured US$138 million into 12 projects in Laos.

Both sides jointly implemented projects on trade, education, and social security and order along their common border.

Phonesouk Khounsombat, head of the Laos-Vietnam Cooperation Committee, noted 2013 is the second year both countries have effectively carried out the non-refundable aid programme which should be replicated in the coming year.

However, he admitted a number of joint projects are slow going that need to be accelerated.   

He proposed the two countries seek to raise bilateral trade and increase cooperation in education, human resource training and other key areas.

The meeting approved the result of an earlier meeting between their experts’ working groups, concerning cooperation in politics, diplomacy, security and national defence; education-training and human resource development; direct investment; transport; and the use of Vietnamese development aid in Laos.

They agreed that most the targets set in the 2013 Vietnam-Laos cooperation agreement have been fulfilled. Both countries signed a government-level agreement to address residential migration and out-of-wedlock marriage along the border, and upgrade and increase border landmarks.

Priority was given to education cooperation and human resources development. Vietnam is currently one of the leading foreign investors in Laos. They increased cross-border trade, tightened border market management, and signed an agreement on labour cooperation.

Both sides agreed to focus on building village clusters along the border, better managing Laos students in Vietnam, building hydro-electric power plants, and using development aid in Laos.

Vietnam joins Asian coast guard meeting

A Vietnamese delegation led by Colonel Ngo Ngoc Thu, Deputy Head cum Chief of the Staff of the Vietnam Marine Police Department has participated in the 9th Heads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting in Thailand on October 29-30.

The event involves 77 delegates from coast guard agencies of countries and territories in Asia.

They have discussed issues related to rescue work, marine environment protection, natural disaster mitigation, prevention and control of illegal activities at sea, and coast guard capacity building.

Colonel Ngo Ngoc Thu spoke highly of the Vietnamese marine police’s efforts in combating crime at sea, including their successful rescue of Malaysia’s Raffirah ship attacked by pirates in November 2012.

They have actively taken part in rescue work at sea to help both local and foreign ships on Vietnam’s territorial waters in line with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), he said.

They are expected to adopt a joint statement on issues of regional concern to ensure marine safety and security in the region and the world as a whole.

PM calls on Delta committee to lure Japanese investment

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has asked the Mekong-Japan Economic Co-operation Committee to help bring more Japanese investment to the Mekong Delta.

The PM made the appeal during a meeting in Ha Noi yesterday, Oct 30, with Watanabe Kohei, president of the Mekong-Japan Economic Co-operation Committee, who is leading a delegation from the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI).

He said Japan remained Viet Nam's biggest investor and Official Development Assistance (ODA) donor, adding that Japanese ODA has positively contributed to Viet Nam's socio-economic development.

PM Dung said that there was still room for the two sides to expand co-operation in economics, trade and investment.

Kohei said the delegation was visiting Viet Nam to talk with the Ministry of Planning and Investment and some agencies on how to further economic, trade and investment ties.

He said many business people accompanied him seeking chances to invest in Viet Nam, especially in support industry, high-tech, information technology, energy, agriculture and the environment.

Singapore links also solidified

President of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan met yesterday (Oct 30) with Ang Hak Seng, chief executive officer of the People's Association of Singpore. Both sides expressed a desire to promote people-to-people exchanges.

Nhan called on both agencies to promote bilateral ties, especially in exchanging ideas on promoting good neighbourhood lifestyles, protecting the environment and promoting the rights of workers in industrial zones.

Ang said that sharing experiences in promoting good urban lifestyles and stabilising lives tied in with economic growth.

Viet Nam, Angola deepen duality across multiple fields

President Truong Tan Sang said that Viet Nam was ready to increase the scale of co-operation with Angola and deepen bilateral ties.

Sang was talking in Ha Noi yesterday, Oct 30, with Angolan Minister of Science and Technology Maria Candida Teixeira, who is here to attend the sixth meeting of the Viet Nam-Angola Inter-Governmental Committee.

He suggested that both sides reviewed their co-operation mechanisms across all sectors, including politics, economics and culture, with a view to enhancing bilateral ties while regularly discussing regional and global issues of mutual interest.

The two sides could consider signing more agreements if necessary, he said, adding Viet Nam would send more experts and workers to Angola.

Minister Teixeira shared her host's ideas, saying that the existing co-operative ties were yet to fully exploit the two countries' potential.

At the same time, she noted co-operation between Vietnamese and Angolan ministries and agencies had grown more effective, and both sides should work in this direction for mutual benefits.

Thanking Viet Nam for its professional assistance in healthcare and education, the minister stressed that Angola had warm feelings for its Vietnamese friends.

The Viet Nam-Angola Inter-Governmental Committee held in Ha Noi yesterday was co-chaired by Minister of Education and Training Pham Vu Luan and Angolan Minister Teixeira.

Reviewing their co-operation during the 2011-13 period, both sides agreed that positive results had been made in politics and diplomacy, education and training, agriculture and rural development, industry and trade and healthcare.

Two-way trade turnover stood at US$125 million in 2012, with Viet Nam's exports to the African nation up nearly 70 per cent over 2011.

The two sides reached a consensus to create favourable conditions for enterprises in Viet Nam and Angola to seek opportunities and invest in both countries.

They will work together to conduct Portuguese lessons for Vietnamese experts, as well as send more Vietnamese educational experts to Angola at the latter's request.

Both ministers wanted more co-operation in labour, looking to build a recruitment and management mechanism for Vietnamese workers in Angola.

The Vietnamese side suggested holding negotiations to sign an agreement on labour, creating a legal framework for enterprises to recruit workers while ensuring the rights and interests of Vietnamese workers in Angola.

The next Viet Nam-Angola Inter-Governmental Meeting is slated for 2015 in the Angolan capital of Luanda.

EU promotes cooperation with Vietnam

The working visit of a European Parliament (EP) delegation to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City was aimed at promoting the ties between the EU and Vietnam, according to Ambassador and Head of EU Delegation to Vietnam Franz Jessen.

The ambassador made the statement at a press conference in Hanoi on October 30 on the occasion of the visit of the EP delegation, led by EP’s Committee for Southeast Asia and ASEAN Relations Chairman Werner Langen.

Langen said the recently signed Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between EU and Vietnam manifests the EU’s commitment to further promoting across-the-board cooperation that will benefit both sides, adding that EU and Vietnam have identified several prioritised areas within the PCA framework for early implementation.

According to Langen, it is now an important time in the EU-Vietnam relations, and when the two sides sign the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in the near future, it will help both sides effectively tap their potential in economics, trade and investment. The EU and Vietnam are scheduled to hold the fifth negotiation round on their FTA in Vietnam in early November.

He noted that EU is Vietnam’s biggest export market while Vietnam is an important trade partner of the EU, and hoped this relation will further develop in the coming time.

The EP official maker also spoke highly of Vietnam’s role in the ASE AN as well as in bridging ASEAN and EU, saying that the two sides can learn experience from each other.

With the joint efforts, ASEAN can meet the goal to set up the ASEAN Community in 2015, he added.

Foreign military attaches visit Hanoi’s High Command

A delegation of foreign military attaches visited the Hanoi’s High Command on October 30.

Welcoming the delegation, Lieutenant General Phi Quoc Tuan, Commander of the capital city’s High Command, affirmed that the foreign military attaches have, over the years, made contributions to consolidating and increasing the relations and mutual understanding between the People’s Army of Vietnam and other countries’ armies, thus maintaining political and security stability in the region and the world.

Colonel Matthew Dudley, Australian military attache, on behalf of the visiting delegation, expressed his hope that the foreign military attaches will have more chances to visit the Hanoi’s High Command and military units in the city to strengthen exchange visits among military forces.

Earlier, the delegation paid a courtesy visit to Pham Quang Nghi, politburo member and Secretary of the municipal Party Committee and visited an armoured battalion under the capital city’s High Command.

VN, Cambodia boost ties

President of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan has suggested that the VFF and the Solidarity Front for the Development of the Cambodian Motherland (SFDCM) further co-operation.

At a reception for visiting Deputy President and Secretary General of the SFDCM Min Khin in Ha Noi yesterday (Oct 30), Nhan, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, said Viet Nam always stood side by side with Cambodia in its national construction.

He said that the two political groups should increase communications to raise awareness of the traditional friendship and long-lasting solidarity, and share experiences in how to encourage people to join in maintaining social order, protecting the environment and cultural traditions, reducing poverty and developing the socio-economy.

Min Khin, who is also Minister of Cults and Religion of the Kingdom of Cambodia, said he was delighted at the increasing development of friendship and solidarity, adding that the SFDCM would do its utmost to preserve and deepen ties.

Earlier, the VFF Central Committee delegation led by the front's Vice President and General Secretary Vu Trong Kim, held talks with the Cambodians.

The two sides discussed measures to hasten the implementation of the 2011 memorandum of understanding on the cooperative programme between the SFDCM, the VFF and the Lao Front for National Construction as well as preparations for the approaching Laos-Viet Nam-Cambodia Front Presidium Conference in Vientiane, Laos.    

HCM City wants to resume twin ties with Sofia

Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Le Hoang Quan said he hopes Bulgaria will create favourable conditions for his city and Bulgaria’s capital Sofia to resume their twin ties in the coming time.

At a reception for visiting Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev on October 30, Quan said the twin ties will contribute to the two countries’ flourishing relations as well as take the bilateral cooperation to a new height.

He stressed that Vietnamese people always bear in mind Bulgaria’s valuable support to their course of national construction and protection.

He declared that HCM City will spare no effort to promote the ties between two sides, adding that he believes bilateral relations will be boosted following the President’s visit.

For his part, President Plevneliev emphasised that Bulgaria and Vietnam have established instruments and measures to foster their ties. Particularly, they have issued a joint statement looking to move towards a strategic partnership and a new economic cooperation model.

Expressing his strong impression of HCM City’s robust and dynamic development, the guest said Bulgarian businesses want to take part in the development through investment cooperation with Vietnamese partners, especially in the fields of purifying water, mining, cigarette production, pharmaceuticals, industrial production and defence industry.

According to the President, Bulgaria opened its economic office in HCM City in a bid to step up investment and specific cooperation with the country and in the city in particular.

The president said he hopes officials of HCM City will visit Bulgaria soon and sign specific agreements on the twin relations with Sofia in the time to come.

VNN/VNS/VNA