NA Vice Chairwoman praises UNDP assistance

Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan has appreciated UNDP’s assistance to Vietnam in strengthening the country’s legal frameworks, administrative reform, managerial decentralisation and public financial management.

At a reception in Hanoi on September 12, Ngan spoke highly of outgoing UNDP Country Director Setsuko Yamazuki’s contributions over the recent past, and congratulated Louise Chamberlain on her appointment as the new Country Director in Vietnam.

Ngan said as a responsible member of the international community, Vietnam is determined to meet Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and needs the assistance from international community, especially UN agencies, in implementing its action programmes.

She expressed her belief that Louise Chamberlain will make practical contributions to the growing ties between UN and Vietnam.

For her part, Louise Chamberlain affirmed that the UNDP will further assist Vietnam to reduce poverty and relieve the impact of disasters, climate change and the world’s economy.

ASEAN starts talking energy

The 30th ASEAN Ministers Meeting on Energy got underway in Phnom Penh, Cambodia yesterday, Sept 12.
Viet Nam's Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Le Duong Quang led a delegation to the event.

The meeting, themed "ASEAN Green Connectivity", aims to boost cooperation in the energy sector amongst the bloc's members and promote the efficient use of energy, green energy and an ASEAN international power grid.

Opening the event, Prime Minister Hun Sen said the meeting will enhance solidarity and unity amongst ASEAN member states and prompt them to work together to achieve the bloc's goal.

This will also contribute to the efforts being put in to realise an ASEAN Community by 2015, he added.

Hun Sen also stated that energy security is still one of ASEAN's major challenges and called on ASEAN energy ministers to focus on developing renewable energies. These include hydropower, wind power, solar energy, bio-mass and bio-gas energies as well as bio-fuels.

According to Hun Sen, nuclear power is also a huge potential source of energy, however it needs to be evaluated in depth, with the advantages and risks both taken into account.

Cambodia's Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy, Suy Sem said that in addition to the 30th ASEAN Ministers Meeting on Energy, there will be an additional meeting between ASEAN energy ministers and the International Energy Agency.

The ninth meeting of ASEAN Energy Ministers Plus Three (China, Japan and the Republic of Korea), the sixth East Asian Energy Ministers Summit, the ASEAN Energy Business Forum and the ASEAN-US Business Council Dialogue will conclude today.

Vietnam-Japan Meeting 2012 to take place in Tokyo, Fukuoka

The Vietnam-Japan Meeting 2012 will take place in Tokyo and Fukuoka city, Japan, from September 13-18.

The event is among a series of activities to celebrate the 40 th anniversary of the two countries’ bilateral diplomatic ties. It is expected to beef up the Vietnam-Japan strategic partnership, especially in trade and economic cooperation. In addition, it will be an opportunity for Vietnam to promote the image of its people, land and potentials as well as enhance mutual understanding between the two peoples.

During the programme, a forum on promoting investment in industrial zones and coastal economic zones is scheduled to take place on Sept. 13. It is expected to draw more than 400 policy makers, investors and major businesses from across Japan.

The talks on Vietnam-Japan cooperation in vocational training and human resources development will be held on Sept. 14 with the participation of leaders from Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and representatives from six colleges and vocational training schools of Vietnam . It aims to assess demands and potentials and put forth measures for bilateral cooperation in the field.

The Vietnam Festival will be held from Sept. 15 and 16 with many outdoor activities, including “ao dai” show and art performances.

Japan is currently Vietnam’s leading foreign investor and third largest export market. Two-way trade hit 21.2 billion USD in 2011, and is expected to reach 40 billion USD by 2020.

In the first five months of this year, Japanese investors poured 3.68 billion USD into Vietnam, accounting for 61 percent of the nation’s total foreign investment.

Japan is also the largest single provider of official development assistance (ODA) to Vietnam, with 24 billion USD since 1992.

Japanese tourists presently make up 10 percent of foreign arrivals to Vietnam.

Vietnam, DPRK strengthen front work

The Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) and the Fatherland United Democratic Front of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) have agreed to strengthen their friendship and cooperation, thus contributing to consolidating the relations between the two Parties, States and peoples.

The two sides reached the consensus during a September 5-11 visit to the DPRK by a VFF Central Committee delegation led by its President Huynh Dam.

On September 10, the VFF delegation paid a courtesy visit to Chairman of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People’s Assembly Kim Yong-nam, who said that the traditional friendship and solidarity between Vietnam and the DPRK, fostered by President Ho Chi Minh, President Kim Il-sung and generations of the two countries’ leaders, are developing in the context of the complication in the region and the world over.

Kim affirmed that the consistent standpoint of the DRPK Party, State and people is to consolidate and develop the traditional friendship and solidarity with Vietnam.

During the visit, the Vietnamese delegation laid flowers in commemoration of President Kim Il-sung and President Kim Jong-il, and visited several historical, cultural and economic establishments in the DPRK.

Vietnam-Germany Strategic Management Group meets in Berlin

The first meeting of Vietnam-Germany Strategic Management Group took place in Berlin on September 10.
It was co-chaired by Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and State Secretary of the German Federal Foreign Office Emily Haber.

The two sides reviewed the implementation of the Vietnam-Germany strategic plans of action since October 2011 in priority areas - politics-diplomacy, trade-investment, judiciary-laws, development cooperation and environmental protection, education, science and technology, culture and communications.

They emphasized the need to promote the exchange of visits and focus on cooperating in key projects, for instance, to build the metro line No2, German House, Vietnam-Germany University and International School in Ho Chi Minh City.

They proposed that Germany will provide more scholarships for Vietnamese students to study in the country and strengthen cooperation with Vietnam in other fields, such as law enforcement, environmental protection, climate change and war aftermath.

The two sides discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern and agreed to support each other at multilateral and international forums, particularly the UN.

Germany pledged to further support Vietnam in increasing comprehensive cooperation with the European Union, seeing recorgnisation of its full market economy status, negotiating the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and approving Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with the EU.

Nha Trang institute holds East Sea conference

The Nha Trang Institute of Oceanography (NIO) is hosting an international conference on the East Sea in Nha Trang city, the central province of Khanh Hoa , with the participation of nearly 200 domestic and foreign experts and scientists.

As many as 150 reports and scientific research works reviewing NIO’s 90-year oceanographic operation in Vietnam’s waters and surrounding areas will be delivered to the three-day conference, which opened on September 12.

Orientations for developing marine research and cooperation programmes between Vietnam and other countries in the field are expected to be put forth as scientists and experts raised the need for Vietnam to establish a synchronous and highly effective strategy for marine scientific research.

According to NIO Deputy Director Vo Si Tuan, over the past nine decades, NIO has carried out 1,100 research works, with many having a high degree of applicability, contributing largely to exploiting and protecting the East Sea .

In the coming time, the institute will continue conducting basic scientific research on oceanography, bio-diversity, marine resources, and the application of technology in marine management in the country’s water areas, he said.

Nguyen Tac An, President of the UNESCO’s Inter-Governmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) in Vietnam, mentioned the future coordination with research programmes of the IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (IOC/WESTPAC).

The programmes involve mitigating the impacts of global climate change, minimising natural disaster consequences, preserving oceanic eco-system and building policies for the sustainable protection of the environment, coastal, sea and ocean resources.

SPD, CPV hold theoretical talks

The Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) hold the second theoretical dialogue on human resources training and renewal energy in Berlin on September 11.

Politburo member and Secretary of the CPV Central Committee Dinh The Huynh and member of the SPD Edelgard Bulmahn, emphasized the importance of the two above mentioned topics to the sustainable development targets of Vietnam and Germany.

They affirmed that theoretical dialogue has become an effective cooperation mechanism between the two parties, helping to strengthen the Vietnam-Germany strategic partnership.

During the dialogue, scholars and experts focused on theoretical issues and shared practical experiences in carrying out policies for education, vocational training, employment, development of clean and renewal energies to ensure sustainable development in each country.

While in Germany, the CPV delegation also met with SPD Secretary General Andrea Nahles and visited SPD headquarters, Friedrich-Ebert Foundation and some renewal energy development establishments.

VNN/VOV/VNS/VNA