Laos provides Vietnam with US$100,000 in support of flood-hit people


Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung had a bilateral meeting with his Lao counterpart, Buasone Bouphavanh in Phnom Penh on November 16 on the sidelines of the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) summits.

On the occasion of Vientiane’s 450th birthday, PM Dung expressed his wish that Vientiane people would achieve greater success in their socio-economic development, making the capital city worthy of a political, economic and cultural centre and the heart of the country.

Photo: VOV
He informed PM Buasone Bouphavanh about Vietnam’s plan to organise activities to mark the 35th anniversary of Laos’ National Day and President Kaysone Phomvihane’s 90th birthday.

The Lao PM thanked Vietnam for its participation in the International Cluster Bomb Conference in Vientiane early this month and congratulated the country on its successful organisation of the 17th ASEAN summit and related meetings, that helped improve its position in the international arena.

PM Buasone Bouphavanh said the Lao government has decided to provide US$100,000 in support of flood-hit people in central Vietnam.

The two PMs agreed to step up economic cooperation, solve difficulties for businesses, actively review the Vietnam-Laos cooperation results in 2010 and propose measures for the coming year and prepare for the 33rd session of the Vietnam-Laos Inter-governmental Committee. They also agreed to continue mutual support and cooperation at regional and multilateral forums.

Earlier, Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem led a Vietnamese delegation to attend the Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam (CLMV) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and the Ayeawady-Chao Praya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. Meanwhile, Minister of Planning and Investment Vo Hong Phuc took part in a conference of the Development Triangle Coordination Committee.


PM attends 4th ACMECS in Laos


Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his counterparts from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand participated at the 4th Aeyawaday-Chao Phraya and Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy Summit (ACMECS) in Phnom Penh on November 17.

Speaking at the summit, Mr Dung praised the positive results gained by ACMECS since its establishment in 2003 which have actively contributed to other forms of cooperation in the region.

He confirmed Vietnam wants to make active contribution to the ACMECS cooperation and believed the summit would further strengthen the five countries’ prosperity.

The ACMECS took place at the time when cooperation in the Greater Mekong Sub-region has become more dynamic and attracted great interest from partners in developed countries.

The similarity in economics, closeness in geography and the complex changes in the global and regional economic situation in recent years has urged the countries to work closely together to make full use of opportunities and potential as well as support each other in coping with challenges for the mutual target of peace, stability and development in the region.

The PM and his counterparts reviewed the results of cooperation within ACMECS and discussed solutions in specific fields of cooperation.


Vietnam, Cuba enhance financial cooperation


Vietnam is ready to share its experience with Cuba in various fields such as construction industry, tax reform, State budget allocation and foreign investment attraction.

This statement was made by Deputy Minister of Finance, Do Hoang Tuan Anh at a recent meeting with Cuban Minister of Finance and Prices, Lina Pedraza, during his visit to Cuba from November 14-17.

At talks, both sides reviewed the results of cooperation between the two ministries over the year and briefed each other on their respective socio-economic statuses.

The Cuban Minister thanked Vietnam for its solidarity, fraternal friendship and valuable assistance to Cuba and informed Mr Tuan Anh about preparations for the sixth congress of the Communist Party of Cuba.

Seminars on tax policies and customs management between the two countries were held with the participation of Vietnamese and Cuba experts. The two sides also signed a cooperation programme for next year between the two finance ministries and the minutes of the 2010 cooperation programme.


Promoting CLMV cooperation


Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam should worker closer together on the principle of equality and mutual benefit to promote internal strengths and international assistance and intensify scientific and technological application and investment attraction.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung made this statement while attending the fifth Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam (CLMV 5) Summit, which took place in Phnom Penh on November 16.

PM Dung said that after six years of development, the CLMV cooperation has moved from providing mechanism to stimulating cooperative activity in specific area.

He noted that this cooperation is yet to meet the four countries’ aspirations and match their potential, stressing the slow implementation of cooperative projects due to difficulties in mobilizing capital and weak capacity.

At the summit, PM Dung and his Cambodian, Lao and Myanmar counterparts reviewed the results of cooperation since the fourth CLMV Summit in Hanoi in 2008 in such fields as trade and investment, transport, agriculture, industry and energy, tourism and human resource development.

The fourth countries have made headway toward practical cooperation since then, especially with Vietnam establishing the CLMV Scholarship Fund.

To boost the search for capital sources to fund CLMV projects, the prime ministers approved a list of 16 top priority projects in the four countries.

They agreed to adopt a Joint Statement with strong determination to boost cooperation within the CLMV mechanism for peace, stability and prosperity in the Mekong sub-region, and narrow the development gap between CLMV and other ASEAN member countries.

The prime ministers also agreed to hold the next CLMV Summit in Laos in 2012.


VNN/VOV/VNA