VN– RoK military ties on positive move

Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh, Deputy Minister of National Defence. (Source: VNA)

The meeting chairs – Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh, Deputy Minister of National Defence, and South Korean Vice Defence Minister Lee Young-geol – agreed that military ties between the two countries had seen positive and efficient developments.

Military relations had gone along with the overall strategic partnership by which the two countries were bound, they said.

During the meeting, the two sides agreed to further bilateral and multilateral co-operation in national defence.

The second dialogue was scheduled for 2013 in South Korea.

The South Korean Vice Minister also met with Vietnamese Defence Minister General Phung Quang Thanh later in the day.

HCM City boosts cooperation with Rotterdam and Manila

Ho Chi Minh City is set to tighten cooperative ties with Rotterdam and Manila city.

At a reception on March 19 for Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb, Secretary of the city Party Committee Le Thanh Hai praised the fine development of relations between Vietnam and the Netherlands and thanked Rotterdam’s support for the city in recent times, especially in the field of water management.

Hai said HCM City and Rotterdam share many similarities, particularly the impact of global climate change, so the city wants to learn experiences from the country in coping with climate change.

Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb expressed his hope that the two cities will cooperate in transferring technologies and techniques to deal with big challenges, such as rising sea levels.

In another meeting with Manila mayor Alfredo S.Lim the same day, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Le Hoang Quan affirmed that the long-established good relations between Vietnam and the Philippines are considered a firm foundation for closer cooperation between the two cities.

Mayor Alfredo expressed hope that the two cities will strengthen exchange visits and share experiences in the fields of mutual concern.

The two leaders agreed to boost cooperation in the fields of education and training, water supply, tourism, relics management, and cultural exchange.

Manila is willing to grant scholarships to HCM City’s students to study at two leading universities in Manila, Alfredo confirmed.

Vietnam seeks stronger parliamentary ties with Japan

Vietnam and Japan should increase the level of parliamentary relations, said National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong at a meeting with President of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Alliance Yukio Hatoyama in Hanoi on March 19.

Ms Phong also called on Japanese enterprises to invest more in Vietnam, particularly in energy, transport, environment, health care and education.

She thanked the Nation Diet of Japan and the Japanese Government for maintaining the official development assistance (ODA) level for Vietnam despite its own financial crisis and natural disasters.

Japan has committed US$1.9 billion in aid to Vietnam this year.

Hatoyama, who is also former Prime Minister of Japan, confirmed that his country wants to expand ties with Vietnam in all fields.

The Parliamentary Alliance is doing its best to enhance the friendship and strategic partnership between the two countries, he said.

He also thanked Vietnam’s support in cash and kind worth US$7.8 million to Japan after his country suffered from triple disasters in March 2011.

VN seeks stronger parliamentary relations

Viet Nam and Japan should increase the level of parliamentary relations, said National Assembly vice chairwoman Tong Thi Phong yesterday, March 19, as she received president of the Japan-Viet Nam Friendship Parliamentary Alliance Yukio Hatoyama in Ha Noi.

She also called on Japanese enterprises to invest more in Viet Nam, particularly in energy, transport, environment, healthcare and education.

Phong thanked the National Diet of Japan – the country's parliament – and the Japanese Government for maintaining the official development assistance (ODA) level for Viet Nam despite its own financial crisis and natural disasters.

Japan committed US$1.9 billion to aid Viet Nam this year.

Hatoyama, who is also former Prime Minister of Japan, confirmed that his country wanted to expand ties with Viet Nam in all fields.

The parliamentary alliance was doing its best to enhance the friendship and strategic partnership between the two countries, he said.

He also expressed his thanks over Viet Nam's $7.8 million in support to Japan after his country suffered from triple disasters in March 2011.

Progress resolving gender disparity highlighted

Vietnam has progressed in resolving its gender disparity issues, particularly in terms of education, employment and heath care, said acting UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam Bruce Campbell.

On March 19, at the closing ceremony for the cooperation programme between the UN and the Vietnamese Government on gender equality, Mr Campbell spoke highly of Vietnam’s efforts and commitments to promoting gender equality and ensuring women’s rights.

In 2009, 72.3 percent of working age women were now in the workforce and the number of maternal, newborn and child deaths has been reduced remarkably. 

The UN will double its investment for promoting gender equality and ensuring women’s rights to US$40 million in the next five years (2012-2016).

Vietnam has also brought the Law on Gender Quality and the Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control into effect, providing a legal foundation for raising public awareness of this issue.

According to the cooperation programme, one in every three women in Vietnam is maltreated and up to 32 percent of married women suffer violence from their husbands.

In the future, Vietnam will focus on resolving issues related to gender violence, the sex at birth ratio disparity and enhancing women’s leadership capacity, as well as creating steady jobs and income for women and encouraging men to become involved in anti-domestic violence campaigns to promote a society based on gender equality.

VNN/VOV/VNS/VNA