Brazil’s experience in poverty reduction useful for Vietnam

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan has expressed admiration for Brazil’s efforts in poverty reduction, saying coordination between relevant ministries and agencies is key to success.

Photo: VNA

He stressed that the Vietnamese Government gives high priority to poverty reduction and said that the country’s achievements in the field have been recognised around the world.

The Deputy PM’s visit is part of a programme to survey experience in poverty reduction in Brazil held by the World Bank and the Vietnamese Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) in collaboration with relevant Brazilian ministries.

Within the programme’s framework, Nhan toured Rio de Janeiro, which is the first state to implement the national poverty reduction programme. He also visited several establishments registered to Bolsa Familia, the programme providing allowances for the poor, and the management system and units providing consultancy to those who are in difficult circumstances or facing violence.

On this occasion, MoLISA Deputy Minister Doan Mau Diep and Deputy Minister of Social Development and Hunger Prevention Romulo Paes de Sousa signed an action plan to realise the memorandum of understanding on fighting poverty signed by the two countries on July 10, 2008 in Hanoi.

Thanks to the Brazilian government’s policies on combining economic development and poverty reduction, about 28 million Brazilian people have escaped from poverty. However, about 16 million others remain under the poverty line. The country is striving to become the first developing country in the world to meet its poverty reduction target according to the first UN millennium development goal.

Cuba’s Giron victory marked in Vietnam

A get-together was held in Hanoi on April 19 to mark the 51st anniversary of Cuba's Giron victory (April 19, 1961).

At the function, Vice President of the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Organization Nguyen Duy Cuong congratulated Cuban people on achievements they have made in the past.

He expressed his belief that under the leadership of the Communist Party of Cuba, Cuban people will harvest greater achievements in the economic model update.

He also spoke highly of the development of the traditional friendship and solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries in recent years, which were reflected by regular visits by high-ranking leaders.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s recent visit helped further strengthen the fraternity and solidarity between Vietnam and Cuba, he noted.

Cuban Military Attaché Jose Rolando Castro thanked the Vietnamese Party, State and people for their strong support and valuable solidarity for Cuban people over the years.

Earlier, a similar ceremony was also held in Ho Chi Minh City to celebrate the great victory of Cuba.

Vietnam, Russia review military cooperation

A Russian military delegation is currently visiting Vietnam from April 17-20 to step up military technical cooperation between the two countries.

The delegation is led by the Deputy Director of Russia ’s Technical Military Cooperation Service, Viacheslav Karlovich Dzirkal, who is also chairman of the Russian sub-committee of the Russia-Vietnam Intergovernmental Committee on Military Technical Cooperation (RVIC).

On Apr.18, the Russian delegation held talks with Senior Lieutenant General Truong Quang Khanh, Deputy Minister of National Defence and Chairman of Vietnam’s sub-committee at the RVIC, to assess bilateral military technical cooperation since the committees 13th session.

Military technical cooperation has been positive and effective and is in line with the strategic partnership agreed by both countries, they said.

They also discussed ways to step up technical cooperation in military matters in the future, which will help to strengthen friendship and cooperation between armed forces and peoples.

Deputy meets former US trade official

Deputy Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan met former US Trade Representative Susan Schwab in Hanoi on April 19.

Ngan expressed her delight at the progress being made to foster multi-faceted cooperation between the US and Vietnam, especially in economics, trade, and investment.

She highly appreciated Schwab’s input at a seminar discussing the negotiations and signing of free trade agreements also held in Hanoi the same day by the NA External Affairs Committee and the US Agency for International Development.

Ngan reaffirmed Vietnam’s commitment to further integrating into the global economy, evident in its current process of negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement.

Schwab said she was satisfied with the progress made in both countries’ trade negotiations, and reaffirmed that she would continue using her ability to promote bilateral relations, especially in economics and trade.

Finland helps Vietnam adapt to climate change

Finland’s Foreign Ministry has funded a 500,000 EURO project to help Vietnam’s coastal localities adapt to climate change.

The project started in the northcentral province of Thanh Hoa and the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau in late 2011 and is scheduled to be completed by October 2013.
A seminar on developing measures to combat climate change in the country’s coastal regions was held in Thanh Hoa province on April 18 as part of the project.

Participants discussed the impact of population growth on the environment and identified risks to underground water resources.

They suggested ways of promoting socio-economic development and addressing environmental and climate change issues.

The project will give Vietnam the opportunity to set up new linkages to deal with urban geology, planning and surveys of water resources in the future.

VNN/VOV/VNA