Better conditions pledged for UAE firms
 
The Government of Vietnam will create a favourable environment and better conditions for businesses from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to successfully invest in the country.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung made the commitment while receiving the UAE Foreign Minister, Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in Hanoi on October 23.

Having applauded the outcomes of the earlier talks between Nahyan and Deputy PM cum Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem, PM Dung said the UAE Foreign Minister’s ongoing visit would contribute positively to the bilateral growing relationship.

Vietnam will further step up its friendship and multifaceted cooperation with the UAE, especially in fields both sides hold potentials such as trade, investment, oil and gas, tourism, labour and agriculture, said the PM.

He added that Vietnam expects more and more UAE investors to cooperate with its leading groups and companies, particularly in the areas of energy, oil and gas, aviation, maritime shipping, seaports, finance and real estate.

PM Dung promised to instruct concerned agencies to work with the UAE to well prepare for the first meeting of the Vietnam-UAE Joint Committee scheduled to take place in November so as to sign specific cooperation projects.

The government leader also hailed the UAE’s decision to establish a vocational training centre for Vietnamese workers who want to work in the UAE.

Nahyan spoke highly of the socio-economic development achievements Vietnam has reaped in recent years, stressing that the UAE considers Vietnam one of its important partners in Southeast Asia.

The UAE wants to further promote multifaceted cooperation with Vietnam, especially in economy, investment and labour, the minister said.

He praised the workmanship and industriousness of 20,000 Vietnamese guest labourers who are working in the UAE, adding his country wishes to receive more workers from Vietnam.

The same day, Minister Nahyan and Deputy PM-cum Foreign Minister Khiem signed an agreement on visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and official/special passports from the two countries.

Vietnam boosts defence cooperation with Luxemburg
 
A high-ranking delegation of the Ministry of National Defence, led by its Deputy Minister, Lieutenant General Nguyen Huy Hieu, is on an official visit to Luxemburg from October 21-23.

During the visit, General Hieu met with Luxemburg’s Minister of Defence, Jean-Marie Halsdorf and General Gaston Reinig, Chief of Staff of the Army to discuss measures to promote bilateral cooperation in national defence.

The visit also aims to boost Vietnam-Luxembourg cooperation in overcoming the consequences of war.

Vietnam vows to uphold Francophone community’s role
 
Vietnam is ready to join concerted efforts to uphold the Francophone Community’s role in the international arena and solve the issues both international and Francophone communities are concerned about.

Vietnamese Vice State President Nguyen Thi Doan was speaking at the opening of the 13th Francophone Summit in Montreux , Switzerland, on October 23.

As many as 70 heads of state and government from the Francophone Community member nations, including French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Swiss President Doris Leuthard and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and more than 2,000 delegates attended the event.

With its peace-loving tradition, Vietnam would continue to make positive, constructive and responsible contributions to the harmonious development of the Francophone Community, Ms Doan said.

The state vice president stressed that the current context is posing many new challenges to the international community such as food and energy insecurity, adverse impacts of climate change and especially the economic and financial crisis – the worst in the past 70 years.

Therefore, Ms Doan urged the Francophone Community to play a more active part in dealing with these challenges, firstly in preventing and settling conflicts.

The Francophone Community needs to pay due attention to the development interests of its member states, especially poor and developing countries, which want to receive more favourable conditions in terms of economy and trade, transfer of technologies and assistance in fulfilling the UN Millennium Development Goals, she added.

The 13th summit takes place while the International Organisation of Francophone (OIF) is celebrating its 40th founding anniversary and 10 years of implementing the Bamaco declaration on democracy and human rights.

Themed “Challenges and future vision for the Francophone Community,” the summit is discussing a wide range of issues, including international relations and the Francophone Community’s current position, challenges to sustainable development, food security and climate change, and the teaching of French in the world.

In her speech delivered at the opening, Swiss President Doris Leuthard said the member nations are coping with global challenges such as energy security, climate change, imbalanced biodiversity, poverty and security.

Leuthard, who is also new President of the Francophone Community, also emphasised the diversity in terms of culture and language within the OIF, saying this is a valuable asset no any international organisation possesses.

The Francophone Summit is organised every two years, with the first held in France in 1986. Vietnam hosted the 7th Francophone Summit in 1997, during which former UN Secretary General Boutros-Boutros Gali was elected as the first Secretary General of the Francophone Community.

The Francophone Community now has 56 member nations and territories, along with 14 observer states. More than 200 million people speak French in the world. In Vietnam, there are 470,000 persons using French.

Japanese parliamentarians welcomed in Hanoi
 
Japan wishes to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam in areas that the two countries are interested in, said former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, who is leading a Japanese parliamentarian delegation to Vietnam.

The former Japanese PM made the statement while meeting with Ho Duc Viet, Head of the Personnel Commission of the Party Central Committee and Chairman of the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group, in Hanoi on October 23.

At the reception, Viet, who is also a Poliburo member and Secretary of the Party Central Committee, said he was pleased with positive development in the Japan-Vietnam relations in various fields, including politics, diplomacy, economics, culture, science and technology, and transport.

He spoke highly of the two countries’ cooperation in atomic energy and thanked the Japanese side for its assistance for Vietnam in training human resources.

He also expressed his wish that Japan and Vietnam will maintain and further develop the friendship between the two legislative bodies and two States.

Yukio Hatoyama informed the host of the results of the Japanese delegation’s working sessions with Minister of Science and Technology Hoang Van Phong and Minister of Transport Ho Nghia Dung.

The former Japanese PM also extended his deep condolences and sympathy to flood victims in central provinces. On behalf of the Japanese delegation, Yukio Hatoyama presented 1 million JPY (VND250 million) to help the victims overcome difficulties and stabilise their lives.

NA Chairman hails UK ambassador's contributions
 
National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong received outgoing UK Ambassador to Vietnam Mark Kent in Hanoi on October 23.

NA Chairman Trong applauded major contributions of the UK ambassador to boosting the two countries’ relations in the fields of politics, economics, education and tourism as well as the two nations’ legislative ties. He said projects launched by the UK have helped increase the capacity of the Vietnamese National Assembly’s Office and other NA’s agencies.

The Vietnamese top legislator expressed his wishes that cooperative ties between the two legislative bodies would continue developing in the future.

Chairman Trong also expressed his belief that in the new position, the UK ambassador would make more contributions to the friendship and cooperation between the two nations.

For his part, Ambassador Mark Kent said he considers his tenure in Vietnam a milestone in his diplomatic cause, during which he had chances to visit many cities and provinces across the country.

He is pleased with multi-faceted friendship and cooperation between the two countries and wishes that the bilateral ties would further develop in the future.

Indonesian President to visit Vietnam
 
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his wife will begin an official visit to Vietnam on October 27. 

They have been invited by Vietnam’s State President Nguyen Minh Triet.

Vietnam boosts defence cooperation with Luxemburg
 
A high-ranking delegation of the Ministry of National Defence, led by its Deputy Minister, Lieutenant General Nguyen Huy Hieu, is on an official visit to Luxemburg from October 21-23.

During the visit, General Hieu met with Luxemburg’s Minister of Defence, Jean-Marie Halsdorf and General Gaston Reinig, Chief of Staff of the Army to discuss measures to promote bilateral cooperation in national defence.

The visit also aims to boost Vietnam-Luxembourg cooperation in overcoming the consequences of war.

Call for stronger ties on Czech National Day
 
Czech Ambassador Michal Kral has emphasised a need for Vietnam and his country to strongly develop bilateral relations as a great potential is still left untapped.

The Czech diplomat made the remark at a meeting held in Ho Chi Minh City on October 22 to mark the Czech Republic’s 92nd National Day (October 28).

He highlighted the traditional relations between the two countries since the former Czechoslovakia, which he said have come through 60 years with good experiences despite the ups and downs of history.

“The Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic will contribute to promoting traditional friendship between the two nations,” Kral said.

His view was shared by Nguyen Muoi, Vice President of the HCM City chapter of the Vietnam-Czech Republic Friendship Association, who expressed thanks for valuable assistance from the former Czechoslovakia and now the Czech Republic .

“ Czechoslovakia in the past and the Czech Republic at present have emerged as a huge training centre for Vietnamese professionals in various fields,” Muoi concluded.

PM greets UN organisations’ chiefs in Vietnam
 
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has congratulated the chiefs of UN organisations in Vietnam, John Hendra, on the occasion of the UN’s 65th founding anniversary (October 24).

At a meeting with UN organisations’ country representatives in Hanoi on Oct. 22, PM Dung also extended his greetings to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and other UN leaders.

The UN is Vietnam’s leading partner, PM Dung affirmed, adding that Vietnam-UN relations had been deepened become more effective, with a focus on hunger elimination and poverty reduction, environmental protection and MDGs implementation.

Over the last 65 years, the UN has made great contributions to the life of the international community and of each nation and it has become a centre to deal with global challenges, especially maintaining international peace and security, PM Dung said.

He also affirmed that Vietnam is always standing side by side with the UN in the implementation of the One UN initiative, as well as other UN activities.

PM Dung said Vietnam wants to receive more UN support so the country can fulfil MDGs, especially in economic development, policy consultancy, poverty reduction, HIV/AIDS prevention and environmental protection.

PM Dung also took this occasion to highly value the contribution of UN resident coordinator in Vietnam.

The UN is willing to support Vietnam in the coming time, especially in the implementation of the 2010-2020 socio-economic development strategy with a focus on poverty reduction and coping with climate change, Hendra said.

The official spoke highly of Vietnam’s role in the international arena, especially during its term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and ASEAN Chair.

He also praised the country for fulfilling many MDGs ahead of schedule and the successful implementation of UN action plans regarding social development, environment, food security, finance for development, housing, human rights, population and development, women, children, anti-racism and HIV/AIDS prevention.

On the occasion, John Hendra extended his sympathy to flood victims in Vietnam’s central region.

PV