VN marks ties with Chile, Morocco

Vietnamese leaders yesterday, March 24, sent congratulatory messages to the Republic of Chile and Morocco who are celebrating diplomatic relations with Viet Nam.

President Nguyen Minh Triet and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung sent congratulatory messages to Chilean President Sebastian Pinera Echenique to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Viet Nam-Chile diplomatic relations.

Deputy Prime Minister cum Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem also sent a congratulatory message to Chilean Foreign Minister Alfredo Moreno Charme on the same day.

President Triet also sent a message to Moroccan King Mohammed VI to congratulate the 50th anniversary of Viet Nam-Morocco diplomatic relations.

Prime Minister Dung and Deputy Prime Minister Khiem also sent congratulatory messages to Moroccan Prime Minister Abbas Fassi and Foreign Minister Taieb El Fassi Fihri on the occasion.

PM meets with NA female deputies

The image of the female National Assembly deputies is also the image of the Vietnamese women and the pride of the country, said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

PM Dung emphasized this at a meeting with female deputies to the 12th National Assembly’s last session in Hanoi on March 24.

The female deputies, representing the people’s will and expectation, have tried their best to improve their political spirit, and professional skills and fulfill their tasks during their tenure, said Mr. Dung.
The Government leader also highlighted Vietnamese women’s contributions to the country’s socio-economic development.
He said the Party and State always attach great importance to raising the role and position of women, ensuring gender equality, and creating favourable conditions for women to devote themselves to the country’s development.
This is reflected in the Law on Gender Equality passed by the NA, a resolution on women’s tasks in the process of national industrialisation and modernisation issued by the Political Bureau, and an action plan for the implementation of the national strategy on gender quality between 2011-2020 introduced by the Government, he emphasised.
The female deputies promised to make further contributions to promoting national construction and socio-economic development, gender equality and women’s advancement in Vietnam.

CPV, Fatherland Front visit Peru

Delegations of the Communist Party of Viet Nam and the Communist Party of Peru – Red Fatherland have held talks in Peru, discussing measures to expand and increase friendship and bilateral co-operation.

The talks took place during a working visit to Peru from March 21-23 by a Vietnamese delegation led by Hoang Thanh Khiet, Deputy Head of the Office of the Party Central Committee. The Communist Party of Peru Red Fatherland delegation was headed by President Alberto Moreno.

While in Peru, the delegation held working sessions with the new Left movement executive board, the open socialist movement and the authorities of Cajamarca.

Earlier, from March 17-19, the Vietnamese delegation visited Mexico, as guests of the Worker's Party of Mexico, to attend the 15th international workshop on "Political Parties and a New Society" in Mexico City.

Swiss-VN dialogue promotes relations

The first political consultation between the foreign ministries Viet Nam and Switzerland was held in Ha Noi yesterday, March 24.

The consultation was co-conducted by Assistant to Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh and Vice Secretary of State for the Swiss Foreign Ministry Beat Nobs.

The two sides spoke highly of positive steps in the friendship and multifaceted co-operation between Viet Nam and Switzerland in recent years, particularly in economics, trade, investment, development co-operation and education and training.

They agreed to join hands in organising the 40th anniversary of Viet Nam-Switzerland diplomatic relations in 2011, which will include economic, cultural and educational events, contributing to increased friendship and mutual understanding between the two peoples.

Viet Nam affirmed its effective use of Switzerland's official development assistance. It thanked Switzerland for its continuing provision of the assistance with a priority on new co-operation areas such as climate change resilience, forest protection and clean and renewable energy development.

Both sides discussed international and regional issues of common concern and agreed to increase co-operation and co-ordination at multilateral and international forums.

Viet Nam also affirmed its support for Switzerland to boost co-operation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

For Switzerland's part, it spoke highly of Viet Nam's achievement in socio-economic development, particularly in poverty reduction and fulfilment of some UN Millennium Development Goals ahead of schedule.

It was impressed by the elevation of Viet Nam's international position, especially after the country successfully fulfilled its role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2008-2009 term and ASEAN Chair in 2010.

VN promotes co-operation with Saudi Arabia on energy, foodstuffs

President Nguyen Minh Triet requested Viet Nam and Saudi Arabia to find new, specific points of co-operation with a view to supplementing each other's strengths and boosting bilateral trade.

Triet made the request during a reception given for Saudi Arabian Agriculture Minister Fahad Bin Abdul Rahman Balghanim and Commerce and Industry Minister Abdullah Bin Ahmad Zainal Ali Ridha in the capital yesterday.

He said the two sides needed to strengthen co-operation.

Triet confirmed that Viet Nam was willing to support Saudi Arabia in ensuring food security, while calling upon Saudi Arabia to help Viet Nam ensure energy security.

The President recommended both sides rapidly consider an energy and foodstuffs partnership and expanded labour export co-operation.

He also requested the drafting of investment policies and trade promotion activities for businesses in the two countries.

Balghanim and Ridha said agriculture played an important role in Saudi Arabia's economy, and it wanted to rapidly implement agricultural investment projects in Viet Nam.

They said Saudi Arabia was also willing to build long-term strategic relations with Viet Nam on energy. They also called for increased Saudi Arabian investment in the country.

VNN/VOV/VNS