Vietnam ready to assist Japan’s reconstruction


Vietnam is ready to participate in Japan’s reconstruction after natural disasters by providing human resources, construction materials and necessary goods for the country. 


Mr. Truong Tan Sang meets with Japan’s parliamentary leader Takeaki Matsumoto (source: VNA)
This statement was made by Truong Tan Sang, Politburo member and permanent member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, while meeting with Japan’s parliamentary leaders, Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto and former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, during his visit to the country, starting on June 1.
While expressing sympathy with the Japanese government and people towards the great losses caused by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami disaster, Mr Sang affirmed that, “Vietnam will do its utmost to help Japan overcome its current difficult period”. 

Regarding the bilateral relationship over the past 40 years, the Politburo member stressed that the Vietnamese Party and State highly values the ties with Japan and plan to comprehensively develop the strategic partnership between the two countries for peace and prosperity in Asia.

Vietnam always pays attention to promoting the efficiency of the use of ODA, he said, suggesting the Japanese side continue maintaining this capital source at high levels for Vietnam. 

Mr Sang also suggested strengthening bilateral cooperation to cope with climate change and making 2013, the year marking the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two nations, the “Vietnam-Japan Friendship Year.” 

Speaker of Japan’s House of Representatives Takahiro Yokomichi and Speaker of the Senate Takeo Nishioka thanked the Vietnamese Government and people for their valuable support for Japan after the earthquake and tsunami calamity. 

They expressed their wish that the two parliaments would make more efforts to further boost the strategic partnership between the two countries. 

Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto shared the parliamentary leaders’ wish to boost the strategic partnership between the two countries. 

The President and CEO of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), Hirosgi Watanabe affirmed his willingness to continue working with the Vietnamese government to boost bilateral investment cooperation in the time to come.


13th NA first session to focus on personnel


The main focus in the first session of the 13th National Assembly will be personnel selection. This will be key to the success of following sessions, Party General Secretary cum National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong said.

Trong made the statement yesterday while chairing a meeting of the NA Standing Committee in which deputies discussed the first session of the 13th NA.

Trong highlighted the importance of the 13th NA's first session as a transition between two National Assemblies.

According to NA Office Chairman Tran Dinh Dan, the session is scheduled to open on July 21 and wrap up on August 5.

Deputies will use 11 of those days to work on personnel organisation.

They would also consider and make a decision on a programme to build laws and ordinances in 2012; review the implementation of the socio-economic development plan and State budget for the first six months of the year; and discuss measures to reach the social-economic development and State budget targets for the last six months of the year, he said.

Related to the law building programme, Dan said the Government had asked for draft laws on water resources and higher education to be submitted following the second session, so there was more time for research and preparation in the opening session.

Chairman of the NA Committee for National Defence and Security Le Quang Binh and Chairwoman of the NA Committee for Social Affairs Truong Thi Mai agreed with the Standing Committee's request for more time to report on the implementation of the socio-economic development plan and State budget.

Social economic issues were of great concern to people, thus they needed appropriate attention, Mai said.

Trong also agreed with the Government's proposal to put off the discussion of the two draft laws until the next session.


Vietnam-Italy relations keep growing


Vietnam-Italy relations have been further strengthened by exchange of visits by high-ranking leaders as seen in the implementation of economic and trade cooperation projects between the two countries.

Bui Ba Bong, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and President of the Vietnam-Italy Friendship Association made this statement at a ceremony to celebrate the 65th Italian National Day and the 150th anniversary of Italian unification, in Hanoi on June 1. 

Bong said that last year, Vietnam exported US$980.14 million worth of goods to Italy, up 21.8 percent, while Italy’s export turnover to Vietnam reached US$822.4 million, a rise of 13.26 percent. 

He added that the Vietnam-Italy cooperation in training, culture, science and technology is continuously developing. 

Italian Ambassador to Vietnam Lorenzo Angeloni highly appreciated the development of bilateral cooperation in the fields of economics, culture and development. 

He said that the Embassy of Italy in Vietnam will do its utmost to create favourable conditions for the two countries’ businesses to cooperate. 

The Embassy recently launched the Italy-Vietnam project, with many activities designed to further promote understanding and friendly and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries.


VNN/VOV/VNS