Vietnam, Uzbekistan celebrate diplomatic ties, national events

A meeting was held in Hanoi on August 26 to mark the 20th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Uzbekistan, and their National Days.

The event, jointly held by the Vietnam-Uzbekistan Friendship Association and the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO), was attended by diplomats, officials and representatives from both countries, as well as Vietnamese people who lived and worked in Uzbekistan.

The Chairman of the Vietnam-Uzbekistan Friendship Association, Luong Van Cu, highlighted the two nations' recent cultural and socio-economic achievements.

He spoke highly of the fine bilateral ties that have been nurtured by generations of Vietnamese and Uzbekistani leaders and people.

He also thanked Uzbekistan for its valuable support during Vietnam’s past struggles against foreign invaders and its present process of national development.

Viet Nam, South Korea ink green co-operative pact

Minister of Planning and Investment Bui Quang Vinh and President of the Korea International Co-operation Agency (KOICA) Park Dae-won signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on co-operation in green growth in Seoul last Friday.

At the meeting with the KOICA president earlier, Minister Vinh spoke highly of the non-refundable aid provided by the South Korean government to Viet Nam, now reaching around US$20 million per year, through KOICA.

He said he hoped KOICA would continue to assist Viet Nam's socio-economic development in infrastructure, human resource development and green growth.

For his part, the KOICA president pledged to co-ordinate with relevant Vietnamese agencies to implement the agreed projects.

Senior Thai diplomat co-chairs political consultative meeting

Permanent Secretary of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sihasak Phuangketkeow was in Viet Nam to co-chair the second political consultation meeting between the two foreign ministries.

The Thai diplomat last Friday paid a courtesy visit to Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, who said he was pleased with the fine development in the two countries' bilateral co-operation in various fields, including politics-diplomacy, defence-security and trade-investment.

Sihasak Phuangketkeow spoke highly of the effective implementation of bilateral co-operation mechanisms, including the meeting of the Viet Nam-Thailand Joint Committee on Trade Co-operation in Ha Noi in July and the Viet Nam-Thailand Joint Working Group on Political and Security Co-operation meeting in Hua Hin earlier this month.

Exchanging views on international and regional issues, the two sides pledged to promote ASEAN's six-point principle on the East Sea and co-ordinate in accelerating discussions with China on a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

The same day, Sihasak Phuangketkeow and Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh co-chaired the second political consultation meeting between the two foreign ministries.

Vietnam, Laos localities increase cooperation

Border provinces of Vietnam and Laos have taken activities to promote investment, cooperation and exchange of visits, helping increase better understanding and foster friendship.

At a conference to promote investment in Laos’ Xieng Khouang province, held in the central province of Nghe An on August 25, leaders of both localities committed to creating the most favourable conditions they can for businesses to seek cooperation and investment opportunities.

Nghe An has invested in six projects in Xieng Khouang, mainly in agriculture, industry, mining, mineral processing and tourism sectors, said Ho Duc Phuoc, Vice Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the People’s Committee of Nghe An. Sharing a 120km border with Nghe An, Xieng Khouang ranks sixth among Lao provinces attracting huge investment from Vietnam.

With its strength in agriculture, forestry, hydro-electricity and tourism, the northern Lao province is ready to cooperate with and offers intensives to Vietnamese firms, particularly those from Nghe An, said Somkot Mangnomek, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Governor of Xieng Khoang province.

Also on the same day, authorities of the Lao province of Champassak and the Vietnamese province of Quang Tri met in Quang Tri to discuss their future cooperation, especially in socio-economic development and social order and security. They agreed to exert efforts to soon put into operation road 15A, helping shorten travel time and facilitate localities and businesses’ cooperation.

Lao Deputy PM visits Thai Nguyen Province

Lao Deputy Prime Minister Somsavad Lengsavath on August 25 paid a visit to northern mountainous Thai Nguyen province, one of Vietnamese localities providing big human resource training programmes for Laos.

The visit was made during Lengsavath’s trip to Vietnam to attend a series of activities marking the 50 th anniversary of the Vietnam – Laos diplomatic ties and 35 years of the signing of Vietnam – Laos Friendship and Cooperation Treaty.

At his working session with the provincial authorities, which was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, the Lao leader asked for the province’s continued assistance in human resource training.

He said he hopes to see more enterprises from Thai Nguyen in particular and Vietnam in general to invest in biotechnology, social development projects, agriculture, and poverty reduction in Laos. Deputy PM Phuc, for his part, asked Thai Nguyen to continue stepping up cooperation with Laos through personnel training and economic development projects, saying this is a significant task in the diplomatic front.

During the visit, the Lao Ministry of Planning and Investment handed over an investment license for a project to explore zinc, lead and tin ores in Xiengkhuang and Huaphan provinces.

The project, with an estimated cost of 64 billion kip (roughly 8 million USD) will be carried out in six years by Thai Nguyen-based Chien Cong Minerals and Industry Joint Stock Company. During the war of resistance against the colonialist French, Thai Nguyen was chosen as the centre of the Viet Bac safety zone, locally known as the country’s ‘revolutionary capital’.

Many Vietnamese soldiers and volunteers from Thai Nguyen were sent to Laos to help it in its resistance wars while various Lao revolutionaries were sent to Thai Nguyen for working and studying.

NA Chairman works with HCM City authorities

National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung on August 24 held a working session with leaders of Ho Chi Minh City who proposed the legislative body arrange investment capital for transport development in the city.

At the session, they also proposed the legislature amend the land law to ensure criteria on urban planning and land use, construction and environment planning.

According to the municipal People’s Committee’s report, the city’s economy has shown signs of recovery with its year-on-year gross domestic product rise of 8.1 percent. The city also contributed more than 102.3 trillion VND to the State budget.

However, the negative impact of the world’s economy has put pressure on economic growth in the city where rising prices on domestic goods have reduced consumption and slowed down production.

The legislative leader praised the city’s determination to seek solutions to remove difficulties and join the country in controlling inflation, maintaining economic growth, ensuring social welfare, eliminating hunger and reducing poverty, developing transport infrastructure and ensuring political stability and social order and security.

He underscored the necessity for Ho Chi Minh City to exert more effort to remove difficulties in production and business, settle banks’ bad debts, stabilise prices and promote market consumption, laying the foundation for the development of financial and monetary markets.

Hung asked the city to review its master plan on technical and infrastructure systems and pay due attention to resources to serve national industrialisation and modernisation whilst ensuring social order and security.

VNN/VOV/VNS/VNA