ASEAN military intelligence meeting opens

The 9th ASEAN Military Intelligence Informal Meeting (AMIIM-9) opened in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on March 27, drawing the participation of intelligence leaders of ten member countries.

The Vietnamese delegation was led by Lieut. Gen. Luu Duc Huy, Director of the General Department of Military Intelligence under the Ministry of National Defence.

In his opening remark, General Chea Tara, Deputy Commander of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) cum Director of the RCAF Research and Intelligence Bureau, said that intelligence cooperation plays an important role in strengthening and consolidating relations between member countries.

Dealing with hidden threats to regional peace and stability remains a concern of ASEAN as well as of each member country, he said.

Speaking at the event, Lieut. Gen. Huy said that ASEAN military intelligence cooperation helps improve capacity in handling security challenges facing each nation as well as the whole bloc.

Intelligence cooperation is the meter of ASEAN trust and solidarity, so it should be prioritised and add to the momentum for building the regional community, he said.

Participants at the meeting agreed on the theme of the upcoming 9 th ASEAN Chiefs of Defence Forces Informal Meeting (ACDFIM-9), the draft joint statement of ACDFIM-9 and an agreement on future operations of ACDFIM-9.

UK-Vietnam Action Plan signed

Photo: VOV

The Action Plan sets out commitments in all areas of the Strategic Partnership Agreement signed by the two governments in September 2010.  It comes hot on the heels of the inaugural Strategic Dialogue held in October 2011 and is the second of its kind to have been signed.

Highlights of the 2012 Action Plan include Vietnam’s support for the UK’s accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation - TAC, enhanced UK support for Vietnam’s anti-corruption effort through its role as lead donor, closer cooperation to improve access to information and development of the media, and regular dialogue on economic reforms including through the recently agreed MOU with the Ministry of Finance. 

Under the Action Plan, the two governments will work together to finalise early agreement on a sustainable model for the Vietnam-UK international standard university in Danang. They will soon implement the 2011 MOU on defence relations and the planned MOU on immigration information exchange.  Cooperation will also continue in the area of crisis response.

Japan, Vietnam lawmakers boost friendship

To Huy Rua, Politburo member and Secretary of the Party Central Committee on March 27 received Takebe Chumotu, President of the Japan-Vietnam Parliamentarians’ Friendship League.  

Takebe expressed his delight at the fine development in Vietnam-Japan relations and stressed that his visit aims to promote cooperation between the two parliaments and their friendship parliamentarians’ alliances.

Mr Rua, who is also President of the Vietnam-Japan Parliamentarians’ Friendship Group, reaffirmed that the Party, National Assembly and Government of Vietnam have a consistent policy to develop multifaceted relations with Japan and highly value the effective cooperation between the two countries’ legislative bodies and friendship parliamentarians’ alliances.

Deputy PM visits India to boost IT cooperation

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan is on a visit to India to activate agreements signed between the two countries’ leaders to boost cooperation in many areas, especially in education and training and science and technology.

On Mar. 26, Deputy PM Nhan and his entourage paid a working visit to Bangalore in Karnataka state.

Meeting with Karnataka Governor H. R. Bhardwaj, Deputy PM Nhan proposed Karnataka become a strategic software partner of Vietnam and said Vietnam could send 30 to 50 students to Karnataka for postgraduate training.

He also asked the state’s information technology enterprises to seek Vietnamese universities as partners to build a Bangalore information technology centre which could attract Vietnamese students and Indian investors.

The Vietnamese Deputy PM requested the Indian state cooperate with Vietnam in cyber security.

For his part, Governor Bhardwaj said that India’s policy is to boost cooperation with its partners and will try his best to support Bangalore enterprises to invest in Vietnam.

With Vietnam’s strong potential in human resources, the two sides recognised opportunities to enhance cooperation in this field.

Also on Mar. 23, Deputy PM Nhan visited leading Indian IT group Infosys and the Indian Space Research Centre, to discuss cooperative opportunities with Vietnam.

Vietnamese Ambassador visited Yale University

Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Nguyen Quoc Cuong has visited the Yale University and gave a lecture on "Evolving Regional Architecture in Asia - Pacific and Implications for the US" at the invitation of the Yale International Relations Association.

The lecture on March 23 drew a large audience of professors, researchers and students at the university.

During the visit, Ambassador Cuong also had discussion with members from Yale's Southeast Asian Studies Faculty on possible future cooperation and met with Vietnamese professors, PhD candidates and students at Yale university.

The same day, Ambassador Cuong met with New Haven Mayor John DeStefano and discussed further cooperation between New Haven and Hue City.

Nation signs new five-year plan with UNDP

Viet Nam and the United Nations signed a new plan that carries budget of US$480 million for the 2012-16 period in Ha Noi yesterday, March 27.

Signing the agreement were Vietnamese Minister of Planning and Investment Bui Quang Vinh and representatives from 16 UN organisations and the International Organisation for Migration.

The plan is designed to assist the Vietnamese Government to achieve sustainable growth and equality for all, access to key services and social protection, while enhancing public governance.

Addressing the ceremony, Vinh said the plan aimed to effectively utilise UN official development assistance for national socio-economic development.

Australia helps protect vulnerable communities

Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr announced yesterday that Australia would support a partnership between Australian and Vietnamese climate scientists to better understand and preparedness for the impacts of climate change.

The announcement was made at the opening of the new Australian Consulate-General in HCM City

Minister Carr, who is currently on a three-day official visit to Viet Nam, said Australia would contribute US$2.03 million to the partnership which would build on the existing agreement between Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), and scientists from Viet Nam's Ministry for Natural Resources and Environment and the Ha Noi University of Science.

"The fundamental goal of the aid programme is overcoming poverty and addressing climate change which is critical to protecting and improving the lives of those who depend on the natural environment for their income, food and water," Carr said.

"Viet Nam is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, particularly the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta where rising sea levels, salt water intrusion and flooding are already impacting vulnerable coastal communities," he added.

The partnership will assist Viet Nam in analysing, understanding and undertaking future climate change projections, with Vietnamese PhD students helping to analyse data and climate modelling at CSIRO in Australia.

Today the Australian Foreign Minister will meet with Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh, Minister of Planning and Investment Bui Quang Vinh, President Truong Tan Sang and Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.