Ambassador to Turkmenistan presents credentials

Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia and Turkmenistan Pham Xuan Son has presented his credentials to Chairwoman of the Turkmen Parliament Akja Nurberdyeva.

Chairwoman Nurberdyeva spoke highly of Vietnam’s achievements in national construction as well as its active role in solving international and regional issues.

The chairwoman also affirmed that Turkmenistan attaches importance to strengthening the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Vietnam.

Ambassador Son pledged to do his utmost during his term of office in order to further promote bilateral relations, especially in the fields of economics and trade.

On this occasion, the ambassador met with leaders of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Foreign Economic Relations, Oil and Gas Industry and Mineral Resources of the host country.

Two-way trade between Vietnam and Turkmenistan remains modest, exceeding juts 19 million USD a year.

Seminar on AO/dioxin opens in US

Nearly 150 delegates gathered at a two-day seminar on Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin at Berkeley University in San Francisco city, California state of the US.

The event also drew the participation of US veteran families of Vietnamese origin and US AO victims.

Speaking at the seminar, Head of the US-Vietnam Dialogue Group on AO/dioxin Ngo Quang Xuan said the seminar discussed efforts and contributions of sides to overcome the consequences of AO/dioxin in Vietnam.

The seminar highly valued the project to detoxify dioxin-affected Da Nang International Airport, Xuan said, expressing his hope that Vietnam will receive more support to treat Bien Hoa airport, the country’s second “hot spot” of dioxin, in the southern province of Dong Nai.

He added that the seminar helped raise awareness of the public and organisations in the US about AO consequences suffered by Vietnam.

The Rotary Foundation and the US-Vietnam Dialogue Group on AO/dioxin are currently carrying out a project to improve access to safe water sources in Dong Son commune, A Luoi district, in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue, which was severely affected by AO/dioxin contamination.

NA deputy chairman receives French official

Vietnamese National Assembly Deputy Chairman Uong Chu Luu on Nov. 4 hosted a reception for Segolene Royal, President of the Poi Tou-Charentes Regional Council of France on her working visit to Vietnam.

Speaking at the reception, the NA Deputy Chairman Luu expressed his joy at the fine development of relations between the two countries in all fields, thanking the French Parliament and people for their support to Vietnam in recent years.

He said Vietnam has been effectively utilising official development assistance (ODA) capital from the French Government in priority fields, including poverty reduction, health care, education, and administrative reform, with the aim of successfully implementing the country’s socio-economic development policies.

Luu expressed his hope that Poi Tou-Charentes region will expand cooperation with more localities of Vietnam , besides its close ties with Hanoi , Thua Thien-Hue and Ho Chi Minh City .

Segolene Royal highly valued Vietnam ’s socio-economic achievements and the country’s goal of ensuring social welfare.

She hoped the two countries will promote cooperation in economic development, culture and renewable energy, especially solar energy.

PM emphasises minerals projects’ efficiency

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has emphasised the government’s consistent standpoint of ensuring socio-economic efficiency in minerals exploitation, focusing on processing and not exporting raw minerals.

At the cabinet meeting that took place in Hanoi from Nov. 3-5, the PM also said it is necessary to consider minerals projects’ short and long term impact on the environment.

During the three-day meeting, cabinet members heard the draft strategy on minerals exploitation until 2020, with a vision to 2030 and the government’s draft action programme to implement the Politburo’s resolution on the issue.

They said minerals exploration and exploitation licence granting has been carried out in accordance with the law and the minerals scheme approved by the PM.

However, they said, there remained violations in licensing, including granting licences when businesses are yet to show exploration results.

In addition, illegal mining for minerals, especially rare and metal minerals, and sand and gravels from the river bed in many localities have caused labour insecurity, social disorder and affected the environment, they added.

PM Dung asked relevant ministries and branches to review licensed and operating minerals exploitations projects and immediately halt projects that fail to meet requirements and affect people’s life.

Projects applying for licences must be carried out with feasible studies and under a strict examination process, he added.

It is necessary to review natural resources export tax and strictly control the export of minerals, he stressed.

PM highlights World Bank aid role in Vietnam

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung highlighted the leading role of the World Bank (WB) in mobilising and regulating aid for Vietnam at a celebration of the Vietnam-WB partnership in Hanoi on Nov. 4.

He said the WB has successfully acted as a bridge to increase mutual understanding between Vietnam and donors, a channel to effectively organise aid for Vietnam and a centre to harness joint efforts to implement projects and increase aid effectiveness in the spirit of the Paris Declaration and Hanoi Core Statement on aid effectiveness.

According to the PM, Vietnam has recorded important achievements in economic development and social progress over the two decades of renovation. The nation has moved from underdeveloped status to the group of middle-income countries with many millennium development goals (MDGs) fulfilled implemented, especially in poverty reduction, along with considerable improvements in the spiritual and material life of the people, greater international and regional integration and a greater role in the international arena.

PM Dung said WB-funded projects in Vietnam have been implemented with an efficiency that made positive impacts to the country's socio-economic development and its international integration.

He said Vietnam expects continuous WB support in its implementation of the 10-year socio-economic development strategy (2011-2020), with a focus on the perfection of the market economy, human resources development and infrastructure construction.

The PM also expressed the belief that the Vietnam-WB partnership will become more comprehensive.

WB Vice President for East Asia and Pacific James Adams praised Vietnam 's achievements in socio-economic development, especially in poverty reduction, and commended its Government policies to curb inflation, stabilise the macro-economy and ensure social welfare.

The WB will accompany Vietnam in its development, with a strong commitment to support and cooperate in implementing goals for sustainable growth and development, poverty reduction, response to climate change and sea level rise, policy consultancy and experience sharing, affirmed the WB official.

To date, the WB has granted Vietnam non-refundable aid, credits with preferential interest rates and loans worth 13.5 billion USD for the country's development.

In the framework of the conference, there were two specific sessions on the Vietnam-WB partnership, and infrastructure development and poverty reduction, during which participants discussed past cooperation and future opportunities for cooperation.

In a message sent to the conference, WB President Robert Bob Zoellick said in the medium term, WB will grant considerable aid from the International Development Association (IDA) and the International Bank for Reconstruction Development (IBRD) to assist Vietnam’s reform activities and public investment programmes.

Party delegation pays working visit to UK

A Party delegation, led by Politburo member and Secretary of the Party Central Committee To Huy Rua, paid an official visit to the UK.

On November 4, the delegation visited the Karl Marx commemorative library where Lenin worked from 1902 to 1903. They laid wreath on Karl Marx's grave at Highgate Cemetery where many famous people have been laid to rest.

The delegation also laid wreath at the memorial to where President Ho Chi Minh worked from 1913 to 1917. The venue, where was once located the Carlton Hotel is now the headquarters of the New Zealand embassy.

During his visit to the Vietnamese embassy, Ambassador Vu Quang Minh briefed about Vietnam-UK relations and activities of overseas Vietnamese in the UK.

Rua said Vietnam can learn much from the UK to help its process of national modernisation and industrialisation

PM welcomes new UN Co-ordinator

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung received United Nations Resident Co-ordinator in Vietnam Pratibha Mehta in Hanoi on November 4.

At the reception, Dung spoke highly of the UN organisations’ contribution to development in Vietnam.

He said he was pleased with Vietnam-UN relations in all aspects, especially practical co-operative programs with UN organizations in meeting its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), as well as addressing emerging issues such as climate change, environmental protection and water resources.

According to Dung, despite recent socio-economic achievements, Vietnam remained a poor country due to past wars. He said Vietnam needed support from the international community, including the UN, to meet its MDG commitments.

The Government leader suggested the UN Co-ordinator work with relevant Vietnamese agencies to expedite the signing of a co-operative program between Vietnam and the UN for the 2012-16 period.

As a responsible member of the UN, Vietnam will closely co-operate with the international organizations to implement the “One-UN” initiative, he said.

Meanwhile, Mehta, who has just assumed her position in Vietnam, said Vietnam was an example to other countries when it came to meeting its MDGs.

However, the country is facing difficulties, particularly increasing inflation, she said, adding that the UN would stand side by side with the country in dealing with its financial problems.

She also said she would do her utmost to boost co-operation between the two sides.

President attends National Great Unity Festival in HCM City

President Truong Tan Sang and Ho Chi Minh City municipal leaders attended the National Great Unity Festival on November 6, held in Residential Area No.1, Cau Kho precinct, District 1 in Ho Chi Minh City.  

In the past, the residential area was notorious as the home of many poor people living in difficult situations, but since it began to create its own cultural life, the area has become an outstanding example for the whole of District for more than 12 years.

It now has more than 2,700 households with only 24 of them classified as poor, according to the new criteria.

The State President praised the remarkable changes in the residential area in recent years, especially in reducing poverty.

On the occasion, President Sang presented gifts to disadvantaged Cham people and outstanding individuals living in the residential area.

VFF delegation visits Canada

A delegation from the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) led by its Vice Chairman and Secretary General, Vu Trong Kim, has visited the Canadian cities of Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Vancouver.

During their stay on November 4-5, the delegation worked with the Canadian Parliament and met with officials and staff from Vietnamese agencies as well as the overseas Vietnamese community in Canada.

Vice Chairman Kim said the VFF plays an important role in the cause of national great unity, construction and defence and he acknowledged contributions of the more than 3.2 million overseas Vietnamese, including those in Canada.

On November 5, the Vietnamese embassy presented the Resistance War Medal, first class, to Ton Duy Minh, an overseas Vietnamese living in Montreal who made significant contributions to the country during the two resistance struggles against the French colonialists and American imperialists.

Vietnam’s initiatives highly appreciated

All Vietnam's initiatives have been highly praised at the 8th ASEAN justice ministers’ meeting which concluded in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on November 4.

In an interview with a VOV reporter, Minister of Justice Ha Hung Cuong said Vietnam acknowledged ASEAN’s efforts to cooperate in criminal and judicial assistance and proposed that other ASEAN countries promote mutual judicial assistance in civil and commercial matters, which is the biggest barrier among  ASEAN countries.

At the meeting it was decided to develop two agreements based on Vietnam’s initiatives. The first concerns legal regulations for consular activities and documents among ASEAN countries to simplify procedures for investment, business and travel. The second aims to establish a working group to help ASEAN member countries in the delivery of documents from judicial agencies.

Vietnam supported other countries’ initiatives to align ASEAN member countries’ laws related to purchasing goods and trade arbitration as well as maritime laws on security, the coastal environment and the sea.

Minister Cuong said the ASEAN bloc consists of 10 countries with different legal and judicial systems, which presents a major barrier to the goal of building an ASEAN community by 2015. It will take a long time to deal with the differences between the legal and judicial systems of ASEAN countries.

HCM City attends Global Partners Summit in New York

A delegation from Ho Chi Minh City led by the Chairman of its People’s Committee joined 21 delegations from around the world to attend the New York City Global Partners Summit from November 2-4.

The annual summit discussed the role of global cities in promoting business innovation, entrepreneurship, and job growth, as well as optimal solutions for trading and creating jobs in an increasingly competitive global environment. It also encouraged cities to learn from each other's experiences to promote economic development, creativity and cultural diversification.

The first summit was held in New York City in 2003, with ten subsequent annual summits on developing international tourism, dealing with the challenges of tourism, crime, and sustainable development, strategies for public arts, as well as city management in a democratic society, the role of cities in dealing with climate change, generating jobs, developing labour forces, medical policies, and education.

At this year’s meeting, themed “Business Innovation”, city mayors discussed issues related to economic reform in the 21st century and creating private-public partnerships (PPPs) to promote trade and generate jobs.

The HCM City delegation launched tourism promotions at the event to attract more visitors to Vietnam.