Advanced culture spurs all-sided development

The culture sector and other agencies should make the best of advantages and positive sides of the market economy in building an advanced culture deeply imbued with the national identity and traditions, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has said.

He was speaking at a meeting in Hanoi on August 8 to review 15 years of the implementation of a Resolution of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, eighth tenure, on building and developing an advanced Vietnamese culture advanced with national identity.

Theoretical issues and practicality emerging from the implementation of the Resolution have touched upon the need to highlight the obvious role of culture in sustainable economic development.

“Culture provides a spiritual foundation for society, being a target and a driving force to spur the country’s all-sided development,” PM Dung said.

The Party and State have always given due attention to cultural development, identifying it an important front in the ideological field contributing vastly to the triumph of the nation’s revolutionary cause, he affirmed.

The Resolution demonstrates the Party’s strategic vision and revolutionary thinking in the renewal process, PM Dung said, making clear that it gives high evaluation to the role of culture in the country’s political and socio-economic development as well as intellectual life in the process of modernisation and industrialisation.

Therefore, the task of building an advanced culture with national identity will be heavy in the coming time, the Government leader emphasised.

In order not to lose the national identity when integrating deeply into the world arena, the culture, sport and tourism sector should continue to grasp thoroughly the Party and State’s policy and guidelines on culture and implement the “Culture Development Strategy from now to 2020”, the PM requested.

Action plans should be built towards making the full use of the world’s cutting-edge communication technologies and cultural quintessences possessed by the human kind and the nation should be absorbed and merged, the PM said.

He also asked the culture sector to further improve its State management role in all aspects of the cultural life.

Reports delivered at the meeting looked at the issues of building Vietnamese people in a new period, developing a cultural environment, preserving and promoting the values of cultural heritages and cultures of ethnic minorities, implementing cultural policy on belief and religions, and expanding cultural cooperation among others in the reviewed time.

New Zealand Governor General wraps up Vietnam visit

Governor General of New Zealand Jerry Mateparae left Ho Chi Minh City on August 8, concluding his six-day State-level visit to Vietnam.

During his visit, the Governor General held talks with President Truong Tan Sang and met with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, and National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung.

At the meetings, the two sides expressed pleasure at the positive development of the all-round ties between Vietnam and New Zealand, and agreed to promote existing cooperation mechanisms to develop the bilateral relationship in a deep, practical and mutual beneficial manner.

Vietnam affirmed it attaches importance and wants to further foster its comprehensive cooperation with New Zealand, particularly in economics, trade and investment.

The Vietnamese leaders expressed wish to receive continued support and close coordination from New Zealand in coping with climate change and sea level rise, researching clean energy technology, and developing high-quality agricultural economic facilities, and environment protection for sustainable development.

Vietnam appreciated New Zealand’s maintenance of ODA provision, which significantly contributes to the country’s socio-economic development.

The two sides reached consensus on further promoting investment and cooperation, striving to raise two-way trade to an impressive figure in the coming time.

When being in Vietnam, the Governor General laid a wreath in tribute to late President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum and attended a ceremony celebrating Vietnam-New Zealand education cooperation.

Vietnam hoists flag on ASEAN anniversary

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a flag hoisting ceremony in Hanoi on August 8 to mark the 46 th founding anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and 18 years since Vietnam joined the grouping (July 28, 1995-2013).

ASEAN flag raising ceremony. (Photo: VNA)

The event was attended by Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh, leaders of some ministries and ambassadors from ASEAN member countries in Vietnam.

Speaking to the press after the ceremony, Deputy FM Vinh said over the past 46 years, ASEAN has recorded great achievements, including the successful building of its charter and the completion of two thirds of its path towards an ASEAN Community, which is expected to be officially announced on December 31, 2015.

The association has well performed its core role in the evolving regional architecture, aiming to promote cooperation and peace as well as maintaining stability in the region, he said.

In addition, ASEAN has made contributions to stepping up trust building measures and creating regional cooperation mechanisms that help boost connectivity with partners, especially world powers, to encourage them to join hands with the bloc in fulfilling common goals of peace, stability and cooperation for development, he added.

This is the foundation for the evolving regional architecture with ASEAN playing the key role, so that all efforts made by regional countries better serve the development and benefit of people, he noted.

Minh went on to say that since it was established in 1967, ASEAN has upheld a spirit of cooperation and consensus for the common development and prosperity of the region

Over the past time, the grouping has been actively dealing with matters and challenges related to regional security and development, including the East Sea issue, maintaining peace, stability, maritime security and safety, and ensuring the peaceful settlement of all disputes in accordance with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

This can be considered a bright spot in its path of economic connectivity and integration, he said.

Regarding contributions that Vietnam has made the ASEAN since it joined the grouping 18 years ago, Deputy FM Vinh affirmed that his country has been more active in ASEAN’s joint efforts.

Particularly, the country’s engagement in ASEAN is parallel with its own economic promotion and development, he noted, adding that this has created new status and dynamism for Vietnam, allowing it to make more contributions to the association.

According to the Deputy FM, Vietnam has step by step integrated itself into ASEAN with the full and responsible implementation of its membership commitments. From observing existing documents such as the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), the country has involved in making orientations for the association’s operations.

Vietnam has served as the ASEAN Chair for several times, especially in 2010 when the grouping applied new regulations and organisational structure under its Charter.

During the year, all other member states applauded that Vietnam laid a legal foundation for the realisation of the Charter and really kicked off efforts to strongly implement the roadmap of building an ASEAN Community, which was approved in 2009, he said.

Minh made it clear that Vietnam has also directly participated in making long-term and strategic documents of ASEAN, paving the way for the association to build and develop the Community, while expanding its ties with partners.

He stressed that such contributions have created a new position for Vietnam as well as fueling ASEAN’s joint efforts towards its common goals.

Vietnam itself has exerted great efforts at national level to meet criteria on economic integration and connection, he said, adding that the country’s renewal and integration has also created a momentum for it to catch up with and actively take part in the ASEAN path until 2015.

The country will continue promoting its responsibilities together with other countries to make ASEAN united and unanimous for strong development in the following years, playing a core and active role in maintaining regional peace, security and progress.

Vietnam, with its economic policies, renewal achievements and experience, will make greater contributions to ASEAN, he concluded.

Angola eager to boost all sided cooperation with Vietnam

Angola is keen to develop cooperation with Vietnam in all fields, especially agriculture, civil construction and oil and gas.

Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh paid a working visit to Angola from August 7-8 at the invitation of his Angolan counterpart Georges Rebelo Chicoti.

At their talks on August 8, the two FMs reviewed bilateral ties over the past years and discussed ways to further strengthen relations and investment and trade cooperation in the future.

They agreed that the time-honoured friendship, effective cooperation and political trust between the two Governments, peoples and the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) provide a firm foundation for forging bilateral ties in various areas.

During the visit, FM Minh paid a courtesy visit to Vice President Manuel Vicente and worked with Minister of Oil Jose Maria Botelho de Vasconcelos and Minister of Public Administration, Employment and Social Security Antonio Domingos Pitra Neto da Costa.

Vice President Manuel Vicente praised Vietnamese FM’s first visit to Angola in 1995 and expressed his admiration for the tremendous achievements Vietnamese people recorded in the past struggles for national independence and the current process of national construction and development.

Vicente thanked the Vietnamese Government, medical and educational experts for their assistance given to his country in the early years after gaining national independence.

The Vietnamese diplomat hailed the Angolan Government and people’s efforts to push up national development, maintain political stability and ensure social welfare, making Angola become one of the most dynamic economies in Africa.

Vietnam always attaches great importance to developing relations with Africa including Angola- a traditional and important partner of Vietnam, Minh said.

In terms of economic and trade cooperation, the two sides shared the view that despite continual increases in bilateral trade, it is still far from matching full potential and aspirations. They pledged greater efforts to forge bilateral economic and commercial cooperation.

They agreed to better tap cooperation chances and make it easier for their firms to forge partnership and investment, particularly in construction and oil and gas survey and exploration.

On agricultural cooperation, both sides consented to make the most of Vietnam’s farming expertise and techniques for application in Angola, helping the African country ensure food security.

Regarding technical and labour cooperation based on the effectiveness of their expert exchange programme, they agreed to conduct negotiations for the early signing of a framework agreement on cooperation in social welfare, poverty reduction, labour and vocational training.

Angola also expressed its willingness to support for Vietnamese citizens living and working in the country.

FM Minh used the occasion to invite Rebelo Chicoti to visit Vietnam and his invitation was accepted with pleasure.

Top judges in Viet Nam, Laos discuss reforms

The Supreme People's Courts of Viet Nam and Laos will continue to strengthen cooperation to deepen the special relationship and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

The commitment was made during a meeting between the Chief Judge of the Lao Supreme People's Court Khamphan Sitthidampha and his Vietnamese counterpart, Truong Hoa Binh, who is visiting Laos from August 7-10.

Both law officers praised their effective cooperation, especially when exchanging delegations, training court staff, applying technology to court activities, updating judicial administration procedures and improving the performance of courts in general.

They also discussed the socio-economic situation in each countries and recent events concerning the judiciary in both nations.

They worked closely to improve the capacity of the court system in Laos and held many successful events during the 2012 Viet Nam-Laos Solidarity and Friendship Year.

In the near future, both supreme people's courts will continue to exchanging delegations and work together to upgrade personnel training for Lao's courts, while sharing information and experiences of judicial reforms.

During their talks, both chief judges talked about a plan to hold a meeting between the border provinces of Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia in Laos in 2014.

Vietnamese, Thai navies boost anti-piracy coordination

The navies of Vietnam and Thailand have agreed to further joint anti-piracy cooperation and marine environmental protection, along with increasing delegation exchanges, exercises in joint patrols, and information sharing in 2014.

Both sides are unanimous in working with relevant agencies to step up sea law dissemination for fishermen and settle violations and illegal fishing cases in a humane manner, thus safeguarding stability, security and order in the bordering waters.

These agreements were reached at the 16th annual meeting of the Vietnamese-Thai Working Group on the Establishment of Order at Sea in the northern port province of Haiphong.

The meeting on August 6 and 7 was co-chaired by Rear Admiral Nguyen Van Kiem, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Vietnam People’s Navy, and Rear Admiral Pornchai Pinthong, Deputy Commander of the Royal Thai Navy’s Zone 2.

The two sides reviewed their activities from August 2012 to July 2013 and the implementation of regulations for joint patrols.

Cooperation between the navies has been incessantly enhanced, contributing importantly to promoting the two countries’ friendship and armies as well as maintaining order in their bordering waters, the officers said.

Notably, in the reviewed period, two joint patrols, search and rescue exercises and basic naval trainings were organised successfully.

Friendship order awarded to Cuban Ambassador

Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan on August 8 presented the Friendship Order to Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam Fredesman Turro Gonzalez in recognition of his contributions to consolidating and developing the Vietnam-Cuba friendship.

This is the second time Gonzalez has received such a noble reward. The first time was in 2004 when he finished his first ambassador tenure in Vietnam.

The outgoing Ambassador affirmed that in any position, he will try to fulfil his assigned tasks, contributing to enriching the time-honoured friendship and solidarity between the two nations.

VNN/VOV/VNS/VNA