Russian press highlights Party chief’s visit to Russia

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong holds talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

Russia’s press has intensively covered the freshly-concluded visit to Russia by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong, as well as relations between the two countries. 

The Party chief’s official visit, from September 5-8, made headlines in official websites of the Kremlin, the Russian Government, the State Duma of Russia and the Russian Federation Council. 

The independence newspaper ran an article by Grigory Lokshin, Vice President of the Russia-Vietnam Friendship Association, who said that the Vietnamese leader’s visit will open up a new page in the bilateral relationship. 

Vietnam has changed unrecognizably after 30 years of reform and become an equal partner of Russia, the article said, adding that the country has also maintained its fine policy towards Russia.

G. Lokshin expressed his belief that cooperation projects signed during the visit, along with the free trade agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union, which was put into force in October 2016, will help the two countries fulfill the target of raising bilateral trade to 10 billion USD in 2020. 

He held that the partnership, including collaboration in exploiting oil and gas on Vietnam’s continental shelf, has helped Russia create a more balanced configuration and contributed to maintaining peace and stability in the region. 

Meanwhile, the Izvestia daily also published an article highlighting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s appeal for Vietnam’s investment in Sibiri and the Far East.

The article cited the President as saying that Russia hopes for investment flows of Vietnamese companies in agriculture and projects to the Sibiri region and the Far East, following a project invested by TH True Milk in Kaluga province. 

The Regnum News Agency also quoted Chairman of the State of Duma of Russia Vyacheslav Volodin as saying that the visit has contributed to promoting the bilateral legislative ties, while creating new momentum for the Russia-Vietnam comprehensive strategic partnership.

PM inspects preparations for WEF ASEAN

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc inspects preparations for WEF ASEAN on September 9 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on September 9 said the preparation work is significant to the success of the upcoming World Economic Forum on ASEAN (WEF ASEAN) – Vietnam’s most important diplomatic activity in 2018. 

While inspecting preparations for the event, slated for September 11-13 at the National Convention Centre in Hanoi, the PM said this is an opportunity for Vietnam to affirm its aspiration for a higher position. 

He said it is a need to step up communication work to popularise activities relating to the meeting as well as promote the image of Vietnamese land and people. 

Attention should be paid to both the opening ceremony and related discussions, he said, stressing absolute safety during the event, with focus on health and sanitation issues. 

According to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, six Presidents and Prime Ministers and three Deputy PMs are expected to attend the event. Up to 970 people have registered for the meeting as official delegates, raising the total number of participants to nearly 1,200. 

About more than 300 domestic and foreign reporters will come to cover the important event, he said. 

In 2010, Vietnam hosted the World Economic Forum on East Asia for the first time and over the past eight years, the country has obtained remarkable economic achievements, including the GDP per capita rising from 1,160 USD in 2010 to 2,385 USD in 2017.

The WEF was established in 1971 as a non-profit foundation and is headquartered in Geneva. The forum engages political, business, and other leaders to shape global, regional, and industry agendas.

 Founded in 1967, ASEAN groups together Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

A new urban administration for more efficiency and effectiveness: Hà Nội’s leader

Ha Nội wants to develop a new urban administration model for a more efficient and effective governance, Secretary of the Hà Nội Party Committee Hoàng Trung Hải said.

The capital city is drafting a plan on new urban administration model and expects to submit it to the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) in December.

Last year, the Political Bureau approved to pilot a new urban administration model in Hà Nội. The model would be simplified from the current one and still ensure the administration protects the people’s rights and obligations.

Speaking at a workshop yesterday seeking experts’ contributions to the draft plan, Hải said the new urban administration model must help meet citizens’ demands and increase status of the capital city.

E-Government was also part of the model.

“The score of the model is how to increase the autonomy decentralisation and improve performance of public administrative system,” he said, adding that once the model was applied, public administrative services would be decentralised to lower levels so that citizens can easily access e-government and use online public services.

Under the latest draft, Hà Nội introduced two options on new urban administration model.

In option 1, there will no longer be People’s Council at commune and ward level (known as the lowest legislature). Instead, there will be People’s Committee – commonly known as law enforcement authority. People’s Council and People’s Committee at district and city level remain the same.

If this option is chosen, People’s Council of wards will be abolished in 2021 and the People’s Council of communes will be abolished in 2023.

In option 2, only at city level, the People’s Council will be kept. People’s Councils at district and ward/commune levels can be abolished. If this option is chosen, there will be big changes for the administrative system at the commune/ward and district levels as well as public employees and officials working there. Thus, this option must be accompanied with changes in legal documents to match with the restructuring.

Currently, the duo People’s Council and People’s Committee exist at all levels from commune/ward to district/town and city. The capital city of Hà Nội has 29 districts and one town, under which, there are 386 communes and 177 wards.

Associate Professor and Doctor Lê Minh Thông, secretary of National Assembly chairwoman, said urban administration must be organised but responsibilities of every single position must be clarified to better serve citizens.

Phùng Hữu Phú, vice chairman of CPV’s Central Theoretical Council suggested that it is time for Hà Nội to develop a model on smart city management.

“When it comes to urban management today, it’s not about decentralisation but about increasing connectivity between municipal governments with local governments at lower levels,” he said. 

“Vietnam Day” marks Vietnam-Argentina diplomatic ties

Visitors at the event

The Embassy of Vietnam in Argentina held  the “Vietnam Day” event in Seeber Park in the capital city of Buenos Aires on September 8 as part of activities  to mark the 45th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties  between the two countries. 

The event saw the participation of representatives from Argentine Foreign Ministry, Buenos Aires authorities, diplomatic corps and locals. 

In his speech at the event, Ambassador Dang Xuan Dung highly valued the support and coordination of the Buenos Aires city and Argentina’s competent agencies in organising the “Vietnam Day” in the European country for the first time.

He underlined the significance of the event, saying that it helped Argentine people get insights into Vietnam’s culture and people.

The diplomat said Vietnam wants to further promote the traditional relationship with Argentina and mutual understanding among the two countries’ people. 

At the event, a delegation of Vietnamese businesses introduced various high-quality commodities of Vietnam such as products made from bamboo and rattan, wooden furniture, electrical equipment, and dried food; tourism products; and consumer goods. 

Other activities included a photo exhibition on Vietnamese people and landscapes, a Vietnamese traditional food fair, and an art performance.

Slovak Constitution Day observed in HCM City

Chairman of the VSFA HCM City Bui Quang Hai and Charge d’Affaire of the Slovak Embassy in Vietnam Ivana Belcakova 

A grand meeting was held by the Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organisations (HUFO) and the municipal chapter of the Vietnam-Slovakia Friendship Association (VSFA HCM City) on September 9 to mark the 26th anniversary of Slovak Constitution Day (September 1).

Congratulating the Eastern European country on the day, Chairman of the VSFA HCM City Bui Quang Hai said that tens of thousands of Vietnamese officials and scientists received training in Slovakia (previously called Czechoslovakia) and many of them are holding important positions in the Party and State.

The former students in have served as witnesses and bridges for the Vietnam-Slovakia relations, which have been consolidated and developed in various sectors, he stressed.

Hai said that both nations have increased the exchanges of high-level delegations and inked a line-up of cooperation documents, creating a foundation for the long-lasting, win-win relations, particularly in trade and investment.

At the event, Charge d’Affaire of the Slovak Embassy in Vietnam Ivana Belcakova said that the celebration not only created an opportunity for Slovakia’s friends to meet one another but also contributed to bolstering the traditional ties between the two countries.

Besides annual friendship activities, the Slovak Embassy will join hands with the Czech Embassy to organise a wide range of exchange programmes to mark 100 years of establishment of the Czechoslovakia this year. They include a Slovak film festival, and a food festival, she added.

As of the end of 2017, Slovakia landed nine foreign direct investment projects in Vietnam with total registered capital of some 250 million USD. Meanwhile, Vietnamese firms have invested 500,000 USD in the European nation. 

Both nations have enjoyed stable trade in the past years. Vietnam exports footwear, garment and textiles, and seafood to Slovakia, while importing machines, equipment and steel spare parts from the country.

VN leaders send National Day congratulations to DPRK, Tajikistan

Kim Il-sung Square (Source: yonhap/VNA)

President Tran Dai Quang on September 8 sent a message of congratulations to Kim Yong-nam, President of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the country’s National Day (September 9). 

The same day, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc also extended congratulations to Premier Pak Pong-ju of the DPRK. 

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh cabled a congratulatory message to DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho.

Also on September 8, President Quang sent his congratulations to his Tajikistani counterpart Emomali Rahmon on the occasion of the 27th anniversary of Independence Day of the Republic of Tajikistan (September 9).  

Prime Minster Phuc also extended his greetings to his Tajikistani counterpart Kokhir Rasulzoda. 

On this occasion, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Minh sent a message of congratulations to Tajikistani Foreign Minister Sirodjiddin Muhriddin.