AMAF to adopt 23 plans of actions in agriculture, forestry

Delegates to the 40th meeting of AMAF in Hanoi 

The 40th meeting of the ASEAN Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) opened in Hanoi on October 11, with 23 plans of action and cooperation on the agenda. 

Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung of Vietnam, the current chair country of the AMAF, delivered the opening speech at the meeting. 

Deputy PM Dung underlined the key role of agriculture in socio-political and economic stability of each member country of ASEAN and the bloc’s partners in the region. 

Reality shows that for most ASEAN countries, agriculture is the base of the economy which helps them overcome fluctuations and crisis, contributing to ensuring food security and sustainable development, he said, stressing that cooperation in agriculture, forestry has always been a key content of the ASEAN Economic Community.  

At the same time, agriculture is also a vulnerable sector facing numerous risks, he said, noting that the agricultural sector of Vietnam as well as of other countries in the region is facing fierce competition with other economic sectors in resources, especially labour, land and water sources.  

Other challenges for the region’s agriculture include declining productivity and growth, the gap between rural and urban areas and especially impacts of climate change. 

Deputy PM Dung laid emphasis on the complicated and unpredictable climate change, which is threatening food security and sustainable development of each country, citing examples such as the recent earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia which claimed thousands of lives and left severe long-term consequences. 

He took the occasion to propose using available mechanisms of the ASEAN such as the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) to provide timely support to victims of the twin disaster. 

Mentioning the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), Deputy PM Dung called on the ASEAN Economic Community to adopt practical measures to seize opportunities and bring the ASEAN’s agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors forward to catch up with developed nations. He noted that ASEAN member countries should pay attention to the application of 4IR technology to commercial agricultural production. 

The Deputy PM said as an active member of the ASEAN Community, Vietnam attaches importance to regional cooperation and will continue to make feasible initiatives to enhance the effectiveness of ASEAN cooperation for the sustainable development of agriculture. 

The 40th AMAF meeting is scheduled to approve strategies, policies and guidelines for the region’s agriculture, forestry and fisheries, and propose initiatives on cooperation with partner countries and international organisations with a view to realising targets of the ASEAN Vision to 2025 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals to 2030. 

Vietnam’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong said ASEAN countries have favourable conditions to form supply and value chains for farm produce and food. However, the gap in production level, resources and technology among them is hindering the common development, requiring member countries to work together to seek optimal solutions to achieve a green agriculture and inclusive and sustainable development for their agriculture and rural areas.

Vietnam, Czech seek closer cooperation between localities

Vietnam’s Ambassador to the Czech Republic Ho Minh Tua. 

Vietnam’s Ambassador to the Czech Republic Ho Minh Tuan met with Governor of Plzen Region Josef Bernard in the city of Plzen on October 10 to discuss plans to boost cooperation between the Czech region and Vietnamese localities. 

Speaking at the meeting, Tuan spoke highly of the potential and strengths of the Plzen Region in industry, agriculture, transport, tourism and services. These sectors are suitable for Plzen and Vietnam’s cities and provinces to set up cooperation and learn from each other’s experience, he noted.

He also thanked the government of the region for supporting the local Vietnamese community and engaging them in the regional life and activities. The ambassador hoped that the Vietnamese community will receive further attention from the local government; for example, they should be provided with support to organise cultural events and open Vietnamese language courses for children.

About 6,000 Vietnamese people now reside across the Plzen region, most of who are involved in business and services or work in factories.

Tuan moved on to discuss with his host the memorandum of understanding signed between Plzen and the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho in 2014, suggesting the two sides coordinate more closely to implement contents in the agreement. 

They need to provide all means for enterprises from the two countries to seek partnership through trade and investment promotional events, he said. At the same time, the University of West Bohemia in Plzen and the University of Can Tho can exchange scientific studies and students, he added.

The ambassador urged Plzen and Vietnamese localities to further expand people-to-people exchange in culture and tourism to enhance mutual understanding between the two countries and promote celebration of the 70th anniversary of the diplomatic ties in 2020.

Bernard, for his part, agreed with his guest’s proposal, saying he will help the Vietnamese community find proper venues and access funding for their cultural activities. He also suggested the two sides hold photo exhibitions for local people to know more about Vietnam’s people, culture and landscapes and translate selected Vietnamese popular books and movies into Czech.

He further noted that Plzen stands ready to provide funding for the organisation of business forums and workshops for trade and investment promotion between the two sides.

Seminar discusses Vietnam’s White Book of Defence 2018

Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh speaks at the seminar in Hanoi on October 11

The Defence Ministry held a scientific seminar on the White Book of Defence of Vietnam in Hanoi on October 11. 

Standing member of the Central Military Commission and Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh, who is head of the steering committee for the compilation and publishing of the White Book, said the 2018 edition aims to spread the viewpoint, directions and policies on national defence of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Central Military Commission.

The White Book also provides information on the building of the people-based national defence, the people’s army and external cooperation in defence. 

The Deputy Minister said the book serves as material for training in the Party’s defence and military guidelines and the State’s defence policy for officials, officers, soldiers and people, raising their awareness about the task of national defence in the new situation. 

He noted that the publishing of the 2018 White Book of Defence of Vietnam is also aimed at publicizing the country’s national defence.

Vietnam attends 17th Francophonie Summit in Armenia

Vietnam affirmed its commitments to and unity with the Francophone community during the 17th Francophonie Summit that opened in Yerevan, Armenia on October 11.

The Vietnamese delegation to the event was led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh. The two-day summit brings together nearly 3,500 delegates from 84 member countries and territories of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) and its observers. 

Vietnam also reiterated its commitments to multilateralism as well as multilateral diplomacy, especially in its role as a key OIF member in the Asia-Pacific. 

The 17th Francophonie Summit takes place with the theme “Living together in solidarity, sharing humanist values, and respect for diversity: Sources of peace and prosperity in the Francophone space”.

It is held in the context of recent global challenges – such as terrorism, disease, water resource and food security, environmental pollution, climate change, and international migration – having caused adverse impact on peace and development in many countries, including OIF members. 

Therefore, the event offers an opportunity for the countries to seek measures to enhance cooperation in response to such challenges. 

Over the past time, Vietnam has constructively and responsibly participated in OIF activities, tangibly contributing to cooperation within the community. 

Following the plenary session, Deputy PM Minh and Ambassador Duong Chi Dung – head of the Vietnam Permanent Mission to the UN, the WTO, and other international organisations in Geneva – attended a retreat on the world’s situation. 

The Yerevan Declaration, as well as several other key resolutions and documents, will be adopted at the event. 

During bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit, Vietnam plans to mobilise support for its run for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council for 2020-2021. 

Deputy PM Minh is expected to deliver a speech at a session on October 12.

Established in 1970, the OIF’s mission is to engage active solidarity between its 84 member states and governments (58 members and 26 observers), which together represent over one-third of the United Nations’ member states and account for a population of over 900 million people, including 274 million French speakers.

The IOF organises multilateral cooperation political activities and actions that benefit French-speaking populations. Its actions respect cultural and linguistic diversity and serve to promote the French language, peace, and sustainable development. 

Prime Minister’s trip to Japan a success: Deputy FM

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (left) and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe. 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s trip to Japan from October 8-10 has been a resounding success, contributing to enhancing political trust and friendly cooperation between Vietnam and Japan, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung has said. 

Following the leader’s attendance at the 10th Mekong-Japan Summit and overall visit to Japan, Trung told the press that the two sides have agreed to cooperate closely with each other in order to deepen their extensive strategic partnership across many fields. 

They will also join hands at international forums, for the sake of each country, and for peace, stability, and cooperation in the region and the world alike.

PM Phuc and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe committed to promoting ASEAN-Japan relations, especially as Vietnam is working as a coordinator of the ASEAN-Japan Dialogue. 

PM Abe applauded Vietnam’s role, position, and contributions to regional and international issues, wishing to work closely with the country to reach a result-orientated agreement on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in 2018, and push ahead with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). 

Regarding the East Sea issue, participating countries stressed the significance of maintaining peace, security, safety, and freedom of navigation and aviation; ensuring legal order in the East Sea; and settling disputes by peaceful measures. 

They took note of concerns over complex developments in the East Sea and the need to implement the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), as well as to soon finalise an effective and practical Code of Conduct in the East Sea. 

The Japanese side said it attaches great importance to Vietnam in its regional policy, and stands ready to cooperate with Vietnam for the country’s sustainable development. 

Trung said the lift of Mekong-Vietnam cooperation to a strategic partnership is expected to help foster multilateral collaboration between Vietnam and Japan, and to contribute to wider regional connectivity. 

Within the Mekong-Japan cooperation framework, there have been hundreds of projects worth tens of billions of US dollars. Over the past three years, Japan has allocated around 7 billion USD to the mechanism, contributing to the development of the Mekong countries, including Vietnam. 

Trung said he believes that Vietnam will have more opportunities to mobilise resources for the development of transport infrastructure, energy, digital economy, personnel training, Mekong River water resource use and management, and climate change response. 

The partnership will also help build a region of peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the Mekong, he said.

Tanzania a prioritised African partner of Vietnam: Acting President

Acting President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh (right) and Tanzanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Augustine Mahiga 

Vietnam attaches great importance to its relations with Tanzania, one of the country’s priority partners in Africa, Acting President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh affirmed on October 11. 

At a meeting with visiting Tanzanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Augustine Mahiga in Hanoi, Thinh noted with pleasure the fruitful bilateral political collaboration in the party, government, and national assembly channels.

She urged the two sides to promote political cooperation as it creates a firm foundation and favourable conditions for economic, trade, and investment ties, as well as affiliation in other spheres. 

The host also suggested the two countries step up trade and investment relations in order to bring bilateral trade turnover to 1 billion USD in the near future, as agreed by their leaders, while expanding partnerships in such areas as agriculture, telecommunications, and consumer goods production. 

Vietnam stands ready to share its experience in agricultural production with Tanzania, helping the Tanzanian Government successfully realise its strategy of making agriculture a spearhead sector for the nation’s development. 

Thinh expressed her hope that Vietnam and Tanzania will carry forward their cooperation and coordinate with each other at international and multi-lateral forums, including the UN Non-Aligned Movement. 

She congratulated Tanzania on the political-economic-social achievements the country has recorded in recent times and lauded the role, position, and contributions of Tanzania to peace, integration, and development in East Africa. 

For his part, Augustine Mahiga highlighted the time-honoured cooperative ties between Vietnam and Tanzania. 

Expressing his admiration for Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements, he said Vietnam is a exemplary model for Tanzania during its process of national development. 

Tanzania supports Vietnam’s run for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council for 2020-2021, he promised. 

The Minister said Vietnam’s investments have helped Tanzania with economic transformation, towards industrialisation and modernisation. 

The Tanzanian Government always creates the best possible conditions for Vietnamese firms to invest in and run business in the country, he stressed, expressing his hope that Tanzania will attract more Vietnamese enterprises in the time ahead. 

HCM City leader receives Cuban guest

Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan on October 11 received Olga Lodia Tapia Iglesias, Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (CPC) Central Committee 

Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan on October 11 received Olga Lodia Tapia Iglesias, Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (CPC) Central Committee, who is on a working visit to Vietnam.

The city leader affirmed that Cuba holds a special place in the hearts and minds of Vietnamese people who continue to follow the developments in Cuba’s successful progress with joy. 

He informed his guest of the city’s recent socio-economic development, as well as challenges it is facing and solutions it has worked out, while highly valuing Cuba’s technological advancement in biochemical and agricultural production. He said HCM City and Cuba boast various opportunities for cooperation in such fields as bioproducts to serve agricultural production, farm produce processing, and trade for agricultural products.

For her part, Olga Lodia Tapia Iglesias – who is also head of the CPC Central Committee’s Department of Education, Sports, and Science – expressed her admiration of HCM City’s dynamic growth. She said Cuba and Vietnam enjoy many similarities in terms of their opportunities and challenges for economic and political development.

Cuba has learned from Vietnam’s development experiences and will take lessons that are applicable to Cuba’s specific situation, she said. 

The official stressed that Cuba will continue to consider Vietnam a promising market and wish to further promote economic and trade cooperation with Vietnam, including HCM City, and bring Cuba-Vietnam economic ties on par with the two countries’ sound political relations. 

Telecoms contributes to Vietnam-Tanzania cooperation: Acting Minister

Acting Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung received Tanzanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Augustine Mahiga in Hanoi on October 11 (Photo: Mic.gov.vn)

Telecommunications has contributed to the practical cooperation between Vietnam and Tanzania, Acting Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung said on October 11.

The official made the statement while receiving Tanzanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Augustine Mahiga in Hanoi.

Welcoming his guest, Hung expressed his delight over the development of the Vietnam and Tanzania relations.

The success of the telecommunication joint venture Halotel, the military-run telecom group Viettel’s Tanzanian hand, is a proof of the development and this serves as a motivation for other Vietnamese firms to invest in Tanzania, he noted.

He thanked the Tanzanian Government and people for creating favourable conditions for Halotel in the country and voiced his hope for continued support in the issuance of work and residence permits for labourers. 

The host also suggested that the Tanzanian side ensure operation and safety of Halotel’s workers and assets, and support the joint venture to improve its services.

In response, the Tanzanian minister affirmed that Halotel has made contributions to Tanzania’s socio-economic development, especially for its nationwide coverage. 

Halotel has offered opportunities for Tanzanian people in poor rural and remote areas to access vast information source, thus raising their livelihood, he added.

At the meeting, both sides agreed to further expand cooperation in information and communications sector, especially to support Tanzania’s development in information and communication technologies (ICT) so that the country will become an ICT centre in East Africa in the coming time.

Vietnam treasures cooperative ties with Tanzania: Deputy FM

Standing Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son (R) and Tanzanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Augustine Mahiga 

Generations of Vietnamese leaders have attached much importance to cooperative relations with Tanzania who supported Vietnam during the struggle for national dependence, said Standing Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son.

During a talk with Tanzanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Augustine Mahiga in Hanoi on October 11, Deputy FM Son spoke highly of his guest’s visit to Vietnam, saying that this is a good opportunity for both countries to bolster bilateral collaboration and enhance coordination at multilateral mechanisms, helping to deepen cooperative relations.

The Tanzanian diplomat expressed his admiration for Vietnam’s impressive achievements in national construction and development.

Regarding the East Sea issue, Minister Mahiga said that he supports the settlement of all the disputes by peaceful means, ensuring freedom of navigation and respecting international regulations. 

He also described ASEAN as a successful model for regional cooperation that African countries should follow.

At the talk, both diplomats agreed to strengthen bonds between the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and the Chama Cha Mapinduzi ruling party, saying that this will contribute to consolidating political trust between the two nations.

More delegation exchanges should be made at all levels and twin relations be set up between Vietnamese and Tanzanian localities, they added.

Besides suggesting that Tanzania open a representative office in Vietnam, Deputy FM Son also recommended opening a trade office in each country to facilitate connections among enterprises.

Furthermore, they pledged to support each other at the United Nations and other international organisations that Vietnam and Tanzania are members of. Deputy FM Son took the occasion to thank Tanzania for supporting Vietnam’s candidacy as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2020-2021 tenure.

Augustine Mahiga said that he will work to foster relations between Vietnam and East Africa, as well as the African Union (AU). Meanwhile, Son said that Vietnam stands ready to facilitate the flow of Tanzanian goods and services to break into the ASEAN market.

Son and his Tanzanian guest lauded the initial achievements in investment cooperation between the two countries with the successful operation of Halotel, a member of the Viettel Group in the Africa. Augustine Mahiga laid stress on the firm’s significant contributions to economic development and locals’ livelihoods.

They were unanimous in creating favourable conditions for trade exchanges with a view to increasing two-way trade revenue to 1 billion USD in the coming time, as set by leaders of the two countries. Therefore, they supported the simplification of customs procedures, trade promotion, market research, and the establishment of a rational payment mechanism for import-export activities.

Measures to step up collaboration in other potential sectors like defence-security and agriculture-seafood were also discussed. 

HCM City, RoK’s Gyeonggi province foster collaboration

Vice Chairwoman of the HCM City People’s Council Truong Thi Anh (R) and Vice Chairman Council of the Republic of Korea’s Gyeonggi province 

Vice Chairwoman of the HCM City People’s Council Truong Thi Anh on October 10 received a visiting delegation from the Council of the Republic of Korea’s Gyeonggi province led by its Vice Chairman Kim Won-ki.

At the reception, Anh affirmed that the HCM City People’s Council pays special attention to setting up relations with the Councils of RoK localities to share experience in supervising and managing local administration in service of each side’s development process.

She said the delegation’s visit will contribute to further tightening the ties and mutual understanding between HCM City and Gyeonggi in general and their councils in particular.

On the basis of the memorandum of understanding on establishment of the friendship and cooperation between HCM City and Gyeonggi province signed in April 2018, the municipal People’s Council wants to join the Council of Gyeonggi province in increasing the regular exchange of all-level delegations and the sharing of experience in local administration supervision and management, thus further enhancing the friendship and collaboration between both sides.

For his part, Kim said Vietnam is one of the five countries with the largest transactions with Gyeonggi province in various fields. Gyeonggi and HCM City own numerous opportunities to foster cooperation as they share a lot of similarities.

He wished that in the coming time, the two sides will promote collaboration activities between their councils, creating foundations for the two localities’ delegation exchange and experience sharing.

He suggested the municipal leaders continue creating conditions for RoK businesses to operate effectively in the city, thus helping develop the two countries’ ties in economy, trade and other fields.

At the meeting, the two sides discussed orientations to boost their cooperation in the time to come.

Vietnam, Cuba youth unions boost exchange

Nguyen Anh Tuan, Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee presents a gift to Olga Lidia Tapia Iglesias, Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba's Central Committee in their meeting in Hanoi on October 10. 

Nguyen Anh Tuan, Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee, received a delegation from the Communist Party of Cuba (CPC) led by Olga Lidia Tapia Iglesias, Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, in Hanoi on October 10.

In his remarks at the meeting, Tuan spoke highly of the strong bond between Vietnam and Cuba that has been nurtured by several generations of leaders.

The HCM Communist Youth Union has boasted good relations with the Cuban Young Communist League as part of its efforts to foster diplomacy and people-to-people exchange between the two countries, he said.

The two sides have maintained the regular exchange of high-level visits and showed support for each other at bilateral and multilateral forums for years, Tuan said.

He proposed that the CPC provide more opportunities for youths from the two nations to meet and exchange in the coming time, and wished that the two youth unions will further improve effectiveness of their cooperation and expand areas of partnership to bring more practical benefits to Vietnamese and Cuban young people.

For her part, Tapia, who also serves as head of the Education, Sports, and Science Department of the CPC Central Committee, said this visit is a great opportunity for the two youth unions to learn from each other’s experience in youth affairs. 

She highly appreciated the success of the HCM Communist Youth Union’s activities and practical action programmes of the Vietnamese youth.

The CPC has paid great attention to youth affairs as well as to young people across Cuba as they are the future of the country, she said.

Tapia urged the two youth unions to work harder to promote the rights of the younger generation, meet their aspirations, and improve the capacity of the unions’ officials.

Following the meeting, she held a talk with students from the Vietnam Youth Academy, focusing on the theme “the leadership of the CPC and younger generations” and updated them on the current situation in Cuba.

Vietnam, UK issue Joint Statement

The meeting between Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and HRH the Duke of York, Prince Andrew, at Buckingham Palace in London on October 9 

Vietnam and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) issued a Joint Statement on the occasion of Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh’s official visit to the UK on October 9-10.

The following is the full text of the Joint Statement.

As part of events to welcome the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the UK and Vietnam, His Excellency Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh paid an official visit to the UK from October 9-10, 2018. The Deputy Prime Minister had official talks with Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster David Lidington, Secretary of State for International Trade Dr Liam Fox, and paid courtesy calls on HRH the Duke of York, Prince Andrew, and Speaker of the House of Lords, Lord Fowler. During the visit, he also attended the Vietnam - UK Economic Forum and met some major UK companies. 

On the occasion of the Deputy Prime Minister’s visit, the UK and Vietnam note the growing importance of collaboration in the UN, on peacekeeping, global security, international law and the illegal wildlife trade. They highly appreciate and welcome the transition of the provision of the UN Level 2 Hospital in South Sudan from UK to Vietnamese peacekeepers, and a commitment to exchanging expertise in peacekeeping-related military engineering. 

The UK and Vietnam are strong advocates of free trade in Europe and Asia and actively promote the early signing of the EU – Vietnam Free Trade agreement (EVFTA) in 2018. The UK and Vietnam look forward to maintaining smooth trade relations as the UK leaves the EU, including through ensuring continuity for business by transitioning the prospective EU Vietnam Free Trade agreement during the Brexit transition. Both sides also agree to consult further on the prospects of the UK joining the CPTPP.

Both sides acknowledge the key role of education in the relationship including our strengthened science partnership on research, innovation and antimicrobial resistance. In pursuit of these goals, the Decision establishing the educational and cultural status of the British Council in Vietnam has been renewed. They also emphasise the importance of enhancing cooperation on bilateral cultural diplomacy so as to help strengthen the Strategic Partnership between the two countries.  

Both sides reiterate their commitment to the UN sanctions regime to encourage DPRK to take steps to denuclearise fully and verifiably. They reinforce the importance of maintaining the ban on the use of chemical weapons globally. They agree that adherence to international law is the foundation for peace and stability and renew their commitment to upholding existing Arbitrations and to freedom of navigation and overflight. They hold the view that countries should resolve all disputes by peaceful means, in accordance with international law and through existing legal mechanisms.

Both sides express their support for the 2018 London Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) and agree on the importance of efforts to combat the illegal wildlife trade. 

Both sides look forward to a deeper and closer relationship between the UK and ASEAN after the UK leaves the EU. They welcome further UK funding for expertise exchanges with Vietnam on anti-corruption, culture, health, civil service capacity building and reform, infrastructure, smart cities and low carbon, maritime security, peaceful settlement of international disputes. 

The UK and Vietnam have a mutual commitment to regular Ministerial visits to both countries. They agree that the next round of the Strategic Dialogue between the two countries should take place in early 2019.

Party chief: Vietnam supports Cuba’s revolutionary cause

CPV General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (R) and Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Olga Lidia Tapia Iglesias 

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong has reiterated Vietnam’s consistent policy of supporting the revolutionary cause of the fraternal Cuban people.

The Party leader made the affirmation during a reception in Hanoi on October 10 for Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (CPC) Central Committee Olga Lidia Tapia Iglesias. 

He expressed thanks to First Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Raul Castro and leaders of the Cuban Party and State for cabling messages of condolences to the Vietnamese Party, State, and people over the recent passing of former General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee Do Muoi and sending a high-ranking delegation led by Tapia to Vietnam to attend the State funeral. 

The General Secretary said Vietnam considers the victory of Cuba as part of its own and believes that on the back of resolutions adopted by the sixth and seventh National Congress of the CPC, Cuba will continue successfully updating economic and socialist-building models, opening up a new development period for the sake of democracy, prosperity, and sustainability. 

Vietnam is ready to share its experience in the renewal cause with Cuba and congratulates the CPC, State, and people of Cuba on their achievements in politics-ideology, education, healthcare, and sports, he said. 

Tapia, who is also head of the CPC Central Committee’s Department of Science, Education, and Sports, conveyed the profound sympathies of First Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Raul Castro; President of the Council of State and the Council of Ministers Miguel Diaz Canel Bermudez; and other leaders of the CPC and State, and the people of Cuba to Vietnamese Party and State leaders, and people over the passing of former Party General Secretary Do Muoi. 

She briefed the host on the situation in Cuba and its process of amending its constitution with the involvement of people from all walks of life. 

Tapia affirmed Cuba’s determination to further deepen traditional ties and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States, and peoples as expected by the late President Ho Chi Minh and Commander-in-chief Fidel Castro. 

Earlier, Politburo member Vo Van Thuong, Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and head of the CPV Central Committee’s Commission for Information and Education, held talks with the Cuban official. 

Both sides discussed experience in ideological work, science, education, and sports, as well as ways to boost ties between the two Parties in the near future. 

During their stay, the Cuban delegation paid tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum; laid a wreath at the monument dedicated to Cuban national hero Jose Marti; held working sessions with the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union; and visited several scientific, educational, and sport establishments in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

PM Phuc meets with leaders of Japanese parliament

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) meets with Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan Tadamori Oshima in Tokyo on October 10 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc met with Speakers of the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors of the Japanese National Diet in Tokyo on October 10, as part of his visit to the Northeast Asian nation.

At the meeting, PM Phuc lauded the strong, comprehensive, and substantive development of Vietnam-Japan relations as well as the progress in parliamentary links since their diplomatic ties were set up 45 years ago.

He highlighted the wish to enhance connections in a more comprehensive and profound manner to match the interests and aspirations of the two countries’ people. He also called for stronger coordination in regional and international issues of shared concern, thus actively contributing to peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region.

Talking to Speaker of the House of Representatives Tadamori Oshima, the visiting leader asked the lower house to increase meetings at all levels and the exchange of legislative experience between the two parliaments. He also asked the house to bolster cooperation in agriculture, labour (including the reception of more Vietnamese practitioners), locality-to-locality ties, culture, and people-to-people exchange.

Oshima highly valued the breakthrough and substantive strides in Vietnam-Japan ties, noting that the Japanese lower house treasures its bilateral relations and wants to step up the countries’ extensive strategic partnership in all spheres.

He said he respects young Vietnamese people’s sentiments towards Japan, adding that the lower house will listen to public opinions and consider improving entry procedures for Vietnamese citizens. He also voiced his support for young Vietnamese looking to study in Japan and for young Japanese wanting to study in Vietnam.

Meeting with Speaker of the House of Councillors Chuichi Date, PM Phuc appreciated the upper house’s contributions to mutual cooperation in all fields.

He affirmed that Vietnam treasures and makes full use of Japan’s official development assistance (ODA) in an effective manner, asking the Japanese parliament to consider providing ODA with more preferential conditions for the country.

The PM also called for the upper house’s enhancement of bilateral ties between localities, as well as in agriculture and labour. He expressed his hope that the Vietnamese and Japanese parliaments will further supervise and promote the two governments’ implementation of the signed agreements, and reinforce coordination at regional and international interparliamentary forums.

For his part, Date spoke highly of the Vietnamese Government’s performance and the country’s economic and diplomatic achievements. He affirmed that the upper house will strengthen the countries’ extensive and all-round cooperation and support the Japanese Government to continue assisting Vietnam with its socio-economic development.

On this occasion, he also applauded the fruitful contributions by Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Nguyen Quoc Cuong, who has helped flourish bilateral relations.

PM calls for Japanese firms’ help in supporting, high-tech industries

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) meets with Mitsubishi President and CEO Takehiro Kakeuchi in Tokyo on October 10 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc called on Japanese businesses to help their Vietnamese peers develop the supporting and high-technology industries, during a talk with relevant major Japanese enterprises operating in these fields in Tokyo on October 10.

The talk took place as part of his trip to attend the 10th Mekong-Japan Summit Meeting and visit Japan.

The PM said that the Vietnamese Government pays close attention to raising the capacity of accessing and grasping development opportunities from the Fourth Industry Revolution, as well as increasing the application of artificial intelligence and high technology in all sectors in order to improve production capacity and competitiveness in production chains.

Within this process, Vietnam attaches importance to training high-quality human resources and developing IT infrastructure, he said, hoping that Japanese businesses will act as guides for developing these fields in Vietnam.

He called on Japanese firms to set up supplementary production and supply clusters in Vietnam, towards increasing the localisation rate.

According to the PM, the Vietnamese Government will continue its powerful momentum of reform, cutting down administrative procedures and creating the best conditions for businesses. 

He affirmed Vietnam’s motto of accompanying enterprises during the development process, saying the nation will make every effort to address arising issues so that Japanese companies can continue doing successful business in Vietnam and contribute to the development and prosperity of the country.

For their part, Japanese enterprises said the business climate in Vietnam has significantly improved and wished that the Vietnamese Government will provide more favourable conditions for them to expand investment and do long-term business in the country.

Some of them revealed that they pay special heed to training high-quality human resources in Vietnam to supply companies in Japan. They also wish to expand investment in the fields of distribution, infrastructure connectivity, construction of global data and operation centres, the development of high-tech agriculture, and sectors applying artificial intelligence. 

The enterprises pledged to contribute to the development of the Vietnamese economy, as well as preserving and promoting the sound relationship between the two nations.

At a reception for President and CEO Kanetsugu Mike of MUFG, Japan’s largest bank, PM Phuc spoke highly of MUFG’s business operations in Vietnam and hoped that the bank will continue to be an important bridge for boosting Japanese investment in the Southeast Asian country and join Vietnam in the implementation of its banking development strategy.

The MUFG leader thanked the Vietnamese Government for facilitating the bank’s operation in the country and vowed to promote investment from Japanese enterprises in Vietnam, thus contributing to bilateral ties and the development of the Southeast Asian country.

Meeting with Mitsubishi President and CEO Takehiro Kakeuchi, the PM suggested that Mitsubishi consider investing in large-scale projects, such as those to develop smart cities in Vietnamese localities, build Lien Chieu port in the central city of Da Nang, and install coffee and tea processing lines.

The Mitsubishi President committed to investing in Vietnam at the highest level, promoting new ideas and studying the expansion of investment in those areas proposed by the PM.

Later the same day, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his entourage left the Haneda International Airport for home, successfully concluding his trip to attend the 10th Mekong-Japan Summit Meeting and visit Japan.