Cambodian FM to co-chair Cambodia-Vietnam joint committee meeting

Overview of the 15th meeting of the Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Committee 

Cambodian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhon will attend the 16th meeting of the Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Committee that will be held in Hanoi on May 17.

A statement of the ministry on May 14 announced that the Minister will co-chair the event with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh.

The meeting is a chance for the two sides to review their achievements in bilateral cooperation over the past years and seek solutions to further strengthen the bilateral friendly affiliation for peace and prosperity of both countries, according to the statement.

It also added that following the event, the two sides will sign a number of important documents. On the sidelines of the meeting, Prak Sokhon will pay a courtesy call to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Vietnam and Cambodia are enjoying close friendly ties and comprehensive cooperation.

Two-way trade reached 3.8 billion USD in 2017, up 25 percent over the previous year.

The two countries are determined to boost border trade activities to soon realise the target of 5 billion USD in bilateral trade in the near future.

Party official welcomes visit by India’s Assam State Governor

At the working session between Governor of Assam State of India Sarbananda Sonowal and permanent deputy head of the CPV’s Economic Commission Cao Duc Phat 

Head of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Hoang Binh Quan welcomed the Vietnam visit by Governor of Assam State of India Sarbananda Sonowal to seek business opportunities with Vietnamese localities during their talks in Hanoi on May 14. 

Sonowal, who is also high-ranking leader of the Indian People’s Party (BJP), is in Vietnam from May 13-16 at the invitation of the External Relations Commission. 

Quan said the Governor’s first visit within the framework of the Distinguished Guest Programme between the commission and the Indian Foreign Ministry is to specify agreement between the two countries’ leaders, contributing to strengthening friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and India, and between Vietnamese localities and Assam state. 

He highly valued friendship and cooperation between CPV and BJP, expressing his belief that the visit will further expand bilateral coordination in the near future. 

The guest, for his part, lauded Vietnam’s economic achievements over the past years. He said Assam is the largest state in the northeast and a gateway connecting India and Southeast Asia. 

According to him, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a policy of expanding connectivity in the northeast in line with the Act East Policy of India. He said the state is strong in agro-forestry-fisheries, mining, tourism, services, adding that experiences acquired during the visit are beneficial and necessary. 

In the afternoon the same day, Sonowal met with permanent deputy head of the CPV’s Economic Commission Cao Duc Phat and Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Ha Cong Tuan. 

Both sides discussed agricultural and rural development policies as well as cooperation opportunities between Assam and Vietnamese localities in fields of Assam’s strength and demand such as aquaculture, farm produce processing and export, and mining. 

While in Vietnam, the delegation held a working session with the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences and visited agriculture establishments in the northern provinces of Vinh Phuc and Hung Yen.

Hanoi-Moscow ties important to Vietnam-Russia relations: official

The meeting between the Hanoi delegation and Moscow officials on May 14 

A senior official of Hanoi has underlined the significance of Hanoi-Moscow cooperation to the relationship between Vietnam and Russia while attending talks with Moscow officials on May 14.

The talks were part of a working visit to the Russian capital by a high-ranking delegation of Hanoi.

Ziuganov Leonid Andreevich, deputy head of the group of members of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation in the Moscow City Duma, introduced the apparatus and operations of the Moscow City Duma to the Hanoi delegation.

He said Moscow and Hanoi should increase effective cooperation in such fields as economy, trade, investment, culture, society and tourism. He added that he used to visit Vietnam and was impressed with its beautiful natural landscapes.

For his part, Dao Duc Toan, Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi municipal Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, informed about the economic, political and social situation of Vietnam and Hanoi. He emphasised the importance of the two capital cities’ cooperation in reinforcing the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russia.

He spoke highly of the cities’ regular delegation exchanges and signing of eight cooperation agreements on different spheres since 2000.

Toan shared his host’s view that leaders of the two cities should pay more attention to the enhancement of bilateral ties as Vietnam and Russia have been working to bolster the comprehensive strategic partnership.

As cooperation potential is huge, with their fine cooperation tradition and joint efforts, Hanoi and Moscow will make appropriate contributions to the two countries’ relations, he added.

At the talks, the Vietnamese official also thanked the Moscow City Duma for creating favourable conditions for Hanoi businesses, including the Hanoi-Moscow Complex (Incentra) which is considered a symbol of the two cities’ friendship and the two countries’ comprehensive strategic partnership.

PM pledges to create optimal conditions for Belgian businesses

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) meets with Minister-President of the Flanders region Geert Bourgeois in Hanoi on May 14 

The Vietnamese Government supports and creates the best possible conditions for Belgian businesses and investors, including those from the Flanders region, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has affirmed. 

He told visiting Minister-President of the Flanders region Geert Bourgeois in Hanoi on May 14 that Vietnamese businesses want to cooperate with Belgian partners, and the Vietnamese Government encourages local people and enterprises to enhance business cooperation with firms from the EU, including Belgium, as the two sides hold substantial cooperation potential. 

The number of 80 Flanders businesses accompanying Minister-President Geert Bourgeois during his visit to Vietnam has demonstrated their confidence in the country’s economic development, he said. 

 Vietnam attaches importance to economic and trade ties with the European Union (EU), and Belgium and the Flanders region in particular, the leader stressed. 

He said that Vietnam highly values Belgium’s role in the EU as well as the country’s cooperation and support for Vietnam across fields, particularly in education, training, economy and trade. 

Vietnam’s signing of the free trade agreement with the EU aims to promote collaboration between the two sides, he said, expressing his belief that Belgium will encourage other EU member countries to soon approve the deal. 

The PM told his guest that Vietnam and Belgium are expected to sign a strategic cooperation programme in the fields of agriculture, fishery, husbandry and floriculture, among others. 

For his part, Minister-President Geert Bourgeois highlighted the long-standing relations between Vietnam and Belgium as well as the Flanders region, saying the working sessions between his delegation and Vietnamese ministries and agencies over the past days reaped fruitful outcomes. 

The Minister-President noted his support for the approval of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement and held that the pact would create a momentum for economic and trade links between Vietnam and EU member countries. 

The Flanders region exports 4.92 million EUR (5.8 million USD) worth of goods to Vietnam but imports only 2 billion EUR from the market.

The reality shows that goods made in Belgium and Vietnam, especially farm produce, are not competitive but supplementary, enabling the two countries to boost cooperation in trade and investment.

Condolences sent to Indonesia over terror attacks

At the site of the attack in East Java province, Indonesia, on May 13 

President Tran Dai Quang and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on May 14 cabled messages of condolences to Indonesian President Joko Widodo over the recent terror attacks in Surabaya city of Indonesia, especially the bombings at three churches in the early morning of May 13 that left many civilians dead and injured. 

The same day, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh also expressed his sympathy to Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi. 

Earlier on March 13, a series of bombings hit three Christian churches in Surabaya, East Java province, leaving at least 13 deaths and over 40 others wounded.

Indonesia police announced later the same day that the bombings at three Christian churches were conducted by a family of six, including four children aged 9 to 18.

Speaking with reporters at the regional police headquarters in Surabaya city, East Java police spokesman Frans Burung Mangera said the family had links to the self-claimed Islamic State (IS) and were among 500 Islamic sympathisers who had returned from Syria.

Indonesian government believed that IS-related terror group JAD was responsible for the bombings. Meanwhile, IS claimed responsibility for the attacks through its Amaq news agency.

The suicide bombings were followed by a bomb explosion in an apartment building in East Java’s Sidoarjo town on May 13 evening, which killed a mother and her 17-year-old son.

People’s Police Academy urged to become key educational institution

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc shakes hands with delegates at the celebration. 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc urged the People’s Police Academy (PPA) to become a key and national standardised educational institution, gearing towards a prestigious police training centre in the region and the world. 

He was speaking at a ceremony celebrating the 50th anniversary of the PPA on May 14, during which the leader applauded outstanding achievements the academy has recorded over the past five decades.

PM Phuc pointed out the complex development of national security and order, with the prevalence of criminal crimes, especially organised, international, high-tech and drug crimes, and those resisting on-duty officials, along with traffic safety, social disorder and fires which have sparked public concern. 

Given this, the police forces must be consolidated to continue becoming a pillar and reliable support of the Party and the State in protecting political security and social order and safety, contributing to creating favourable conditions for socio-economic development, and ensuring peace and happiness for people, he said. 

On this occasion, PM presented the title of “Hero of the people’s armed forces during the anti-US resistance war for national salvation” to the academy. 

On this occasion, the PPA also received the Labour Order, first class, of the Lao Party and State. 

In his remarks, PPA Director Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Xuan Yem said as the only police training institution in Vietnam, the PPA now has more than 1,300 officials and nearly 19,000 students. 

The academy has trained 150,000 officers for the police forces and served as a trust-worthy training address for criminal investigators. 

Of note, the PPA has helped Laos and Cambodia train many officers and develop national centres training public security and police forces for the countries.

NA Standing Committee discusses State budget final accounts in 2016

NA Vice Chairman Phung Quoc Hien speaks at the 24th session of the National Assembly  Standing Committee on May 14 

Members of the 14th-tenure National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee commented on the final accounts of the State budget in 2016 on May 14 afternoon, part of the ongoing 24th session of the Standing Committee. 

They said in 2016, basing on the NA’s resolutions, the Government issued many policies and took measures to help ensure macro-economic stability, perform political tasks, promote production and business activities, consolidate defence-security, and ensure social security. Total budget revenue basically met estimates to ensure allocation for spending.

However, they also pointed out some problems, including unsustainable collection for the State budget when the increase of budget revenue mainly came from natural resources and land taxes. Meanwhile, some localities were assigned with the budget collection tasks beyond their capability. The slow restructuring of budget spending also led to the growing ratio of recurrent expenditure to total State budget spending.

NA Vice Chairman Phung Quoc Hien said the budget collection rose by 9.2 percent from estimates, mainly thanks to the increase in local budget revenue. However, the State budget collection was nearly 1.4 trillion VND (61.53 million USD) lower than the set target.

Auditing results showed a lack of serious adherence to budget discipline, he noted.

Meanwhile, expenditure was basically within estimates, but financial discipline remains lax, especially in the field of construction. 

Budget overspending was at nearly 248.73 trillion VND (10.9 billion USD) and accounted for 5.52 percent of the GDP, higher than the targeted rate of 4.95 percent set by the NA, the official added.

The 24th session of the NA Standing Committee is scheduled to last through May 16.

Minister-President of Belgium’s Flanders region welcomed in Hanoi

Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son (R) welcomes Minister-President of Belgium’s Flanders region Geert Bourgeois on May 14 

Permanent Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son received Minister-President of Belgium’s Flanders region Geert Bourgeois in Hanoi on May 14.

At the reception, the two sides expressed their delight at the comprehensive and practical developments of Vietnam-Belgium relationship since the two countries set up diplomatic ties 45 years ago, especially cooperation between their localities.

Son spoke highly of the collaboration between Vietnam and the Flanders region, with investment projects in infrastructure, energy and agriculture.

Welcoming the Flanders Minister-President’s visit to Vietnam from May 13-17, Son said that the two sides see many advantages to develop cooperation in the time to come, especially in such priority areas as infrastructure, renewable energy, agriculture, food industry, human resources training, digital economy and trade.

For his part, Geert Bourgeois appreciated Vietnam’s efforts in improving business and investment environment as well as its socio-economic development achievements, considering them important premises to boost win-win collaboration between Vietnam and the Flanders region.

He affirmed that Flanders always regards Vietnam as a priority partner in the region, suggesting a number of fields that the two sides can join hands in the future, including port logistics, transport, farm produce processing and training.

The Minister-President affirmed his support for trade liberalisation and vowed to back Vietnam to strengthen its comprehensive relationship with the EU, particular the early signing and ratification of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) in 2018.

The early implementation of the EVFTA will bring practical benefits to businesses of both sides, he noted.

At the meeting, the two sides agreed to soon sign a new cooperation document to replace the old one, which was inked in 2013.