Vietnam, India urged to cooperate in areas of mutual strength

 The 9th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit (Source: indianexpress.com)

Vietnamese Ambassador to India Pham Sanh Chau has suggested Vietnam and Gujarat state, and India in general, step up cooperation in such areas as farm produce, food, garments-textiles, pharmaceutical products and tourism. 

Chau made the suggestion at a meeting with President of the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) Jamin R.Vasa on the sidelines of the 9th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit (VGGS 2019) in Ahmedabad city on January 18.

The ambassador called on the two sides to help their businesses participate in trade fairs of each other, stressing that the enhanced coordination between the Vietnamese Embassy and the GCCI would contribute to promoting bilateral trade and investment ties. 

Jamin R.Vasa committed to organising trips for Gujarat enterprises to Vietnam in April or May this year to explore investment and business cooperation opportunities in the Southeast Asian nation. 

VGGS was first held in 2003 to re-establish Gujarat as a preferred investment destination within India. Today, the biennial summit has evolved into a platform for brainstorming on agendas of global socio-economic development, in addition to being a facilitator for knowledge sharing and forging effective partnerships. 

More than 70,000 delegates have registered for this year’s event, including over 2,100 foreigners.

PM urges thorough preparations for 13th National Party Congress

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chairs the Socio-Economic Subcommittee's second session 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has urged the Socio-Economic Subcommittee to quickly complete detailed drafts for the 2021-2030 socio-economic development strategy and the 2021-2025 socio-economic development plan to well prepare for the 13th National Party Congress.

Chairing the subcommittee’s second session in Hanoi on January 19, PM Phuc, who is head of the subcommittee, requested the editorial team, related ministries and sectors to assign the best officials to do the work.

The editorial team was also required to work out a more detailed plan allocating jobs for each individual and organization.

The 10-year strategy should seek ways to create new development steps for Vietnam as well as breakthroughs in socio-economic development, and its theme should be short and easy to understand and implement, but contain important elements for the nation’s growth in the next 10 years, including fostering innovation and science and technology development, mobilising and using all resources effectively, maintaining sovereignty and social stability and safety, and creating motivation for the rapid and sustainable development of the country, he stressed.

The two documents should highlight orientations, missions and measures to perfect institutions, develop a modern and high-productivity market economy, boost sustainable development and green growth, develop socio-culture, protect the environment and respond to climate change, the PM said.

An important content is to ensure political security, social order and safety and territorial integrity; improve Vietnam’s integration capacity as well as its position in the international arena, and build a law-governed socialist state, he added.

The 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam is scheduled to take place in the first quarter of 2021.

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh presents gifts to workers in Hai Duong. 

Party and State leaders have presented gifts to poor people and workers across the country ahead of Lunar New Year (Tet) festival which lasts from February 2-10 this year.

Tran Quoc Vuong, Politburo member and permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat, on January 19 visited and presented 100 gift packages to poor households in Xuan Tam, Phong Du Thuong and Phuong Du Ha communes of Van Yen district in the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai.

Vuong and his entourage visited a resettlement area in Lung hamlet, Phong Du Thuong commune, which was hard hit by torrential rains and floods in July 2018. 

He asked leaders of Yen Bai and Van Yen district to continue to take care of local residents, especially households severely affected by natural disasters. 

On this occasion, the Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank) handed over 6 billion VND (258,000 USD) to Van Chan and Van Yen districts to build schools in disadvantaged communes.

The same day, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh presented gifts to trade unions and workers at industrial parks in the Red River Delta province of Hai Duong. 

Addressing a year-end gathering held for 410 underprivileged workers in Hai Duong by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour the same day, Binh expressed his hope that after the holiday, the workers will work harder to complete their tasks, contributing to the development of businesses, Hai Duong and the country at large. 

On this occasion, Binh visited the family of a worker of the Hai Duong Urban Environment JSC, who is facing difficult circumstances. 

The provincial Labour Federation also presented gifts, each worth 500,000 VND (21.5 USD) to needy employees, together with 300,000 VND (12.9 USD) to help them buy tickets to return home for Tet. 

Also on January 19, Truong Thai Mai, Politburo member and head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Mass Mobilisation, granted gifts to children and social policy beneficiaries in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong. 

She was accompanied by representatives of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee, the Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRCS) and the National Fund for Vietnamese Children under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs. 

Truong Thi Mai, Politburo member and head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Mass Mobilisation, presents gifts to children in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong. (Photo: VNA) 

They presented 100 gift packages to poor children, social policy beneficiaries and Agent Orange/dioxin victims in Duc Trong and Don Duong districts.

The delegation also visited the SOS Children’s Village in Da Lat, the provincial Social Sponsor Centre and local retirees. 

On this occasion, the provincial Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and chapters of the VFF and VRCS in Lam Dong presented 250 gift packages to local disadvantaged people. 

The same day, Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh visited and presented gifts to patients at the Hanoi Oncology Hospital as part of the “Supportive fund for cancer patients – bright future” which will also organise buses to bring the patients home for Tet reunion from January 25-30.

Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung (right) and Pastor Nguyen Huu Mac, head of the  the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (North). (Photo: hanoimoi.com.vn)

Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung on January 18 hosted separate receptions for delegations from the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (North) (ECVN North) and the Vietnam Christian Fellowship Church ahead of the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival.

Meeting with the ECVN North delegation, Chung lauded Protestants’ contributions to the capital city’s development and affirmed that the Party, State and municipal administration always respect and create conditions for religious activities in line with the country’s law.

Pastor Nguyen Huu Mac, head of the ECVN North, said the Church has received attentions and support from the municipal leaders and competent agencies during its operation.

He said their attentions to religions in general and the Church in particular have built up firm trust of Protestants in the authorities and solidarity between religions. 

At a meeting with the delegation from the Vietnam Christian Fellowship Church, Chung expressed his hope that the Church will continue to encourage its members to abide by law and constructively participate in building and developing the city.

Pastor Huynh Huyen Vu, head of the Church, thanked the municipal leaders for creating conditions for the Church to operate in the city over the past years.

India ready to cooperate with Vietnam in medical sectors

Director of the Vietnam Military Medical University  Lieut. Gen. Do Quyet (left) and Director General of the Armed Forces Medical Service of India Lieut. Gen. Bipin Puri 

Lieut. Gen. Bipin Puri, Director General of the Armed Forces Medical Service of India, has expressed the willingness to cooperate with the Vietnam Military Medical University (VMMU) in medical sectors in which India has experience and strength. 

Puri made the statement during his talks with VMMU Director Lieut. Gen. Do Quyet, who paid a working visit to India from January 14-17. 

He said the Vietnamese delegation’s visit will contribute to consolidating defence ties between Vietnam and India, and opened up opportunities for cooperation in military medicine between the two countries.  

While in India, Quyet and his entourage visited some local hospitals and universities, during which the two sides agreed to propose the Vietnamese and Indian Governments carry out cooperation in training and scientific research on military, aviation and naval medicine. 

They suggested sending officials and doctors from the VMMU to India for training courses and experience exchange.

Vietnamese officers to attend Lao army’s founding anniversary

Minister of National Defence Gen. Ngo Xuan Lich 

A high-ranking military delegation of Vietnam led by Minister of National Defence Gen. Ngo Xuan Lich left Hanoi on January 19 for Vientiane to attend a ceremony marking the 70th founding anniversary of the Lao People’s Army (Jan. 20, 1949-2019).

The trip aims to enhance mutual trust and the traditional relationship, solidarity and friendship between the people and armies of the two nations. 

Over the past few years, Vietnam and Laos have coordinated to organise a number of activities to strengthen the bilateral relations such as celebrating the Vietnam-Laos friendship and solidarity year 2017, the 55th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties (1962-2017), and the 40th anniversary of signing the Vietnam-Laos treaty on cooperation and amity (1977-2017).

The two sides also have worked together to implement effectively cooperation agreements on security and defence as well as strengthened locality-to-locality collaboration, especially in the shared border areas, in building infrastructure, providing health care, developing human resources, and ensuring order and security in border areas.

In 2017, Vietnam and Laos completed a project on increasing and upgrading border markers along their boundary in addition to signing a protocol on the Vietnam-Laos borderline and national border markers, and an agreement on management regulations of Vietnam-Laos border and border gates.

The two nations continued to promote the implementation of an agreement between the two governments on dealing with undocumented migration and marriages along the shared border.

They also worked together to seek and gather thousands sets of remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who laid down their lives during wartime in Laos.