Party official: Vietnam prioritises developing ties with Germany

Head of the CPV Central Committee’s Commission for Mass Mobilisation Truong Thi Mai (R) and Vice Chair of Germany’s Die Linke (The Left) party Simone Oldenburg 

The Vietnamese Party and State will give priority to developing ties with Germany, one of its most important partners in Europe, said Truong Thi Mai, Politburo member of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV). 

Mai, who is also head of the CPV Central Committee’s Commission for Mass Mobilisation, made the statement during a reception in Hanoi on November 20 for Vice Chair of Germany’s Die Linke (The Left) party Simone Oldenburg, who is in Vietnam to attend the first policy dialogue between her party and the CPV. 

She wished that both sides would step up friendship and cooperation between the two parties, thereby boosting ties between the two nations. 

Oldenburg, for her part, hoped to discuss each party’s current situation, as well as regional and global issues of shared concern during the working trip. 

She expressed support for Germany-Vietnam ties and wished to foster cooperation between the two parties, adding that mutual visits and dialogues will raise mutual understanding between both sides. 

During the policy dialogue, co-chaired by head of the CPV Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Hoang Binh Quan and Vice Chair Oldenburg, both sides shared their experiences in dealing with relations between market economy and socialism, and between market and State; challenges to the socialism-oriented market economy in Vietnam; and left-wing forces in Germany and Europe at present. 

They also discussed ways to reinforce friendship and collaboration between the two parties and nations, considering the dialogue a new milestone for the ties.

Seminar spotlights Vietnam-China defence friendship exchange

A seminar and a cultural and art exchange was held in the northern mountainous province of Cao Bang on November 20 as part of the fifth Vietnam-China border defence friendship exchange.

At the seminar, delegates reviewed cooperation between the two countries’ border guard forces and people and discussed measures to increase the effectiveness of bilateral border defence collaboration in the coming time.

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh said the defence exchange is co-chaired by the two defence ministries, but the beneficiaries are the people, especially those in border areas.

Through the exchanges, mutual understanding between commanders, officers and soldiers has improved, helping them build trust and work together to safeguard their nations.

Lieut. Gen. Shao Yuanming, Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff Department of China's Central Military Commission, said relations between the two countries and armies have enjoyed positive development this year. High-level meetings between the two armies have been held, during which their leaders exchanged views on issues of shared concern and reached agreements.

Contributing ideas to increasing the effectiveness of cooperation between units along the China-Vietnam borderline, Colonel Yang Binbin, Commander of Mengzi Border Guard Force in China’s Yunnan province, said the force has worked to help tighten ties between the two armies to protect the border as well as security and stability between the two countries.

To diversify cooperation, he suggested both sides expand cultural and sport exchanges, and strengthen coordination between local authorities to increase trust between the armies and people in border areas.

After the seminar, Vietnamese Minister of National Defence Gen. Ngo Xuan Lich and his Chinese counterpart Sen. Lieut. Gen. Wei Fenghe signed a memorandum of understanding and agreed to hold the sixth edition of the exchange in 2019.

The two ministers are scheduled to visit the Pac Bo historical relic site in Cao Bang provinces, before wrapping up all activities of the fifth exchange.

The first Vietnam-China border defence friendship exchange programme was held in 2014 in Quang Ninh province, the second took place in Lao Cai in 2015, the third in Lang Son in 2016 and the fourth in Lai Chau last year.–VNA

Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son 

Vietnam contributed responsibly to the 2018 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Week in Papua New Guinea from November 12-18, said Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son. 

Son told the press that during the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting on November 17-18, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc proposed many plans aiming to enhance free and open trade and investment, and regional connectivity, and promote APEC’s role in intensifying the rules-based international order.

Vietnam also showed support for global institutions, an open, transparent, equal and non-discriminatory trading system, as well as the WTO’s central role, Son said. 

PM Phuc suggested APEC nurture innovative and creative initiatives to turn Asia-Pacific into a global technological centre. 

He also proposed developing the digital economy, promoting innovative startups and building an innovative and creative ecosystem in the region, the official added. 

The PM stressed the need for APEC to boost innovative and inclusive growth, implement the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), put people at the centre of development, ensure food and water resources development and cope with climate change. 

As Vietnam initiated the building of the APEC Post-2020 Vision, the leader also made suggestions towards the formation of an Asia-Pacific community of peace, stability, dynamism, inter-connectivity and prosperity, Son noted. 

Regarding outcomes of the 26th APEC Economic Leaders’ Week, Son said member economies agreed to accelerate the completion of Bogor Goals on trade and investment liberalisation by 2020 and the implementation of the APEC Connectivity Blueprint by 2025, promote e-commerce and services and settle non-tariff barriers, gearing towards the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP). 

They also consented to realise the action programme on inclusive growth and the framework on human resources development in the digital era adopted in Vietnam’s central province of Da Nang last year. 

They displayed their support for sustainable, innovative and inclusive growth, the acceleration of structural reform, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, rural and urban development and women’s economic empowerment. 

Several solutions to create an open, accessible and safe environment for the digital economy were also set forth during the event. 

Besides, delegates agreed to push ahead with the implementation of commitments reached in 2017 regarding the building of the Post-2020 Vision, towards an Asia-Pacific community of peace, stability, dynamism and inter-connectivity. 

However, there still remained major gaps in viewpoints of some members on trade protection and the multilateral trading system, Son said, adding this was among the major reasons preventing APEC leaders from reaching a joint statement.

Although the APEC leaders for the first time failed to agree on a joint communiqué, member economies expressed their confidence in the crucial role of APEC, which has contributed to making Asia-Pacific a driving force of global growth and economic connectivity. 

They are scheduled to gather in Santiago, Chile, in November 2019 for the 27th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting. 

During the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week, PM Phuc met with many leaders of other APEC economies, and had dialogues with major businesses of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) and representatives from the US-APEC Business Alliance. 

On this occasion, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh met New Zealand Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker to hand over Vietnam’s document ratifying the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) to him. 

Minh also had meetings with his New Zealand counterpart Winston Raymond Peters, and foreign ministers from some APEC member economies. 

Son said the leaders affirmed their support for Vietnam’s bid to run for a non-permanent seat of the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 tenure. 

Meanwhile, business leaders lauded Vietnam’s increasing role in regional and global production chains, as well as the Vietnamese Government’s resolve to spur development and continue with reforms and international integration. 

The enterprises said they will soon operate in Vietnam or expand investment and business in the country, according to Son.

Vietnam, China review five years of border defence friendship exchange

Vietnamese Defence Minister Ngo Xuan Lich and his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe held talks in China’s Guangxi province on November 19, during which they reviewed the five years of border defence friendship exchange between the two countries.

Minister Wei said that the exchange is part of activities inheriting the traditional friendship between China and Vietnam, while helping promote border cooperation between the two sides.

He noted that over the last five years, collaboration between the two countries and militaries has helped expand bilateral partnership. The border defence friendship exchanges have become increasingly better organised throughout years, with a diverse range of activities, he said.

He expressed his belief that the current exchange, the fifth of its kind, will contribute to creating new motivations in developing the affiliation between the two militaries as well as the two countries.

For his part, Minister Lich said that on November 19, the first day of the exchange, participants joined various meaningful activities, including a border marker saluting ceremony, a joint river patrol, and visits to Shui Kou town’s Border Guard Company and a memorial house dedicated to President Ho Chi Minh.

He said that this year’s exchange programme is taking place in two locations which mark the beginning of Vietnam’s revolution and important events for the friendship and coordination between the revolutions of Vietnam and China.

By visiting the memorial house, participants gained a better understanding of the comradeship and fraternity of Vietnamese and Chinese revolutionaries, he added.

Thanks to activities in the morning of November 19, the Vietnamese delegates gained a deeper insight into the warm sentiments and close friendships that were nurtured and developed by both Vietnam and China over the years, said the minister.

He agreed with Wei’s opinion that the ongoing programme has renewed motivation for the promotion of defence ties between the two countries, contributing to affirming the role of defence cooperation in the partnership between the two parties and states.

He thanked the Chinese side for their warm welcome.

Over the past few years, Vietnam and China have enjoyed growing ties with the effective implementation of common perspectives reached by senior leaders of both countries, including those in defence cooperation.

The affiliation between border guard forces of the two countries have contributed to the building and safeguarding of a shared land border of peace, stability, cooperation, and development.

Over its five years of organisation, the bilateral border defence friendship exchange programme has affirmed its effectiveness and political significance, receiving high evaluation from the two defence ministries, local governments, and peoples along the shared border. –VNA  

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has decided to form the Vietnam Sub-Committee in the Vietnam-India Joint Committee on Atomic Energy Cooperation.

The sub-committee will help the PM coordinate the cooperation activities within the joint committee, and strengthen partnership and the implementation of the agreement between Vietnam and India in using atomic energy for peaceful purposes. 

It will become a conjuncture point for ministries, sectors and agencies to implement the agreement, ensuring the effective operation of the Vietnam-India Joint Committee on Atomic Energy Cooperation. At the same time, it will host or work with the Indian side to hold meetings of the Joint Committee.

The head of the sub-committee is a Deputy Minister of Science and Technology. It has a standing member, a secretary, and a number of members representing various ministries and agencies.

The sub-committee will be operated by the Ministry of Science and Technology.

South Africa marks 25 years of diplomatic ties with four ASEAN nations

Vietnamese Ambassador Vu Van Dung (first, right), the ambassadors of Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand, and Anil Sooklal – Deputy Director General for Asia and the Middle East at South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (centre) pose for a photo at the ceremony 

A ceremony was held in Pretoria on November 19 to mark the 25th founding anniversary of South Africa’s diplomatic ties with Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand.

The event was attended by Anil Sooklal – Deputy Director General for Asia and the Middle East at South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), the ambassadors of the four Southeast Asian nations and diplomats of other countries.

Opening the ceremony, Sindiswa Mququ, director for South Asia – Central Asia and Southeast Asia at the DIRCO’s Asia and the Middle East division, reviewed milestones in her country’s diplomatic ties with the four nations. She said the relations, established in 1993, have developed constantly over the last 25 years, with all the four Southeast Asian countries being key economic and trading partners of South Africa.

Meanwhile, Anil Sooklal said political ties between South Africa and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are close, but bilateral economic links still have room to grow. South Africa needs to make use of the embassies of the seven most dynamic ASEAN nations in the country to promote not only bilateral relations but also inter-regional cooperation, particularly between the Southern African Development Community and ASEAN.

In his speech, Vietnamese Ambassador Vu Van Dung appreciated the celebration, noting it marked a new development stage in the five countries’ connections.

He said Vietnam and South Africa boast decades of friendship, beginning with the meeting between representatives of their national liberation movements at the Bandung Conference in Indonesia in 1955 and bilateral ties have expanded in all spheres over the last 25 years.

Dung elaborated they have stepped up state-to-state, party-to-party and people-to-people diplomacy and perfected the legal framework for cooperation. South Africa is currently the top African trade partner of Vietnam. Two-way trade increased five-fold from 189 million USD in 2007 to 1 billion USD in 2017, and is expected to hit 2 billion USD in the next five years.

Based on mutual trust and the defence policy dialogue, the two sides have created many chances to strengthen cooperation, including sharing experience in peacekeeping operations and defence industry, and coordinating in crime fighting and criminal extradition.

Much progress has also been attained in their cooperation in environment, science, technology, tourism and education, he noted, adding that Vietnam and South Africa welcome some 4,000 tourists from each other each year and the number is still rising.

The ambassador voiced his belief that with both sides’ determination and efforts, their cooperation will keep flourishing in all fields for the sake of peace and development in their respective regions and the world.

Vietnam-India Business Forum opens up new cooperation opportunities

Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung addresses the forum 

A Vietnam-India Business Forum took place in Hanoi on November 19, as part of Indian President Ram Nath Kovind’s State visit to Vietnam.

The event was jointly held by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), the Indian Embassy in Vietnam, and the Indian Industries Association.

Addressing the forum, Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung stressed that this important forum offers a precious chance for the two business communities to review their cooperation results over the past 46 years, and seek new cooperation opportunities, thus helping boost and deepen the Vietnam-India comprehensive strategic partnership.

Dung said the bilateral relations, founded by late President Ho Chi Minh and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and nurtured by generations of leaders and peoples, have developed sustainably. 

Political trust has been consolidated constantly through high-level visits and meetings, while economic, trade and investment cooperation has produced impressive results.

India is now one of the ten largest trade partners of Vietnam. Two-way trade has increased year after year to 7.63 billion USD in 2017. The figure hit 8.3 billion USD in the first nine months of 2018, a year-on-year rise of 47.1 percent. The two countries are working towards a goal of 15 billion USD in bilateral trade in the coming time.

In terms of investment, as of late September, India’s total investments in Vietnam were 877 million USD, with 201 projects, making the country to rank 29th out of 129 nations and territories pouring capital into Vietnam. Meanwhile, Vietnam is currently running eight projects worth 6.16 million USD in India.

To raise two-way trade to 15 billion USD, Dung suggested both sides intensify investment in the fields that India has strength and Vietnam has demand, expand aviation and maritime connectivity, reduce and step and step remove trade barriers, and facilitate import-export activities.

It is essential to boost people-to-people exchange to strengthen mutual understanding and collaboration.

Vietnam hopes Indian investors to expand investment in the Vietnamese market, Dung said, recommending that renewable energy, manufacturing, information technology and infrastructure are the fields that India has strength and Vietnam has demand.

Initiatives like “Make in India”, “Digital India”, and “100 smart cities” and India’s achievements in knowledge economy will create numerous cooperation opportunities for the two countries’ businesses, the Deputy PM stressed.

The Deputy PM held that the two sides should set up dialogue mechanisms among businesses and between the business community and government, thus giving chance for them to share strategy and vision on development cooperation.

Businesses of both sides should become more active in promoting partnership, he said.

He underlined that Vietnam and India should share information and experience in maritime strategy building.

He expressed his belief that the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries will further develop, while calling on business communities of both sides to become pioneers in bilateral cooperation and economic affiliation.

For his part, President Ram Nath Kovind said that Vietnam and India are special friends with similar economic vision and approach.

He congratulated Vietnam on great socio-economic achievements and impressive growth over the past two decades, with the poverty rate falling from 70 percent in the 1990s to under 10 percent currently.

He asserted that the surge in per capita GDP from 100 USD in the 1990s to 2,500 USD today is a considerable attainment that only few developing countries can make.

The Indian leader said that his country is focusing on reforming its economy and opimising the potential of the people. India’s GDP growth has reached 8.2 percent, the highest among big economies in the world. In 2025, the country’s GDP is expected to reach 5 trillion USD, doubling the current figure.

With effective solutions to digital connection, economic reform, population control and favourable environment for startup, India hopes to become the third largest consuming market in the world in 2025, he said, adding that the country has started building new generation infrastructure with 100 smart cities and seven high-speed railway corridors, along with broad-band connections.

Last year, India constructed 10,000km of national highway and reformed its tax system, helping it move 65 spaces to the 77th position in business environment index of the World Bank from the 142nd place in 2014. Its inflation was kept at 3.3 percent, while foreign currency reserve was 400 billion USD.

The Indian President showed his optimism in the partnership prospect between the two countries, holding that businesses of both sides have great chances of cooperation in information technology, digital economy, hydrocarbon, renewable energy, health care, and civil aviation.

India hopes to learn from Vietnam’s experience in urban infrastructure development, tourism, startup and innovation, he said.

Highlighting the significance of agricultural cooperation, he said that agricultural production, processing, medicine, and biotechnology are promising areas for bilateral cooperation.

As the third largest medicine producer in the world, India can help Vietnam improve health care service quality and provide cheaper medicine for people, he said, adding that many Indian medical companies plan to open their production factories in Vietnam.-

Prime Minister meets standout teachers

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (ninth from right, first row) and standout teachers and education management officials 

Education decides the development of a society, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said at his meeting with 200 teachers representing 1.3 million teachers nationwide in Hanoi on November 19.

He met with standout teachers and education management officials on the occasion of the 36th anniversary of Vietnamese Teachers’ Day (November 20) together with Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam and other ministry leaders.

He said the quality of teacher is one of the crucial factors to decide the quality of education so the Party and State have always cared about developing a contingent of competent teachers and education management officials.

The leader noted that teachers not only impart knowledge and skills to students but also contribute to helping students develop their personalities.

Via teaching, teachers need to sow good virtues in their students and equip them with necessary attitudes and career capacity to become useful citizens, he said.

Each teacher should be a bright example in terms of ethics, self-study and creativity, helping his students to develop right sentiments, attitudes and behaviors in their interaction with society and nature, he said.

He affirmed that the Party and State will continue paying attention to enabling teachers to make the best use of their capacity and creative ability.

He suggested studying mechanisms and policies to improve the quality of teachers and the capacity of education management officials, especially in providing consultancy and policy-making service.

Educational facilities should pay heeds to building a healthy, friendly, and democratic educational environment and to the spiritual and material life of teachers, he added.

Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung (R) meets Martin Dulig, Deputy Minister-President of German Federal State of Sachsen (Photo: hanoimoi.com.vn)

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked competent agencies and forces to issue more warnings and instructions to help local residents take proactive measures against natural disasters.

He issued a telegraph requesting ministries and committees concerned to focus on rebuilding efforts after torrential downpour triggered by a tropical depression caused big losses in humans and property in the south-central region, especially Khanh Hoa province on November 18.

He asked the people’s committees of these provinces and Khanh Hoa province to search for missing people, treat the injured, support families of the deceased, and provide shelters and food for those in affected areas.

The leader asked competent agencies and forces to continue examining areas prone to landslides and flash flood so they can proactively evacuate local people to safer places as the weather forecasting agency said rains and floods may be occurring complicatedly and there are high risks of landslides, flash flood, and flooding in the south-central provinces.

In the document, he sent his condolences to families of the victims of landslides and floods.

Torrential downpour caused by a tropical depression killed 14 people and injured 11 others in the south-central coastal province of Khanh Hoa, while four people went missing as of 14:00 on November 19.

The tropical pressure originated from the weakened Storm Toraji. The rainfall in Khanh Hoa was measured at between 30 mm – 200 mm on November 17-18. In particular, Nha Trang city reports rainfalls of 380 mm. 

Forty-three houses were pulled down or damaged by severe floods.

At a press conference in Hanoi on November 19, Nguyen Truong Son, deputy chief of the General Department of National Disaster Prevention and Control, pointed out Khanh Hoa province has paid inadequate heeds to the prevention and control of natural disasters in its socio-economic development plan.

It is a must to increase communications to raise people’s awareness and skills in actively dealing with storms, post-storm floods, flash floods, and landslides, he said.

Local authority’s role and responsibility in responding to natural disasters in general and landslides in particular need to be heightened, he added.

A working delegation led by Hoang Van Thang, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and Standing Vice Head of the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control arrived in Khanh Hoa to instruct post-disaster work.

Greetings on 30th anniversary of Vietnam-Palestine diplomatic ties

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong on November 19 extended a greeting message to President of the State of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas regarding the 30th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic relations.

The same day, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc sent a similar message to his Palestinian counterpart Rami Hamdallah on the special occasion.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh also conveyed his greetings to Palestinian Foreign Minister Dr. Riad Malki. 

Can Tho delegation to visit Japan to promote investment

General Director of the Vietnam News Agency Nguyen Duc Loi (R) introduces photos at the exhibition to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (centre) and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev (next to PM Phuc)