Russia’s State Duma Chairman starts official visit to Vietnam

Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Viktorovich Volodin (Photo: Tass)

Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Viktorovich Volodin arrived in Hanoi on December 23 to begin his two-day official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

Vietnam and Russia set up diplomatic ties on January 30, 1950 and since then, the two countries’ relations have been developing strongly with achievements recorded in all fields. 

On March 1, 2001, Vietnam and Russia signed a joint statement on strategic partnership. Later on July 27, 2012, both sides issued a joint statement on further strengthening bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership.

Trade between the two countries rose from 2.2 billion USD in 2015 to 2.7 billion USD in 2016 and 3.55 billion USD in 2017. 

Russia now ranks 23rd among countries and territories investing in Vietnam with 116 projects worth a total of 990 billion USD, mostly in oil and gas, manufacturing, mining, transportation, telecommunications, and aquaculture.

Vietnam currently invests in 22 projects worth nearly 3 billion USD in Russia, predominantly in Rusvietpetro and Gazpromviet oil and gas ventures, Hanoi – Moscow cultural-trade centre, TH True Milk’s milch farming and agriculture, among others.

Russia remains among the top 10 sources of tourist arrivals in Vietnam. The number of Russian tourists soared from 176,000 in 2012 to 570,000 in 2017

PM calls on Japanese ruling party to boost ties with Vietnam

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) receives Motoo Hayashi, Acting Secretary General of the LDP 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has suggested that the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan continue promoting party, government and parliament delegation visits with Vietnam as well as support stronger cooperation in trade, investment, people-to-people and locality-to-locality exchanges.

He received Motoo Hayashi, Acting Secretary General of the LDP, in the north central province of Thanh Hoa on December 23.

The PM welcomed Motoo Hayashi to attend the commercial operation ceremony of the Nghi Son oil refinery and petrochemical complex plant – a joint project between Vietnamese and Japanese partners.

He expressed his pleasure at the thriving extensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia between Vietnam and Japan in all fields from politics, external affairs, and economy to culture, education, and health care.

He noted that the bilateral cooperative ties have been expanded, bringing benefits for the two sides and contributing to peace and prosperity in the region and beyond.

The LDP plays a crucial role in the development of bilateral relations, he stressed.

Motoo Hayashi recalled the successful Japan visit by PM Phuc in October 2018, including the meeting with Chairman of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Alliance Toshihiro Nikai.

He expressed his confidence in the successful operation of the project and affirmed he will spare no effort to promote the Vietnam-Japan extensive strategic partnership.

The Nghi Son oil refinery and petrochemical project has been carried out since 2013 with a total investment capital of over 9 billion USD.

It is invested by a consortium of Kuwait International Petrochemical Company (KPC, 35.1 percent), and the Japanese firms Idemitsui Kosan (IKC, 35.1 percent) and Mitsui Chemicals (MCI, 4.7 percent). The rest is contributed by the state-run Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam).

Gov’t leader urges rapid industrialisation in Thanh Hoa province

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc had a working session with officials of Thanh Hoa on December 23, asking the north central province to carry out industrialisation faster to contribute more to national development.

Local officials reported that in 2018, Thanh Hoa recorded the gross regional domestic product (GRDP) of 15.16 percent, the fastest-ever pace, with industry and construction making up the biggest proportion in its economy – 44 percent. Per capita income is estimated at 1,999 USD, up 1.3-fold from 2015.

With big investments in infrastructure, the province has enjoyed breakthroughs in tourism. It welcomed about 8.25 million tourist arrivals, including 230,000 foreigners, and earned over 10.6 trillion VND (453.7 million USD) from the sector this year. That has helped the visitor number and tourism revenue respectively increase by 14.3 percent and 27 percent annually.

Meanwhile, budget revenue rises by about 12.3 percent each year, reaching some 23.5 trillion VND (1 billion USD) in 2018 – up 2.1 times from 2015.

PM Phuc said Thanh Hoa has developed rather comprehensively over the last three years. He lauded efforts by provincial authorities and relevant ministries and sectors to put the Nghi Son refinery and petrochemical complex, worth 9 billion USD, into commercial operation.

He also pointed out that local growth has yet to match potential, and the number of big enterprises investing here is still modest.

The most important solution is enhancing unity among authorities and the public since this is the source of strength, he noted.

Aside from accelerating industrialisation, the PM also requested Thanh Hoa develop important infrastructure systems while expanding forest coverage in western areas and applying science-technology in agriculture.

Stressing the decisive role of human resources, he said if over 2 million people of working age in the province are well trained, they will become a great driving force of development.

The Government leader also told Thanh Hoa to improve the investment climate, noting that this is an “easier said than done” issue. Additionally, it needs to ensure people will be the biggest beneficiary of investment attraction.

The province has rich culture and history as well as a strategic economic location, which is the great potential that local administration and residents must capitalise on to boost development, PM Phuc added.

Later on December 23, PM Phuc attended a ceremony marking the commercial operation of the Nghi Son petrochemical complex.

The Nghi Son oil refinery and petrochemical project has been carried out since 2013 with a total investment capital of over 9 billion USD.

It is invested by a consortium of Kuwait International Petrochemical Company (KPC, 35.1 percent), and the Japanese firms Idemitsui Kosan (IKC, 35.1 percent) and Mitsui Chemicals (MCI, 4.7 percent). The rest is contributed by the state-run Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam).

On December 22, the leader visited the special national relic site of Lam Kinh in Xuan Lam commune of Tho Xuan district – the hometown of national hero Le Loi, who led the Lam Son uprising against the Ming invaders in the 15th century. After the victory of the 10-year uprising in 1428, Le Loi became king and named the country Dai Viet.

The same day, the PM visited the Lam Son Sugar JSC and the construction site of Tho Xuan Airport in Tho Xuan district. 

PM hosts investors of Nghi Son oil refinery, petrochemical project

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) and CEO of KPI Nabil Bourisli 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has said he welcomes investors from Kuwait Petroleum International (KPI) and Japan to inject money into the Nghi Son oil refinery and petrochemical complex project in the north central province of Thanh Hoa.

He made the statement while receiving CEO of KPI Nabil Bourisli and some leaders of Japanese firms that are strategic investors of the project in Thanh Hoa on December 23.

Vietnam contributed a quarter to the project’s total capital, he noted.

The government leader hailed the active and responsible cooperation of the involved parties, including the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) to carry out the 9-billion-USD project.

Nabil Bourisli thanked the Vietnamese government to back the implementation of this project and shared joy over its commercial operation.

At the reception, PM Phuc also cleared up recommendations from investors.

He ordered relevant ministries and departments to put forth measures to ensure rights and interests of the government and investors based on legal regulations.

The PM asked investors to ensure effective operation of the plant and soon expand its second phase.

He affirmed that the government always encourages and creates the best conditions for foreign businesses to invest in Vietnam.

The Nghi Son oil refinery and petrochemical project has been carried out since 2013.

It is invested by PetroVietnam (25.1 percent), KPI (35.1 percent), and the Japanese firms Idemitsui Kosan (35.1 percent) and Mitsui Chemicals (4.7 percent).

Officials pay pre-Christmas visits to Thua Thien-Hue, Da Nang, Ha Nam

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh (fourth, right) meets with Archbishop Nguyen Chi Linh of the Archdiocese of Hue on December 23 

Christmas greetings were extended to Catholic dignitaries and followers in central Thua Thien-Hue province and Da Nang city, and northern Ha Nam province by senior officials on December 23.

Meeting with head of the Vietnam Episcopal Council – Archbishop Nguyen Chi Linh of the Archdiocese of Hue, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh wished local Catholics a merry Christmas season.

He noted contributions by Catholic followers to the country’s all-round achievements. He said Catholic dignitaries have encouraged followers to be good citizens helping with local and national development and the great national unity bloc.

The Deputy PM affirmed that Party and State’s consistent policy is respecting people’s right to freedom of belief and religion, ensuring religious followers’ rights and legitimate interests, and creating conditions for them to improve their living standards and contribute to the great national unity bloc.

He also expressed his hope that Catholic dignitaries and followers in Thua Thien-Hue will continue staying united and further adhering to the Pope’s teachings and the Vietnam Episcopal Council’s guideline of “living the gospel amidst the nation to serve the happiness of fellow countrymen”.

For his part, Archbishop Nguyen Chi Linh appreciated the Party and State’s greetings, adding that the dignitaries will continue encouraging Catholic followers to comply with laws and join people of all strata in the nation-building efforts.

On this occasion, Deputy PM Binh also visited and sent Christmas wishes to Catholics in the parish of Phu Cam in Hue city.

Later, the Government official paid a Christmas visit to Catholic and Protestant dignitaries and followers in the central city of Da Nang.

The same day, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Tran Thanh Man visited the parish of Lanh Tri in Moc Nam commune of Duy Tien district, Ha Nam province.

He said the Party and State highly value the role of and contributions by Catholic followers in national building. He called on local Catholics to uphold the traditional patriotism and solidarity, keep contributing to their hometown and the country, and help enhance the great national unity bloc.

Priest Le Thanh Nghi, head of the Lanh Tri parish, said he will continue calling on followers to actively engage in movements and campaigns launched by the Vietnam Fatherland Front and join hands with local people in developing their hometown. 

Association works to boost Vietnam-Africa friendship

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Cao Quoc Hung was elected as Chairman of the Vietnam-Africa Friendship and Cooperation Association 

The Vietnam-Africa Friendship and Cooperation Association (VAFCA) organised its third national congress for the 2018-2023 tenure in Hanoi on December 22 to seek to promote friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and African countries.

Accordingly, members of the association agreed to maintain good rapports with embassies of African countries in Hanoi and Vietnamese organisations having relations with Africa.

The VAFCA will actively coordinate with African embassies to host cultural exchanges, economic and education programmes as well as celebrations of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and African nations.

It will seek to establish partnership with friendship organisations in Africa.

The association will organise more workshops and exhibitions on themes of mutual interests.

The congress elected a new executive board with 24 members and Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Cao Quoc Hung as President of the association.

Since its foundation in November 2004, the VAFCA has maintained and developed a wide range of activities to strengthen friendship and mutual understanding between Vietnamese and African people.

Vietnam-South Africa relations develop comprehensively: Ambassador

Vietnamese Ambassador to South Africa Vu Van Dung 

The relations between Vietnam and South Africa have developed in all fields since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1993, especially in politics, diplomacy, economy-trade, security-defence, science-technology, and education, according to Vietnamese Ambassador to South Africa Vu Van Dung.

He made the statement in a recent interview granted to correspondents of the Vietnam News Agency in Pretoria on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Vietnam-South Africa diplomatic relations.

Regarding politics and diplomacy, the two sides have maintained high-level delegation exchanges and strengthened legal frameworks for comprehensive cooperation.

South Africa shares its viewpoint with Vietnam on the peaceful settlement of disputes in the East Sea based on international law.

In the field of economy, the two countries have closely worked together in the exchange of farm produce, shipbuilding, aquaculture, and fishing.

South Africa is a leading trade partner of Vietnam in Africa with two-way trade increasing five times over the past decade from 189 million USD in 2007 to 920 million USD in 2013 and one billion USD in 2017, he said.

Vietnam and South Africa strive to increase the bilateral trade to 2 billion USD in the coming year, according to the ambassador.

The two nations have also exchanged cooperation orientations in the fields of telecommunication, training, and crime prevention, he said.

A number of agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) have been signed and negotiated to boost cooperation in various realms such as investment protection and promotion, double taxation avoidance, cross-border crime prevention, natural resources, education-training, and forestry, he noted.

As developing countries and members of the Non-Aligned Movement, Vietnam and South Africa actively support each other in the international arena for common peace and development, Dung said.

The two countries advocated each other to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2007-2008 and 2019-2020 tenures (South Africa) and 2008-2009 and 2020-2021 tenures (Vietnam).

As regards security-defence, based on the mutual trust and the annual defence policy dialogue, Vietnam and South Africa have explored numerous opportunities to boost bilateral and multilateral cooperation in specific fields such as logistics, training, sharing experience in peacekeeping activities, and defence industry.

Progresses were also seen in the bilateral cooperation in environment, science-technology, tourism, and education, especially after the two sides signed a tourism cooperation agreement in 2010, a MoU on water resources cooperation in 2010, and a MoU and an action plan on wild animal protection in 2012 and 2013 respectively. The signing of a MoU on tertiary education is under discussion.

Building a mighty military to protect our Socialist homeland: PM

The on-duty patrol vessels of the naval forces of the Việt Nam People’s Navy, one arm of the Việt Nam People’s Army. 

The military would continue to build its strength and might to defend and protect the Socialist Republic of Việt Nam, wrote Politburo member and Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc in an article on the 74th anniversary of the Việt Nam People’s Army founding day, December 22, 1944.

“In 74 years of rich and proud history, under the leadership of the Communist Party and the guidance of President Hồ Chí Minh, Việt Nam’s military has been growing continuously. From the original 34 members of the Việt Nam Armed Propaganda Unit for National Liberation, throughout two anti-colonialist and anti-imperialist wars, our struggles for national independence, to the periods of building socialism and then the open-up and deeper integration into the international community, the People’s Army has been getting stronger and more mature, having consolidated its organisational structure and fostered its comprehensive powers – with modern arms and powerful corps, capable of defeating all invading enemies,” PM Phúc wrote.

The military’s tactics have also shown a masterful combination of modern combat strategies with traditional methods to deal with the most sophisticated plans by the hostile forces.

The Government leader wrote that in the future, co-operation for peace and development would continue to be the prevailing trend in the region and in the world, but issues would also get more “complicated, fast-changing and unpredictable,” he said, referring to very real threats of territorial disputes, terrorism, limited war, racial or religious conflicts, as well as efforts at forced intervention and instigating destabilisation and subversion.

He also noted the growing competition between world’s great powers, who simultaneously seek to co-operate and contain each other.

Hostile, reactionary forces against Việt Nam would continue to wage the ‘peaceful evolution’ with increasingly cunning means, to discredit the State leaders and the Communist Party, to undermine the great national unity, and attempt to separate the Party from the military under the pretext of “depoliticising the military,” PM Phúc wrote.

In such context of “new, demanding and onerous challenges”, the People’s Army of Việt Nam, entrusted with the critical role of protecting the national building efforts, must raise their guard and expand their commitments to accompany the Party and the Vietnamese people to firmly protect the Socialist Republic of Việt Nam.

Five priorities

To effectively exercise their assigned duties in the new era, PM Phúc asked that the military must focus on the “five priorities”:

First, all the officers and rank-and-file soldiers must be thoroughly imbued with the Party’s idea and direction on national defence matters which are laid out in the Party’s Resolutions.

Second, the military must continue to enhance training quality and combat capacity, striving towards obtaining early victories. Co-ordination between armed forces would also need to be further promoted.

Third, the military must continue to make sure its Party committees are “of integrity and steadfast political, ideological and ethical principles.”

Fourth, the military ought to well-implement mass mobilisation to earn people’s trust and loyalty, as well as identify helping people prepare for or remedy the consequences of natural disasters as the armed forces’ essential mission in peacetime.

Fifth, the military must promote international integration and enhance the effectiveness of bilateral and multilateral defence diplomacy, making it one of the pillars in our efforts to uphold the country’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence, and to engender peace and order to serve our economic development.

In defence diplomacy, the military is told to give higher priorities to countries sharing the borders with Việt Nam, consolidate relations with world’s powers, cherish relations with ASEAN member countries, intensify relations with traditional friends and developed countries, bearing in mind the “ultimate goal” of maintaining an “early and from afar” line of defence for the country. 

Administrative reforms needed to purge "vested interest, corrupt elements": Minister

The public administration centre of the Central Highlands province of Đắk Nông. 

Reforms of the administrative system must be done with “professionalism and resolution” to effectively eliminate "vested interest" and corrupt elements, according to Minister, Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tiến Dũng.

He made the remark while addressing an online training workshop on administrative reform and single-window held on Thursday that saw the participation of nearly 7,000 officials from 24 ministries, Government agencies and 63 provinces and cities.

The Government plans to prioritise e-Government building next year in concert with administrative reforms, in a bid to tackle the country’s cumbersome bureaucracy, seen as a factor that stifles growth and innovation.

Chairman Dũng, who chaired the workshop, said that to make sure e-Government building efforts are done in concert with administrative reforms, tasks related to promoting single-window mechanism and administrative reforms have been moved from the justice and home affairs ministries to the Government Office, and at the local level, from provincial/municipal justice and home affairs departments to people’s committees.

According to Dũng, since the beginning of the year, nearly 6,780 out of about 9,930 specialised inspections on imported or exported goods and close to 3,350 out of 6,200 business conditions – considered unnecessary red tape, causing waste and risk of bribery – were axed.

The elimination of these procedures has helped save nearly VNĐ6.3 trillion (US$271.9 million) and free up 17.5 million workdays.

So far, 57 out of 63 localities have finished relaying administrative reform tasks to the people’s committees and 39 localities have public administrative centres at a good level, Chairman Dũng said.

He also noted that provincial governments and State agencies have started to make use of information technology to process and store documents, but each use their own software, making it difficult to share information or connect the databases.

This issue will receive attention next year, as construction of the national public administration centre will begin, with standardised, uniform technology and softwares used across all State agencies and local governments.

“Transparent, friendly, and easy-to-use” are the three criteria that State agencies and local governments must strive towards in their delivery of public services, Chairman Dũng ordered.

He said the performance of public service officials and administrative reform efforts would be measured by the “satisfaction of the people.”

Cautioning that the reforming and streamlining administrative procedures would mean run-ins with entrenched vested interest, the head of the Government Office stressed that the selection of personnel to undertake this task must be carefully done.

Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc earlier ordered faster deployment of e-payment in public administrative services, as cash payments carry more risk for corruption.

On the occasion, Ngô Hải Phan, head of the Administrative Procedure Control Agency, also announced the Government Office’s certificates of merits for exemplary provincial public administration centres in Bắc Ninh, Yên Bái, Thái Bình, Quảng Ninh, Đồng Nai and Quảng Nam. 

President Ho Chi Minh's teachings live forever

Professor Nguyen Xuan Thang, Party Secretary and Chairman of the Central Theory Council cum Director General of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics (Source: http://vietnamnet.vn)

A national workshop to mark the 60th anniversary of the release of the great work entitled “Revolutionary Ethics” –  theoretical and practical value in  Party building has been organised recently in Hanoi.

In his opening speech, Professor Nguyen Xuan Thang, Party Secretary and Chairman of the Central Theory Council cum Director General of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics said following the victory in the national anti-French resistance war, people in the North embarked on the course of building socialism and served as a great morale boost for family and friends in the South in their struggle for liberation and the country’s reunification. 

At that time, President Ho Chi Minh had foreseen the challenges and difficulties lying ahead and the danger of political deterioration which might negatively affect the just cause of the Party, the Vietnamese nation and its people. With these thoughts in mind, in December 1958, President Ho wrote the work “Revolutionary Ethics”.

“The book is a precious and guiding paper to all public employees and Party members in their daily work performance,” Thang emphasized. “A very important and essential characteristic of a Party member is devotion of the heart and mind for the Party and the revolution. This is an essential requirement for a Party member”.

He said the most important driver for the Vietnamese Communist Party was the interests of the people and nation. Each cadre and Party member should set a good example for others to follow.

When he was alive, President Ho always reminded people to have a clear distinction between individualism and the just interests of everyone.

“To foster our revolutionary ethics, we have to learn and train ourselves every day. This is the only way can we become good people”.

Thang said that in the recent past, the Party Politburo, the Party Secretariat and the Party Central Committee of the 12th tenure had issued many important instructions and resolutions, including the Resolution of the Party Central Committee’s Plenum on strengthening the work of party building and rectification in order to prevent and push back negative thinking and the decadent lifestyle of certain party members.

He told participants that the Politburo would issue a Regulation to control power and prevent bribery, and the Party Secretariat would come up with an instruction to recruit new members and expel party members who seriously violated Party rules.

Speaking at the conference, Professor Hoang Chi Bao said that Party members should exhibit good virtue and work for the interests of the nation and the people.

Tran Van Dong, deputy director of the Propaganda and Training Commission from the Vietnam Communist Youth Union, laid emphasis on the need to organise more training on politics, ideology and revolutionary traditions for young people – future leaders of the nation.

All participants at the workshop agreed President’s Ho’s works on “Revolutionary Ethics” had become guiding principles in the work of Party building and personnel policy, as well as guidelines for each Party member and public officer to follow.