Vietnam, Czech supreme courts step up cooperation

Chief Judge of the Supreme People’s Court of Vietnam Nguyen Hoa Binh held talks with his Czech counterpart Pavel Samal during his ongoing visit to the Republic of Czech from March 21-24.

The chief judges discussed the operation, organisational structure and trial experiences of the two courts. They agreed to boost cooperation in exchanging high-level delegations, training judge and sharing trial experience as well as information related to dealing with cases involved overseas Vietnamese people in the Czech Republic and Czech businessmen in Vietnam.

Both shared a view that the cooperation between the two supreme courts play an important role in mutual judicial assistance, contributing to the friendship and multi-faceted cooperation between Vietnam and the Czech Republic.

During his trip, Binh visited the Embassy of Vietnam and overseas Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic and briefed them about the home nation’s situation.

He highlighted the agreement on judicial assistance in criminal matters signed between the two nations, saying that the document laid a legal foundation for the two sides’ collaboration in settling down criminal cases.

Together with the increase in citizen exchanges, investment and socio-economic development activities, the two nations will review the agreement to see if any revisions needed, he said.

Prime Minister hosts Oman Minister of Commerce and Trade

 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc received in Hanoi on March 23 Omani Minister of Commerce and Trade Ali Bin Masoud Al Sunaidy, who is also Chairman of the Oman sub-committee of the Vietnam - Oman Joint Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation.

The Prime Minister expressed his pleasure with the development in cooperation, trade and investment between the two sides and believed that the Minister’s current visit will open new space for bilateral cooperation.

The Omani Minister agreed on the PM’s proposal on boosting cooperation between the two countries and said that numerous Omani enterprises who accompany his current visit want to seek opportunities for cooperation, especially in logistics and transportation. During their stay in Vietnam, the Omani delegation had working sessions with relevant Vietnamese agencies and businesses.

The Minister expressed his wish that Vietnam continue maintaining export of food and rice to Oman, proposing establishing a direct marine transport route between Oman and Vietnam.

He said Oman is able to serve a gateway for Vietnam to access the Gulf and African markets, and wishes to cooperate with Vietnam to exploit natural gas in the future as the country has huge natural gas reserves.

The PM agreed on cooperation potential between the two countries, suggesting that the two sides need to sign necessary documents soon, creating legal framework for promote cooperation.

He highly valued Oman’s dispatch of a business mission to Vietnam to learn the market and attend the Vietnam - Oman business forum to seek opportunities for business, trade and investment during the minister’s visit.

He affirmed the Government will create all possible favourable conditions for Omani enterprises to operation in Vietnam.

Congratulations to Myanmar Speaker of House of Representatives

U T Khun Myat, far right, stands with outgoing Pyithu speaker U Win Myint, State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and U Shwe Mann during a meeting in November 2015. 

Chairwoman of the Vietnamese National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan on March 23 sent a message of congratulations to U T Khun Myat on his election as Speaker of the House of Representatives (Pyithu Hluttaw) of Myanmar.

U T Khun Myat, who previously served as deputy speaker of the lower house, was elected to the post at a meeting in Nay Pyi Taw on March 22.

The election came after Speaker of the House of Representatives U Win Myint stepped down on March 21 after two years holding the position.

Regional exchange promotes Vietnamese culture, food

At the tea party of the ASEAN Ladies Circle in Beijing

The Vietnamese Embassy in China hosted a tea party of the ASEAN Ladies Circle (ALC) in Beijing on March 22, aiming at presenting and promoting Vietnamese culture and cuisine as well as strengthen connectivity among ASEAN and Chinese women and international friends.

The event saw female diplomats in China, including Cambodian Ambassador Khek M. Caimealy and Lao Ambassador Vandy Boutthasavong, spouses of ambassadors from ASEAN countries, representatives from the ASEAN – China Centre, Chinese businesswomen, artists, and students.

Vietnamese Ambassador to China Dang Minh Khoi welcomed the participants, while emphasising the need to improve common awareness on the ASEAN Community, enhancing connectivity and consolidating solidarity.

The event has become a traditional activity of the ASEAN embassies in Beijing to connect ASEAN women.

This is also an activity to boost exchange and friendship between ASEAN and Chinese women and international friends, thus contributing to forging the ASEAN – China mutual understanding, Ambassador Khoi affirmed.

At the party, participants enjoyed the images of Vietnam’s culture, landscapes, its traditional cuisine, an art programme performed by Vietnamese and Chinese students.

Cultural exchanges vital to boosting VN-Japan relations: PM

Cultural exchange activities play an important role in boosting Vietnam-Japan relations, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc told Special Advisor to the Japanese Cabinet Isao Iijima.

During a reception for Iijima in Hanoi on March 23, PM Phuc said he was pleased to meet the Japanese advisor again when the bilateral relations are flourishing with high political trust. Vietnam and Japan have maintained regular high-level meetings and fostered cooperation in all fields, he said.

Japan is currently the biggest provider of ODA, second biggest foreign investor and fourth biggest trade partner of Vietnam, PM Phuc said, noting that in 2017 alone, Japan poured a record amount of 9.11 billion USD in FDI into Vietnam, ranking first among countries and territories investing in the Southeast Asian nation.

The PM expects that Japan will continue taking the lead in terms of FDI from now on, particularly in the areas of supporting industry, manufacturing, renewable energy and hi-tech agriculture.

He spoke highly of Japan’s Sakura Blossom Festival which is being organised in Vietnam to mark the 45th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties, saying such cultural exchange activities play a significant role in enhancing the bilateral relationship.

Iijim said the festival is a significant event, helping to promote cultural exchanges between the two countries. Japan has a sakura association and wants to grow the flowers in many other countries around the world, including Vietnam, he said.

The advisor hoped that there will be more Japanese sakura and Vietnamese apricot blossom festivals to promote cultural exchanges between the two nations, paving the way for expanded cooperation in other fields.

Echoing his guest’s view, PM Phuc said he also wants the sakura blossom festival will continue to be held in Vietnam on a larger scale and looks forward to more cultural festivals which will bring Japanese culture closer to Vietnamese people.

Some 50 sakura trees of different species, above 2.5m high each, and 10,000 branches of sakura blossoms are on display at Ly Thai To Park by Hoan Kiem Lake, downtown Hanoi as part of the 2018 Vietnam-Japan Cultural Exchange Festival. 

The festival include various cultural activities, such as the introduction of the Japanese tea culture, chess, Kendama folk games and Japanese cuisine near Hanoi Children’s Palace, besides a Yosakoi dance performance by 17 teams on Dinh Tien Hoang street.

The event, which will run until March 26, will also host various Vietnamese traditional arts such as ca tru(ceremonial singing), hat xam (blind busker’s singing) and folk dances.

Thai ambassador presented with friendship insignia

The outgoing Ambassador of Thailand to Vietnam, Manopchai Vongphakdi, has been honoured with a “For Peace and Friendship among Nations” insignia by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO).

Presenting the insignia to the ambassador at a ceremony on March 23, VUFO Vice President and Secretary General Don Tuan Phong stressed that the insignia - the most notable reward of the VUFO - acknowledges the diplomat’s contributions to promoting the cooperation and friendship between Vietnam and Thailand during his term.

The bilateral multifaceted cooperation and friendship have witnessed impressive development while the plan of action to deploy the strategic partnership has also seen significant progress over the past years, he said. 

Thailand has become one of the 10 biggest foreign investors in Vietnam and the two nations are striving to bring bilateral trade to 20 billion USD by 2020, Phong stressed.

The bilateral cooperation in various fields, including security-defence, law and judiciary, culture, labour and tourism has been expanded and strengthened, while people-to-people exchanges have helped increase mutual understanding and traditional friendship between the two nations, Phong noted. 

He also voiced his hope that, the Thai ambassador, in any capacity, will continue contributing to the enhancement of friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Thailand in the coming time.

In reply, Vongphakdi said he it was an honour to for him to receive the insignia. He praised the contributions of Vietnam’s external relations agencies to the bilateral relationship.

The ambassador affirmed that the Vietnam-Thailand and Thailand-Vietnam Friendship Associations play an important role in people-to-people exchanges. Vongphakdi also stressed that in any position, he will foster people-to-people exchanges, contributing to the development of bilateral relations.

Vietnam - France strategic partnership

Hanoi offers promising investment opportunities for Japanese firms

Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung has assured Japanese businesses that the capital city of Vietnam will be an attractive and successful investment, business and tourism destination for them.

The municipal administration held a meeting on investment and tourism promotion cooperation between Hanoi and Japan on March 23. 

The event, part of the Japanese culture exchange festival marking the 45th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties, drew about 200 delegates representing local ministries and sectors, the Japanese Embassy, and many Japanese businesses.

Hanoi authorities gave participants an overview of the city’s investment and tourism cooperation with Japanese partners, along with cooperation potential. They called for stronger investment in hi-tech agriculture, health care, education and environment.

Chairman Chung said Hanoi’s administration pledges to create the best possible conditions for Japanese investors and enterprises.

Isao Iijima, a special advisor to the Japanese Prime Minister, expressed his hope that cooperation between Vietnamese businesses and Japanese firms with advanced technology will be enhanced.

Japan is the leading ODA provider for Hanoi when it has pledged nearly 3 billion USD for 32 ODA-funded projects in the city. It is also the second biggest foreign investor in Hanoi with over 950 projects worth over 5.4 billion USD.

The Hanoi People’s Committee and the Japanese Embassy held an investment promotion conference in June 2016. An array of investment, trade and tourism promotion activities have been implemented since then. As a result, there were 226 new investment projects of Japan with total registered capital of 981 million USD in Hanoi in 2017. 

At the meeting, Japanese agencies and businesses inked many cooperation documents on investment, tourism, health care and agriculture with Hanoi counterparts.

Deputy PM: Vietnam attaches importance to economic ties with RoK

 

Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue stated that Vietnam attaches importance to economic ties with the Republic of Korea (RoK) during a meeting with his Korean counterpart Kim Dong-yeon in Hanoi on March 23.

Deputy PM underscored the importance of ongoing Vietnam visit by RoK President Moon Jae-in in the context of growing bilateral ties in diverse areas, particularly in economy and trade. 

He described the RoK as one of Vietnam’s top economic partners, the top investor and the second largest partner in trade, official development assistance and tourism. 

According to him, Vietnam is the fourth largest trade partner globally and the top ASEAN partner of the RoK. A number of Korean enterprises, including Samsung and Lotte, have made important socio-economic contributions to Vietnam. 

Hue asked for joint efforts to achieve the 100-billion-USD goal by 2020 in tandem with trade balance and create conditions for both countries’ goods to enter each market. 

He expressed support for existing exchange mechanisms and asked the two nations’ agencies to reach consensus on agenda and time. 

The host stressed the need to launch a specialised high-level cooperation mechanism amidst protectionism at present. He suggested signing a bilateral treaty to boost economic growth on the back of financial cooperation and other fields. 

Speaking highly of the RoK’s experience in increasing financial-banking stability, Hue said Vietnam is restructuring public investment and financial-banking system. 

The two governments are responsible for creating the most favourable conditions for enterprises to foster partnership, he said. 

Kim, for his part, wished that both nations would have more cooperation opportunities to contribute to their common development. 

Hailing the rapid and effective development of bilateral ties since the establishment of diplomatic ties more than 25 years ago, he proposed launching a periodic deputy PM level-meeting mechanism major in economic affairs to further lift bilateral ties.

Vietnam, RoK’s first ladies visit ethnology museum

Kim Jung-sook, wife of RoK President Moon Jae-in, visits the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi on March 23. 

First ladies of Vietnam and the Republic of Korea visited the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi on March 23 to learn about Vietnamese culture and promote cultural exchanges between the two countries.

Nguyen Thi Hien, wife of President Tran Dai Quang, and Kim Jung-sook, wife of President Moon Jae-in, were introduced about the development of the museum and history of Vietnam’s 54 ethnic groups. Each of the groups has its distinctive cultural identity, which together create Vietnam’s cultural diversity. 

They later enjoyed a show of water puppet, the Vietnamese unique folk art, at the museum.

President Moon and his wife are on a three-day State visit to Vietnam until March 24.