Hanoi, Vientiane share experience in front activities

Vice President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Committee of Hanoi Vu Hong Khanh and President of the Lao Front for National Construction (LFNC) Committee of Vientiane Bounthieng Khounsy held talks in Hanoi on June 26 to share experience in front activities.

Khanh said that with its role in connecting the Party, Government and people from all walks of life, the VFF Committee of Hanoi is responsible for guiding public opinions and creating consensus among the society.

Over the past years, the committee has reformed its operation to meet political requirements in the new period, including expanding its network of collaborators, and renewing its activities at local levels to understand the aspiration of people.

Its activities in environmental protection, charity, and poverty reduction have been carried out effectively, said Khanh, adding that the VFF has engaged in fostering solidarity and fighting the abuse of religion to commit law violations.

The VFF Committee of Hanoi has focused on social supervision and criticism. In the first six months of 2018, the committee held a conference to give critic ideals on three important issues, while its chapters in wards and districts organised 35 similar conferences.

Khanh highlighted that the VFF Committees at all levels have involved in dealing with people’s complaints and denunciations, while its various movements have contributed to strengthen social consensus for the successful implementation of socio-economic development targets.

For his part, Bounthieng Khounsy said that based on traditional cooperation between the capital cities of Vietnam and Laos, the LFNC Committee of Vientiane has learned helpful experience from the VFF Committee of Hanoi.

He congratulated Hanoi on socio-economic achievements that the city has made over the past years, while briefing his host on a number of activities of the LFNC Committee of Vientiane as well as socio-economic situation of Vientiane.

Bounthieng Khounsy showed his hope that in the future, the two cities will continue bolstering exchange and cooperation and specifying action programmes to further foster friendship between Hanoi and Vientiane as well as Vietnam and Laos in general.

The same day, Bounthieng Khounsy and his delegation visited the Hanoi Party Committee and made a field trip to Hanoi’s outlying Dan Phuong district.-

Vietnam, France look towards closer decentralised bonds

At the seminar 

Cooperation between Vietnamese and French localities is one of the pillars to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries, heard a seminar in Paris on June25. 

The event was attended by representatives of Hanoi, Can Tho, Phu Yen and Quang Ngai of Vietnam and those from France’s cities and organisations which have established decentralised cooperation with Vietnamese localities.

In his opening speech, Vietnamese Ambassador to France Nguyen Thiep affirmed that Vietnamese localities have demonstrated  their initiative international cooperation and are ready to accelerate their efforts to achieve higher efficiency.

The two sides have done a lot in the past and have many projects still to implement, he noted. 

Christophe Katsahian, Deputy Director of the International Cooperation Department of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said one of France's priorities was to run international cooperation projects to bring the most benefits to citizens. 

Vietnamese and French localities can support each other for mutual development through successful projects, he said. 

According to Katsahian, more and more French localities are seeking opportunities for cooperation with Vietnam. Currently, more than 20 French localities are participating in development cooperation projects with Vietnamese peers. 

This form of cooperation offers huge value to France and strengthens the institutional capabilities of Vietnamese localities. 

A number of effective cooperation models are  between Brest and Hai Phong, Val-de-Marne and Yen Bai, Aquitaine and Thua Thien – Hue and Ile-de-France and Hanoi. 

Nguyen Duc Chung, Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Commmitee said relations between the capital city and Ile-de-France are an epitome of effective ties, especially in culture heritage preservation and development and urban planning and management. 

On the occasion, the two localities signed an action programme for 2018-2021, focusing on the fields of development aid, expert exchange, direct investment, technology transfer, climate change adaptation, tourism, health, education,  high-tech  agriculture, e-government and administration reform. 

Participants of the seminar debated the possibilities of promoting bilateral cooperation. 

Representatives from Can Tho, Quang Ngai and Phu Yen introduced projects requiring investment in the localities, especially in tourism, hi-tech agriculture and food industry. 

Meanwhile representatives from Choisy-le-roi said the city plans to implement a cultural centre project named “Vietnam House on the banks of the Seine River”. 

According to participants from Seine-Saint-Denis, the province is working with Vietnam’s Hai Duong in environmental protection and wastewater treatment, training environmental engineers and treating waste in trade villages.

Jean-Claude Dardelet, Vice President of Toulouse city, took the occasion to detail preparations for the 11th Vietnam-France locality cooperation conference, scheduled for 2019 in Toulouse.

Cooperation between localities of Vietnam and France (decentralised cooperation) began in 1989 with the formation of Ile-de-France and Hanoi partnership. 

Since the 1990s, this form of cooperation has been reinforced and developed, contributing to promoting friendship between the two countries’ localities.

The first decentralised cooperation conference was held in 1996 in Lille, France. Since 2005, the conference has been held alternately in the two countries’ provinces and cities every two or three years, aiming to strengthen the existing ties as well as facilitate stronger partnerships among Vietnamese and French localities.

NA officials visit Canada to boost legislative ties, CPTPP approval

Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly's Committee for External Affairs Nguyen Van Giau (R) meets with Canadian Senator Yuen Pau Woo in Ottawa 

A delegation of the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA)’s Committee for External Affairs visited Ottawa and Toronto of Canada from June 20 to 25 to bolster parliamentary ties and discuss the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

In Ottawa, the delegation, led by Chairman of the Committee for External Affairs Nguyen Van Giau, met with senators Yuen Pau Woo and Victor Oh, along with members of the House of Commons Dean Allison, Terry Sheehan and Joe Peschisolido.

They also had working sessions with Hugh Cheetham – senior advisor at the Department of Justice, and Gary Lee – deputy head of the Trade Negotiations-Asia, Kyle Gervais – senior analyst at the Trade Negotiations-Asia and Joy Vicente – Trade Commissioner at the Southeast Asia of the Department of Global Affairs.

At the sessions, the two sides spoke highly of the friendship between Canada and Vietnam, noting that bilateral relations are developing soundly as seen in various fields and through mutual visits, particularly a trip to Vietnam by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in November 2017 on the occasion of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s visit to Canada and attendance in the G7 Outreach Summit in Charlevoix from June 7 to 10.

Although trade, political, diplomatic and educational ties, development cooperation and people-to-people exchange have been increased in recent years, they still need to be enhanced to match the potential of the countries’ comprehensive partnership established last November, the officials said.

They highlighted cooperation between the two parliaments, which has become more and more fruitful.

Chairman of the Committee for External Affairs Giau thanked Canadian legislators for their contributions to the Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum held in Vietnam last January.

He added legislative ties will help promote the countries’ relations, noting that this cooperation will support state activities as well as the implementation of agreements signed by the two governments.

At the working sessions, the two sides also shared experience and discussed the CPTPP ratification process. They looked into challenges and prospects in the agreement’s implementation, including the settlement of conflicts of interest and support for vulnerable subjects in the CPTPP enforcement.

The Canadian officials promised they will promote the CPTPP ratification whenever conditions and time are suitable.

Yuen Pau Woo said the ratification will be a priority of the Canadian government when the parliament gathers this autumn, expressing his belief that parliamentarians will approve the trade deal.

Dean Allison said the CPTPP will bring many benefits to Canada, allowing the country to access a market with a population of hundreds of millions. Agreeing, Gary Lee affirmed the general support for the CPTPP as this agreement will open a new market in Asia-Pacific, where Canada doesn’t have any free trade agreements.

From June 23 to 25, the Vietnamese delegation met with Deputy Mayor of Toronto Denzil Minnan-Wong to talk the prospects of Toronto’s cooperation with Vietnamese localities, especially in renewable energy, tourism, education and infrastructure.

Canada was the second destination of a tour of Japan and Canada by Vietnamese NA officials to foster parliamentary connections and CPTPP ratification.

VN, France exchange experience in military engineering

Professional knowledge and experience in military engineering in the United Nations peacekeeping operations were exchanged between the Vietnamese and French Ministries of Defense in Ha Noi on June 25.

The program is co-organized by the Viet Nam Peacekeeping Department (VPD) under the Ministry of National Defense and the French Defense Attaché Office in Ha Noi with assistance from the International Organization of la Francophonie in Viet Nam.

Speaking at the event, VPD Director Colonel Hoang Kim Phung hailed Viet Nam-France defense relations in recent years, especially cooperation in UN peacekeeping operation. 

The French support through this program is practical and valuable to Viet Nam, contributing to consolidating fine relations between the two countries, he added.

The program demonstrates the trust between Viet Nam and France in training units assigned to join UN peacekeeping missions as well as Vietnamese efforts to prepare for the UN missions in the future, said French Defense Attaché in Viet Nam Christophe Talon. 

It is the sixth time France and Viet Nam have exchanged expertise in UN peacekeeping since 2016.

Accordingly, French military specialists will provide military engineers of the VPD with theories and practices of landmine and explosive ordnance disposal in compliance with international standards and share expertise with doctors of a level-2 field hospital of the Viet Nam Military Medical University in raising awareness of mines and explosive remnants of war in UN peacekeeping missions.

Congratulations to new Egyptian Prime Minister

New Prime Minister of Egypt Mostafa Madbouly (Source: dailynewsegypt.com)

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on June 25 sent a congratulatory message to Mostafa Madbouly on his appointment as the Prime Minister of Egypt.

Vietnam and Egypt set up diplomatic relations on September 1, 1963.

Egypt is the second largest trade partner of Vietnam in Africa, with two-way trade hitting 316 million USD in 2016. 

Leaders of the two countries agreed to make efforts to raise two-way trade value to 1 billion USD during Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s visit to Vietnam in September 2017.

Vietnam exported seafood, automobile spare parts, fabric, black peppercorn, coffee, rubber and other consumer goods to Egypt and imported mainly chemicals, oil products, milk and dairy products, and fibres from the country.

France shares experience in military engineering with Vietnam

France is exchanging professional knowledge and experience in military engineering with Vietnam in the United Nations peacekeeping operations during a two-week programme, which commenced in Hanoi on June 25.

The programme is co-organised by the Vietnam Peacekeeping Department (VPD) under the Ministry of National Defence and the French Defence Attaché Office in Hanoi with assistance from the International Organisation of la Francophonie in Vietnam.

French military specialists will provide military engineers of the VPD with theories and practices of landmine and explosive ordnance disposal in compliance with international standards and share expertise with doctors of a level-2 field hospital of the Vietnam Military Medical University in raising awareness of mines and explosive remnants of war in UN peacekeeping missions.

In his remarks at the opening ceremony, VPD Director Colonel Hoang Kim Phung spoke highly of Vietnam-France defence relations which have seen comprehensive and significant development in recent years, including cooperation in UN peacekeeping operation. 

The two sides have exchanged visits of defence delegations at all levels and held seminars to share experience and provide training for military officers, he said.

The French support through this programme is practical and valuable to Vietnam, contributing to consolidating fine relations between the two countries, he added.

French Defence Attaché in Vietnam Christophe Talon said through bilateral and multilateral commitments, France wants to become a country providing comprehensive consultation and support for those who are preparing to take part in UN peacekeeping missions. 

The programme demonstrates the trust between Vietnam and France in training units assigned to join UN peacekeeping missions as well as Vietnamese efforts to prepare for the UN missions in the future.

It is the sixth time France and Vietnam have exchanged expertise in UN peacekeeping since 2016.