Hanoi hopes to enhance relations with RoK

Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung (R) welcomes Ambassador of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Kim Do-hyun (Source: hanoimoi.com.vn)

Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung expressed his hope that Ambassador of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Kim Do-hyun will serve as a bridge connecting Hanoi and the RoK’s localities while hosting the newly-accredited diplomat on May 28.

Chung said that there are about 40,000 Koreans living in Hanoi. The RoK is among the five countries with the highest numbers of tourists to Hanoi.

Over the years, the East Asian nation has been one of the leading countries in terms of investment in the Vietnamese capital.

Hanoi always works with the RoK Embassy to create favourable conditions for Korean citizens in Vietnam, he added.

To implement commitments signed during the Vietnam visit by President Moon Jae-in in March, the Hanoi leader stated he hopes the embassy and other Korean agencies will speed up investment projects and programmes in Vietnam, including Hanoi.

Kim told the host that he aims to boost cooperation between his country and Hanoi and other Vietnamese localities during his tenure. He is working with Korean agencies and firms to step up investment in fields the RoK has strength and Vietnam has demand, such as urban and smart city development and high technology.

He announced that the headquarters of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) will be moved from Singapore to Hanoi.

He also expressed his hope that Hanoi will help encourage more Vietnamese businesses to get involved in component supply chains for plants of the RoK’s LG, Samsung and other foreign enterprises in Vietnam.

Expert: VN plays crucial role in political-economic ties with Japan

Prof. Go Ito from Meji University 

Vietnam plays an important role in the political and economic relations with Japan, so the two sides should further promote reciprocal economic links and people-to-people exchange, a Japanese expert has said. 

Prof. Go Ito from Meji University made the remark during a recent interview granted to Vietnam News Agency’s correspondents in Japan on the occasion of the State visit by Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang to Japan.

Ito pointed out highlights in the bilateral relations, saying that both sides share common concern about security challenges, especially navigation security, safety and freedom in the East Sea. 

The number of Vietnamese students pursuing their study in Japan is rapidly increasing, contributing to promoting not only education and training cooperation but also culture exchange between the two countries, thus pushing their political and economic ties. 

The people-to-people exchange is the origin of all relations, and thanks to this, the Vietnam-Japan relationship will be deepened in the future, he affirmed. 

Regarding Vietnam’s investment market, Ito said Vietnam becomes a partner country for Japan’s direct investment and trade activities. 

He noted that in the last two decades, Vietnam has performed domestic economic reform, while Japan also highly values high-quality labour forces, adding that this helps promote economic development in the two countries. 

Goods produced in Vietnam are exported to not only markets in Southeast Asia and South Asia but also to greater markets such as Japan and the US. 

Japan has poured direct investment into motorbike manufacturing and building of offices in Vietnam, he said, noting that if his country increases its investment in infrastructure in Vietnam, the bilateral relations will be further tightened.

Japanese firms will benefit more from the process, while Vietnamese youths will have the opportunity to acquire new knowledge and techniques from Japan. 

The expert, however, also noted that the two countries’ cooperation has not yet matched their potential as the operation scale of Japanese firms in Vietnam remains limited. 

Talking about the visit of Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang to Japan, Ito said this is an important milestone, serving as a starting point for further strengthening the bilateral cooperation across fields in the future.

Vietnam respects Venezuelan people’s selection in presidential elections

A voter casts her ballot at a polling place in Caracas, Venezuela, on May 20 (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)

Vietnam respects the selection of the Venezuelan people in the recent presidential elections, Spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry Le Thi Thu Hang has said.

Hang made the statement on May 28 in response to reporters’ question on the presidential elections in Venezuela. 

“Vietnam wishes the Government and political forces in Venezuela will soon sit for a dialogue to solve differences and stabilise the country,” she said.

Vietnam will continue strengthening the friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Venezuela, for the interests of the two countries’ people and contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the two regions and the world at large, she affirmed.

Vietnamese, Lao fronts tighten cooperation

Vice President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Hau A Lenh met President of the Lao Front for National Construction (LFNC) Saysomphone Phomvihane (R) 

Vice President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Hau A Lenh met President of the Lao Front for National Construction (LFNC) Saysomphone Phomvihane in Vientiane on May 28 as part of his four-day visit to the country.

At the meeting, Lenh informed his host about the outcomes of his talks with LFNC Vice President Khambay Damlath, saying he hopes the LFNC chief to direct the enhancement of friendship and cooperation activities, particularly between Vietnamese and Lao social organisations and people, toward effectiveness.

He also asked the Lao front leader to pay attention to facilitating the activities of Vietnamese expatriates and students in Laos.

Saysomphone Phomvihane stated fruitful cooperation between the Vietnamese and Lao fronts will contribute to the two nations’ special relations.

The official lauded outcomes of the talks between Lenh and his deputy, particularly the review of one-year implementation of a joint communiqué issued at a 2017 international conference on building the Vietnam-Laos border of peace, friendship and comprehensive cooperation for mutual development.  

He suggested the two fronts carry out joint field trips along provinces that share the border to build a better mechanism to address free migration, unregistered marriage and goods smuggling in the area.

He expected the sides to continue their implementation of a cooperation programme among the VFF, the LFNC and the Solidarity Front for the Development of Cambodia Motherland, thus tightening the traditional solidarity, friendship and cooperation among the neighbouring nations.

Prior to his meeting with Saysomphone Phomvihane, Lenh held talks with LFNC Vice President Khambay Damlath. The sides agreed that joint efforts to build a peaceful border had recorded in organisation of communication campaigns and information exchanges in order to prevent and promptly deal with incidents occurring in border areas.

They also lauded outcomes of border demarcation, marker planting and patrol work during the one-year period.

They expressed their delight at the widespread implementation of the Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia front cooperation programme, which was signed in 2017.

As heard at the talks, the VFF would open a short-term training course on front work for 20 officials from the LFNC.

Party delegation visits China’s Guangdong province

Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Xuan Thang delivered a speech at the seminar on Karl Marx’s ideology in the 21st century and the future of socialism in the world 

Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Xuan Thang led a delegation to pay a working visit to Shenzhen city in Guangdong province of China on May 27-28.   

During the visit, Thang, also Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council and Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, held meetings with Secretary of Guangdong’s Party Committee Li Xi, and Song Tao, Director of the Communist Party of China’s International Liaison Department. 

He joined representatives from 62 communist, workers and left-wing parties of other countries in a conference on Guangdong’s development achievements and a seminar on Karl Marx’s ideology in the 21st century and the future of socialism in the world.

Addressing the events, Thang praised the growth progress China has achieved during its 40 years of reform and market opening. 

Lauding the rapid development of Shenzhen and Guangdong as a reflection of the country’s reform process, the Vietnamese Party official attributed the outcomes to the Communist Party of China’s leadership and its theoretical perception and policy on socialism with Chinese characteristics.

He highlighted that socialism in China, Vietnam and other countries worldwide is improving, with its number of members estimated at nearly 1.5 billion or about 20 percent of the world population. Thang considered the fact an undeniable proof of Karl Marx ideology’ practical value and socialism’s vitality in the 21st century.

The official cited that in Vietnam, late President Ho Chi Minh employed and developed Marxism-Leninism in a creative manner to suit the local situation. 

He added that based on Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought, the Communist Party of Vietnam has led the Vietnamese people to build the country’s socialism with a goal of making Vietnam a modern and prosperous industrial nation by mid-21st century.

While in Shenzhen, the Vietnamese Party delegation also visited a number of local businesses and residential communities to learn about their Party building work.

Japanese official: President's visit – symbol of close friendship

Deputy Director General of the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s Bureau of Asian and Oceanian Affairs Fumio Shimizu 

The Vietnam visit by the Japanese Emperor and Queen in 2017 and the upcoming Japan visit by President Tran Dai Quang and his spouse as national guests is the symbol of the closest friendship between the two countries, said Deputy Director General of the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s Bureau of Asian and Oceanian Affairs Fumio Shimizu. 

During an interview recently granted to Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the President’s visit to Japan from May 29 – June 2, Shimizu expressed his delight at the development of Vietnam – Japan ties, evidenced by exchange activities in diverse areas via the legislature, business community and people-to-people channel. 

Since the resumption of official development assistance (ODA) provision for Vietnam in 1992, Japan has always been the largest supporter of Vietnam’s economic growth, with focus on infrastructure such as roads, ports and electricity, thereby improving the country’s business climate. 

Over 1,700 Japanese enterprises are operating in Vietnam, the largest in Southeast Asia. 

Cultural and people-to-people exchanges have also progressed. Tourist arrivals in the two countries surpassed 1 million last year. More than 260,000 Vietnamese people are living and working in Japan, around 700 of them are candidates for the nurse training programme under the Economic Partnership Agreement. 

Shimuzu said the two economies are mutually beneficial with increasingly strengthened friendship and trust between the two peoples. 

As a gateway of the region, Vietnam is an important partner of Japan on the basis of shared strategic interests. Under Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy, Southeast Asia links the Pacific and Indian Oceans, and the strengthening of the regional connectivity is key to Vietnam’s sustainable development. 

Japan wants to cooperate with Vietnam in improving industrial competitiveness, human resources training, administrative reform to fuel Vietnam’s development, he said. 

In order to boost Vietnam – Japan strategic partnership, bilateral collaboration in regional and global issues play an important role, he said, adding that the two nations have worked closely together on the Trans-Pacific Partnership. From this August, Vietnam will serve as a coordinator within the ASEAN framework, together with Japan. 

As rotating Chair of ASEAN in 2020, Vietnam will increasingly improve its position on the international arena. On the basis of further strengthening trust between Vietnam and Japan, bilateral ties in regional and global issues will produce better results in the near future, he said. 

As coastal countries, Vietnam and Japan share interests brought about by sea, he said, adding that efforts to maintain an open and free maritime order in line with the law will play a significant role in the near future. 

Shimizu said that the visit will reaffirm the development of cultural exchange and bilateral cooperation over the past 45 years, affording both sides a chance to discuss their ties amidst complicated developments in the region, towards an open and free world order and strengthening bilateral trust.