Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam said HCM City and Japan’s Fukuoka prefecture can cooperate successfully as the two localities share a lot of similarities. 

At a reception for Chairman of the Fukuoka Council Jungo Inoue on June 28, Tam expressed her hope that the visit by the Fukuoka delegation will open up many cooperation opportunities for the two localities, especially in the context that the National Assembly has allowed HCM City to pilot special mechanisms. 

The official said Japan’s support, especially its official development assistance (ODA), has contributed to developing infrastructure in HCM City. 

Highlighting the intensive and extensive development of the Vietnam-Japan ties across fields, Tam said parliamentary diplomacy has played an important role in promoting the bilateral relations. 

Jungo Inoue, for his part, recalled the visit to Fukuoka by a delegation of HCM City in March 2018 to seek cooperation in flood prevention and startup support, saying the visit has created a premise for his first-ever trip to the Vietnamese southern metropolis to enhance collaboration between the two localities. 

Fukuoka wishes to tighten relations with HCM City in the time ahead, the official affirmed.

Conference reviews military, defence work in six months

The Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence held a political-military conference in Hanoi on June 28 to review the outcomes of military and defence work in the first half of 2018 and launch tasks for the remaining months.

In his opening speech, Minister of National Defence Gen. Ngo Xuan Lich, who is also a Politburo member and Vice Secretary of the Central Military Commission, said in the first six months of this year, the 

whole army has had certain advantages to carry out military-defence tasks but also faced many difficulties and challenges requesting officers and soldiers to make stronger efforts to overcome.

He asked representatives of army units to review task implementation over the last six months in a straightforward manner to clarify shortcomings, causes, and responsibility of each agency and unit.

The outcomes of the conference will help encourage officers and soldiers in the whole army to make stronger efforts to fulfill the military-defence tasks for 2018, he added.

At the event, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc highly valued the comprehensive outcomes and the resolve to perform duties by officers and soldiers. He affirmed that the major socio-economic attainments in 2017 and the last six months are greatly attributable to the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA).

He said the Central Military Commission and the Defence Ministry have done a good job of giving military-defence advice to the Party and State. They have also proposed sound, timely and effective reactions to any circumstances that have emerged.

The Government leader applauded their active preparation of a resolution and an implementation plan on the defence and military strategies of Vietnam. He also recognised the Defence Ministry’s contributions to the building of some draft laws, including the revised Law on National Defence, the draft Law on Vietnam Coast Guard, and the draft revised Law on Militia and Self-Defence Force.

Particularly, the VPA has worked hard to improve its combat quality and strength, reform the training work, and promote the capacity of mastering modern weapons and technical equipment, especially in the forces of navy, air defence – air force, information and communication, and electronic warfare, PM Phuc said.

Regarding military-defence tasks for the remaining six months, the Central Military Commission and the Defence Ministry are set to continue having a good grasp of situation and seriously complying with the Party’s leadership, the State’s management and the Government’s steering.

They will also push ahead with ensuring combat readiness and improving effectiveness of the mass mobilisation work, especially in strategic and remote areas as well as ethnic minority and religious communities.

State President’s Ordinances on announcement of seven laws

The Presidential Office on June 28 organized a press conference to announce the State President’s Ordinances on the announcement of seven laws which were approved at the fifth session of the 14th National Assembly. 

The Presidential Office organizes a press conference to announce the State President’s Ordinances on the announcement of seven laws which were approved at the fifth session of the 14th National Assembly, Ha Noi, June 28, 2018 - Photo: tuoitre.vn

Seven laws include the Law on National Defense, Law on Competition, Law on Denunciations, Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Sports and Physical Training, Law on Measurement and Map, Law on Cyber Security and Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of 11 laws related to planning. 

Regarding the Law on Cyber Security, Director of the Cyber Security Department of the Ministry of Public Security Hoang Duc Thuan said that the law includes seven chapters and 43 articles, stipulating fundamental contents on the protection of cyber security on the crucial information system on the national security, preventing and treating cyber security violations as well as launching activities to protect cyber security and defining responsibilities of organizations, agencies and individuals on cyber security. 

In addition, the law regulates on the prevention of cyber terrorism and war, which creates a sound legal framework for people to launch business on cyber network. 

Referring to the Law on National Defense, Deputy Minister of Defense Le Chiem said that the law defines full and comprehensive policies of the State on defense to guarantee publicity and transparency of the purpose of Viet Nam’s defense as to protect the nation. 

HCM City boosts cooperation with Saint Petersburg

Ho Chi Minh City calls on Russian firms from Saint Petersburg city to share experience in addressing issues in urban building and development such as traffic jam, waste and sewage treatment, and green energy.

Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Le Thanh Liem hosted a reception for a delegation from the Russian city led by Katanandov Sergey Leonidovich, special envoy of the governor of Saint Petersburg on issues regarding national building and development and cooperation with Russian agencies.

The guests are on a working visit to Vietnam’s southern economic hub from June 27-30.

Liem said the working visit to Saint Petersburg by Secretary of HCM City Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan in May 2018 opened up a new chapter in the bilateral relations in various fields.

The cooperation development roadmap between the two cities in 2018-2020 signed in May this year has created a foundation for the two sides to boost collaborative activities, especially in culture, tourism, and science technology.

It is a proper time for the two localities to bring agreements in the roadmap into practical outcomes, Liem said.

The cooperation agreements between HCM City University of Social Sciences and Humanities and the Saint Petersburg University have been carried out with positive results, he added.

For his part, Katanandov Sergey Leonidovich said his current working visit aims to concretise agreements signed by the two cities’ leaders during the visit to Saint Petersburg by Secretary of HCM City Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan.

Saint Petersburg businesses hope to quickly find reliable partners to promote bilateral cooperation activities, particularly in the fields of their strengths such as water treatment, health care, tourism, culture and cyber security.

He added that Saint Petersburg is keen to maintain and reinforce the sound traditional cooperation with Vietnam and HCM City in particular.

The city pledged to closely work with HCM City to step up the teaching of Vietnamese in Saint Petersburg and Russian in HCM City while enhancing activities to forge youth connectivity and exchanges to increase mutual understanding, friendship and solidarity, he said.

C40 promises to help Hanoi combat climate change

 

With abundant financial resources, the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40) could help Hanoi with climate change response, said C40 Executive Director Mark Watts. 

At a meeting with Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen The Hung on June 28, Mark Watts urged Hanoi leaders to share the city’s plan on climate change combat so that C40 can help the capital fulfil this goal. 

He also pledged to provide support for C40 member cities in environmental protection as they committed. 

During the working session, C40 representatives suggested enhancing cooperation and use of renewable energies in Vietnam and Hanoi in particular. 

For his part, Hung said Hanoi will make a list of specific items to get assistance from C40 in climate change response. 

Hanoi has invested in urban development in tandem with sustainably environmental protection, he said, adding that the city has focused on handling water and air pollution, plastic waste, exhaust fumes and dust.  

At the same time, the city is seeking ways to use renewable energies in order to reduce gas emissions, the official said. 

Working across multiple sectors and issues, C40 convenes networks that provide a range of services in support of cities’ climate change efforts. C40 currently has 17 networks that cover the mitigation, adaptation and sustainability topics of highest priority to C40 cities and with the potential for the greatest climate impact. C40 networks help cities replicate, improve and accelerate climate action.

Vietnamese, Czech legislatures look to boost ties

The working session between the Vietnamese delegaion and representatives from the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic Vojtech Filip, Vice Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, has suggested legislative bodies of Vietnam and his country strengthen monitoring activities, aiming at realising cooperation agreements between the two countries. 

Filip made the suggestion during a meeting with head of the Vietnam National Assembly's Economic Committee Vu Hong Thanh who led a delegation to pay a working visit to the Czech Republic from June 25-27. 

There are no obstacles in strengthening cooperation between the two countries, he affirmed, expressing his wish to bolster bonds with Vietnam in many fields of their need such as automobile manufacturing, defence industry, agriculture, and energy. 

For his part, Vu Hong Thanh hoped that Filip, in his position, would continuously contribute to fostering the bilateral ties and the relations between the two countries’ legislative bodies in particular. 

He asked the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic to approve and support the European Parliament’s ratification for the European Union-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, thus boosting economic, trade and investment collaboration between Vietnam and the EU in general and the Czech Republic in particular. 

As part of the visit, the Vietnamese delegation had a working session with representatives from the Committee on National Economy of the Czech Republic's Senate, during which the two sides shared experience in building legal system on management, urban development and locality. 

Thanh affirmed the Czech Republic is a traditional and important partner of Vietnam in the Central and Eastern Europe.

Vietnam has demand on import of public transport vehicles, agriculture machines, electronics, precise mechanical devices, glass, crystal and beer, he said, adding that Vietnam is willing to be a bridge linking the Czech Republic with other ASEAN countries.

The Czech side said Vietnam is one of the priorities in the Czech Republic’s export strategy in Asia in 2012-2020, and the country wants to receive Vietnamese high-quality and skilled labourers to work in the field of health.  

During their stay, the Vietnamese guests also met with officials from the Ministry of Regional Development, the Committee on Public Administration, Regional Development of the Senate, and the Prague Institute of Planning and Development.

Vietnam treasures ties with Norway: President

Vietnam attaches importance to developing relations with Norway, which is its important partner in Northern Europe, President Tran Dai Quang told outgoing Norwegian Ambassador Siren Gjerme Eriksen in Hanoi on June 28. 

The State leader said Vietnamese ministries and agencies will continue to closely partner with the Norwegian Embassy to materialize agreements reached by the two countries, helping promote the bilateral ties. 

He noted with pleasure the fruitful development of the friendship and multi-faceted cooperation between Vietnam and Norway over the past time. 

The two sides have maintained the exchange of delegations at all levels, especially the high ones, and closely and effectively coordinated with each other at international forums and organisations, President Quang said. 

Progresses have been made in economic cooperation, particularly in the spheres of wood processing, construction materials, agriculture, forestry, fishery, information and communications.

With 40 projects worth over 160 million USD, Norway ranks 41st out of 126 countries and territories investing in Vietnam, the leader said.  

Lauding the ambassador’s efforts to step up the bilateral ties, President Quang expressed his hope that she will make more contributions to consolidating and enhancing the relationship. 

In reply, Siren Gjerme Eriksen highlighted trade links between Vietnam and Norway over the pastime, saying she hopes that the two countries will reinforce collaboration in environment, navigation, climate change response and education. 

The diplomat said Norway wishes that Vietnam and the EU will soon sign a free trade agreement, thus helping expand cooperation between the two countries. 

Praising Vietnam’s role in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and the United Nations (UN), the ambassador said Norway wants to further the close cooperation with Vietnam at international forums.