PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc to attend China’s international import expo

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc will attend China’s first International Import Expo in Shanghai on November 4-5. 

PM Phuc’s attendance is made at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. 

Two-way trade between Vietnam and China reached 93.6 billion USD in 2017, up 30 percent year-on-year, and accounting for 22 percent of Vietnam’s total import-export turnover. Of the total, 35.4 billion USD came from Vietnam’s exports.

Vietnam posted a trade deficit of 28 billion USD with China in 2016. The figure was down to 22.7 billion USD last year, a positive sign in improving the bilateral trade balance.

Bilateral trade is forecast to exceed 100 billion USD in 2018.

Hanoi, Wales step up education cooperation

Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung (R) and his Welsh guest 

Hanoi stands ready to support education facilities of Hanoi and Wales in carrying out training cooperation programmes to improve the quality of education, said Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung.

Hosting a reception for the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Education Kirsty Williams on October 30, Chung said that Hanoi has more than 2,600 schools with 1.8 million students, and some 15-17 percent of the city’s budget is set aside for education every year.

Generally speaking, students in the capital city hold particular strengths in natural sciences, he added.

However, Chung pointed out that out-of-date facilities at some schools are one of the city’s biggest challenges in education, resulting in a shortage of practice and research space. In addition, although English is compulsory in the curriculum, the popularisation of the foreign language in schools is a pressing problem due to the distinct lack of qualified teachers.

Thus, Hanoi wants to cooperate with Wales to comprehensively develop its education system, he underlined.

For her part, Kirsty Williams said that Wales is willing to share its high-quality English training programme with Hanoi and, in return, it wants to learn of Hanoi’s experience to improve the capacity of Welsh students in natural sciences.

As Wales wants to double the number of students looking to pursue studies in foreign countries, including Vietnam, it hopes that Hanoi will create sound policies and support programmes for its students.

Responding to the issue, Chung said that Hanoi always creates favourable conditions for foreign students in general and those from Wales in particular to study and work in the city.

PM offers condolences to US over Pittsburgh shooting

Police and medical staff at Pittsburgh shooting area 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has sent a message of sympathies to US President Donald Trump over the October 27 shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh which claimed the lives of many innocent civilians. 

A gunman barged in the Tree of Life synagogue and opened fire, killing 11 elderly people and wounding six others as they gathered on the Jewish sabbath.

Robert Bowers, 46, has been charged in the shooting.

More congratulations to President Nguyen Phu Trong from foreign leaders

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President Nguyen Phu Trong 

Congratulations from foreign leaders continued to flow in after the Vietnamese National Assembly elected General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong as President of Vietnam. 

The well wishers include President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins, President of Iceland Guoni Th. Johannesson, President of Bulgaria Rumen Radev, President of Greece Prokopios V. Pavlopoulos, President of Finland Sauli Niinisto, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, President of Nicaragua and Chairman of FSLN Daniel Ortega Saavedra, and Vice President of Nicaragua Rosario Murillo. 

Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong also received congratulatory messages and letters from General Secretary of the Colombian Communist Party Jaime Caycedo Turriago, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Bolivia Ignacio Mendoza Pizarro, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Uruguay Juan Castillo, and Politburo member in charge of external affairs of the Communist Party of Uruguay Jorge Mazzarovich.

Vietnam extends sympathy to Indonesia over Lion Air plane crash

Search and rescue efforts in the recent fatal airplane crash of low-cost carrier Lion Air are underway 

Vietnamese leaders sent messages of sympathy on October 30 to Indonesian leaders over the recent fatal airplane crash of low-cost carrier Lion Air.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President Nguyen Phu Trong, and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc cabled a message of sympathy to Indonesian President Joko Widodo, while Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan sent her sympathies to Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly Zulkifli Hasan.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh also offered condolences to Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi.

The Boeing 737 Max 8 run by low-cost carrier Lion Air, which was carrying 189 people onboard, crashed into the sea on October 29. It lost contact with air traffic control just 13 minutes after takeoff. The jet was en route from Jakarta to Pangkalpinang in Bangka Belitung province, off Sumatra island.

Indonesia’s search and rescue agency said on October 29 that there would be no survivors from the Lion Air plane. Indonesian search and rescue official Bambang Suryo Aji told the press that he was not expecting anyone to have survived, adding that some bodies had already been recovered.

In an official statement, the rescue agency said the reason for the crash was still uncertain. Recovery efforts are underway.

Lion Air, which was founded in 1999, is the biggest private airline in Indonesia, dominating more than 40 percent of the market. 

Voters welcome strong reform of Q&A activities at National Assembly

Prosecutor General of the Supreme People's Procuracy Le Minh Tri answers deputies' questions on October 30 

Voters across the country have welcomed the strong reform of Question-and-Answer (Q&A) activities at the National Assembly as the NA began the first hearing on October 30 during the 6th session. 

Hoang Van Thu, a resident at Tien Thanh commune, Binh Thuan’s Phan Thiet city, said as no specific Cabinet member is selected for the Q&A, all ministers must get prepared to go before the NA. 

Thu also noted that the time limitation set for putting questions and reply forces both the questioner and the answerer to get to the point. 

Another voter from Binh Thuan, Dao Thi Hanh from Ham Hiep commune in Ham Thuan Bac district said most ministers have answered straight to the point during the morning session on October 30, adding that she hopes they will present more specific solutions to outstanding problems. 

Nguyen Dac Long, Office Chief of the People’s Council of Vinh Long province, said the questions raised by NA deputies on October 30 reflected voters’ aspirations and concerns over social problems. Meanwhile, the ministers have made short reply, which showed their capacity. 

Tran Hoang Son, a voter in Ward 1, Vinh Long city, said the live broadcasting of the Q&A session allows voters nationwide to listen to Cabinet members’ explanations about issues of their concern, and thus monitoring their actions to carry out their pledges to the NA and voters. 

The 14th National Assembly (NA) on October 30 began three days of Q&A activities on the implementation of the NA’s six resolutions on thematic supervision and Q&A sessions from the beginning of the tenure to the fourth meeting of the legislature. The Q&A sessions are live broadcast on national television and radio nationwide.

Vietnam consistently consolidates traditional friendship with Cambodia: PM

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) receives General Commander of the Cambodian Royal Armed Forces Vong Pisen 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has affirmed Vietnam’s consistent policy of strengthening its traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation with Cambodia.

He made the statement on October 30 while receiving General Vong Pisen, General Commander of the Cambodian Royal Armed Forces, who is on an official visit to Vietnam from October 29-31.

PM Phuc congratulated Vong Pisen on the latter’s new position as the head of the Cambodian armed forces, saying he believes that the General will continue his efforts to better the traditional friendship between the two armies in particular, and Vietnam-Cambodia ties in general.

Speaking highly of the outcomes of the talks between Sen. Lieut. Gen. Phan Van Giang, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army and Deputy Minister of Defence, and General Vong Pisen, he said that the talks will help implement the cooperation agreements between the two defence ministries in an effective manner. 

The Government leader went on to praise their sound collaboration in the fields of training, border security, the fight against smuggling and human trafficking, and search and rescue activities.

He asked the Cambodian Ministry of National Defence to coordinate with the Vietnamese side in the search and repatriation of remains of Vietnamese volunteers and experts who were taken down in Cambodia during the war.

As both sides are preparing for the 40th anniversary of the victory over the Khmer Rouge regime (January 7, 1979-2019), PM Phuc suggested Vong Pisen urge competent authorities to join hands with Vietnam to organise the celebration activities to highlight the significance of this historic event.

He asked the Cambodian Government to create favourable conditions for border guard forces and border localities to carry out cooperation programmes, while stepping up popularisation to ensure that local people strictly abide by border-related regulations for a shared border of peace, stability, and development.

Vong Pisen, for his part, informed the Vietnamese Government leader of the cooperation results between the two armies. They have made significant contributions to the strong bonds between residents in border areas, and concerted efforts to protect border security. 

They also have had smooth collaborations in the joint patrols of the border localities and working on border demarcation and marker planting, he added.

The General took the occasion to thank the Vietnamese Ministry of Defence for providing training for the Cambodian army.

The Cambodian Government and people have always treasured and will continue to treasure the valuable support of Vietnam during its national liberation and socio-economic development, he said, underlining that Cambodia, in return, will carry on facilitating conditions and work closely with their Vietnamese peers in the search and repatriation of remains of Vietnamese soldiers in the country. 

NA continues with Q&A session on October 31

A NA deputy raised questions during the Q&A session on October 30. 

The 14th National Assembly will continue with the question-and-answer session on October 31, the second day of this kind of work, as part of its ongoing sixth plenum. 

Lawmakers will focus their questions on the implementation of the legislature’s six resolutions on thematic supervision and hearing sessions from the beginning of the tenure to the fourth meeting of the parliament.

The session will be broadcast live by the Vietnam Television and Radio the Voice of Vietnam. 

During the first day of the Q&A session on October 30, 36 deputies raised questions and 23 others joined the debates with Chief Judge of the Supreme People’s Court Nguyen Hoa Binh, head of the Supreme People’s Procuracy Le Minh Tri, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, 14 ministers and heads of some agencies. 

They scrutinized a wide range of issues regarding foreign debt control, tax policy finalisation, tax loss prevention, the settlement of loss-making projects, auto industry, agricultural restructuring and hydroelectricity planning. 

Environmental pollution at industrial parks and craft villages, educational reform, health care quality, tourism development, administrative reform, anti-corruption and crime combat, among others, were also hot issues discussed.

Deputy PM meets leaders of Russian corporations

Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung and his Russian counterpart Maksim Akimov witness the signing of agreements between the two countries 

Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung had a meeting with leaders of Russia’s Rostec Corporation and the Russia Railways (RZD) on October 30 as part of his ongoing visit to Russia.

At a meeting with CEO of Rostec Corporation Sergey Chemezov, Deputy PM Dung lauded science and technology development of Russia, and stated that the two countries boast high potential for cooperation, especially in telecommunications, health care, and transportation.

The Deputy PM also spoke highly of the presence of Rostec Corporation’s subsidiaries in Vietnam.

Meeting President of the Russia Railways Oleg Belozyrov, Deputy PM Dung affirmed that the Vietnamese and Russian governments welcome and support partnership between Vietnamese firms and the RZD in modernising and developing the railway system in Vietnam.

The Russia Railways leader showed the firms’ interest in collaborating with Vietnam, while introducing to the Vietnamese delegation the modern control centre of the company.

During his stay in Russia, Deputy PM Dung and the Vietnamese delegation laid flowers at President Ho Chi Minh’s statue in Moscow, and visited the Vietnamese Embassy and the Vietnamese community and businesses in Russia.

Dung asked the embassy to continue promoting economic diplomacy with Russia, while supporting Vietnamese firms in the country and showing better performance in citizen protection.

He expected delighted at the close solidarity of the Vietnamese community in Russia as well as their contributions to the homeland, suggesting that they will continue helping fostering the connectivity between Vietnam and Russia.

Vietnam, Russia seek measures to forge bilateral ties

Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung (L) and his Russian counterpart Maksim Akimov at the meeting. 

Vietnam and Russia reached consensus on various measures to step up bilateral ties during the 21st session of the Vietnam-Russia Inter-Governmental Committee for Economic-Commercial and Scientific-Technological Cooperation in Moscow on October 29. 

They concurred to implement high-level agreements reached during the official visit to Russia by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong last September. 

Both sides held that economic, trade and investment ties between Vietnam and Russia have developed dynamically over the past time, with the effective realisation of the free trade agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union to which Russia is a member. 

Two-way trade reached 3.55 billion USD in 2017, up 31 percent against the same period last year. The turnover stood at 3.4 billion USD in the first nine months of this year, up 36.8 percent year-on-year. 

Investment cooperation has also been expanded as seen through Vietnam’s big investment projects in Russia. 

They shared the view that the two countries have a lot of potential for collaboration, particularly in the areas of their strength like energy, agriculture, industry, transport, science-technology, and education-training. 

Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung and his Russian counterpart Maksim Akimov, who co-chaired the meeting, discussed concrete measures to foster the bilateral affiliation amidst the Fourth Industrial Revolution, especially in trade-investment, information-technology, transport infrastructure, finance-banking, energy, science and education-training. 

They consented to consider the lift of non-tariff barriers in import-export, particularly in agriculture and fisheries, aiming to raise the bilateral trade to 10 billion USD in 2020 as set by leaders of the two countries. 

The two sides also compared notes on measures to enhance bilateral transactions by domestic currencies. 

In the sphere of energy, they agreed to create more favourable conditions for oil and gas projects, while expanding the collaboration in other fields like liquefied natural gas (LNG) and electricity. 

They looked into promising transport infrastructure cooperation projects, especially railway ones in Vietnam. 

At the end of the session, the two Deputy PMs witnessed the signing of some cooperation agreements between Vietnamese and Russian businesses and organisations in the fields of banking, telecommunications and education-training. 

The 22nd session of the committee is scheduled to be held in Vietnam in 2019. 

The Deputy PMs told the press that the meeting was a success, further explaining that they discussed major cooperation areas in a candid, open, practical and comprehensive manner.

Hanoi enhances relations with capital cities of Russia, Czech Republic

Hanoi delegation has working session with Vietnamese Embassy in Russia staff (Source: hanoimoi.com.vn)

A delegation of Hanoi led by Vice Chairwoman of the municipal People’s Council Phung Thi Hong Ha paid a working visit to Russia and the Czech Republic from October 18-28.

Meeting officials from the Moscow City Duma on October 19, Ha introduced the hosts to Hanoi’s socio-economic situation and its advantages and potential as well as operations of all-level People’s Councils.

Zubrilin Nikola Griforievich, Moscow City Duma deputy and member of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF)’s faction in Moscow City Duma, briefed the delegation on operations of the Moscow City Duma as well as the structure of the CPRF members in the Duma.

Both sides agreed to step up the exchange of high-level delegations between the two capital cities, intensify the sharing of experience in administration leadership, planning management and urban development, and preservation and promotion of cultural and historical heritage values.

Ha expressed her hope that Moscow will create favourable conditions for people and enterprises of Hanoi and Vietnam at large living and working in Russia.

During its stay in Russia, the Hanoi delegation had a working session with Moscow’s Department for External Economic and International Relations on orientations and process of the Moscow House in Hanoi project.

It also visited the Vietnamese Embassy, the Hanoi-Moscow Centre for Culture, Trade and Hotels, the Red Square, and the Lenin Mausoleum, and learnt about measures to conserve and develop tourism at several cultural and historical relic sites in the Russian capital city.

On October 26, the Hanoi delegation held talks with leaders of the Prague City Council, during which they exchanged experience in elective work, urban management and planning in combination with cultural and historical heritage conservation, as well as public transport development and in education, and health.

They agreed to intensify cultural, political and economic exchange activities, work towards the signing of specific cooperative programmes between the two capital cities.

The delegation also visited the Vietnamese Embassy whose Ambassador Ho Minh Tuan committed to boosting cooperative programmes between Hanoi and Prague.-

Meeting marks 95th anniversary of Turkey’s Republic Day

Turkey and Vietnam have enjoyed sound political relations since the establishment of their diplomatic ties in 1978, said Turkish Ambassador to Vietnam Akif Ayhan at a meeting to mark the 95th anniversary of Turkey’s Republic Day in Hanoi on October 29.

The official visit of former Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim to Vietnam in August 2017 and the official visit of National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan to Turkey in early this month are important landmarks in bilateral relations, said the Ambassador.

He expressed his hope that the ties of friendship and cooperation will further thrive in the coming time.

On the occasion, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Phuong Nga extended warmest congratulations to Turkish President, Government, people and the Ambassador, affirming that the two countries have witnessed constant development of the friendly and cooperative ties.

The two-way trade value has remained high over the years and hit a record high of more than US$2.1 billion last year, said Ms Nga. The Vietnamese Government and people hope to further expand multifaceted cooperation ties with Turkey for mutual benefits and world peace and stability, she asserted.