Deputy PM’s visit to deepen Vietnam-Singapore ties

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh pays an official visit to Singapore from July 30-31. 

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh’s official visit to Singapore from July 30-31 is expected to deepen the cooperative and strategic partnership between the two countries, Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Tao Thanh Huong said.

According to the Ambassador, during his stay, Deputy PM Minh will meet with Singaporean President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and hold talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan.

The meetings look to discuss measures to implement agreements reached during Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s visit to Singapore in April, accelerate bilateral cooperation, and promote collaboration between the two countries in the ASEAN framework as well as on regional and international issues of mutual interests.

Particularly, Minh and his spouse will attend the Vietnam Culture Day in Singapore to mark 45th anniversary of the diplomatic relations, Huong said, adding that the event is a vivid illustration for the joint efforts in enhancing mutual understanding and cultural exchange.

Ambassador Huong affirmed that the Vietnam-Singapore bond is developing in a practical and effective manner in all pillars of the strategic partnership. In that context, the visit by Deputy PM Minh will continue to nurture the bilateral relations, meeting the needs and interests of both peoples, and contributing to regional and global peace, sustainability, and development.

Vietnam and Singapore are celebrating 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations, and 5th anniversary of strategic partnership.

In the past more than four decades, the bilateral ties have been fostered by generations of leaders and people from both sides. 

Regular exchanges and meetings at all level have taken place, Huong said, adding that Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong visited Vietnam twice in 2017, one in March and the other in November to attend the APEC Leader’s Week. 

This year, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc paid an official visit to Singapore and attend the 32nd ASEAN Summit in April, and he will visit the country again to attend the 33rd ASEAN Summit in November.

Singapore has become Vietnam’s most important economic partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with more than 2,000 investment projects worth 43 billion USD, and two-way trade reaching 8.3 billion USD in 2017.

Vietnam, Singapore develop strategic partnership

Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Tao Thi Thanh Huong 

There is substantial room for Vietnam and Singapore to further develop their strategic partnership, according to Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Tao Thi Thanh Huong.

The diplomat said that bilateral relations have strongly developed over the past 45 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1973.

In September 2013, the two countries issued a joint statement establishing the bilateral strategic partnership on the occasion of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s visit to Vietnam.

The two sides have achieved many practical outcomes across a wide range of fields from politics, security, defence and economy, to education and training, culture and people-to-people exchanges.

Politically, the two countries have maintained all-level delegation exchanges. Their leaders have close relations which are reinforced through meetings at multilateral forums.

In 2017, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong paid an official visit to Vietnam in March and also attended the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Da Nang in November.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc made an official visit to Singapore in April 2018 and also participated in the 32nd ASEAN Summit hosted by the nation.

Vietnam and Singapore have worked closely together in the ASEAN Community to increase their role and position in the grouping, the region, and the world at large.

They have also supported each other at regional and international forums such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum, the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), and the United Nations (UN), contributing to promoting regional connectivity and narrowing the development gap.

Singapore supports Vietnam to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 tenure.

The bilateral cooperation in defence and security has been stepped up, especially in terms of naval vessel exchanges, anti-terrorism, and cyber security.

The two sides share the same stance on strategic security matters in the region, including the East Sea issue, as well as defending the common standpoint amongst ASEAN of regional peace and stability.

Vietnam and Singapore have also enhanced their capacity to cope with emerging challenges and make active contributions to regional security and development.

Along with sound political ties, the bilateral economic, trade, and investment partnership has been made stronger over the past few years.

Since 1996, Singapore has always been one of the biggest trade partners of Vietnam. At present, it is the second largest trade partner of Vietnam in ASEAN and eighth in the world. Two-way trade hit 8.3 billion USD in 2017, a year-on-year rise of 8.9 percent.

Singapore’s direct investment in Vietnam has continuously increased in recent years. It is now the biggest investor of Vietnam in ASEAN, and third globally.

As of May 2018, Singapore ran 2,048 investment projects worth 45.53 billion USD in Vietnam. 

So far, Singaporean firms have poured investment in 48 out of the 63 cities and provinces in Vietnam.

Previously, Singapore primarily focused on investments in major cities and provinces with favourable socio-economic infrastructure, such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hai Phong, Binh Duong, and Bac Ninh. However, in recent years, Singaporean businesses have expanded investments into other localities including Quang Ngai, Quang Tri, Nghe An, Thai Nguyen, Thanh Hoa, and Binh Dinh.

The Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP), invested in by the Sembcorp group over the past two decades, has become symbolic of the win-win economic cooperation.

These parks have generated over 220,000 jobs for locals and developed various fields such as infrastructure, processing and manufacturing industry, construction, production, trade, property, and services.

The bilateral economic partnership could witness new movements in the time to come. Vietnam needs to boost collaboration with Singapore in the fields of digital economy, high technology, building and facilitating government, smart urban planning, e-commerce services, finance, banking, logistics, green energy, and renewable energy.

The bilateral cooperation in education and training, tourism, labour, culture, and people-to-people exchanges has been expanded, contributing to enhancing the mutual understanding of the two peoples.

Close to 9,000 Vietnamese students are learning in Singapore, serving as a bridge to promote the two countries’ friendship.

Ambassador Huong said the upcoming path still has a lot of challenges, which requires Vietnamese and Singaporean ministries, relevant departments, and localities to further cooperation to elevate the bilateral partnership to a new height.

Vietnam plays important role in RoK’s “New Southern Policy”

Vietnamese Ambassador to the RoK Nguyen Vu Tu (first, left) and new Speaker of the RoK's National Assembly Moon Hee-sang (first, right)

Vietnam plays an important role in the “New Southern Policy” of the Republic of Korea (RoK) government of President Moon Jae-in, said new Speaker of the RoK's National Assembly Moon Hee-sang.

During his reception for Vietnamese Ambassador to the RoK Nguyen Vu Tu on July 30, Moon Hee-sang said Vietnam-RoK relations have been developing strongly in all spheres since the two nations officially established diplomatic ties in 1992.

The Speaker took this occasion to thank Vietnam for its arrangement for President Moon Jae-in’s visit to the country in March.

Tu congratulated Moon Hee-sang on his new position and wished him success and having contributions to the development of the bilateral relationship.

Relations between Vietnam and the RoK as well as between the two legislatures have been growing fruitfully, he said.

The RoK is currently Vietnam’s largest foreign investor, with total registered capital of over 60 billion USD by the end of July 2018, Tu noted, adding that the RoK is now the second-largest trade partner of Vietnam, with two-way trade exceeding 60 billion USD in 2017.

Last year, around 2.5 million Korean tourists visited Vietnam while the number of Vietnamese holidaymakers to the RoK surged by 70 percent, he said.

The ambassador added that people-to-people exchanges have been held at all levels and in all fields.

Tu proposed the RoK parliament and the Speaker pay more attention to developing bilateral relations, create favourable conditions for the exchange of delegations at all levels, support the Vietnamese community, including Vietnamese women who get married to Korean men and Vietnamese guest workers, and facilitate the Vietnamese Embassy’s operations.

Vietnam, Switzerland enjoy growing ties: Ambassador

Vietnamese Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein Pham Hai Bang 

The Vietnam-Switzerland relationship has grown strongly in various fields over the past years, stated Vietnamese Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein Pham Hai Bang.

In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency on their bilateral ties, the diplomat said that in terms of politics, senior leaders from both sides have held regular visits and meetings, while also coordinating closely in international forums, especially within ASEAN, ASEM, and Francophone meet-ups.

Switzerland has supported Vietnam’s run for a seat at the UN Security Council in the 2020-2021 tenure, while Vietnam has similarly backed Switzerland’s candidacy for the council in the 2023-2024 tenure.

Political and human rights consultations have been regularly implemented by the two foreign affairs ministries.

In the field of economics, Ambassador Bang cited statistics from Switzerland’s customs agency showing that two-way trade over the past five years reached over 7.9 billion CHF (7.92 billion USD), with Vietnam enjoying a trade surplus.

Switzerland is the third largest European investor in Vietnam with direct investment totalling nearly 2 billion USD.  In the 2017-2020 period, the Swiss Government committed 90 million CHF in official development assistance (ODA) for Vietnam.

During Swiss Minister of Environment, Transport, Energy, and Communications Doris Leuthard’s Hanoi visit in April 2018, the two sides signed a new aviation transport deal that will allow Swiss airline Edelweiss Air to open a direct route linking Zurich and Ho Chi Minh City from this November, creating opportunities for bilateral tourism and trade cooperation, said Bang.

The Ambassador highlighted that Vietnam and the European Free Trade Area (EFTA), of which Switzerland is a member, are negotiating a free trade agreement.

Once the agreement is signed, economic and trade collaboration between Vietnam and Switzerland, as well as other members of the EFTA, is expected to expand strongly, he stated. 

Vietnam regards Argentina as leading partner in Latin America

Hoang Binh Quan, member of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and head of its Commission for External Relations (R) and Argentinian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship Jorge Faurie 

Vietnam always considers Argentina one of its leading partners in Latin America and wishes to enhance its comprehensive partnership with the country, especially in economy, trade and investment.

The statement was made by Hoang Binh Quan, member of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and head of its Commission for External Relations, at a reception in Hanoi on July 30 for Argentinian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship Jorge Faurie.

The Vietnamese official spoke highly of developments in bilateral collaboration, especially in economy, with two-way trade increasing nearly tenfold in a decade, from 316 million USD in 2007 to over 3 billion USD in 2017.

He expressed his wish that both sides will make efforts to tap their potential for stronger relations, actively implement reached agreements and promote the efficiency of existing cooperation mechanisms.

The two sides need to boost comprehensive cooperation in various spheres, focusing on exchanging delegations at all levels through all channels, he added.

Binh urged Argentina to support the enhancement of ties between the CPV and political parties in the Latin American country and people-to-people exchange, considering it an important channel to bolster the bilateral relationship.

He suggested both sides continue supporting each other’s standpoints in the resolution of territorial disputes through peaceful negotiations in line with international law.

For his part, Jorge Faurie, who is visiting Vietnam for the first time, stressed that the two nations should maintain trustful political ties via regular meetings and visits, particularly by high-ranking leaders. 

Effective economic cooperation is a driving force to bilateral relations, he said, noting great potential for the two countries’ cooperation and measures to foster their trade and investment ties in the time to come.

Vietnam provides more aid for Lao collapsed dam victims

Residents of Sanamxay districts receive donations 

The Vietnamese Government has so far donated 200,000 USD sourced from State budget reserves and 100 tonnes of rice to the Lao Government in order to help the neighbouring country overcome the aftermath of the collapse of the Sepien-Senamnoi hydropower dam. 

The National Committee on Incident, Disaster Response and Search and Rescue’s office has also asked the Government to allocate 150 sets of canvas shelters from the national reserve for the relief.

By the afternoon of July 27, the Ministry of Defence instructed Military Region 5 to organise forces of more than 100 officers and soldiers, as well as nine vehicles, medicine for 500 people, food, and bottled water totalling 450 million VND (18,900 USD) for the relief work in Laos. 

Military Corp 15 has provided 10 million LAK (1,250 USD) to assist survivors in the province. Meanwhile, 200 people in the affected areas were given free medical examinations the same day. Armed forces of Military Region 5 also coordinated with Lao authorities to direct traffic and search for missing people.

Vietnam’s diplomatic representative agencies in Laos, and associations of the Vietnamese Community in Laos also raised over 10,000 USD to assist the dam collapse victims.

The Ministry of Public Security’s representatives in Laos on July 30 handed over 50,000 USD to the Lao Ministry of Public Security to help the victims and the Attapeu police overcome consequences of the incident.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development handed over 300 million VND (12,600 USD) to the Lao Embassy in Hanoi.

Meanwhile, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union’s Central Committee, and the Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRCS) also donated 21,000 USD and 50,000 USD, respectively, to the flooding victims. 

On July 30, the VRCS sent a delegation to Attapeu to present relief supplies to the victims, and will continue to call for more donations from enterprises for the work. 

Authorities from Ho Chi Minh City also planned to send a delegation to Attapeu from August 1-2 to present 100,000 USD in cash and relief supplies to the Lao locality. 

As a locality sharing a border with Attapeu, the central province of Kon Tum donated 550 million VND (23,770 USD) in cash and 200 million VND (8,644 USD) worth of relief supplies to the dam collapse victims.

Thua Thien-Hue and Gia Lai provinces donated 10,000 USD and 400 million VND (17,288 USD) to the victims.

Star Telecom, a joint venture between Lao Asia Telecom and Vietnam’s Viettel Group, provided 35,700 USD in aid to victims via the Lao Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare. 

At the same time, Hoang Anh Gia Lai offered 50 tonnes of rice; 100,000 packs of noodles; 5 tonnes of dried fish; 2,000 sets of clothes; as well as other relief supplies to victims. The Hoang Anh Gia Lai Medical University Hospital also sent its medical workers to Attapeu in order to provide free check-ups and medicine for locals. 

The Ministry of Industry and Trade on July 30 raised funds to help Lao people affected the incident.

At present, there are many ministries, sectors, and localities active in fundraising for the relief work.

The Sepien-Senamnoi hydropower dam collapsed at 8pm on July 23, causing massive floods which completely isolated six villages in the Sanamxay district of Attapeu province. 

Some 587 families with 3,060 people were reportedly made homeless, while more than 100 people were still unaccounted for. 

The 410MW capacity hydropower plant is being constructed by the Sepien-Senamnoi Power Company (PNPC), which is a joint venture of SK Engineering and Construction (SK E&C) and Korea Western Power (KOWEPO) from the Republic of Korea, Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding (RATCH) from Thailand, and Lao Holding State Enterprise (LHSE). 

Construction of the project, which is estimated to cost 1.02 billion USD, began in February 2013 and commercial operations were expected to begin this year.

Vietnam extends sympathy to India over floods

President Tran Dai Quang, on July 30, sent a message of sympathy to Indian President Ram Nath Kovind over heavy human and property losses caused by the recent floods in seven states of India.

The same day, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc cabled a similar message to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. 

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh also extended his sympathy to Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj.

The flooding incident was triggered by heavy rains during India’s monsoon season, killing about 50 people so far.

Local agriculture aims for top global 15: PM

At the conference (Source: baochinhphu.vn)

Vietnam’s agriculture should be listed in the world’s top 15 markets in the next ten years, with farm produce in the top 10, said Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. 

He made the request at a national conference in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong on July 30 that sought solutions to attract more business investments in the agriculture sector. The conference, the largest of its kind, attracted the participation of more than 800 representatives of  businesses, associations, and international organisations, along with experts and scientists. 

The leader set the target of Vietnam becoming one of the world’s top intensive agricultural processing and trade promotion centres in the next decade. 

To that end, the key barriers in the way lie with enterprises investing in this sphere, he said, urging ministries and localities to continue with administrative reform, especially land-related procedures.

The PM suggested that 50 percent of administrative procedures in agriculture and rural development be reduced, with tax procedures streamlined. 

He also underlined the need to improve the quality of planning work and competitiveness, and focus on vegetables and fruit, seafood, herbal medicine, and other key products like rice. 

PM Phuc called for efforts to revamp mechanisms on trade promotion, thus helping businesses access foreign markets, especially those in China, the US, and the EU. 

Apart from increasing loans for individuals and households to the maximum level without mortgages, it is necessary to extend those entitled to credit policies in high-tech agriculture, he said. 

The leader requested that domestic enterprises and businesspeople carry forward the startup spirit and corporate ethics, while joining hands with the Government and farmers to bring Vietnamese farm produce abroad. 

According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, 49,600 businesses have invested in agriculture in Vietnam, covering production, processing, sales, agricultural materials and services. They have created more than 4.5 million jobs in the country. 

In 2017, nine Vietnamese agricultural products recorded an export turnover of more than 1 billion USD each. In the first half of this year, such products as seafood, coffee, fruit and vegetables, rice and cashew nuts made outstanding performances in export. 

However, delegates at the event pointed out some of the shortcomings in the sector such as unsustainable development; low productivity, quality, efficiency and competitiveness; small-scale, limited investments; slow application of science and technology; and reliance on weather conditions. 

PM Phuc said although up to 70 percent of Vietnamese are working in agriculture, the sector makes up only 18 percent of the national gross domestic product (GDP), emphasising the need to re-organise agricultural production and increase scientific-technological application in this field. 

Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung said in the context of intensive and extensive international integration, it is necessary to set out solutions to help Vietnamese firms participate more deeply in the global value chain in agriculture, and promote their brand names. 

The official also stressed solutions to raising awareness amongst enterprises of observing laws, fulfilling international commitments and responsibility for environmental protection, ensuring food hygiene and safety, and implementing social policies. 

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong said it is a necessity to restructure the agricultural sector, focusing on goods, with businesses at the centre. 

Ho Chi Minh City leader welcomes US Mayor of Los Angeles

Leaders of HCM City and the US delegation from Los Angeles pose for a group photo 

Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong has lauded the visit by Mayor of the US city of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti for laying the foundation for the signing of long-term cooperation agreements between the two cities. 

During a reception in Ho Chi Minh City on July 30, Phong said achievements in joint work remain modest compared to their potential. He expressed his hope that with the mutual efforts of the two authorities, both sides will fully tap their potential via specific programmes and projects. 

Ho Chi Minh City welcomes and offers all possible support to foreign enterprises, including those from the US and Los Angeles, in seeking cooperation opportunities and launching long-term projects in promising fields such as urban infrastructure, startups, and technology, he said. 

Informing the host about the outcomes of his meeting with the Vietnamese Prime Minister, businesses, and social organisations, Garcetti said the two sides agreed to speed up the launch of direct flights between Los Angeles and Ho Chi Minh City in order to facilitate bilateral trade and investment. 

He said Los Angeles is ready to share its experiences with Ho Chi Minh City in priority fields such as smart urban development, digital technology in urban management, cyber security protection, and startup community development. 

The Mayor wished that the two localities would further step up people-to-people diplomacy and cultural exchanges in order to push forward Vietnam-US ties in the near future. 

On the occasion, he invited Ho Chi Minh City to attend an international conference on climate change and environment between major cities, and a seminar on urban transportation, slated for September in Los Angeles. 

HCM City, Los Angeles establish sustainable economic alliance

Ho Chi Minh City and Los Angeles have established an economic alliance to promote the cooperation and sharing of information in solar energy development and infrastructure investment.

The Los Angeles Business Council (LABC), along with the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (AmCham), and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the establishment of the alliance in Vietnam’s southern economic hub on July 30.

Under the MoU, the two cities will study respective strengths and exchange know-how in smart urban development and renewable energy, as well as share information on public and private projects to promote economic and environmental sustainability.

Mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti said both cities recognised the importance of cooperation to effectively cope with challenges posed by climate change.

The two sides also hope to develop a solar energy market as signed in the MoU and pledged to share technology and knowledge in the field, he added.

LABC President Mary Leslie said HCM City and Los Angeles share the same interest in making more effective use of green energy.

Vice Chairman of the VCCI Doan Duy Khuong said the US is one of the biggest economic partners and export markets of Vietnam, with HCM City as its economic and financial hub boasting the largest number of businesses.

He hailed the initiative to establish the business alliance between the LABC, AmCham, and VCCI, saying it will open up numerous development opportunities and prosperity for both cities.