NA Chairwoman meets with Vietnam-RoK families in Busan

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (sixth from right) and Mayor of Busan Oh Keo-don (sixth from left) in a photo with representatives from Vietnam-RoK families in Busan 

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan met with representatives from Vietnam-RoK families in Busan on December 5 as part of her ongoing official visit to the Republic of Korea.

The top legislator said she was glad to know that most multicultural families in the RoK are living happily and they always think of the homeland.

Vietnamese in the RoK in general and Vietnam-RoK multicultural families in particular are serving as an important bridge to forge connectivity, cooperation and development of the two nations, she stressed.

The Vietnamese Party, State and people always consider the overseas Vietnamese community an indispensable part of the nation, she affirmed.

She hoped the Vietnamese expats will regard the RoK as their second fatherland and make more contributions to the host country’s building and development.

The Chairwoman called on overseas Vietnamese to obey by the RoK law while promoting Vietnamese culture to help nurture and develop the bilateral friendship.

She pledged to instruct the National Assembly Office to send textbooks and books to Busan to help with the teaching of the Vietnamese language, culture and history in the overseas Vietnamese community.

At the meeting, Mayor of Busan Oh Keo-don affirmed that the city will support multicultural families and foreigners living, studying and working in Busan.

He noted that Busan is operating six agencies to support multicultural families and foreigners, including the Busan cultural centre which was set up in 2014 with the task of connecting multinational culture and hosting annual cultural day for the community of Asian people in Busan.

Ambassador calls for Czech parliamentarians’ support for EVFTA

Vietnamese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Ho Minh Tuan has called on host parliamentarians to urge their legislature and that of Europe to soon ratify the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement. 

Vietnamese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Ho Minh Tuan has called on host parliamentarians to urge their legislature and that of Europe to soon ratify the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) so as to bring practical benefits to all sides. 

At a recent reception for a delegation of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament, the diplomat said the support by the parliamentarians will help enhance the friendship between the two countries in various fields, including economy, trade, investment, labour and vocational training. 

He highlighted the fruitful development of the relations between Vietnam and the Czech Republic and the two legislative bodies in recent years, especially following visits and meetings between senior leaders of the two countries in 2017. 

The visit to Vietnam by a delegation of the Chamber of Deputies’ Committee of Science, Education, Culture, Youth and Sports last June helped opened up new cooperation opportunities for the two countries in vocational training, education and tourism, he said. 

In reply, First Vice Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies Vojtech Filip affirmed the chamber’s support for stronger bilateral cooperation, adding that Czech lawmakers have expressed their backing for the EVFTA. 

The two sides also discussed specific measures to boost bilateral cooperation, including sending Vietnamese workers to the Czech Republic and the exchange of students between medical schools. 

The Czech parliamentarians pledged they will do their best to remove bottlenecks in bilateral collaboration.

Vietnam’s army strengthens solidarity with Cuban armed forces

Senior Lieutenant General Pham Ngoc Minh, Deputy Chief of the VPA General Staff, speaks at the reception

The Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) will always show solidarity and stand side by side with the Cuban revolutionary armed forces in the struggle for peace, national independence and socialism.

The statement was made by Senior Lieutenant General Pham Ngoc Minh, Deputy Chief of the VPA General Staff, at a reception held by the Cuban Embassy in Hanoi on December 6 to mark the 62nd founding anniversary of the Cuban revolutionary armed forces (1956-2018).

Minh said the relations between the two armies have always received attention from generations of leaders of the two countries’ Parties, Governments and Ministries of National Defence with a view to deepening the special traditional friendship between Vietnam and Cuba.

Colonel Juan Miguel Garcia Montano, Cuba’s military, naval and air attaché in Vietnam, said the main task of the Cuban revolutionary armed forces is to protect national sovereignty and prepare combat forces.

He highlighted the strong development of the relations between the Cuban revolutionary armed forces and the VPA.

Press contest on Party building attracts over 1,800 entries

 Politburo member and head of the CPV Central Committee’s Organisation Commission Pham Minh Chinh 

The third Bua Liem Vang (Golden Hammer & Sickle) Press Awards 2018 has received 1,825 entries since it was announced on February 3 this year on the occasion of the 88th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV). 

The number of entries was announced at a working session on December 6 of the steering board and the organising board of the contest, which focuses on Party building work. 

The entries comprise 950 articles published on print newspapers, 286 articles on electronic newspapers, 398 TV programmes, 163 radio programmes and 28 press photo works. 

Speaking at the meeting, Politburo member and head of the CPV Central Committee’s Organisation Commission Pham Minh Chinh underlined the significance of the Awards, which aims to recognise outstanding works in disseminating information and promoting understanding about the Party’s policies and Party building work.

He requested the Organisation Commission to coordinate closely with the awards’ organising board in preparing for the award presentation ceremony slated for January 25, 2019 in Hanoi. The ceremony will be broadcast live on the national television.

Korean media highlights meeting of Vietnamese NA Chairwoman, RoK President

The meeting between Chairwoman of the Vietnamese National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and President of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Moon Jae-in in Seoul on December 6 has grabbed the headlines of the Korean media.

NA Chairwoman Ngan is on a four-day visit to the RoK from December 4 at the invitation of Speaker of the National Assembly Moon Hee-sang.

Yonhap News Agency and major news outlets – Korea Times, Korea Herald and Seoul Times – reported stories and photos about the meeting between the Vietnamese top legislator and the RoK president at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae which aimed to discuss ways to further enhance the two countries’ bilateral relationship.

While meeting with the NA chairwoman, President Moon emphasised the importance of Vietnam to the RoK in a variety of fields, ranging from education to investment to personal exchanges, the newspapers said.

Vietnam is the RoK’s largest trading partner in Southeast Asia and its fourth largest in the world, with the two-way trade hitting 63.9 billion USD last year, they noted.

During Moon’s visit to Vietnam in March, he and Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang agreed to raise their bilateral trade to over 100 billion USD by 2020.

According to the media, Moon expressed his satisfaction with the progress the two countries have been making on various issues agreed upon between the two leaders in March, saying the relationship between Vietnam and the RoK is “very good in every aspect” and Ngan’s visit will help strengthen the already strong bilateral relations.

“There are many Vietnamese people living in Korea, and they are making great contributions to the growth of the Korean economy as well as enriching Korean culture,” the Korea Herald quoted the president as saying.

Yonhap News also posted photos on National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan witnessing the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on an action plan towards the target of 100 billion USD in bilateral trade by 2020. The agreement was signed by Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh and his Korean counterpart Sung Yun-mo on December 6.

Ngan’s business luncheon meeting with Chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) Huh Chang-soo on December 6 and her meeting with vice chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Kim Jun-dong prior to attending a Korea – Vietnam investment forum on December 7 were also highlighted in photos by the news agency. –VNA

Chairman of Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung (R) welcomes Norwegian Ambassador to Vietnam Grete Lochen (Source: hanoimoi.com.vn)

Norway is willing to share its experience in boosting the use of clean and renewable energies with Vietnam, particularly Hanoi capital city, Norwegian Ambassador to Vietnam Grete Lochen affirmed when being received by Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung on December 6.

She told the host that an important goal of the Norwegian government is to develop a “blue economy” with numerous policies and programmes protecting maritime resources.

Norway and Vietnam can cooperate in blue economy development and aquaculture, she suggested.

The diplomat vowed to do her utmost to promote the relationship between Norway and Vietnam, as well as Hanoi and Norwegian localities.

Chung said Hanoi borders no sea, but has a lot of lakes and rivers. Therefore, the city wants to learn from Norway’s experience in developing its blue economy in an environmentally friendly manner for pollution treatment and to promote the economic value of lakes and rivers in the city.

The city also hopes to collaborate with Norwegian enterprises in the use of renewable energy in projects to generate electricity from waste and to improve the national grid system, he added.

He also voiced his wish the ambassador will act as a bridge connecting the two countries as well as Hanoi and Norwegian localities.

He took the occasion to request the Norwegian Embassy work closely with the municipal People’s Committee to organise activities in celebration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2021.

Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan (right) poses for a photo with First Mayor of Leipzig City Torsten Bonew from Germany at their meeting on December 6. (Photo: hcmcpv.org.vn)

Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan on December 6 received First Mayor of Leipzig City Torsten Bonew from Germany, who visited to seek partnership opportunities.

During the meeting, Nhan briefed his guest on the southern hub’s socio-economic development in recent years. He lauded the German city’s advantages in industry, information technology and education that match the city’s needs for cooperation. 

He asked the mayor to introduce leading experts and education providers from Germany to HCM City who can share experience and discuss ways to address issues local higher education is facing. He wanted the German side to expand scholarship programmes for Vietnamese students and increase links between universities of the two sides.

HCM City also welcomes Leipzig’s enterprises in waste treatment and innovation to collaborate with the city, the HCM City leader noted.

Bonew, for his part, expressed his admiration for the city’s rapid growth and said developing metropolises like HCM City inevitably face challenges in terms of the environment, supplying sufficient electricity and improving infrastructure, among others.

Companies from Leipzig hope to cooperate with the city in healthcare, higher education, vocational training and more, he noted, adding that Leipzig was the first German city to open a representative office at the German House HCM City (Deutsches Haus HCM City), reflecting its commitment to ties with HCM City and Vietnam.

Earlier the same day, Nhan hosted a reception for Dr. Stefan Rudolph, State Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Health of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany during which the two sides discussed cooperation in renewable energy and human resources development in healthcare and waste treatment.

Bonew also visited Hanoi on December 3 where he met with Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung to learn about opportunities for cooperation, investment and trade.

Bonew took the occasion to invite Chung and local firms to attend the Leipzig Fair in 2019.

HCM City keen on cooperating with US partners in smart transport development

An overview of the meeting 

Ho Chi Minh City hopes to receive support and cooperation from foreign partners, including the US, in building its smart transport system, said a city senior official.

Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong made the statement at a meeting with visiting Assistant Secretary for Global Markets at the US Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, Ian Steff, and a delegation of US firms in the city on December 6.

Phong said the city considers settling urban transport problems an urgent priority.

As an economic hub of the country, Ho Chi Minh City is aware of the need for comprehensive and feasible measures to improve its transport system, thus becoming a model for other localities, he said.

Phong appreciated the attention of US firms to the transport infrastructure system of the city, especially smart transport, saying the visit will help promote links between the two sides in smart transport.

He pledged the city will give optimal conditions for investors, including those from the US, to operate in the city.

For his part, Steff voiced his delight at the development in partnership between businesses of the two sides, expressing hope to continue promoting bilateral collaboration in transport infrastructure building and smart transport.

US businesses joining the visit are strong and experienced firms in urban transport, and are interested in affiliating with Ho Chi Minh City in their strong areas.

Steff underlined that US firms are keen on engaging in building and developing the city, including the construction of smart transport through providing technical support, high technology and creating smart technology products.

At the meeting, the firms were introduced to the city’s transport system and development plans for smart transport. They also briefed the host on their strengths.

The two sides agreed to foster connectivity to seek specific cooperation opportunities and turn their interest in collaboration into real projects.

Fronts to work closer towards peaceful Vietnam-Cambodia border

The talks between officials of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and the Solidarity Front for the Development of Cambodian Motherland National Council on December 6 

Officials of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee (VFFCC) and the Solidarity Front for the Development of Cambodian Motherland (SFDCM) National Council held talks in Long Xuyen city, Vietnam’s southern province of An Giang, on December 6.

VFFCC Vice President Truong Thi Ngoc Anh said the Vietnamese side has instructed VFF committees in localities sharing a border with Cambodia to promote solidarity and mutual assistance to maintain peace and security and build a border of peace and friendship.

The two countries have finished 84 percent of land border demarcation and marker planting. They have also coordinated to settle outstanding issues to help enhance peace, friendship, cooperation and sustainable development along their border.

She called on both sides to enhance communications to help raise public awareness of the significance of bilateral relations, the victory over the Khmer Rouge genocidal regime (January 7, 1979) which Cambodian won with Vietnam’s support and the responsibility for nurturing the countries’ ties.

The two countries should also instruct their border localities to encourage cooperation in protecting security, order and border markers, Anh added.

The official also asked the SFDCM National Council to propose authorities of Cambodian localities, especially Kampong Chhnang province, continue solving issues relevant to Vietnamese-Cambodians’ legal status.

At the talks, Standing Vice President and Secretary General of the SFDCM National Council Nhem Valy reviewed Cambodia’s history and acknowledged Vietnam’s assistance in his country’s fight for liberation.

He informed the VFFCC officials about changes in Cambodia’s administration structure and policies, as well as its major socio-economic achievements over the years.

He affirmed that the two organisations will push ahead with cooperation to intensify bilateral ties and deal with problems arising in the lives of border residents.

The two neighbours share 1,137km of land border that runs across 10 Vietnamese provinces and nine Cambodian provinces.

NA Chairwoman receives representatives of Ly families in RoK

Chairwoman of the Vietnamese National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan hosted a reception in Seoul, the Republic of Korea (RoK) on December 6 for representatives from the Ly Hoa Son family, descendants of Prince Ly Long Tuong who immigrated to the RoK from Vietnam in the 13th century.

Also present at the reception were representatives from the Ly Tinh Thien family, descendants of another prince of the Ly dynasty who settled in the RoK in the 12th century. 

On behalf of the Party and State, the top legislator thanked the Ly families for their contributions to the homeland through introducing Vietnamese business climate to Korean business community, calling for Korean investments in the country, and helping Vietnamese brides integrate better into Korean culture, among others.

Ly Thua Vinh, Chairman of the association of Ly Hoa Son clan, said that the Ly families always remember the land of their roots, and they feel happy to see substantial changes and development of the nation.

At the event, officials of Gyeongsangbuk-do province’s Bonghwa district said that Bonghwa is the only locality in the RoK preserving relics of Prince Ly Long Tuong. The district is developing a 40- million USD Vietnamese village project in the area to promote Vietnam-the RoK exchanges across the fields of history, culture, tourism and economy.

Ly Hoa Son clan in the RoK were descendants of Prince Ly Long Tuong of the Ly Dynasty that ruled Vietnam between the 11th and 13th century. Following the collapse of the Ly Dynasty in 1225, Ly Long Tuong fled to Goryeo, an ancient name of Korea, the following year.

The Vietnamese prince later helped defend Goryeo from Mongolian invasions.

Conference discusses Vietnam-Mexico cooperation outlook

Vietnamese Ambassador to Mexico Nguyen Hoai Duong 

The Vietnamese Embassy in Mexico and the International Studies Faculty of the Mexico Institute of Autonomous Technology jointly held a conference on the Vietnam-Mexico relations to discuss the outlook of cooperation between the two countries.

Addressing the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Mexico Nguyen Hoai Duong said that since the two countries set up their diplomatic relations 43 years ago, the bilateral relationship has grown strongly in all fields such as politics, economy, trade, culture, education, health care and tourism.

Mexico is now the third largest trade partner of Vietnam in Latin America, while Vietnam is the eighth biggest market of Mexico in Asia.

Two-way trade reached nearly 5 billion USD in 2017 and hit 3 billion USD in the first eight months of 2018, noted the diplomat.

He held that the Vietnamese and Mexican economies can supplement each other, adding that the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) will contribute to creating a favourable environment for the promotion of economic, trade and investment partnership between Vietnam and Mexico.

Ambassador Duong said that through 40 years of national construction, from a war-torn country, Vietnam is now on the way to industrialization and modernisation with a rising position in the world arena.

So far, Vietnam has set up diplomatic relations with 180 countries and trade partnership with nearly 200 economies in the world, he said.

Vietnam consistently pursues the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, openness, diversification, multilateralisation and active international integration, he said.

The ambassador affirmed that in the past two decades, Vietnam has made important contributions to the growth of the ASEAN, adding that the country is working with other members of the association to build the ASEAN Community Vision with an aim to fostering intra-bloc connectivity through integration and dialogues.

Participants expressed hope that more similar conferences will be held for them to explore the culture, country and people of Vietnam.

Vice Chairman of NA Office visits Russia

Vice Chairman of the National Assembly’s Office Nguyen Manh Hung led a NA delegation to visit Russia from November 29 to December 5.

Hung met with Ekaterina Egorova, deputy chief of the office of the Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian Federal Assembly, during which his host said the long-standing relations and Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and Russia have seen dynamic development in recent years, with regular dialogues between their leaders and NA bodies.

The visit of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong to Russia in September and that of Russia Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to Vietnam last month created a new impetus for the two countries to strengthen their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, she noted, adding that bilateral ties in culture and education have also flourished. 

Russia wants to foster cooperation with Vietnam in all fields, particularly education, economics – trade, defence industry, legislation and NA operation, as well as within international forums like ASEAN, Egorova said.

The country also wishes to collaborate with Vietnam in law-making to translate commitments reached under the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement that aims to lift the two-way trade to 10 billion USD by 2020, she noted.

Hung, for his part, spoke highly of the two countries’ special friendship; saying Vietnamese people would always treasure the support Russians have given them.

The Russian side gave him and the Vietnamese delegation an overview of the political institution and organisational structure of the Federal Assembly of Russia alongside the functional bodies of the Federation Council.

The Vietnamese delegation later met with Ostanina Nina, chief of the Office of the Russian Communist Party at the State Duma, the lower house of the Federal Assembly. Hung was updated about the operation of the party in recent years and the organisation and functions of its office and other bodies.

He then congratulated the Communist Party of Russia on its victory in a number of local elections.

During the visit, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly’s Office Nguyen Manh Hung also had a working session with the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly, the United Russia Party’s office at the State Duma and the office of the State Duma to explore how they get engaged in the drafting of bills and to enhance bilateral cooperation.

The Vietnamese delegation laid flowers at the monument of President Ho Chi Minh in Moscow and visited the Embassy of Vietnam in Russia. 

HCM City, RoK’s Lotte Group continue infrastructure development

Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong meets with Lotte Chairman Shin Dong-bin on December 5.

Ho Chi Minh City and Lotte Group of the Republic of Korea have agreed to strengthen their collaboration in infrastructure development.

Meeting with Lotte Chairman Shin Dong-bin on December 5, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong spoke highly of the group’s interest in socio-economic development programmes in the city. He hoped that Lotte would further engage in projects on local infrastructure and smart cities.

He lauded the efficiency of projects developed by Lotte, and the group’s plans to invest in the city’s prioritised fields like chemicals and food processing.

On the Eco Smart City project in Thu Thiem district, Phong said that the group should enhance coordination with authorities to keep updated and to outline a plan to implement the project.

“Ho Chi Minh City is interested in the project and hopes that construction will begin soon”, he said.

For his part, Shin said Lotte is making meticulous preparation for the 1-billion USD eco smart city as it is one of the group’s key projects.

Environmentally friendly advanced technologies will be used for the city. The project is expected to improve the livelihoods of local people, he added.

Alongside traditional sectors such as trade, Lotte is expanding its business into chemicals, infrastructure construction and the development of technologies. Over the years, Lotte and HCM City have carried out various cooperative progammes in scientific research, medical technology and human resources training.

Lotte has pledged support for innovation and startups in the city and wishes to receive further assistance from local authorities and residents.

HCM City vows to create optimal conditions for Belarusian firms

Ho Chi Minh City always welcomes and creates favourable conditions for Belarusian enterprises to invest in the city and stands ready to work as a bridge for Belarus to enter the potential, dynamic ASEAN market, said a municipal official.

While receiving Belarusian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrei Dapkiunas on December 5, Vice Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Le Thanh Liem said Vietnam and Belarus have maintained good relations since the two nations officially established diplomatic ties in 1992.

He told his guest that a delegation of HCM City has recently paid a working visit to Belarus for the first time, opening up a new chapter in its cooperative relations with Belarus, including the capital city of Minsk.

Liem applauded Belarus’s wish to participate in metro construction projects in HCM City, adding that the city wants to cooperate and share experiences and technologies with Belarus in producing medical equipment.

He also spoke highly of effective cooperation between the Saigon Transportation Mechanical Corporation (SAMCO) and the Minsk Automobile Plant Joint Stock Company (Maz).

Dapkiunas highly evaluated the cooperation and friendship between HCM City and Belarus, including Minsk.

He said it is an honour for Belarus to join in the Vietnam Expo 2018, saying it was a chance for Belarusian products to penetrate the Vietnamese market, thereby further promoting economic and trade ties between the two countries.

The deputy minister said Belarus wants to cooperate with HCM City in the fields of public transportation vehicle manufacturing, metro construction, scientific and technological development, and education.

PM urges good preparations for UN Day of Vesak Celebrations 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked for thorough preparations for the United Nations Day of Vesak Celebrations in May 2019 to ensure Vietnam’s prestige while chairing a conference on the organisation of the event in Hanoi on December 5.

Underlining the importance of this international event, PM Phuc said that its success will help enhance Vietnam’s position and affirm the Vietnamese Party and State’s consistent policy of respecting and ensuring the right to freedom of religion and belief.

He urged the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) Central Committee to map out a master plan on the organisation of the event, and make the best preparations in not only infrastructure but also the agenda.

Relevant localities were requested to coordinate closely with the VBS, while concerned ministries and agencies were required to work out specific plans, including those involved in communications.

The Ministry of Public Security should direct its units and local police forces to ensure absolute security and safety for the event, he stressed.

For Ha Nam province which hosts the celebrations, the Government leader asked the locality to set up an organising board which holds meetings regularly to ensure the process of building infrastructure.

The United Nations Day of Vesak Celebrations is scheduled to take place in the Ha Nam province from May 12-14 under the theme of “Buddhism’s approach to global leadership and sharing responsibility for a sustainable society”. It is expected to draw around 1,500 foreign delegates from over 90 nations and territories and 10,000 domestic delegates and Buddhist dignitaries and followers.

Along with the opening and closing sessions, the event will include five seminars focusing on Buddhism’s approach to harmonious family, health care and sustainable society, global education and morality; responsible consumption and sustainable development, and on the relationship between the fourth Industrial Revolution and Buddhist education.

This will be the third time Vietnam hosts the United Nations Day of Vesak Celebrations, after the successful events in 2008 and 2014.-

NA Chairwoman meets with Vietnamese community in RoK

NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (R) meets with Vietnamese community in RoK

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan on December 5 had a meeting with representatives from the Vietnamese Embassy and the Vietnamese community living, working and studying in the Republic of Korea as part of activities in her ongoing visit to the Northeast Asian nation. 

During the meeting, the top legislator briefed participants on the fruitful development of the Vietnam-RoK relationship and the homeland’s socio-economic development, politics-diplomacy, education-training and culture-sports in recent time, saying that Vietnam has made significant achievements in these spheres. 

Vietnam’s economy continuously maintains stable growth, and the national GDP is likely to increase by nearly 7 percent in 2018, she said, adding that attention has been paid to promoting sustainable poverty reduction and ensuring social security. 

She highlighted that Vietnam’s role and position has been improved at the regional and international arena. 

NA Chairwoman Ngan also asserted that the legislative body always pays heed to building and bettering the national legal system, including those that are very important to ensure legitimate rights and interests of citizens such as the revised Law on Vietnamese Nationality, which allows Vietnamese nationals to have two nationalities and can retain the Vietnamese nationality if they desire. 

The NA leader appreciated the Vietnamese community in the RoK for its active contributions to the homeland, especially in charitable programmes and social activities, affirming that those clearly manifest the close solidarity among Vietnamese expats in the RoK. 

Ngan urged the Vietnamese Embassy in the RoK to continue doing well its citizen protection work, while calling on OVs to strictly abide by the host country’s laws. 

On the occasion, she presented the Labour Order,second class, to Vietnamese Ambassador to the RoK Nguyen Vu Tu in recognition of his achievements when he was the director of the Department of External Affairs of Ho Chi Minh City from 2011-2015.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc receives Harvard University’s professor

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) and Prof. Thomas Vallely at the reception 

Education and training are one of the priorities in Vietnam-US cooperative relations, said Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at a reception for Prof. Thomas Vallely, Director of the Vietnam Programme at the Harvard University, in Hanoi on December 5.

During the meeting, PM Phuc praised Prof. Vallely for his contributions to promoting education cooperation between Vietnam and the US, including the implementation of the Vietnam Executive Leadership Programme (VELP) and the Fulbright University Vietnam (FUV) project. 

With the prestige of the Harvard University and Vietnam, the FUV can find funds to operate effectively, he said.

The PM also spoke highly the qualifications of lecturers of the FUV, saying that their recommendations have had positive impacts on Vietnam's development.

For his part, Prof. Vallely, who is also Chairman of the Trust for University Innovation in Vietnam, said he was impressed by Vietnam’s strong development in recent years. 

He thanked the Vietnamese Government for its support for the establishment of the FUV, affirming to turn the university into a reputable and quality education institution.

Vallely proposed naming the school of public policy and management (the VELP programme) under the FUV after late PM Vo Van Kiet - one of the prominent Vietnamese leaders, whose name is associated with the renovation process, and the school's most important lecture hall after late US Senator John McCain, who has many contributions to normalizing Vietnam- US relations.

PM Phuc said he supports Vallely’s proposal.

Sub-committee on documents of 13th National Party Congress meets

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong 

Permanent members of the sub-committee in charge of documents for the 13th National Party Congress convened the first meeting in Hanoi on December 5 under the chair of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong. 

The 13th National Party Congress is scheduled to take place in the first quarter of 2021. In order to prepare for the congress, the eighth plenum of the 12th CPV Central Committee decided to establish five sub-committees, including the sub-committee on documents led by the Party chief. 

The sub-committee is responsible for preparing a report on the 10-year implementation of the Platform on national construction in the transition period toward socialism and the Political Report for submission to the 13th National Party Congress. 

As the 13th National Party Congress will be an important milestone on the path of national development, Trong said preparations for the documents must be made in a scientific, methodical and quality manner, with the Political Report being a key document to ensure the success of the congress. 

In order to ensure the work quality, he asked members of the sub-committee to stay consistent with Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh Thought, the goal of national independence and socialism, renovation policy and Party leadership. 

Documents of the congress, including the Political Report, must be products of collective brainpower and work of the entire Party, people and army, he said, adding that the report should highlight the Party’s consistent policy of national development for the 2021-2025 period with orientations to 2030 and a vision to 2045. 

Nguyen Xuan Thang, Secretary of the CPV Central Committee, Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, Chairman of the CPV Central Committee’s Theoretical Council and head of the editorial board, reported the underway work and scheduled activities of the sub-committee.

Vietnam attends ASEAN telecom ministers meeting in Indonesia

The Vietnamese delegation at the event

Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung is heading a delegation of leading ICT firms of Vietnam to attend the 18th ASEAN Telecommunications Ministers Meeting (TELMIN), which kicked off in the Indonesian island of Bali on December 5. 

The event witnesses the participation of ministers of other ASEAN member nations and its dialogue countries–China, Japan, the Republic of Korea (RoK), India, the US – alongside Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Houlin Zhao. 

The meeting aims to discuss cooperation plans to complete the implementation of the Master Plan ICT 2020 (AIM2020), towards turning ASEAN into a safe and sustainable digital economy, while promoting creation and integration in the ASEAN Community.

In his speech, General Secretary of ASEAN Lim Jock Hoi said the ASEAN Secretariat has made an assessment of ASEAN’s readiness for the impact on the future of ASEAN economy, adding that ASEAN leaders approved a statement on cyberspace security cooperation, recognising the increasing urgency and sophistication of cross-border cyber security threats. 

He affirmed that the digital economy is one of the new growth drivers that could improve ASEAN’s GDP by another 1 trillion USD by 2025, however it currently only accounts for 7 percent of the regional GDP.

The Vietnamese minister’s proposal of one-price international roaming in the ASEAN region is very interesting, he said, noting that this is a good project for the future of the region.

Themed “Aiming the Future of Digital Ecosystem for ASEAN Prosperity”, the two-day meeting is discussing and confirming the determination to accelerate the implementation of the ASEAN ICT Master Plan 2020 (AIM 2020), aiming at promoting ASEAN’s digital economy towards a creative, safe, and sustainable digital integration community.

It focuses on approving an ASEAN digital data management framework with four priority initiatives, namely data classification regulations, formation of across-border data transfer mechanism, digital innovation and policy, and privacy protection regulations.

Ministers also affirmed the importance of promoting cooperation in developing regional cyber security policies, sharing information on the risk of unsafe information, and coordination mechanisms among computer emergency response teams (CERTs) of ASEAN as well as with dialogue partners.

ASEAN ministers had working sessions with representatives from China, Japan, the RoK,and the ITU, and adopted cooperation programmes for 2019 which will focus on the exchange of ICT development policy, human resources development, promotion and adoption of new technologies,and capacity building for cyber security risks.

Minister Hung held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore to share information and debate cooperation plans in the time to come. 

At the working session with representatives from Indonesia, Military-run telecom group Viettel of Vietnam and PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia International (Telin) of Indonesia signed an agreement to promote their cooperation on existing services and to accelerate the provision of services to Indonesians living in countries that Viettel is operating and vice versa.This is the premise of the negotiation roadmap of reducing international mobile roaming charges between Vietnam and Indonesia as committed by Viettel from now to 2020. 

Vietnamese Party delegation pays working visit to Houston

Politburo member Truong Thi Mai (four from right, sitting) meets representatives of the Vietnamese community in Houston 

The fine development in Vietnam-US relations has opened up more cooperation opportunities between Houston’s enterprises and Vietnamese partners, said a senior official of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV).

Truong Thi Mai, Politburo member, Secretary of the CPV Central Committee, and head of its Commission for Mass Mobilisation, made the remark while meeting with Mayor of Houston Sylvester Turner during her working visit to the city from December 2-3.

Mai took the occasion to thank the municipal administration for creating favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community to live, study and do business in the city.

She suggested the city intensify cooperation in energy, healthcare, and education with Vietnamese localities and partners.

Turner said that the 300,000-strong Vietnamese community in Houston has made positive  contributions to the city’s economy and enhancing its trade and investment cooperation with Vietnam.

He promised to maintain support for the community so that they can further contribute to US-Vietnam relations. 

The mayor also introduced Houston’s potential for collaboration with Vietnamese partners.

As part of her visit, Mai had a meeting with representatives of the Vietnamese community in Houston, during which she informed them of the country’s situation, as well as the Party and State’s current policies.

She appreciated their efforts towards boosting national development, while encouraging them to contribute more useful initiatives to the Party and State, and continue nurturing the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

On this occasion, the Party official visited the family of Vu Van Le, an outstanding overseas Vietnamese national in Houston. She spoke highly of the efforts made by him and his family to collect and preserve antiquities and tangible cultural heritage related to Vietnam.

Vietnam, Italy seek effective economic cooperation

The fifth meeting of a joint committee on economic cooperation between the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) and the Italian Ministry of Economic Development took place in Rome on December 4.  

The annual event was co-hosted by Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Hoang Quoc Vuong and Italian Under-Secretary of State for Economic Development Michele Geraci.

The two sides agreed that while Vietnam-Italy economic and trade ties have progressed well in recent years, they still fall short of their potential.

In the first 10 months of 2018, Italy – with 90 valid projects worth over 388 million USD – was ranked 31st among the 129 countries and territories investing in Vietnam. Italian investors injected their capital into 12 out of the 21 sectors that receive foreign funds in Vietnam.

The sides raised measures for improved cooperation in several spheres, including footwear, garment-textile, renewable energy-electricity, farming produce-food processing, science-technology, and tourism. 

The meeting was rounded off with the signing of its minutes. Both sides agreed to hold the sixth meeting in Vietnam next year.

As part the meeting, on the morning of the same day, the MoIT delegation and the Italian centre for agro-fishery product distribution (CAR) held an agricultural cooperation conference. It was an occasion for participating Vietnamese businesses to learn about Italian distribution systems for agro-fishery products, as well as the standards set for goods to be imported to Italy and the EU. They also gained experience from Italy’s development and management of wholesale markets. 

The conference saw the CAR and Vietnam’s Proton company sign a memorandum of understanding on future cooperation. 

Deputy PM speaks highly of RoK’s New Southern policy

Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung (L) and Chairman of the RoK’s Presidential Committee on New Southern Policy Kim Hyun-chul 

Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung on December 5 spoke highly of the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s consideration of Vietnam as a key partner in its New Southern Policy. 

In a meeting with Chairman of the RoK’s Presidential Committee on New Southern Policy Kim Hyun-chul as part of his visit to the country, Dung applauded the ASEAN-RoK Future-Oriented Community initiative with an emphasis on the “three Ps”, referring to people, peace and prosperity. 

The relations between Vietnam and the RoK have developed rapidly, comprehensively, and with great strength, he said, adding that the two countries have become important partners to each other across all spheres. 

Stressing great potential for bilateral cooperation, Dung said Vietnam has always attached importance to its strategic cooperative partnership with the RoK and suggested both sides further their collaboration in specific areas. 

He called on the RoK to join hands with Vietnam in speeding up quarantine procedures of Vietnamese farm produce, increasing the import of Vietnamese pork and fresh agricultural products, improving competitiveness of Vietnamese goods, and helping Vietnamese goods participate in the global value chain of RoK businesses. 

Dung also urged the RoK to assist Vietnam in the support industry, thus easing the trade deficit from the East Asian country and towards raising the total bilateral trade to 100 billion USD by 2020. 

The Deputy PM appealed to the RoK Government and economic associations to encourage local businesses to expand their investment in Vietnam in such realms as support industry, mechanics-manufacturing, auto industry, electronics, semi-conductor production, clean and renewable energy, infrastructure development at industrial parks, smart urban area building, modern agriculture, and large-scale infrastructure projects through the public-private partnership (PPP) model. 

RoK enterprises are encouraged to participate in the equitisation and divestment of State-owned enterprises in line with Vietnamese law and assist domestic startups, he said, pledging that the Vietnamese Government will create the best possible conditions for investors.

He also proposed the RoK side further its development assistance to Vietnam and receive more Vietnamese guest workers, with attention paid to skilled labourers, and coordinate with Vietnam in settling labour issues, including those regarding Vietnamese workers overstaying their visas in the country. 

For his part, Kim Hyun-chul said Vietnam is the focus of the New Southern Policy and the RoK’s Government, relevant ministries, and agencies will continue to implement the common perceptions reached by leaders of the two countries in order to develop the bilateral relationship comprehensively. 

The RoK will not pursue a trade surplus with Vietnam, he said, adding that the country will increase its import of Vietnamese goods and facilitate a technology transfer to help Vietnamese businesses raise their competitiveness. 

At the same time, the RoK will assist Vietnam in training high-quality human resources like engineers and experts, and stands ready to encourage RoK firms to cooperate with Vietnamese partners in infrastructure development, and share its development experience with the Southeast Asian country, he said. 

Highlighting Vietnam as the RoK’s leading partner in development assistance, the official said his country will bolster affiliation with Vietnam in labour, and create conditions for its enterprises to engage in petro-chemistry, new energy, and green growth in Vietnam.

The same day, Dung had a meeting with Chairman of the ROK’s Presidential Fourth Industrial Revolution Committee Chang Byung-gyu, during which he called for the RoK’s coordination and support in building policies, developing and applying new technologies, developing high-quality human resources, and implementing joint projects in order to cope with the impact of and optimise the opportunities generated by Industry 4.0. 

Vietnam would like to cooperate with the RoK in building the National Innovation Centre – an important part of Vietnam’s Fourth Industrial Revolution strategy, and receive the RoK’s support in building the foundation for cyber security and a startup ecosystem, Dung said. 

He suggested the RoK committee coordinate with other relevant ministries and agencies of the country to push ahead with cooperation projects between Vietnam and the RoK, including a project on forming the e-Government model. 

In response, Chang Byung-gyu lauded Vietnam’s active preparations for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and affirmed his committee’s willingness to partner with Vietnamese agencies, especially the Ministry of Science and Technology. 

The committee is also ready to organise forums for the two countries’ young people to talk about startups and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, he said. 

Dung’s three-day visit has concluded successfully, contributing to developing the strategic partnership between the two countries.