Lao NA committee for ethnic affairs delegation visits Nghe An

Leaders of Nghe An People's Council present a gift to Chairwoman of the Lao National Assembly Committee for Ethnic Affairs Buaphoune Likhaida (second, right) 

A delegation from the Lao National Assembly Committee for Ethnic Affairs led by its Chairwoman Buaphoune Likhaida visited the central province of Nghe An on March 7.

Receiving the delegation, leaders of the province said that Nghe An has maintained and developed the relations with localities of Laos such as Xieng Khouang, Bolikhamxay, Houaphanh, Savannakhet, Khamouane, Vientiane and Xaysomboun.

So far, more than 90 Nghe An companies have invested in Laos with total capital of 200 million USD. Besides, many residential areas along the border with Laos have established twinning relations with Lao counterparts.

Leaders of Nghe An showed belief that the partnership between Vietnam and Laos as well as Nghe An and Lao localities in particular, will be fostered and expanded.

For her part, Buaphoune Likhaida lauded Nghe An’s efforts in strengthening the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries as well as between Nghe An and Laos’ border localities.

She said she hope Nghe An will continue maintaining and developing all-round ties with Lao provinces.

At the meeting, officials from the provincial People’s Council introduced to the guests the council’s organisation and function, the socio-economic situation of Nghe An and Nghe An’s ethnic policies.

During their stay, the Lao delegation will visit Kim Lien historical relic site in the home village of President Ho Chi Minh in Nam Dan district, and tour a number of areas with ethnic minority groups.

Can Tho, Israel enhance multi-sectoral cooperation

Vietnamese students in Israel 

Israeli Ambassador to Vietnam Nadav Eschar proposed cooperating with the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho in the fields of education, energy saving and high-tech agriculture during a working session with the municipal authorities on March 7.

In education, he suggested building a digital learning system to manage teaching and study, the online English learning system Speaking Pal, and the club “I love science” in schools. 

He informed that in early May 2018, Israeli agriculture research centres will enroll nearly 500 Vietnamese in a 10-month training linkage programme, including 40 from Can Tho, mostly university and college students, or third-year or fourth-year students nationwide with priority given to poor students with outstanding academic results and English proficiency. 

Qualified candidates will receive support in visa procedures, living and study fees. The staff of lecturers are doctorate degree holders and professors who are also farm owners. 

Upon graduation, trainees will receive certificates on international farming and work as apprentices in agriculture research institutes and large-scale farms for six months. 

The ambassador committed to assisting Can Tho in launching Israel’s high-tech agriculture models in milch cow breeding, solar power, epidemics management and aquaculture. 

The Israeli side will also offer high-quality personnel training via the establishment of the applied and technical transfer centre for high-tech agriculture, career orientations and eco-tourism in high-tech incubator in the city, he said. 

On energy saving, Eschar talked about a plan to transfer technology related to energy saving thanks to the use of smart lighting, which is effectively underway in several cities and provinces in the southeast.

The country will help Can Tho build a data system regarding land, soil and climate to introduce to investors, hold seminars on hi-tech farming, post-harvest preservation, use and mitigation of water loss in the city. 

Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Truong Quang Hoai Nam pledged to direct the municipal Department of Education and Training to pilot the construction of an interactive electronic library, adopt modern technology in teaching in schools, and use Led bulbs instead of fluorescent bulbs. 

He said he will ask the municipal departments of industry and trade, agriculture and rural development to work with Israeli experts to develop high-tech farming models while the Department of Information and Communications will popularise information about projects between both sides in the near future.

HCM City, RoK’s Gyeongsangbuk-do province lift up ties

At the meeting between Standing Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Le Thanh Liem and Deputy Governor of Gyeongsangbuk-do province Joo Joong Chul on March 7.

Ho Chi Minh City and Gyeongsangbuk-do province of the Republic of Korea need to actively coordinate and boost their cooperative and friendly activities under a cooperation agreements between the two localities.

Le Thanh Liem, Standing Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, made the statement while hosting Deputy Governor of Gyeongsangbuk-do province Joo Joong Chul in Ho Chi Minh City on March 7.

HCM City asked the RoK side to support and facilitate connectivity activities of relevant agencies in making specific plans on organising economic and cultural activities of the Vietnamese southern hub in the RoK in 2018, Liem said.

He expressed his delight over effective cooperation between the two localities in the past time, especially the successful organisation of the Ho Chi Minh City-Gyeongju World Cultural Festival in 2017.

Joo Joong Chul, for his part, said that the festival was a significant milestone for both sides to boost collaboration in various fields.

He stressed that the RoK side stands ready to support HCM City to organise Vietnamese cultural festival in Gyeongsangbuk-do as well as exchange experience in improving the quality of human resources with the city to enhance mutual understanding and solidarity.

Deputy Prime Minister greets World Economic Forum’s official

Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue (R) greets Justin Wood, head of the Asia-Pacific region of the WEF.

The Vietnamese Government has attached much importance to and ordered relevant ministries to closely work with the World Economic Forum (WEF) to organise the World Economic Forum on ASEAN in 2018, one of the most important diplomatic events in the country in the year.

Receiving Justin Wood, head of the Asia-Pacific region of the WEF in Hanoi on March 7, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue hailed the WEF for sending a delegation to Vietnam to study the country’s preparation for the event.

He expressed his hope that the event will help popularise Vietnamese image and open opportunities for foreign partners to land investment in the country.

Hue lauded the WEF for successfully organising the WEF Annual Meeting 2018 in Davos, Switzerland in January and thanked the organisation for its warm welcome for Vietnamese delegation.

Wood, for his part, said that Vietnam’s participation at the WEF Annual Meeting and Hue’s speeches on global free trade and ASEAN connection made significant contributions to the success of the event.

He affirmed to join hands with Vietnam to organise the WEF on ASEAN, stressing that it will offer chances to ASEAN and Vietnam in particular to attract investment and bolster business cooperation with its partners.

The WEF was established in 1971 as a not-for-profit foundation and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. The forum has strived in all its efforts to demonstrate entrepreneurship in the global public interest while upholding the highest standards of governance.

President commends Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre for contributions

President Tran Dai Quang presents a Friendship Order to Andrey Kuznetsov, general director of the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre at the ceremony 

President Tran Dai Quang has praised the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre for its contributions to promoting scientific research and socio-economic development, and ensuring defence-security in each country, thus strengthening the traditional friendship and strategic cooperation between the two nations. 

Addressing a ceremony celebrating the centre’s 30th founding anniversary in Hanoi on March 7, President Quang said the centre has upheld its role as a multi-sectorial tropical science and technology research establishment in Vietnam and Russia. 

The centre has always coordinated closely with organisations and scientific research institutes of Vietnam, Russia and other countries in the world in the fields of research, application, training and science-technology transfer, he said. 

The President asked the centre to harmonise basic research, application research, adaptation and technology transfer to serve defense and economic tasks.

He also stressed the need for the centre to promote the application of research results along with developing a number of products with high science and technology contents and enhance cooperation in researching and modernising infrastructure and technology. 

President Quang also hoped that the centre will receive more support and better cooperation from the State, ministries, sectors and relevant agencies of Russia, thus helping it achieve greater achievements in the coming time for the sake of the people of both countries. 

On this occasion, President Quang presented a third-class Military Exploit Order to the centre and a Friendship Order to Andrey Kuznetsov, general director of the centre.

Founded on March 7, 1988 under an agreement between Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defence and the Russian Academy of Sciences, the centre works to study biology, medicine, environmental pollution and treatment of dioxin effects in Vietnam.

It is operating in three main fields: tropical endurance, tropical ecology and tropical biomedicine. It also works on the technology application and transfer, provides scientific-technological services and train scientists. 

The centre is also in charge of coordinating collaboration among research organisations of Vietnam and Russia. 

It has so far performed nearly 3,000 research projects, and published over 40 monographs among others. 

More than 4,000 Russian scientists, including many leading experts, have worked at the centre. Coordination between the centre and its partners from the Republic of Korea, Canada and Japan was set up and has proven effective.-

Female ambassadors pay working trip to Hoa Binh

Permanent National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong together with female ambassadors and chiefs of diplomatic representative missions and international organisations in Vietnam took on a working trip to the northern mountainous province of Hoa Binh on March 8. 

During a working session with the provincial authorities, Phong congratulated the provincial Party committee and authorities on their achievements in diverse areas, particularly in the preservation and upholding of culture of the Muong ethnic group. 

She said the Vietnamese legislature recently held the 26th Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum, opening a series of diplomatic activities in Vietnam this year. 

Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Bui Van Tinh congratulated the Permanent NA Vice Chairwoman Phong, female NA deputies and chiefs of diplomatic representative missions and international organisations on the occasion of International Women’s Day (March 8). 

He expressed his hope that via female ambassadors and diplomats, the images and potentials of Hoa Binh province will be introduced to foreign investors to attract more investment. 

The host said the local economy grew by 9.46 percent in 2017 with an average income per capita of 40.5 million VND (1,800 USD). Hoa Binh has 51 communes meeting criteria for new-style rural areas, and 495 projects, including 35 foreign-invested ones with a total registered capital of upwards 500 million USD. 

During the stay, the delegation visited and presented gifts to the provincial Centre for Social Work in Ky Son district – home to nearly 200 orphan children, the elderly, the disabled and mentally-ill, planted trees at the monument dedicated to President Ho Chi Minh in Hoa Binh hydro power plant, and offered gifts to the Museum of Muong Culture Space in Hoa Binh city.

Prime Minister hails Lotte’s operation in Vietnam

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) and Lotte Group's Vice Chairman  Hwang Kag-gyu. 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc applauded production and business activities as well as social welfare programmes of the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s Lotte Group in Vietnam while receiving its Vice Chairman Hwang Kag-gyu in Hanoi on March 8.   

The leader expressed his impressions of Lotte’s operation in Vietnam with 16 subsidiaries, four factories and 280 stores, covering such areas as commercial centre, supermarket, hotel, cinema and confectionery. 

Lotte plays an important role in the RoK’s investment in Vietnam, the PM emphasised. 

He called on the group to help Vietnam market its agricultural products in the RoK and produce plastics, chocolate and other industrial products in service of exports, while assisting the country in churning out new technological products amidst the fourth industrial revolution. 

For his part, Hwang affirmed that Lotte has regarded Vietnam as a key market and wants to become the country’s trustworthy partner, contributing to national economic development.

Lotte’s subsidiaries always consider themselves Vietnamese companies, he said, noting his belief that Lotte will make more contributions to improving living standards of local people. 

Hwang took the occasion to brief the Vietnamese leader on Lotte’s upcoming projects in Vietnam, including a project on cacao cultivation, an EP factory in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, the Thu Thiem eco smart city in Ho Chi Minh City and the Lotte Mall Hanoi project. 

Lotte also plans to purchase difficulty-ridden Vietnamese financial companies and invest in information-technology and goods transportation in the country, according to the Vice Chairman.  

Besides, Lotte has constructively participated in training young Vietnamese footballers, set up a scholarship fund for Vietnamese students, opened Korean language classes for young people in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue and helped build schools in Hanoi and HCM City, he added. 

Hwang called for the support of PM Phuc as well as competent Vietnamese agencies for his group’s production and business activities in the time ahead, stressing that Lotte will use cutting-edge, environmentally friendly technologies and continue to assist Vietnamese start-ups. 

PM Phuc said Lotte’s successes will significantly contribute to deepening the relationship between Vietnam and the RoK, and pledged to create the best possible conditions for the group to operate in Vietnam in the long term.

Prime Minister bids farewell to outgoing Chilean Ambassador

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc presents a gift to Chilean Ambassador to Vietnam Claudio Andres De Negri Quintana. 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc hailed outgoing Chilean Ambassador to Vietnam Claudio Andres De Negri Quintana for his contributions to the Vietnam-Chile comprehensive partnership at his farewell reception for the diplomat in Hanoi on March 8.

He said the ambassador made efforts to the organization of high-level visits between the two countries, especially the State visit to Vietnam by President Michelle Bachelet Jeria in November 2017.

The leader hailed the signing of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in Chile on March 8, describing it as an important outcome of drastic negotiations and discussions of the pact members, which included the proactive role played by Vietnam and Chile.

The signing of the CPTPP and the sound traditional ties will open up opportunities for broader cooperation in economics, trade and investment and promote partnership in culture, education and other fields between Vietnam and Chile, he said.

He wished the diplomat to gain success in his new post and continue contributing to the growing ties between the two countries.

Ambassador Claudio Andres De Negri Quintana thanked the PM and Vietnamese agencies for helping him accomplish his tasks and boosting the bilateral relations.

He pledged that in any future positions, he will spare no effort for the two countries’ relations and expressed his belief that the bilateral ties and collaboration at multilateral forums will be developed.

He expected that the two countries will work harder to increase their two-way trade value, which stood at over 1 billion USD, and step up their ties in other fields.

He agreed with the PM’s view on the importance of the signing of CPTPP, saying the event will help accelerate cooperation between the two countries.

He said he wants Vietnam to cooperate and share with Chile its experience in the successful organization of the APEC 2017 as his country will host the APEC Year 2019.

Earlier on the day, the ambassador was received by President Tran Dai Quang.

Chile wants to learn Vietnam’s experience in hosting APEC Year

President Tran Dai Quang and Chilean Ambassador to Vietnam Claudio Andres De Negri Quintana

As the host of the APEC Year 2019, Chile wants Vietnam to share its experience in organising the APEC Year after the Southeast Asian country had successfully held the similar event in 2017, said outgoing Chilean Ambassador to Vietnam Claudio Andres De Negri Quintana.

Negri Quintana expressed the wish during a meeting with President Tran Dai Quang in Hanoi on March 8.

President Quang congratulated the ambassador’s successful term of office in Vietnam and spoke highly of his significant contributions to promoting the traditional friendship between the two nations.

The diplomat coordinated with Vietnamese relevant agencies to arrange many high-level visits between the two countries, notably Chilean President Michelle Bachelet Jeria’s State-level visit to Vietnam and attendance at the 25th APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in Da Nang city in November 2017.

The Vietnamese President also hailed the ambassador’s efforts to develop bilateral economic, trade and investment relations.

The signing of the free trade agreement between Vietnam and Chile has helped increase two-way trade rapidly, while the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which is scheduled to be signed in Chile on March 8 (local time), demonstrated the contributions of Vietnam, Chile and member countries in boosting global trade, he said.

President Quang hoped that the ambassador, in his new position, will continue making more contributions to the reinforcement and enhancement of friendship and collaboration between Vietnam and Chile.

Negri Quintana said within the CPTPP’s new cooperation framework, the future will belong to Asia with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) playing the core role and Vietnam being one of the most important links in the bloc. 

This will open up new potential for bilateral cooperation, he said, adding that Chile wants to push cooperative ties with Vietnam in all realms.

Leaders highlight strengthened Vietnam-Myanmar parliamentary ties

NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan receives Deputy Speaker of the Assembly of the Union of Myanmar Aye Thar Aung

National Assembly (NA) Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan highlighted the reinforced relationship between the legislatures of Vietnam and Myanmar at her reception for Deputy Speaker of the Assembly of the Union of Myanmar Aye Thar Aung in Hanoi on March 8.

Chairwoman Ngan congratulated Myanmar on its recent socio-economic achievements, voicing her belief that the country will succeed in promoting national reconciliation and harmony and improving its stature in the region and the world.

She expressed her delight at the increasingly strengthened friendship and cooperation between the Vietnamese NA and the Myanmar parliament, as seen in an official visit to Vietnam by Speaker of the Assembly of the Union Mahn Win Khaing Than in May 2017 and another trip to Myanmar by a high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese NA in September 2016.

Deputy Speaker Aye Thar Aung highly valued Vietnamese people’s heroic struggle in the resistance wars to liberate the country in the past, as well as its achievements in social affairs, economy, political stability and external work at present.

He said Vietnam is increasingly affirming its stature, and Myanmar wants to learn from Vietnam’s precious experience to develop the country.

Vietnam and Myanmar boast traditional friendship and close cooperation, which were built by late President Ho Chi Minh and leader Aung San, and have been nurtured by generations of the countries’ leaders and people, he added.

At the meeting, the two sides noted the wish to enhance cooperation in all aspects, between their Parties, parliaments, Governments, and peoples. In particular, they will increase delegation exchanges at all levels, between their parliamentarians as well as between parliamentary committees.

The Vietnamese and Myanmar legislatures will implement the cooperation agreement signed in 2013 soundly and step up sharing legislative and supervisory experience between their specialised agencies and parliamentary friendship groups to boost mutual understanding. They will also augment coordination in monitoring the implementation of the cooperation agreements and programmes inked by their Governments.

Stressing the countries’ comprehensive cooperative partnership, set up in 2017, and many similarities, Chairwoman Ngan said Vietnam is ready to share development experience with Myanmar. 

She asked both sides to soon establish a defence policy dialogue mechanism at the deputy ministerial level, and continue to negotiate and accelerate the signing of cooperation deals in the agro-forestry-fishery, transport, and justice sectors. She also called on Myanmar to continue providing optimal conditions for Vietnamese firms in the banking, telecommunications and business sectors.

For his part, Deputy Speaker Aye Thar Aung said Myanmar wants to attract more foreign investment. Its parliament has exerted efforts to make investment attraction policies and is working to remove obstacles to foreign investors, including Vietnamese businesses.

Lauding bilateral cooperation at regional and international forums, especially in ASEAN and the United Nations, the host leader asked both sides to keep intensifying cooperation within the ASEAN framework and other international and regional forums while working together to use the Mekong River water in a sustainable and effective manner. She also expressed her hope that Myanmar will soon become a member of the Mekong River Commission (MRC).