Vietnam slams China’s island oil bid call

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Luong Thanh Nghi on August 31 protested against China’s plan to invite international bids for oil block 65/12, about 3 nautical miles off Cay (Tree) Island of the country’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) Archipelago.”      

Nghi was responding media inquiries over China National Oil Corporation’s call on August 25 for international bidding for 26 oil and gas blocks, including the 65/12.

He said the action seriously violates Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa, goes against common sense of the two countries’ high level leaders and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) signed between ASEAN and China in 2002.

He also described the action as “unlawful” and declared it null and void and said Vietnam requested China to cancel it.

Leaders pay floral tribute to President Ho Chi Minh

A delegation of Party, State, National Assembly, Government, and Vietnam Fatherland Front leaders has paid floral tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum on the occasion of Vietnam’s National Day (Sept. 2).

Among those present at the function on Sept. 1 were Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Truong Tan Sang, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung.

Also on hand were former Party General Secretaries Le Kha Phieu and Nong Duc Manh, former President Tran Duc Luong, former NA Chairman Nguyen Van An, former President of the VFF Central Committee Pham The Duyet, members of the Party Politburo, members of the Party Central Committee Secretariat, Vice State Presidents, NA Vice Chairpeople, Deputy Prime Ministers and revolutionary veterans.

On the same day, the delegation laid a wreath at the Martyrs’ Monument in Hanoi .

Also on Sept. 1, delegations from the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Hanoi municipal Party’s Committee and People’s Committee also paid floral tributes to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum and laid wreaths at the Martyrs Monument.

President praises scientists’ contributions

Science and technology are important resources and create fresh impetus for fast and sustainable socio-economic development.   

State President Truong Tan Sang emphasised this in Hanoi on September 1 while presenting the Ho Chi Minh and State awards on science and technology to 75 scientists working in the field of national defence.

Mr Sang said the Party and State always recognise the great contributions scientists have made to national construction and defence.

In this new period of development, the President said the Party and State consider scientific and technological development, together with education, as top national priorities, which will contribute to ensuring sustainable development, sharpening the nation’s competitive edge and raising its defence capacity.

The Party and State have support policies to facilitate the development of science and technology, he said, adding that he hopes scientists, both at home and abroad, will uphold their patriotism and use their intelligence to gain greater achievements and contribute more to the process of industrialisation and modenrisation.

Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Quan said the Ho Chi Minh and State Awards are the most honourable awards  granted to scientists in recognition for their contributions to the nation.

France, Vietnam brace for exchange year

Vietnam and France are making the necessary preparations for their cultural exchange year in 2013, says Vietnamese ambassador to France, Duong Chi Dung.    

According to Dung, the Vietnam-France cultural exchange year will last through early 2014 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries and mark the development of their bilateral cooperation.

It is also a significant event which will open up opportunities to expand relationships between the two nations to various fields.

Various activities such as exchanges of high-ranking delegations, economic forums, strategic dialogues, and meetings of joint committees on scientific and technological cooperation, as well as working sessions between the two countries’ ministries and agencies, are scheduled during the year.

There will also be various cultural activities including art performances, exhibitions, film weeks, symposiums, and book and food festivals, he said.

Regarding the Vietnam-France relationship, Ambassador Dung said President Francois Hollande’s administration has always attached importance to boosting ties with Vietnam.

In a letter sent to State President Truong Tan Sang, President Hollande proposed that both countries promote exchanges of high-ranking delegations and raise their bilateral relationship to a new level, Dung said, adding that despite the economic crisis in Europe, France is trying to enhance ties with the Asian-Pacific region.

In that context, he said, Vietnam-France cooperation and Vietnam’s positive role in ASEAN and the Francophone Community will help create favourable conditions for France to implement its policies in the region.

The bilateral relationship has always been developed for mutual benefit. Two-way trade reached US$2.8 billion in 2011, up 30 percent compared to 2010.

Many official development assistance (ODA) projects are being effectively implemented, such as an urban railway project in Hanoi and a satellite to monitor natural resources, Dung said, adding that people-to-people exchanges and cooperation between their localities are also being expanded.

By raising its relationship with France, Vietnam can take advantage of the economic, scientific and technological resources it offers to serve our national development, concluded Ambassador Dung.

Vietnam boosts healthcare cooperation with Switzerland

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan on August 31 visited several medical and pharmaceutical centres in Basel city to share experience in training and seek opportunities for cooperation.

He called on the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (TPH), a world renowned institution for teaching, research and services in the field of International Health Development. The institute gathers more than 500 scientists from 40 countries to work, research, and provide medical services, aiming to facilitate and contribute to health development worldwide, especially in underdeveloped countries.

Nhan valued the institute’s sci-tech achievements and stressed that the Vietnamese government gives top priority to ensuring social security and people’s health in which the quality of training and human resources plays a very important role.

Vietnam wants to expand cooperation in education and training with countries that have advanced education, including Switzerland which boasts the renowned health and pharmaceutical industries, said Nhan.

He invited the Swiss institute’s leaders to attend the second Vietnam-Switzerland tertiary education forum to be held in Ho Chi Minh City in September 2010.

The forum will create a good chance for Vietnamese medical universities and the Swiss institute to increase cooperation and exchange of researchers to support health development between the two countries.

TPH deputy director Nicolaus Lorenz said his institute has developed cooperation programmes with Vietnam since 2006, and it has so far trained three PhD researchers for Hanoi Community Health University.  

The same day, Nhan visited Novartis, a leading group which provides creative health solutions. Alexandre Jetzer, a member of the company’s board of directors, said Novartis wants to contribute to Vietnam’s socio-economic development through providing quality health services for local people.

Later, Nhan visited the Pharmacy Museum and worked with representatives of Interpharma and Rocher companies.

On September 1, the Vietnamese Deputy PM began a working visit to Bulgaria.

Final border marker between Quang Tri and Laos’ Salavan inaugurated

The final marker, erected between Vietnam’s central province of Quang Tri and Lao southern province of Salavan, was unveiled on August 31. 

The marker will not only create a more stable and secure borderline for local people but also contribute to the successful completion of the two countries’ master plan of replanting and upgrading border landmarks.

Head of Salavan’s Committee on Border and Demarcation Sisuvan Vongchomsi said that over the past years, apart from replanting and upgrading border markers, the two provinces and relevant agencies have also conducted good protection, patrol and management to ensure security along the border.

In the past, Quang Tri and two neighbouring provinces of Salavan and Savannakhet have actively joined hands to implement the approved plan on border marker planting.

To date, replanting and upgrading has been made to 31 marker positions out of 33 markers between Quang Tri and Salavan, while the figure between Quang Tri and Savannakhet is 31 out of 35 markers.

 PM fetes diplomatic corps on National Day

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has highlighted the significant role of foreign ambassadors, charge d’affaires and chief representatives of international organisations in Hanoi in promoting their countries’ relations with Vietnam.

At a banquet given to the foreign diplomatic corps in Hanoi on August 31, on the occasion of Vietnam’s 67th National Day (September 2), PM Dung thanked governments and people worldwide, foreign ambassadors, charge d’affaires and chief representatives of international organisations for their valuable assistance and effective cooperation with Vietnam.

The relationship between Vietnam and the international community has seen new developments, he noted.

With the motto “a trustful friend and partner and a responsible member of the international community”, Vietnam has been active in integrating into the region and the world, contributing to international forums, including ASEAN, the East Asia Summit (EAS), the Non-Aligned Movement and other forums within the United Nations, said the PM.

Vietnam continues to implement its commitments when joining the World Trade Organisation (WTO), to accelerate its regional economic cooperation and participate in the negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, he added.

He said he hopes Vietnam will receive further support, assistance and cooperation from international friends.

Venezuelan Ambassador Jorge Rondon Uzcategui, who is acting head of the diplomatic corps, congratulated Vietnam on its National Day.

He said diplomatic relations between Vietnam and other countries are developing with the opening of new foreign embassies in the country and the establishment of Vietnam’s diplomatic agencies worldwide.

Vietnam has set up bridges of friendship, solidarity and cooperation with many regions, he said, adding that this active diplomatic policy is attributable to the country’s position as a trusted partner and a responsible member of the international community with commitments of international integration, peace, cooperation, development and multilateralism.

He wished Vietnam success in achieving the goal of becoming a prosperous and developed nation.

Regional meeting discusses drug matters

Lieutenant General Pham Huy Ngo, Deputy Minister of Public Security joined other 100 delegates from 10 ASEAN members countries to attend the Special ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on dug matters, which took place on August 31 in Bangkok.

Participants at the meeting expressed their concern over the threats of illegal drug use, producing and trafficking in the region. They agreed to apply measures to eradicate drug abuse in the community by 2015.

Key solutions discussed during the meeting included giving priorities to drug prevention, stepping up narcotic precursor control, reducing demand for drug through education programmes and cutting supply through law enforcement.

They also agreed to strengthen the effectiveness of the cooperation in the association, while calling on ASEAN member countries to expand coordination programmes in investigation on trans-national drug crimes.

Speaking at the meeting, Major-General Do Kim Tuyen, deputy head of the General Department of Crime Prevention and Control, affirmed that Vietnam pledges to continue to step up comprehensive measures in implementing ASEAN's plan on fighting drug production, abuse and trafficking for 2009-2015 period.

He said Viet Nam will also promote cooperation with other ASEAN member countries and the association's partners to fulfil targets set in the process of the building of a drug-free ASEAN Community in 2015.

The organisation of the meeting, initiated by Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, was approved by leaders of ASEAN member countries at the 20 th ASEAN Senior Official Meeting in Phnom Penh in April.

VNA/VOV