Russian diplomat appreciates ties with Vietnam


The Consul General of Russia in Ho Chi Minh City has affirmed that the Vietnam-Russia strategic partnership is growing strongly in all fields.
    
Two-way trade between the two countries hit US$3.06 billion last year, said Anatoli Vasilievich Borovik at a ceremony held in HCMC on June 8 to celebrate Russia Day (June 12).

“There are on-going dialogues for the signing of agreements on forming free-trade areas between Vietnam and the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia to expand economic cooperation in a multilateral form,” said Borovik.

The two countries are strengthening cooperation in the area of oil and petrol and in the construction of Vietnam’s first nuclear power plant in Ninh Thuan province.

Both sides have also seen growth in education and tourism cooperation.

In 2011, southern Vietnam alone welcomed more than 160,000 visitors from Russia, the Russian diplomat stressed.

PM orders increase in traffic safety level

In response to a recent increase in deadly accidents involving unskilled drivers and unsafe vehicles, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has asked concerned agencies to step up traffic safety measures.

A coach accident killed 34 people and injured 21 others last month in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak, with the accident attributed to the driver speeding and losing control. Five accidents in Ha Noi last month alone were blamed on the driver failing to differentiate the car's brake pedal from the throttle.

Statistics of the National Traffic Safety Committee showed that in the first five months of this year, nearly 4,000 people died and another 3,500 were injured in 4,500 reported accidents.

Dung has therefore asked provincial and municipal leaders to assign relevant authorities to make regular patrols of traffic hot spots and bus stations to detect violations which increase the dangers of accidents, including vehicle overloading, drunk driving and speeding. He also asked the Ministry of Public Security to improve its equipment and allocate more personnel to enforcing traffic laws.

He assigned the Ministry of Transport to improve signage in problem areas and boost vehicle inspections to ensure compliance with safety regulations and that drivers are properly trained and licensed.

To minimise the number of unskilled drivers, the Directorate of Roads earlier began a project to improve driver training and testing, with required traffic safety classes.

Strengthening solidarity and friendship between Vietnam and Cuba

About 130 people representing more than 1,000 members attended the fourth congress of the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Association in Hanoi on June 9.

Ambassadors to Vietnam from Cuba, Argentina, Mexico and Venezuela also attended the congress.

The Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Association has taken part in numerous people-to-people diplomacy activities in recent years to enhance bilateral ties of friendship and cooperation between the two countries, particularly between the two capital cities.

Association president Nguyen Viet Thao,said its key tasks for the future are to accelerate the dissemination of information and promote the image of Vietnam, its people, and achievements, and organize regular exchanges and activities during holidays to strengthen mutual understanding and friendship between the two capitals. It will also hold talks among small-and-medium sized enterprises from both countries to seek opportunities for cooperation and raise funds to help the poor and victims of natural disasters.

The more than 1,000 members of the Association's 18 chapters always volunteer to help organize and participate in annual activities held by the Hanoi Union of Friendship Organisations (HUFO), including the Cultural Festival for Peace, singing contests, an annual race, and a fun-run for children.

The Association has also coordinated with the HUFO and Latin American embassies, including Cuba's, to hold “Latin America Gala” since 2009.  

Lao Deputy PM receives Vietnamese official

Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Sen. Lieut. Gen. Douangchay Phichith received Vietnamese Deputy Defence Minister Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Thanh Cung in Vientiane yesterday.

Both host and guest agreed to accelerate the search and gathering of the remains of Vietnamese soldiers in the dry season of 2012-13.

Cung, who is leading a delegation from the Vietnamese Government's Special Task Committee to visit Laos from June 7-11, thanked the Lao Party, State, Special Task Committee, local authorities and people for facilitating Viet Nam's search teams to complete their task.

For his part, Lao Deputy PM Douangchay Phichith highlighted the cooperation between the two committees and said he hoped the two committees would better guide the work.

Seminar boosts Viet Nam-Japan trade ties

The Vietnamese Embassy in Japan, in coordination with the Ha Noi Women Business Association (HWBA) held a seminar in Tokyo yesterday to strengthen the two-way trade in handicraft products and call on Japanese businesses to invest more in Viet Nam.

The seminar attracted representatives of 15 member companies of HWBA and more than 100 Japanese firms.

Speaking at the seminar, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Doan Xuan Hung expressed his delight at the sound development of cooperative relations between the two countries in all fields from politics and diplomacy to economics, trade, investment and tourism.

Japan is an important partner of Viet Nam with two-way trade of more than US$21 billion in 2011 and total registered investment reaching $26 billion.

Okano Masaaki, Vice Director of Japan's Asia New Power Company suggested that the two sides exert more efforts to strengthen economic co-operation.

Japanese firms should supply more specific information on their requirements, while Vietnamese enterprises should study the Japanese market carefully and improve their products' quality and design, in order to successfully penetrate the market, he said.

Cultural exchange marks Russian National Day

A Vietnam-Russia cultural exchange was held at Danang University of Foreign Languages (DUFL) on June 9 to mark the Russian National Day (June 12).

The event, organized by the Russian Consulate General in Danang, the municipal Vietnam-Russia Friendship Association and the DUFL, provided a platform for Vietnamese teachers and students to meet with Russian experts and officials working in Danang and strengthen cultural ties.

Participants had the opportunity to visit an exhibition on Russia and its people, as well as a display of Russian postcards and Matryoshka dolls, and also enjoy a variety of Russian food.

Deputy PM welcomes OV delegation from Thailand

On June 8, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan received a delegation of overseas Vietnamese (OV) from Thailand during a return visit to the home country.

Mr Nhan briefed the delegation on the current situation in Vietnam, saying that it has risen from a low-income status to become a middle-income nation with high economic growth and significant improvements in culture, social affairs and healthcare.

The Deputy PM said he hopes the Vietnamese community in Thailand will continue to reinforce its solidarity, help each other and promote Vietnam’s image in Thailand.

The delegation thanked the Vietnamese Government for facilitating its trip to places of interest in Vietnam and also the donors that helped the Vietnamese community in Thailand complete the Ho Chi Minh relic site in Udonthani province where late President Ho Chi Minh once lived and worked.

Head of the relic site's Management Board, Vu Ngoc Thanh, said the construction of the site was initiated by the Governor of Udonthani province to express the deep respect the Vietnamese community has for Uncle Ho, the great beloved leader of Vietnam.

The site is also a vivid testimony to the friendship between the Vietnamese and Thai people, he added.

The same day, Deputy PM Nhan also received a delegation from the American Public Health Association (APHA) under the Vietnam Agent Orange Relief and Responsibility Campaign (VAORRC) led by VAORRC coordinator Susan M. Schnall.

Mr Nhan asked the American delegation to conduct a thorough scientific evaluation and analysis and provide specific data as evidence to urge the US Government to help Vietnam deal with the environmental issues related to Agent Orange (AO) and rehabilitate AO victims.

Mrs Schnall said her group will continue calling for help from the US Congress and raise public awareness of Vietnamese AO victims' struggle for justice.