PM welcomes Lao health, post-telecoms ministers

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung separately received in Hanoi on December 15 Lao Health Minister Eksavang Vongvichit and Minister of Post and Telecommunications Hiem Phommachanh.

PM Dung highly valued outcomes of the talks between the Vongvichit and his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Thi Kim Tien, saying that it will help both sides cooperate more effectively in human resource training, disease control and provision of medical check-ups for people along the common border.

Minister Vongvichit said his current visit to Vietnam aims to strengthen Vietnam-Laos special relations and ties between the two health sectors in particular.

He thanked Vietnam for its help in training medical workers for Laos.

At the reception for Minister of Post and Telecommunications Hiem Phommachanh, PM Dung highly valued cooperative agreements between the two ministries, affirming his support for their plan on sharing experiences in State management, human resource training and international cooperation in telecommunications.

Minister Phommachanh said he hopes the Vietnamese Government will continue helping the two ministries promote cooperation in a deep, practical and effective manner.

He also pledged to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese firms to invest in the post and telecommunications sector in Laos.

PM to visit Myanmar next week

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung will attend the fourth Summit of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS-4) on December 19-20 and pay an official visit to Myanmar on December 21.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PM Dung’s visit is made at the invitation of Myanmar President Thein Sein.

Vietnam, Laos exchange experience in fatherland front activities

The Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) delegation led by its Vice Chairman Ha Van Nui has paid a working visit to Laos to share experience in religion, ethnicity, and people-to- people diplomacy.

During their stay in Laos from December 15-21, Mr Nui worked with Vice Chairman of the Lao Front for National Construction, Tong Dotho and other high-ranking officials. He briefed the host on Vietnam’s achievements in religion, ethnicity and people-to-people diplomacy and analyzed the VFF’s functions and tasks in these fields and in the mobilization of Vietnamese nationals abroad.

Under current circumstances, he said the two fronts should better implement the Party and State policies on the mobilisation work, pay due attention to ethnic minority groups’ legitimate rights, promote traditional culture and guide citizens to expand and improve the quality of big campaigns.

The two sides will continue accelerating the dissemination of information and education to help each other gain a better understanding of Party policies and especially the Vietnam-Laos relations to smash any subversive schemes of hostile forces.

Foreign military attachés join shooting contest

Fifty Vietnamese military officers and foreign military attachés participated in a shooting contest in Hanoi on December 15.

The event was organised by the Ministry of National Defence to mark the 67th anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army (December 22) and boost exchanges between Vietnamese and foreign military officers.

Colonel Didier Oustric, French Military Attaché and head of the foreign military attaché delegation, thanked the Ministry of National Defence for its initiative to host the contest so as to improve mutual understanding between Vietnamese officers and their foreign colleagues.

Ambassadors play important role in socio-economic development

Ambassadors and foreign affairs officials play an important role in defining and building national socio-economic development policies and ensuring defence and security, says National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung.

Mr Hung affirmed this while meeting with 97 Vietnamese ambassadors and foreign affairs officials on December 15 on the occasion of the 27th Diplomatic Conference. He stressed that diplomacy is always connected with national construction and defence and international integration.

The NA Chairman asked the diplomats to further promote cooperative bilateral and multilateral relations to effectively contribute to the country’s construction, development and international integration cause.

The chief legislator also noted that they should pay more attention to establishing parliamentary relations, assisting the National Assembly in building effective diplomatic channels, and successfully implement diplomatic strategies as directed by the Party and State.

Reporting the results of the 27th Diplomatic Conference, Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh said it studied foreign policies approved at the 11th Party Congress and discussed measures to improve the effectiveness of diplomatic activities and international integration in future.

IOM backs Vietnam’s labour export

To boost labour export, Vietnamese guest workers should have a good command of English and professional skills, says William Lacy Swing, Director General of the International Organization of Migration (IOM).

In a recent interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency in Geneva, the IOM General Director applauded the Vietnamese government’s keen interest in seeking opportunities for local workers to work abroad, as well as its efforts in evacuating more than 10,500 workers from Libya earlier this year due to the recent crisis.

Mr Swing pledged to help Vietnam boost labour export, as he had committed during a working trip to the Southeast Asian country in August 2010.

He announced that IOM has established a migrant resource centre (MRC) in Hanoi to promote safe and sustainable labour migration from Vietnam.

The IOM leader is expected to return to Vietnam next year to work with the Vietnamese Prime Minister and government to provide further assistance to the country.

Deputy PM meets EU Ambassador

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan received newly accredited Ambassador-Head of the EU Delegation to Vietnam Franz Jessen, in Hanoi on Dec. 16.

Deputy PM Nhan expressed thanks to the EU for its increasing official development assistance to Vietnam and affirmed that Vietnam attaches importance to relations with the EU, especially in trade, science and education.

He said that Vietnam will seriously implement commitments after the two sides officially sign the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) and complete negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

He expressed his wish that the EU will continue to support Vietnam and other ASEAN countries in political issues, particularly maritime security, trade security and transport in the East Sea .

Ambassador Franz Jessen expressed his pleasure at his appointment in Vietnam and promised to try his best to boost relations between the EU and the Southeast Asian nation.

Public security officers get promotion

Minister of Public Security Sen. Lieut.-Gen Tran Dai Quang chaired a ceremony in Hanoi on Dec. 16 to announce the Prime Minister’s decision on promotions to 58 senior officers of the People’s Public Security forces.

Under the decision, seven officers were promoted to Lieutenant-General rank and the remaining 51 were promoted to Major-General rank.

Earlier, the State President presented promotion decisions from Lieutenant-General to Senior Lieutenant-General to Minister Tran Dai Quang and Permanent Deputy Minister Dang Van Hieu./.

VN, Laos bolster cooperation in information

Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Bac Son held talks with Lao Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Bosengkham Vongdara, in Hanoi on Dec. 16.

The two ministers signed a plan on information cooperation in 2012 and 2013.

The two sides will boost cooperation in dissemination of information about traditional relations of the two countries as well as renewal achievements in each country.

They will also accelerate access to information about celebrations of the 35 th anniversary of the signing of the Friendship and Cooperation Treaty and the 50 th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries in 2012.

During their visit to Vietnam from Dec. 16-18, the Lao Minister and his entourage will work with the Ministry of Information and Communications and a number of communications enterprises in Vietnam./.

Vietnam, Laos exchange front work

Vice President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Ha Van Nui met with leaders of the Lao Front for National Construction in Vientiane on Dec. 15 to exchange experience in religious, national, people-to-people diplomatic and office work.

Nui, who is paying a working visit to Laos from Dec. 15-21, briefed the Lao side of Vietnam’s major achievements in religion, nation and people-to-people diplomacy while analysing the position and role held by the front in national and religious mobilisation, people-to-people diplomacy and mobilisation of overseas Vietnamese community.

The two sides agreed to continue sharing experience in information dissemination and educating people to help them understand about the two parties’ policies and the Vietnam-Lao special relations.

This is considered as a foundation for better implementation of religious mobilisation campaigns and preparation for major events in 2012, the Vietnam-Laos friendship year./.

VN, Cambodia boost transport cooperation

Vietnamese Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang and his Cambodian counterpart, Tram Iv Tek, agreed to step up bilateral transport cooperation at their meeting in Phnom Penh on Dec. 15.

At the meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the 17 th ASEAN Transport Ministers’ Meeting (ATM17), the two ministers reached consensus on orientations for cooperation in the 2011-2015 period with a vision to 2020.

They emphasised the need to boost cooperation in building and upgrading roads within traffic systems in Asia , ASEAN and the Mekong Sub-region and accelerate the implementation of bilateral and multilateral road transport agreements.

The two ministers pledged to coordinate with donors in building a railway route linking Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh City and accelerate the signing of an agreement to facilitate railway transport in ASEAN.

They also agree to cooperate in establishing the national flag carrier of Cambodia with the carrier Angkor Air as a foundation.