Malaysian Air Force Chief visits Vietnam

The air forces of Vietnam and Malaysia should continue to boost the exchange of delegations and young officers, and share training experiences in order to make a new breakthrough in their cooperation, Deputy Defence Minister Do Ba Ty has said.

Senior Lieutenant General Do Ba Ty made the remarks while receiving Chief of the Malaysian Royal Air Force, General Rodzali bin Daud, in Hanoi on October 2.

Ty, who is also Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army, said Vietnam-Malaysia defence cooperation has seen positive developments over the past years, especially since the two defence ministries inked a Memorandum of Understanding on bilateral cooperation.

He added that the visit by the Malaysian guest provides a good opportunity for the two nations’ air forces to share experiences and seek fields of cooperation.

For his part, Chief of the Malaysian Royal Air Force Rodzali bin Daud expressed his wish that the two air forces will continue to develop their relations in the future for the sake of the two armies and peoples.-

NA Chair prioritises education

Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Sinh Hung yesterday (Oct 2) affirmed the importance of developing education and training to enable Viet Nam's industrialisation and modernisation.

Speaking at a reception for top-performing students in Ha Noi, Hung praised the efforts of students, many of whom had claimed prizes at international Olympiads and regional competitions, and topped this year's university entrance examinations.

The NA Chairman emphasised the importance the Communist Party and the State of Viet Nam placed on providing high-quality staff and urged the students to play a role in national development.

Vietnam, Italy sign science-technology cooperative agreement

Vietnam and Italy have signed the fifth cooperation program on science and technology in the 2014-2016 period.

The signing ceremony was held at the Italian Foreign Ministry Office on October 2 after the two sides reached a consensus on several joint research projects.

Deputy Head of the International Cooperation Department under the Ministry of Science and Technology Luong Van Thang said his visit to Italy aimed to seek new opportunities for cooperation.

Apart from the regular exchange of researchers, the two countries will expand their scientific and technological cooperation to other areas related to the use of research equipment, laboratories, and technology transfer, Thang said.

While staying in Italy, his delegation worked with the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research and Ministry of Economic Development and some universities and research institutes to discuss cooperative measures.

Ambassador to Italy Nguyen Hoang Long said bilateral scientific and technological cooperation should be further promoted to achieve specific results, especially after the two countries agreed to lift bilateral ties to the level of strategic partnership during Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s visit to Italy in January 2013.

PM Dung calls for highly creative, brighter teachers

Viet Nam should renew its attitude towards education and education management so it could train teachers with intellectual skills and creativity, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said in Ha Noi yesterday, Oct 2.

PM Nguyen Tan Dung greets top students at a ceremony in Ha Noi yesterday, Oct 2.

The PM said this was necessary to develop the nation's potential to the utmost so that the best people could actively contribute to the country's development.

Dung made the comments at a ceremony to honour 57 excellent students, including medallists at international and regional Olympiads, the International Science and Engineering Fair, and those receiving top scores at university entrance examinations this year.

Speaking to the students, Dung urged for the building of an open education, which has good teaching and learning methods, alongside the growth of a learning society, to ensure the necessary conditions for a better education system.

Dung asked for more attention and stronger investment in this important sector.

Also at the ceremony, Dung handed the Third-class Labour Order to Ngo Phi Long, a student from the northern province of Son La, who, for two consecutive years, received gold medals in physics at international and regional Olympiads. He also awarded the Prime Minister's merits to other Olympiad medalists.

All 36 Vietnamese students attending the Olympiads this year brought home medals.

Of the students receiving merits yesterday, 17 topped the entrance exams of the most prestigious universities in Viet Nam.

Vietnam attends WIPO General Assembly

A Vietnamese delegation led by Director General of Vietnam’s National Office of Intellectual Property Ta Quang Minh attended the 51st session of the General Assembly of Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in Geneva.

The Director General hailed the increasing cooperation between Vietnam and WIPO, saying that Vietnam has actively participated in projects within framework of WIPO development programmes since becoming its member.

The Geneva-based organisation every year helps Vietnam through programmes on distance learning and database access, raising the capacity of Vietnam’s intellectual property system.

On the sidelines of the meeting, which took place from September 23 to October 2 and drew delegations from 186 WIPO member countries, the Vietnamese delegation met with bilateral partners to promote cooperation.

The Vietnamese delegation and other ASEAN member countries held meetings with WIPO and the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (OHIM) - the European Union agency responsible for registering trademarks and designs that are valid in all 28 EU countries.

Deputy PM hails Vietnam-Thailand cooperation

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan received visiting Pheu Thai Party (PTP) (For Thais Party) Senior Adviser Somchai Wongsawat in Hanoi on October 2.

The Deputy PM, who is a Politburo member of the Communist Party of Vietnam, expressed his pleasure at the development of bilateral cooperation, especially since Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s visit to Thailand in June this year, during which the two sides upgraded their ties to a strategic partnership.

Highlighting similarities shared by the two nations in culture, people and marine exploitation, the Deputy PM spoke highly of the Vietnam-Thailand cooperation at regional and international forums, as well as the Thai Government’s assistance to those of the Vietnamese origin living in Thailand.

The two officials discussed concrete measures to boost bilateral ties in such areas as economics, trade, investment and education.

The Thai guest affirmed that his country will join Vietnam’s efforts in deepening the two countries’ bilateral strategic partnership for the benefits of both peoples as well as for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world at large.

The joint efforts will make practical contributions to the formation of a united and strong ASEAN Community, he said.

During its stay in Vietnam, the Thai delegation worked with the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee’s Commission for Organisation and visited the northeastern province of Quang Ninh.

Germany’s unification day marked in HCM City

A ceremony to mark the 23 rd Unification Day of Germany took place in Ho Chi Minh City on October 2, hearing hopes for cooperation between the two sides to be intensified in economy, culture and education.

Tran Thanh Long, Chairman of the Vietnam-Germany Friendship Association’s HCM City chapter and Hans Dieter Stell, German Consul General in HCM City, shared their joys at progress made in multifaceted cooperation between HCM City and German localities over the past time.

German has provided Vietnam with official development assistance (ODA) in the prioritised fields of climate change response, environmental protection, vocational training and health care.

Germany’s 50 projects worth over 160 million USD currently operating in HCM City - Vietnam’s largest economic hub, including the Metro No. 2 and the German House ones, vividly demonstrate the two countries’ growing friendship.

Hans Dieter Stell said quickening the on-going construction of the German house in the city will mean to pushing up exchanges between the two peoples.

Two-way trade between Vietnam and Germany, which is Vietnam’s biggest European Union trade partner, grossed nearly 6 billion USD in 2012.

Deputy PM commends women for their work

Five organisations and ten individuals received the 2013 Vietnamese Women Awards for their excellent achievements in all fields of social life in Ha Noi yesterday, Oct 2.

The awardees included those who are working in a wide range of areas across the country including health care, military, business and research.

Speaking at the ceremony, Chairwoman of the Viet Nam Women's Union (VWU) Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa said that the awards acknowledged the talents and contributions of Vietnamese women to the national development cause in all fields.

This is the eleventh year of the award. There have been 41 organisations and 84 individuals who received the awards in the last 11 years.

Also yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan praised 270 exemplary Vietnamese women for their achievements and contributions to economic development and poverty reduction in the 2002-13 period.

The 270 honoured, who were selected from grassroots levels on behalf of all Vietnamese women throughout the country, gathered at a conference held by the VWU in the capital city of Ha Noi.

Addressing the conference, the Deputy PM highly praised the initiative by the VWU, the World Bank and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, to take women's economic empowerment in the country as the theme for this year's Viet Nam Women's Innovation Day.

"This is a meaningful activity among a series of events for innovation day, happening at a time when the domestic and world economies are facing many difficulties," Nhan said.

"This reflects the special attention of the women union in supporting women and to involve them in economic development, as well as encouraging them to bring more innovation to production and business," he added.

Reports at the conference show that in the last 10 years, women unions at all levels have supportive programmes to help their members, especially the poor and those in rural areas.

According to the VWU's Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa, by June this year, the unions have supported over 11.7 million poor households by providing them with employment, and also livestock to supplement income, for a total of nearly VND7 trillion (US$333 million).

Furthermore, nearly 18,000 charity houses for the members were newly-built or repaired thanks to the unions for a total of VND291.3 billion ($13.8 million).

The unions at all levels have also organised different support models for women members, including poverty reduction clubs, credit fund groups, co-operatives and micro-financial organisations, Hoa said.

Participants at the conference also shared and exchanged their experiences in doing business.

They expressed their wishes that the Party and the Government would pay more attention to rural areas, as well as have more appropriate policies to create employment, support preferential credit and create measures to promote their products. They also asked for legal consultancy to equip themselves in doing business.

Sharing experiences

Also yesterday, Oct 2, the VWU, in co-ordination with the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), organised another forum for women to share experiences in economic development.

VCCI Chairman Vu Tien Loc said at the forum that women should be encouraged to get involved in economic development as a way to promote gender equality and social progress.

Loc said the Party and State have introduced a number of policies to develop the female business community in Viet Nam.

"The forum provides a chance for domestic and foreign agencies to share experience in supporting women and businesswomen in economic development," he said.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) Country Director Gyorgy Sziraczki said the forum would help raise women's leadership roles in business organisations, promote gender equality and honour businesswomen's initiatives.

A country can eliminate poverty, achieve prosperity and develop sustainably unless women are empowered and fully engaged in economic activity, he said.

UN Women Chief Representative in Viet Nam Shoko Ishikawa said barriers should be removed to encourage women to take part in the labour market by accelerating reform and ensuring the best working conditions and human rights for both women and men.

Participants at the forum discussed two main issues: creating the best possible conditions for businesswomen to develop, and empowering women in production and trading in Viet Nam.

They agreed that to develop their business effectively, businesswomen needed encouragement and promotion in enhancing their ability and being active in seeking and exploring the market as well as harmonising the expenses and technological renovation.

VNN/VNS/VNA