Security minister active in India

Minister of Public Security Tran Dai Quang has stated that Vietnam always appreciates traditional friendship and strategic partnership with India and its “Look East” policy.

Meeting with Indian National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon in New Delhi on October 31, Minister Quang said Vietnam highly values the Indian Government’s approval of 24.8 million USD in official development assistance for the construction of Dien Bien – Tay Trang road, as part of a project on new highway linking India, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnams and Cambodia.

He noted the growing bilateral cooperation across security, law enforcement and anti-crimes over the past time, adding that he hopes Menon will facilitate links between the National Security Council of India (NSC) and the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security (MoPS).

The guest also suggested the NSC and MoPS promptly sign a memorandum of understanding on cooperation, thus creating a legal foundation for exchange of information related to national benefits and security.

Menon, for his part, said India always treasures relationship with Vietnam, taking it as as the top importance in its Look East policy, of which the security and defence cooperation is among key pillars in their comprehensive strategic partnership.

The perfection of legal documents on anti-crime and social security and order work during Quang’s visit and upcoming visit by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong will elevate ties between the Indian relevant agencies and the MoPS to a greater height, he added.

He said he is hopeful of wider links in cyber and information, aerospace and the establishment of cooperation ties between NSC and MoPS in the future.

The same day, Minister Quang also worked with chief of the Indian National Security Guard (NSG), Sen. Lieut. Gen Arvind Ranjan, and the NSG training centre.

Reviewing risks to national security and social order posed by global terrorism, both sides expressed desire to share more experience while improving the efficiency of their fight against crimes, especially terror attacks.

The two nations will further concretise the contents of their strategic partnership in the new context.

Prime Minister receives Israeli Agriculture Minister

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has suggested that Vietnam and Israel soon discuss a possible bilateral free trade agreement to accelerate two-way trade in the future.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung receives Israeli Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Yair Shamir. (Source: VNA)

Meeting visiting Israeli Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Yair Shamir in Hanoi on October 31, PM Dung urged the prompt formation of a joint committee to boost cooperation between the two countries.

He voiced his hope that Israel will continue its ODA provision to Vietnam, focusing on human resources training, infrastructure development and climate change response.

He said the two sides should further strengthen cooperation on the application of high technology in agriculture and telecommunications. The PM pledged that the Vietnamese Government will create all possible conditions for Israeli businesses to invest in the field in Vietnam.

Hailing the outcomes of the talks between Yair Shamir and his Vietnamese counterpart Cao Duc Phat, PM Dung said there is room for both sides to cooperate, especially in science and technology, agriculture, defence and security, trade, and investment.

Therefore, he said, both countries should work more closely together to speed up their cooperation in areas of each side’s strengths for mutually practical benefits.

In reply, Yair Shamir said his visit aims to further foster investment cooperation between the two countries, especially in agriculture.

Expressing his delight with the cooperation results between the two countries over the past year, the Israeli minister said the two sides should design a more favourable legal framework to bolster their cooperation as two-way trade could increase rapidly in the future from the current figure of over one billion USD.

He proposed that besides coordinating in agriculture, Vietnam and Israel should also expand their cooperation in pharmaceuticals, high technology, chemicals, fertiliser production, and development cooperation.

The Viet Nam co-operation sub-committee has met with its Lao partner to review the implementation of agreements reached between the two governments in 2013.

The meeting was co-chaired by the vice chairman of the Viet Nam-Laos co-operation sub-committee, Cao Viet Sinh, and his counterpart, Phonesouk Khun Sombat.

Taking place in Viet Nam's central province of Quang Tri from October 26-31, the two sides also discussed preparations for the 36th session of the two countries' Inter-Governmental Committee in early 2014.

Both sides reviewed a report on the outcome of the expert-level talks between the Viet Nam-Laos and Laos-Viet Nam co-operation sub-committees, which focused on co-operation in politics, diplomacy, security and defence, education and training, human resources, foreign direct investment, trade, transport and the use of aid.

The two sides exchanged views and agreed on areas where more work was needed, especially the management of the Sekaman 1 and Sekaman 3 hydro-power plants, and the implementation of programmes and projects funded by Viet Nam.

Indonesia holds workshop on East Sea

Indonesia is hosting a workshop on the East Sea in Yogyakarta from October 30 to November 1.

The three-day 23 rd Workshop on Managing Potential Conflict in the East Sea is jointly held by the Indonesian Foreign Ministry’s Policy Analysis and Development Agency and the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies.

Delegates at the workshop include numerous scholars from the Policy Analysis and Development Agency and the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies, as well as representatives from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, China, Vietnam and Taiwan (China).

The delegates focused on discussing three main issues that include managing potential conflict through cooperation, promoting confidence-building measures to increase mutual understanding, and promoting the exchange of views through dialogue on certain issues.

Indonesia plays an active role in seeking a peaceful solution to disputes in the East Sea. The country has organised a number of workshops on the management of potential conflicts in the East Sea and promotion of cooperation between claimants since 1990.

Parliamentary group to boost Vietnam, Venezuela ties

The Venezuela-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Group (VVPFG) debuted on October 30, with the aim of fostering the friendship and cooperation relations between the two countries.

Addressing the ceremony, President of the Venezuelan National Assembly’s Committee for Foreign Affairs, Sovereignty and Integration Yul Jabour highlighted the fruitful cooperation between Vietnam and Venezuela.

The long-nurtured relationship was strengthened since the late President Hugo Chávez took his seat in 1999, said Jabour, adding that the two countries have signed 10 agreements on energy, education, technology and tourism.

VVPFG Chairman Oscar Figuera, who is also General Secretary of the Communist Party of Venezuela, affirmed that the establishment of the group will further Vietnam-Venezuela ties.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Venezuela Ngo Tien Dung took the occasion to thank the Venezuelan people for their support during the country’s struggle for independence in the past and national construction at the moment.

HCM City, Czech Republic boost health, education ties

HCM City had great potential for fostering co-operation with the Czech Republic in education and health, particularly in cancer treatment, orthopaedics and obstetrics.

Chairman of the municipal People's Committee Le Hoang Quan made the statement at a reception yesterday (Oct 31) for visiting Vice President of the Czech Senate Miluse Horska, adding that the city was Viet Nam's centre for education and health with more than 110 universities and colleges and many major hospitals.

He said that HCM City wanted to intensify co-operation with Czech localities, especially in the fields that the country had expertise in.

Quan expressed his hope that HCM City would be twinned with Prague in the future for the benefits of both cities.

Horska said that the two countries now have not only focused on economics, but had also expanded ties in cultural fields to further their traditional friendship.

Following the progress made in healthcare and education, the Czech Republic was willing to enhance ties with the city in those fields, she added.

Bulgarian President wraps up visit to Vietnam

Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev left Ho Chi Minh City on October 31, concluding his State visit to Vietnam from October 27-31 at the invitation of President Truong Tan Sang.

During the visit, President Plevneliev held talks with President Truong Tan Sang and met with Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

At the meetings, Plevneliev and the Vietnamese leaders discussed major orientations and agreed on specific measures to boost cooperation in many fields, especially in economics-trade, education-training, culture-tourism and security-defence.

They also deliberated on a new economic cooperation model in order to elevate the two countries’ relationship to a strategic partnership in the future, while exchanging views on regional and international issues of common concern.

The two sides also agreed to create all favourable conditions for both countries’ businesses and investors to study the markets and seek new partners in both countries, especially in the fields of infrastructure development, urban and public transport system planning and development, energy, environmental protection, food processing, water management and irrigation.

During his stay, President Plevneliev witnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, a memorandum of understanding on information exchange cooperation between the Vietnam News Agency and the Bulgarian News Agency and those between the Vietnam Ship Science and Technology Institute and Bulgaria’s Institute of Metal Science.

Plevneliev also met with former Vietnamese students in Bulgaria and enjoyed an art performance by Bulgarian artists, while attending the inauguration ceremony of an economic and trade office in Ho Chi Minh City and visiting several cultural and historical monuments in Hanoi, Quang Ninh province and Ho Chi Minh City.

VNN/VNS/VNA