PM Dung welcomes US Treasury Secretary

PM Nguyen Tan Dung has pressed for the prompt signing of the Viet Nam–US double taxation avoidance agreement and conclusion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations this year as committed by leaders of member nations.

PM Nguyen Tan Dung receives visiting US Secretary of Treasury Jacob Lew in Ha Noi yesterday.

Dung made the remarks when receiving visiting US Secretary of Treasury Jacob Lew in Ha Noi yesterday (Nov 14), asking the US to recognise Viet Nam as a market economy.

The PM added Viet Nam would closely co-ordinate with the US in the TPP talks, saying there should be more flexibility to match each nation's development pace during the process towards reaching a deal that balanced its members' interests.

As a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Viet Nam always followed the commitments it had made to the organisation and actively applied a market economy mechanism while working to integrate the country with the global economy for rapid and sustainable development, he said.

The host also hailed the progress made at a working session between the US Treasury Department and the Vietnamese Finance Ministry as well as their previous collaborations, especially in technical assistance in taxation, public accounting, one-door customs procedures and macro-economic analysis models.

The PM pointed to economic, trade and investment areas where, according to him, even more could be done to benefit both sides.

Lew, for his part, said the US highly valued Viet Nam's involvement in the TPP negotiations and hoped for flexibility in e-payment negotiations and market expansion.

He vowed that the US would actively step up talks on the double taxation avoidance agreement between the two nations.

He said his visit was meant to foster financial and monetary co-operation with Viet Nam, stressing that the US paid special attention to working closely with Viet Nam across diverse realms, especially economics, trade and investment.

Vietnam, US officials talk TPP financial services

Finance Minister Dinh Tien Dung and US Secretary of Treasury Jacob J. Lew discussed financial services, as part of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, and Vietnam’s economic renewal and stabilisation process at their talks in Hanoi on November 14.

Minister Dung updated his guest on Vietnam’s steps to stabilise its macro-economy and overhaul a chain of State-owned firms and banks.

Vietnam’s gross domestic product is forecast to grow by 5.4 percent this year, higher than last year. Exports are also expected to jump 15 percent while the trade deficit will be the lowest it has been for several years.

He stressed that Vietnam always considers the US a key trade partner within the framework of the TPP negotiations.

They shared the view that integration in financial services needs to ensure economic efficiency, safety and stability. Dung and Lew reiterated their commitments and called on TPP member countries to do their best to reach a consensus on financial services as soon as possible.

Lew said the US is looking to conclude the TPP negotiation process later this year.

Regarding the restructuring of State-owned enterprises in Vietnam, Minister Dung said Vietnam is actively rolling out a scheme on this issue, with a focus on economic groups and State-owned corporations.

On bilateral financial cooperation, Dung said the Vietnamese Finance Ministry has received a lot of support from the US in outlining legal regulations on tax management, customs procedures, the development of securities and financial markets, and personnel training.

During the talks, both sides promised stronger cooperation in finance.

Inspectorate sector strives to enhance capacity

The Government Inspectorate held a training workshop to introduce typical products of the programme on strengthening comprehensive capacity of the inspectorate system (POSCIS) on November 14 in Da Lat city, the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong.

According to Deputy Inspectorate General Nguyen Chien Binh, POSCIS, which was launched on December 1, 2009, will be implemented till 2014 with 12.8 million USD sourced from non-refundable aid provided by Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark and Canada.

The programme has the involvement of 10 inspectorate agencies, including the Government Inspectorate and those from ministries and localities.

It aims to strengthen the capacity of the inspectorate sector in three main aspects, including inspection, complaint and accusation handling and corruption prevention and combat, he said.

After nearly four years of implementation, the programme has gained a number of achievements with many products applied in inspection work of several agencies and localities.

During the workshop, nine products that proved their efficiency in recent years will be introduced, including procedures of financial inspection in construction projects, budget inspection in districts, financial inspection in businesses, as well as a number of complaint settling models.

The procedures and models are expected to be expanded nationwide, contributing to fulfilling the goal of enhancing the comprehensive capacity of the inspectorate sector.

Australia, Vietnam enhance defence links

Senior Lieutenant General Do Ba Ty, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army has hailed new developments in Vietnam-Australia defence cooperation over the recent past.

At a November 14 reception for Lieutenant General Mark Binskin, Vice Chief of the Australian Defence Force who is on a working visit to Vietnam from November 12-15, Ty said that he hopes the Australian delegation’s visit will help further strengthen ties and deepen mutual understanding between the two armies.

The Australian senior defence official briefed Ty on the outcome of his talks with Lieutenant General and Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army Vo Van Tuan.

Vietnam: a proactive member of APEC

Vietnam has proactively contributed to 70 APEC initiatives covering trade, investment, emergency response, healthcare, and anti-terrorism.

Around 150 Vietnamese and international delegates are gathering in Hanoi ahead of the “APEC in the 21st Century Asia-Pacific” Conference on November 15.

Attendees will include United Nations Deputy Secretary General and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific Noeleen Heyzer, former Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan, former Australian Foreign Minister Alaxander Downer, APEC senior officials, APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) representatives, the APEC Secretariat Executive Director, and leading regional experts.

Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh will chair the conference and deliver a keynote address.

The conference aims to highlight Vietnam’s promotion of active international integration, recognizing the importance of APEC and other mechanisms for Asia-Pacific cooperation.

Discussions will focus on real assessments of APEC’s role and prospects and regional economic connectivity trends. It coincides with the 15th anniversary of Vietnam’s APEC membership (November 15, 1998–November 15 2013).

The conference will review Vietnam’s participation in the organisation and seek suggestions for improving operational efficiency as it prepares to host the 25th APEC Leaders’ Meeting in 2017.

Vietnam’s entry to APEC in 1998 was an important element of a foreign policy guided by openness, diversification, and multilateralisation.

The country has served responsively and responsibly, its numerous positive contributions to APEC cooperation reflected in successfully chairing the organisation in 2006. It also hosted the 14th APEC Leaders’ Meeting and the 18th APEC Ministerial Meeting of foreign and economic/trade ministers.

President Truong Tan Sang delivered a speech at the 21st APEC Leaders' Meeting in Indonesia.

Vietnam has participated in more than 100 events and defined a long-term outlook towards a Free Trade Agreement of the Asia-Pacific region, pursuing Bogor goals, and a series of significant reforms.

Its tenures in key APEC positions include Vice Chair of the Trade and Investment Committee in 2006, President of the Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise working group, Chair of the Budget Management Committee in 2007, Vice Chair of the Health Working Group for the 2009–2010 term, and Chair of the Emergency Preparedness Working Group for the 2012–2013 term.

Vietnam has also successfully implemented initiatives on sea search and rescue, energy technology development, and business natural disaster preparedness.

APEC fully supports Vietnam’s bid to host the APEC Leaders’ Meeting for the second time in 2017. Its commitment is yet another step in its international integration and will define its long-term Asia-Pacific vision.

Hosting the meeting shows Vietnam’s recognition and perpetuation of APEC’s role in building a 21st century Asia Pacific characterized by resilience, dynamism, and prosperity.

NA reviews draft marriage, health insurance laws

The draft revised Marriage and Family Law and the draft Law on amendments and supplements to some articles of the Law on Health Insurance drew the most attention at the National Assembly’s sitting in Hanoi on November 14.

A majority of lawmakers stressed the need to amend and supplement several articles of the Law on Health Insurance in order to provide the public with better health care services while rectifying shortcomings in health insurance policy.

Some voiced that all members of the public must be responsible for or obliged to join health insurance schemes.

Discussions on the alternative amended Marriage and Family Law focused on marriageable age, surrogacy and same-sex marriage.

Deputy PM Minh meets with former Australian FM

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh on November 14 reiterated Vietnam’s consistent policy to further the comprehensive partnership with Australia, for the sake of the people in both countries, as well as peace, stability and development in the region and the world.

Deputy PM Minh made the affirmation at a meeting with former Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer who is on a visit to Hanoi to attend a conference on APEC in the Asia-Pacific region.

At the reception, the Deputy PM hailed Downer’s visit, saying it contributes to the conference’s success and is a highlight of the two countries’ 40 th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

The top diplomat also expressed his delight at the flourishing all-around cooperation, particularly in politics, economics and education and training, between the two sides over the past years, noting that Australia is the country’s major trading partner with two-way trade hitting five billion USD in 2012.

He appreciated Australian ODA provision for Vietnam as well as Downer’s contribution to the two nations’ relationship when he was in office from 1996-2000.

For his part, former Australian Foreign Minister Downer congratulated Minh on his new post as Deputy Prime Minister, believing that Minh will do his best to develop the two countries’ ties further in the time to come.

He highly appreciated positive developments in the cooperation between the two countries, both bilaterally and multilaterally, and pledged to contribute more to enhancing the current fine relationship.

The former FM hoped that Vietnam will have a successful conference this time, towards successfully hosting the APEC Year in 2017, which will help raise the country’s prestige in the world arena.

Equatorial Guinea welcomes developing Vietnam ties

Do Ba Khoa, the newly appointed Vietnamese Ambassador to Angola and Equatoria Guinea, has presented his credentials to Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.

The Ambassador used the reception held in his honour to highlight the Equatorial Guinean Government’s record of socio-economic achievement and cosmopolitan outlook.

He affirmed Vietnam’s determination to deepen the two countries’ friendship and cooperation in all fields.

President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo expressed his delight at the Vietnamese State President’s appointment of the country’s first Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea.

He noted his admiration for Vietnam’s reunification struggle and the Vietnamese people’s successes in national construction and development.

President Mbasogo hopes Vietnam will promote expanded bilateral economic cooperation and contribute to realising the Republic of Guinea’s 2020 vision of emerging nationhood.

VN, Lao news agencies vow greater co-operation

The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and the Lao news agency KPL, have agreed to lift the quality of daily exchanged news and promote the Viet Nam-Laos special relationship in 2014.

The two sides reached the agreement during talks between visiting VNA General Director Nguyen Duc Loi and his KPL counterpart Sounthone Khanthavong in Vientiane yesterday.

The two sides also pledged to enhance the dissemination of information regarding each country, as well news affecting the region. The two media heads also vowed to increase professional exchanges between their respective agencies.

VNA will continue to cooperate with KPL in issuing Vietnamese pictorials in the Lao language and help improve technical facilities at the Lao news agency.

In return, KPL pledged to help aid the broadcast of VNA's Vnews channel on Lao cable television.

The two sides also agreed to consult ministries from both sides on training provided to reporters and editorial staff.

VNA General Director, Nguyen Duc Loi, thanked KPL for its support for VNA's bid to become a member of the executive board of the Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies. He also praised the Lao agency for the favourable conditions given to VNA's permanent reporters in Vientiane.

The Lao host also acknowledged VNA's assistance in helping KPL publish the Lao Pictorial.

Vietnam, Japan focus on human resources training

Special Advisor to the Japan–Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Alliance Takebe Tsutomu has expressed interest in providing Vietnam with high-quality human resources training, with the establishment of the Japan–Vietnam University as a focus.

Meeting with President of the Vietnam–Japan Friendship Parliamentary Alliance To Huy Rua in Hanoi on November 14, Tsutomu vowed to do his best to develop both nations’ ties in his new position.

Rua, who is also a Politburo member and Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee, said that Vietnam wishes for stronger cooperation with Japan, especially in the perfection of market economy regulations, and human resources and infrastructure development.

He thanked Tsutomu, who used to be the General Secretary of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in Japan, for his active contributions to the friendship between the two ruling parties, legislatures and peoples.

The host also spoke highly of joint activities during the 2013 Vietnam–Japan Friendship Year to celebrate the 40th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties.

UN backing aids democratic progress

Viet Nam would continue to strengthen its public governance and develop mechanisms to better engage the public and other stakeholders in improving policy making, anti-corruption and citizens' access to justice, especially those from vulnerable groups.

This statement was made yesterday by Deputy Minister of Justice Hoang The Lien at a meeting convened by the United Nations in Viet Nam and the Vietnamese Government.

The United Nations in Viet Nam launched the Delivering as One in 2006 with six mutually reinforcing pillars - one plan, one budget, one leader, one set of management practices, one voice and one UN house – to avoid duplication and improve coherence and co-ordination to help UN agencies work more effectively together.

As part of the initiative, the Vietnamese Government and 17 UN agencies signed the One Plan 2012-16 in March last year which aimed to promote inclusive, equitable and green growth, people's access to quality social services, and stronger governance and participation.

At yesterday's meeting between the government and UN agencies, Lien applauded the support of UN agencies, noting that the mechanism had helped the country and the agencies to maximise resources and jointly address pressing issues in Viet Nam.

For example, in-depth research on key amendments to the Constitution include local governance, human rights provisions, the change from four months to six months maternity leave in the Labour Code and a new ban on advertising breast milk substitutes for children aged below 24 months in the Law on Advertising.

UN agencies also helped speed up the introduction and adoption of laws including the Law on the Handling of Administrative Violations, the Law on the Prevention and Combating of Human Trafficking, and the Law on Persons with Disabilities.

The UN annual report, titled "Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index", captured public opinion about the country's administrative performance through their own experiences.

Director of Criminal and Administrative Laws under the Justice Ministry Nguyen Kim Thoa said that Viet Nam wanted to put human rights at the heart of any policy making process to develop the legal system.

She noted that there was gap between laws and regulations and law enforcement in the country, and that UN support helped translate and implement laws more effectively.

Thoa said that limited funding and experience were major challenges for the country to overcome.

As a Co-chair of the Focus Area Coordination Group 3 of the One Plan 2012-2016 on Governance and Participation, the country manager of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Zhuldyz Akisheva, said the UN had a unique role to play in helping the Government to leverage resources, using its convening power and normative role to ensure resources were utilised effectively in the interests of the ultimate beneficiaries – the Vietnamese public.

Nguyen Thi Kim Lien, a governance adviser from the UK Department for International Development, said that as Viet Nam became a middle income country, donor assistance may fall or be redirected from capacity building to policy making and technical aid.

However, she said so far, State agencies were still hesitant to seek advice from civil societies and organisations.

She said the UN agencies should create forum in which civil societies could join.

Economy-trade relations: pillar in Vietnam-India partnership

Vietnamese Trade Counsellor in India Nguyen Son Ha has stated that bilateral economic and trade ties, which have come a long way in the recent past, are one of the “pillars” in the Vietnam-India strategic partnership.

Elaborating on this pillar in an interview granted to a Vietnam News Agency correspondent in New Delhi on November 13, Ha noted that India is one of Vietnam’s ten biggest trade partners, while Vietnam is the country’s fourth biggest trade partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

He said that at the 15th Vietnam–India Inter-Governmental meeting in New Delhi in July, the two sides agreed to soon set up an inter-subcommittee for trade between Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade and India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

The move is to push forward bilateral trade links and realise the goal of lifting two-way trade to seven billion USD by 2015, he said.

From January to September, India’s imports from Vietnam stood at 1.84 billion USD, an annual rise of 49.6 percent, while its exports to Vietnam saw year-on-year growth of 31.2 percent to 2.1 billion USD. The figure drove two-way trade to 3.94 billion USD, up 39.2 percent against the same period last year.

According to him, India is investing in 73 projects worth over two trillion USD in Vietnam, ranking 12th among the top 100 foreign investors in the country.

Referring to ways to effectively tap bilateral economic trade potential, Ha suggested the inter-subcommittee for trade gets up and running soon.

The Counsellor recommended Vietnamese and Indian firms hold regular meetings and exchanges via fairs and exhibitions so that key consumer goods and industrial products can reach more members of the public.

Vietnam and India should encourage enterprises to invest in each other, including in the private sector, he said, adding that there should be more favourable conditions for business players. For instance, they should be allowed to apply for long-term visas, and there should be more direct flights between the two countries opened.

VNN/VOV/VNS/VNA