President Sang offers incense to Hung Kings

President Truong Tan Sang offered incense to Vietnam’s founding fathers, Hung Kings, at the national historical relic site of the Hung Kings’ Temple in the northern province of Phu Tho on September 18.

After the ceremony at Kinh Thien Shrine on Nghia Linh Mountain, President Sang and leaders of Phu Tho province laid down wreaths of flowers in tribute to the late President Ho Chi Minh, who visited the Hung Kings’ Temple on September 19, 1954, after successfully leading the country’s nine-year resistance against French occupation.

During the visit, President Ho Chi Minh met with soldiers and officers of Tien Phong Division and advised them that “ the Hung Kings had made great efforts to found the nation, you and I have to work hard together to defend the nation” – these words that went down in history as part of the President’s teachings.

Phu Tho held a ceremony, featuring numerous performances, to celebrate the 60 years since President Ho Chi Minh’s visit.

The temple is located on Nghia Linh Mountain in Phong Chau district, Phu Tho province, approximately 100km northwest of Hanoi. It is a large complex comprising ancient tombs, monuments and temples.

In 2012, UNESCO recognised the worshipping of the Hung Kings as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Press freedom must abide by law: PM

The freedom of the press is a basic civil right. However, the implementation of this right must comply with legal regulations to ensure the liberties of one party do not infringe those of another, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said.

The revised Constitution of Vietnam, which was recently adopted, guarantees freedom of the press, PM Dung told members of the Asia News Network (ANN) during a reception in Hanoi on September 18.

He said he hoped the guests would share their experiences in providing accurate, prompt and objective news for the common goal of cooperation, peace, friendship and development.

Responding to regional concerns of the press, PM Dung said Vietnam is actively supporting ASEAN members to build the ASEAN Community (AC) by 2015.

The establishment of the AC poses opportunities and challenges for Vietnam, particularly with regard to improving competitiveness. The country is therefore taking all the necessary measures to secure rapid and sustainable growth, including institutional reform and human resources development.

Presenting Vietnam’s position on the East Sea issues, the Government leader described peace, stability, security, and navigation and aviation safety as common concerns for ASEAN and the region, as well as beyond.

The bloc’s stance on these issues is clearly manifested in ASEAN’s Six Points Principles on the East Sea which requires all involved parties to abide by international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and create a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

ANN was officially established in March 1999, with 21 members in 19 countries.

ANN’s goal is to reflect impartially what is going on in its members’ countries, stated ANN President Pana Janviroj.

Vietnam participates in KL Converge

A Vietnamese delegation, led by Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Bac Son, is attending the three-day communications expo KL Converge at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in the Malaysian capital from September 17.

The participating Vietnamese communication enterprises, including VietnamPlus (Vietnam News Agency), Voice of Vietnam (VOV), Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), FPT, VTC, Mobifone and Hanel Group, are showcasing their products and services, as well as popularising Vietnam’s policies on Information Technology and Communications (ITC).

Malaysian Deputy Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was impressed with the development of technology and its application in communications in Vietnam , as displayed by the delegation in their exhibition pavilions.

Minister Son told the Vietnam News Agency that the expo helped Vietnam boost its image and introduce the nation’s communication development potential to the region. Furthermore, it served as a forum for other countries to learn about Vietnam ’s innovations in a number of fields, including communications, information technology and television broadcasting.

Converge is a platform for the media, communications, and the creative industry to share ideas and exchange experience on developing ITC in a safe manner, Son stressed.

KL Converge, jointly organised by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and the Ministry for Communications and Multimedia, is the first of its kind in Asia . The exhibition aims to provide networking opportunities and investment prospects, share experience and innovative ideas, and explore areas of cooperation with global creative leaders.

Vietnam, Russia ensure safety for nuclear power plant

Vietnam is closely working with Russian partners to devise a complete construction plan for Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Plant No.1 to ensure its safety and efficient operation.

Chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee on Science, Technology and Environment Phan Xuan Dung inspected the implementation of the project, the first of its kind in Vietnam , during his tour of central Ninh Thuan province on September 19.

Construction will start by the end of the year as stated in the NA’s Resolution 41/2009/QH12, later than scheduled, following the safety lessons learned from the 2011 Fukushima nuclear incident in Japan, with an initial focus on infrastructure, such as roads and water and electricity supply.

Related documents for the construction of Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Plant No. 2 are currently under preparation and will be submitted to the Prime Minister for approval, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Luu Xuan Vinh said.

According to the National  Assembly, construction of the two nuclear power plants is slow. However, at the request of ministries, relevant sectors and investors, policies are being devised regarding the construction of the facilities, Dung said.

The first turbine of Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Plant No.1is expected to be connected to the national  grid by 2020.

Uganda, Vietnam seek investment cooperation

First Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uganda, Henry Kajura is on a working visit to Vietnam from September 17-24 to look for cooperation opportunities in agriculture, trade and industrial production.

During the visit, the delegation met with government leaders and representatives from the Ministry of Industry and the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) to discuss the possibility of cooperation between the two countries in the fields of agriculture, trade, industrial production, investment, cooperation and foreign currency trade.

At working sessions with SHB Bank and T&T Group and a number of major Vietnamese businesses, the delegation touched upon investment and trade cooperation between the two nations and businesses alike.

They also considered the selection of SHB as an intermediary in investment, trade finance, international payment for Vietnam enterprises running business and exports operations to Africa, Uganda and vice again.

Located in East Africa, Uganda is famous for its rich natural resources with iron and gold mines, and is seen as a potential export market for Vietnam.

NA Vice Chair meets AIPA partners in Laos

National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong met with the heads of several delegations attending the ongoing 35th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-parliamentary Assembly (AIPA-35) in Vientiane, Laos, on September 17.

In a meeting with Cheam Yeap, Chairman of the Cambodian National Assembly Commission for Economics, Finance and Banking, she stated that the NA and people of Vietnam continuously valued the support of the Cambodian NA and its cooperation at international parliamentary forums.

She thanked the Cambodian Government for creating conditions for the Vietnamese community to integrate itself into Cambodian society.

Phong suggested the two legislative bodies increase the exchange of experience in legislation and supervision .

Cheam Yeap said he hoped the two NAs and governments would work together closely to boost bilateral ties in the future. He expressed his belief that Vietnam would host the 132 nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-132) in 2015 successfully.

In a meeting with H ead of the Japanese parliamentary delegation Shimpei Matsushita, the NA Vice Chairwoman hailed the delegation’s contributions to the AIPA-35.

Shimpei Matsushita stated the Japanese parliament would exert more efforts to develop legislative ties with Vietnam .

They also agreed that in the near future the two parliaments should organise more meetings amongst parliamentarians and boost cooperation on lawmaking, supervision and people-to-people exchanges.

Vietnam plans to send its young parliamentarians to Japan for an exchange in 2015, said Phong.

When meeting with Chi Wan Chu, head of the of the Chinese parliamentary delegation, Phong praised the cooperation between the two countries’ legislative bodies and proposed to increase the exchange of delegations.

On behalf of NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung, she invited Chairman of the Chinese People’s Congress Standing Committee Zhang Dejiang to attend the IPU-132 in Vietnam next year.

She also expressed her delight that China-ASEAN relations have been growing, contributing to peace and stability in the region.

Chi Wan Chu said the Chinese People’s Congress would roll out measures to strengthen its comprehensive partnership and people-to-people exchanges with Vietnam in the future.

Noting that the two sides have shared experience in economic development and state management, he expressed his belief that the two countries would overcome their differences for a better future.

He said he hoped the legislative cooperation between the two countries would contribute to fostering Vietnamese-Chinese relations.

AIPA-35 concludes third working day

The Committee for Joint Communiqué of the 35th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA-35) held a discussion on a Joint Communiqué on September 18.

The Joint Communiqué will summarise the speeches of AIPA delegation leaders during the first working session and the content of debates held and resolutions agreed upon in the Women Parliamentarians Committee, the Committee on Political Matters, the Committee on Economic Matters, the Committee on Organisational Matters, and the Committee on Social Matters.

During the discussion, committee members shared their opinions on political security in the region and expressed their support for ASEAN’s political security cooperation efforts.

The Committee backed ASEAN’s commitment to establishing the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) in 2015. It also called on parliamentary members to boost their roles and develop a post-2015 ASEAN vision.

The Committee particularly stressed the importance of intensifying ASEAN’s unity, highlighting the bloc’s benefits and its role in the regional architecture. Maintaining peace, security, stability and maritime safety in the East Sea was also emphasised.

The Joint Communiqué is expected to be adopted at the end of AIPA-35.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on September 18 called for closer cooperation among ASEAN member countries as well as between ASEAN and its partners in ensuring universal health coverage, particularly for vulnerable groups and people living in rural, mountainous and hard to reach areas.

Addressing the 12th ASEAN Health Ministers’ Meeting which opened in Hanoi on September 18, the PM also stressed the need for further collaboration in the prevention of infectious diseases, such as Ebola, H7N9, and Mec-CoVi which are raging around the globe and some diseases prevalent in ASEAN like dengue, hand-foot-mouth, rabies, and drug-resistant malaria.

The Cabinet leader said the regional nations are working hard to form an ASEAN community by 2015’s end with one of the important contents being public health care which will help develop human resources, thus fueling the rapid and sustainable growth of each member country and the entire bloc.

Over the three-decade renewal process, Vietnam has reaped numerous socio-economic attainments, including health care, he noted, elaborating that the country has fulfilled the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals of poverty eradication, child mortality reduction, and maternal health improvement.

Health insurance has so far covered three-fourths of Vietnam’s population while some of its health indices have outpaced many countries with the same income level, the PM said.

Attributing such achievements to Vietnam’s own efforts as well as valuable assistance of the international community, he thanked countries and international organisations and asked for further support from them.

The 12th ASEAN Health Ministers’ Meeting, the first to be held in Vietnam, draws the participation of nearly 200 delegates from the 10 ASEAN nations, the partner countries of China, the Republic of Korea, and Japan, and international organisations.

The two-day event, themed “Better health for ASEAN Community after 2015”, will focus on primary health care and multi-sectoral coordination in emerging infectious disease prevention.

Uganda, Vietnam seek investment cooperation

First Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uganda, Henry Kajura is on a working visit to Vietnam from September 17-24 to look for cooperation opportunities in agriculture, trade and industrial production.

During the visit, the delegation met with government leaders and representatives from the Ministry of Industry and the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) to discuss the possibility of cooperation between the two countries in the fields of agriculture, trade, industrial production, investment, cooperation and foreign currency trade.

At working sessions with SHB Bank and T&T Group and a number of major Vietnamese businesses, the delegation touched upon investment and trade cooperation between the two nations and businesses alike.

They also considered the selection of SHB as an intermediary in investment, trade finance, international payment for Vietnam enterprises running business and exports operations to Africa, Uganda and vice again.

Located in East Africa, Uganda is famous for its rich natural resources with iron and gold mines, and is seen as a potential export market for Vietnam.

VNA/VOV/VNN