Deputy PM Vu Van Ninh visits Sweden

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh meets Acting Governor of the Central Bank of Sweden Kerstin Af Jochnick. Photo VNA

Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh is paying an official visit to Sweden at an invitation of the Swedish Government, occasioned the 45th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties.

On April 10, Ninh had a working session with Acting Governor of the Central Bank of Sweden (Sveriges Riksbank) Kerstin Af Jochnick, where he was shared how the country did to recover, stabilise and develop the financial market after hit by a crisis in 2008.

During his meeting with Minister of Financial Markets Peter Norman the same day, Deputy PM Ninh was told that the Swedish Government and big companies are interested in Vietnam’s economic restructuring and consider the country a promising market with great cooperation potential.

He confirmed that restructuring the national economy along with reforming the growth model towards a stable and sustainable development and restructuring the finance-banking system are among giant orientations set forth by the Vietnamese Government.

The Deputy PM called on the Swedish Government to continue encouraging its businesses to invest into Vietnam and to do more to speed up negotiations on the Vietnam-EU free trade agreement as well as recognise market economy regulations for Vietnam.

On the day, Deputy PM Ninh visited a production facility of the Ericsson Telecommunications Group.

He also met the Vietnamese Embassy’s staff and representatives of the Vietnamese community in Sweden.

On April 11, the Deputy PM is scheduled to meet with Speaker of the Parliament Per Westerberg, work with Trade Minister Ewa Bjorling and meet executives of several leading corporations of Sweden.

Moldova seeks closer ties with Vietnam

Moldova Prime Minister Yuri Lianke has applauded the constant development of Vietnam-Moldova relations at a recent meeting with Ambassador Nguyen Trung Thanh, Vietnamese permanent representative to the United Nations.

At an April 11 meting with the Vietnamese diplomat who visited Moldova to attend a Francophone seminar on Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in UN Human Rights Council (UNHCR), PM Yuri Lianke recalled the meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung on the sidelines of a working session at the UN General Assembly in New York last September.

Yuri Lianke asked Thanh to convey his best regards to PM Nguyen Tan Dung.

As a UN member country in Eastern Europe, Moldova-Vietnam relations have grown steadily. The two nations have offered each other support at regional and international forums.

Despite last year’s two-way trade increasing 36% to US$5.1 million compared to 2012, bilateral trade have not yet matched their full potential and sound political ties.

Vietnam’s participation in the 25th UNHCR session in Geneva, Switzerland, last month was its first attendance as an official member.

Earlier this year, the UNHCR UPR working group had approved the Vietnam’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Report in the second cycle with high unanimity.

UPR- an effective operational mechanism- has contributed to promoting dialogues and cooperation and protecting human rights in different countries.

Chinese Ambassador presented with Friendship Order

Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Ho Xuan Son presented the Friendship Order to outgoing Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Kong Xuanyou in Hanoi on April 11.

During his working term in Vietnam, Kong has made great contributions to strengthening friendship and cooperative ties between Vietnam and China.

Earlier on April 3, President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) Vu Xuan Hong also conferred a “for peace and friendship among nations” insignia on the diplomat.

Kong affirmed that he will continue to follow the development of Vietnam and further contribute to promoting the traditional ties between the two countries in the future.

Australia to help with UXO impacts

Australia has promised to help Viet Nam improve its capacity to deal with the consequences of UXO (unexploded ordnance) left over from the nation's wars.

The pledge of assistance was made to Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh during his working visit to Australia from April 7-12.

During his visit, Senior Lt. Gen. Vinh, who also works as head of the permanent office of the State Steering Committee on the National Mine Action Plan (also known as Steering Committee 504), paid a courtesy visit to Michael Ronaldson, Minister for Veterans Affairs.

He and his entourage had discussions with Australia's Deputy Chief of the Defence Force, Lt. Gen. Mark Binskin, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Gillian Bird, and key officials from the Ministry for Veterans Affairs.

They discussed strengthening co-operation to help UXO victims reintegrate into the community.

The Vietnamese delegation also visited a sapper unit and a centre that supports social reintegration of mine victims.

Vietnam boosts public security ties with Nepal, Sri Lanka

Minister of Public Security General Tran Dai Quang has sought stronger partnership in security and crime prevention with Nepal and Sri Lanka during his visits to these countries from April 3-8.

In Nepal, both sides agreed to further strengthen their coordination at regional and global forums, while speeding up cooperation in fighting and preventing crimes, especially organised and transnational ones.

In Sri Lanka, the hosts and guest discussed measures to expand their cooperation in security and crime prevention as well as other potential fields.

They also signed agreements on the extradition and the transfer of sentenced persons.

During the tour, Minister Quang paid a courtesy visits to Nepalese Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

He held talks with officials from the Nepalese Ministries of Home Affairs, Foreign Affairs and Sri Lanka’s Ministries of Law and Order, and Defence and Urban Development.

The Vietnamese guest also met with officials of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Nepal-Vietnam Friendship Association, and visited the Training Centre for special police forces in Sri Lanka.

VNA/VOV/VNS