Moscow Duma delegation visits Ho Chi Minh City

Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam on April 29 welcomed a delegation from the Moscow City Duma.

Tam expressed her delight to receive the delegation, especially as the city is celebrating the 39 th anniversary of Liberation Day on April 30.

She stressed that her city and Vietnam as a whole always remember the great support from the people of the former Soviet Union and Russia for the country’s struggle for liberation and national construction.

Ho Chi Minh City has established its ties with many Russian localities, including Moscow, Tam said, noting that the two sides still hold advantages to further boost cooperation in economics, trade, security and defence.

Head of the Moscow delegation Sviatoshenko Vladimir Alekseyevich said that his group’s visit aims to intensify the connections between Moscow and Ho Chi Minh City.

He suggested the two sides regularly organise delegation exchanges and boost experience sharing and cooperation in not only economics, legislative affairs, and culture, but also Party building.

Vietnam, Mozambique strengthen co-operation in banking sector

The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) and the Bank of Mozambique (BM) signed a memorandum of co-operation (MoU) in Hanoi on April 29 to create a framework of co-operation in the banking sector between the two countries.

The MoU is expected to complete a legal framework on monetary policy and foreign exchange management, as well as banking supervision.

The document also encourages the two sides’ commercial banks to open branches in each nation.

Governor of the SBV Nguyen Van Binh and Governor Ernesto Gouveia Gove of the BM held talks to brief each other on the basics of macroeconomic development and monetary policies and operation in Vietnam and Mozambique.

On the basis of the long-term friendship between the two countries, Governor Binh said he believed that this was an appropriate time to open up the new possibility of expanding co-operation in the banking sector, contributing to the economic relations, trade and bilateral investment of the two nations.

The SBV is willing to share expertise and experiences with the central bank of Mozambique in the areas related to central bank operations, he said, suggesting that the BM request the Government of Mozambique grant preferential policies to Vietnamese credit institutions, in order to expand investment into the southeastern Africa country.

The same day, the Central Bank of Mozambique delegation also met with Vietnam’s potential investors in the field of finance and banking.

NA Vice Chairwoman meets voters in Ben Tre province

Politburo member and National Assembly (NA) Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan on April 29 met voters in Ba Tri and Giong Trom districts, in the southern province of Ben Tre.

At the meeting, voters voiced concerns about a number of issues related to the revised Marriage and Family Law, salaries and allowances for communal staff, the shortage of water for production during the dry season, and a lack of electricity for farmers to raise shrimp.

NA Vice Chairwomam Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said she had noted the ideas and promised to direct local authorities to find solutions.

She affirmed that the NA and the Government always welcomed voters’ ideas, saying that their suggestions at the meeting will be conveyed to the NA at its upcoming session.

The NA Vice Chairwoman also asked the voters to continue to promote their oversight role at grassroots level and contribute further innovative ideas to authorities.

CPV ups ties with Bangladeshi, Nepalese parties

A delegation from the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) attended the ninth congress of the Workers Party of Bangladesh (WPB) in Rajshashi city from April 24-27.

Minister of Civil Aviation and Tourism Rashed Khan Menon, who was elected as the WPB President in the 2014-2019 tenure, confirmed that his party always treasures the traditional relations with the CPV and hopes such bilateral ties will be furthered in the coming time for the sake of the two peoples.

The Vietnamese delegation, led by Deputy Head of the CPV Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Nguyen Huy Tang, also paid a visit to Nepal, where they met with President of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Lenin) (CPN-UML) which holds a key role in the current Nepalese Government.

Tang said he believes under the leadership of the new government, Nepal will reap significant socio-economic achievements and soon approve a new constitution, helping improve the local living standards and raising the country’s position in the region and the world, especially as the Chair of the 2014 South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

President of the CPN-UML J.Khanan praised Vietnam for its achievements in building a socialist-oriented market economy.

Both sides looked at ways to forge bilateral ties ahead, and agreed on measures to boost two-way trade relations in the context that the two countries will mark 40 years of diplomatic ties in 2015.

Russian academician receives Friendship Order

Director of the Russian Academy of Sciences, (RAS) Mikhail Titarenko- one of the eminent scientists in Oriental studies has been awarded a Vietnamese Order of Friendship for his great contribution to Vietnam-Russian relations.

Vietnamese ambassador to Russia Pham Xuan Son presented the order to the academician in Moscow on April 28, marking his 80th birthday.

Titarenko has worked as RAS Director since 1985 and has actively supported Vietnamese agencies in scientific research and cooperation.

Vietnam, Mongolia boost mutual trust, cooperation

Vietnam and Mongolia have agreed to boost exchanges of high-ranking delegations with the aim of further enhancing political trust between the two sides.

The nations reached agreement during a three-day political consultation between Deputy Foreign Minister Ho Xuan Son and his Mongolian counterpart Damba Gankhuyag that wrapped up in Hanoi on April 29.

At the function, both sides expressed pleasure at the development of their traditional friendship in the recent past, especially following Mongolian President Tsakhigiin Elbegdorj's State-level visit to Vietnam late last year.

They jointly remarked on the positive collaboration between their ministries and agencies to organise activities marking the 60th anniversary of Vietnam-Mongolia diplomatic ties, which falls in November.

Regarding their economic bond, the two sides agreed to create favourable conditions for their businesses to enhance exchanges and seek investment opportunities in a bid to implement the agreements signed between them.

Bilateral collaboration in the spheres of education, tourism, health, and oil and gas exploitation was reached at the consultation, along with cooperation between the two foreign ministries.

As part of his Vietnam visit, the Mongolian diplomat paid a courtesy visit to Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc before touring to some historical and cultural relic sites in the country.

South Africa’s Freedom Day celebrated in Hanoi

The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations and the Vietnam-Africa Friendship Association (VAFA) held a ceremony in Hanoi on April 29 to celebrate the 20 th Freedom Day of South Africa (April 27).

Addressing the event, VAFA Vice President Do Duc Dinh congratulated the South African people on the great achievements reached over the past two decades.

According to Dinh, since their diplomatic ties were established on December 22, 1993, Vietnam and South Africa have enjoyed strong development in bilateral relations, particularly in politics, economics, culture, education and defence.

The two sides regularly exchange high-level visits, demonstrated by the South Africa visit of Prime Minister Phan Van Khai in November 2004 and South African President Thabo Mbeki’s tour of Vietnam in May 2007.

Their two-way trade has seen constant improvement from 154 million USD in 2006 to 920 million USD last year.

South African Ambassador to Vietnam Kgomotso Ruth Magau affirmed her country’s commitment to tightening its partnership with Vietnam.

Both sides expressed their belief that the two countries will gain greater achievements in their bilateral ties, in the basic interests of their peoples, and for peace and stability in the region and the world.