Vietnam extends condolences to Singapore over Lee Kuan Yew’s death

Vietnamese leaders extended condolences to their Singaporean counterparts over the death of the former Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew on March 23.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong sent condolences to Secretary-General of the People’s Action Party Lee Hsien Loong, while State President Truong Tan Sang conveyed his sympathy to President Tony Tan Keng Yam.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung passed his condolences to Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong over the loss.

The same day, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh also expressed his sympathies to Singaporean Foreign Minister K Shanmugam.

According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office of Singapore, former Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew passed away early on March 23 at the age of 91.

Lee Kuan Yew was the founding Prime Minister of Singapore and father of the current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. He has been widely credited with turning Singapore into one of the most affluent economies in Asia within three decades.

He was Singapore ’s Prime Minister from 1959 to 1990 and is considered a highly influential politician in the island nation.

President leaves Hanoi for Vientiane

State President Truong Tan Sang left Hanoi on March 23 for his three-day working visit to Laos at the invitation of General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and State President Choummaly Sayasone.

The President is accompanied by his wife, Deputy Defence Minister Le Huu Duc, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Minh Khoi, Deputy Minister of Public Security Tran Viet Tan, among others.

During the visit, he is scheduled to meet Lao Party and Government leaders to seek ways to further foster the special bilateral ties and trust between the two Parties and nations in the coming time.

The leaders will also discuss regional and international issues of mutual concern.-

Greetings to Lao People’s Revolutionary Party

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) has sent greetings to the Central Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Lao Party (March 22, 1955).

The message praised the LPRP’s leadership in the achievements Laos has made in the struggle for national liberation as well as in national building and development over the past 60 years, contributing to enhance the country’s prestige and status in the international arena.

“The CPV and the Vietnamese people warmly congratulated the LPRP and Lao people for the important and comprehensive accomplishments they have made over the past time,” the message read, adding that those successes are very significant to Laos’ cause of national defence and development while actively contributing to strengthening the special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos, as well as to the maintenance of peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

The message continued, “We believe that the Lao Party, State and People will build on their traditions and positive momentum and gain still more significant achievements in the renovation, and successfully implement the Resolution of the 9th Party Congress and organise the 10th National Party Congress in 2016.”

The CPV Central Committee took note that the special solidarity, traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos, founded by President Ho Chi Minh and his counterparts Caysone Phomvihan and Souphanouvong and fostered by numerous generations of Vietnamese and Lao leaders and people, has grown and deepen in all aspects, contributing to the renovation, national building and defence in each country.

On the occasion, the CPV also valued the on-going support the Lao Party, State and People have provided to Vietnam, affirming that the Vietnamese Communist Party, the State and the People will do their utmost to further elevate the special solidarity between the two nations to a new height.

The same day, CPV General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong sent flower baskets to the LPRP General Secretary and President of Laos Choummaly Saynhasone, and former Party chief and former President Khamtay Siphandone.

Member of the CPV Central Committee and head of its Commission for External Relations, Hoang Binh Quan sent his greetings to Lao Party Politburo member, Deputy Prime Minister, head of the LPRP Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations, and Foreign Minister Thongloun Sisoulith.

Vietnam attends Brussels Forum 2015

The Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Institute for Strategic Research Head, Hoang Anh Tuan, is representing Southeast Asia at Brussels Forum 2015 from March 19-22 in Brussels, Belgium.

In a recent interview with Vietnamese reporters in Brussels on the fringes of the forum, Tuan said topics discussed at the forum have major impacts on policy-makers in major global centers, noting that such topics help global thinkers to seek solutions for global issues regarding security, politics, trade, and those in the East Sea (South China Sea).

Vietnam’s participation at the forum demonstrates growing global concerns over security in Southeast Asia, particularly territorial disputes in the East Sea.

Those in attendance acknowledged Vietnamese scholars’ role and their contributions to global security issues.

Minister values UN support for Vietnam’s development

Minister of Public Security Tran Dai Quang has appreciated the United Nations’ support for Vietnam in fields, especially the development and implementation of millennium development goals.

Vietnam always attaches importance to fostering ties with the UN, considering this as a priority in the country’s foreign policy, Minister Quang affirmed during his meetings with Mahmadamin Mahmadaminov, Acting Chairman of the UN General Assembly and Toyberg Frandzen, Interim Assistant Secretary General for political affairs, as part of his visit to the US on March 19-20.

The minister asserted that Vietnam strongly supports the central role played by the UN in dealing with challenges of global and regional peace and security and in promoting the settlement of disputes by peaceful means in accordance with international law.

The two UN officials spoke of Vietnam’s contributions to the UN strategies and action plans, saying the country has well performed its role as a highly responsible member of the UN’s key bodies.

They voiced their delight at Vietnam’s remarkable achievements in socio-economic development, poverty reduction and security-defence safeguard.

Mahmadamin Mahmadaminov informed the minister of the UN action plans to cope with traditional and non-traditional security threats, especially prevention of organised and transnational crimes, terrorism, illegal weapon trade, drug trafficking and money laundering.

During his stay in New York, Minister Quang visited the Vietnamese permanent mission to the UN, as well as representatives of the Vietnam News Agency, Vietnam Television and Trade Promotion Centre.

Vietnam attends ASEAN Finance Ministers Meeting

A Vietnamese delegation led by Finance Minister Dinh Tien Dung joined the 19th ASEAN Finance Ministers' Meeting and the 11th ASEAN Central Bank Governors' Meeting that opened in Kuala Lampur on March 21.

At their meetings, ASEAN finance ministers and central bank governors examined ways to maximize efforts towards establishing the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by later this year.

Major issues tabled at the ASEAN Finances’ Meeting included financial services liberalisation, capital account liberalisation, capital market development, payment and settlement systems, and banking integration.

The centre of discussions was also focused on enhancing regional surveillance, infrastructure financing - ASEAN infrastructure fund, customs matters, taxation, insurance, and financial inclusion.

A joint ministerial statement released at the event stressed ASEAN member countries’ resolve to continue their commitment in stimulating regional economic growth and financial stability.

Malaysian Finance Minister Ahmad Husni Mohamad said the meeting provided a helpful platform for sharing views on economic prospects, opportunities, risks and policy-related challenges the region is facing.

Additionally, ASEAN states proposed new initiatives towards sustainable and comprehensive growth in the future.

VNA