Vietnam, Cambodia agree to strengthen relationship

Da Nang (VNA) – The Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Commission for Economic, Cultural and Scientific-Technological Cooperation convened its 10th session in Da Nang city on Oct. 6 to discuss concrete measures to expand bilateral cooperation between the two nations.

The session was co-chaired by the Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem, head of the Vietnam sub-commission, and his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong, head of the Cambodia sub-commission.

The two sides agreed to prioritise fields in which the two countries have potential, such as personnel training, infrastructure development, trade and investment, energy, transport, health care, mining, oil industry, industrial crop plantation and seafood processing.

They stressed the need to intensify trade and services activities to increase two-way trade turnover to 2 billion USD by 2010.

They pledged to facilitate the cooperation of businesses involved in projects to build hydro-electricity power plants, explore and exploit oil and gas reserves and develop telecom services as well as to encourage localities, particularly those lying along the borders of the two countries, to further their cooperation.

The officials agreed to upgrade several border gates to facilitate economic and cultural exchanges between the two countries and their localities, increase cooperation in matters of national security and the fight against trans-national crime, and continue conducting joint-patrols at sea.

The session appreciated that, following the ninth session in August 2007, the two countries saw significant developments in bilateral cooperation, particularly in the fields of the economy, trade and investment, education, tourism, banking and health care.

The border demarcation and landmark plantation work has been accelerated in order to be completed as scheduled in 2012.

After the session, the two Deputy PMs signed the session’s minutes and agreed to convene the 11 th session in Cambodia in 2009.-

NA Standing Committee meets

Hanoi (VNA) – The 13 th meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee opened in Hanoi on Oct. 6 under the chairmanship of NA Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong.

The NA Standing Committee listened to and commented upon reports on 2008’s performance, presented by the Chief Judge of the Supreme People’s Court and the Director of the Supreme People’s Procuracy and the Government’s report on the implementation of court decisions and the fight against crimes and violations of the law in 2008.

According to the NA Judicial Committee’s verification report, recorded crimes and violations of the law increased this year, particularly serious crime and new crimes. In addition, sharp increases in the prices of essential commodities, complex developments in the financial, monetary and real estate markets and the occurrence of natural disasters and epidemics in many localities have had adverse impacts on socio-economic development and security.

Judicial agencies have made great efforts to fulfill their duties, detecting and punishing criminal acts and violations of the law, resolving civil and administrative cases and implementing the courts’ decisions. Progress has been made in the areas of crime detection, investigation, prosecution and bringing cases to trial.

The Chairman of the NA Defence and Security Committee Le Quang Binh and many other members of the NA Standing Committee have urged judiciary agencies and the government to carefully analyse factors underlying the increased number of crimes in order to take more effective measures to combat and prevent such violations of the law.

Chairman of the Council of Ethnic Minorities Ksor Phuoc, Chairman of the Law Committee Nguyen Van Thuan, Chairman of the Ombudsman Committee Tran The Vuong, and Chairman of the Committee for Social Affairs Truong Thi Mai stressed the importance of crime prevention, saying that preventative measures are by far the most effective measures.-

Vietnam, US conduct first ever strategic dialogue

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam and the US conducted their first ever strategic dialogue addressing political, security, defence and humanitarian cooperation issues, in Hanoi on October 6.

The dialogue was aimed at fostering mutual understanding on related issues and contributing to cultivating bilateral ties between Vietnam and the US in the interests of their respective citizens and for peace, cooperation and development in the Asia-Pacific region.

The two sides discussed a number of issues related to bilateral ties as well as regional and international issues of mutual concern at the event as part of an agreement signed by high-ranking officials of the two countries during Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s visit to the US in June 2008.

The Vietnamese delegation to the event was led by Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh while that of the US was headed by Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Mark Kimmitt.-

Vietnam, Singapore armies to promote solidarity

Hanoi (VNA) – Singapore ’s Chief of Army Major General Neo Kian Hong began a three-day friendship official visit to Vietnam on Oct. 6 at the invitation of Lt. Gen. Pham Hong Loi, Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army.

On Oct. 6, Maj. Gen Neo Kian Hong and his delegation met with Lt. Gen Pham Hong Loi. The two sides praised the great leaps in the development of the two countries’ relations in a number of fields, most notably in their cooperation in matters relating to defence.

They agreed that the ground forces of the two armies should promote cooperation through the exchange of delegations, training, the sharing of experiences coping with natural disasters and epidemic prevention. The two sides also planned to sign a memorandum of understanding regarding defence cooperation, with the aim of contributing to the promotion of solidarity and mutual understanding between the people and armed forces of Vietnam and Singapore in working towards peace and friendly cooperation.

Later that day, Maj. Gen Neo Kian Hong paid a courtesy visit to Sen. Lt. Gen Nguyen Khac Nghien, Chief of General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army, who hoped that the visit would be a great success.-

Vietnam, Laos boost cooperation in post & telecom

Vientiane (VNA) – Vietnam and Laos have signed a bilateral cooperation agreement in the post and telecommunication sector following discussions between Vietnamese Minister of Information and Communication Le Doan Hop and Minister of the Lao National Post and Telecom Agency Khamlouad Sidlakone in Vientiane on October 6.

Under the terms of the deal, the two sides will strengthen their exchange of experiences and ideas on creating postal and telecommunication development policies and strategies as well as new laws and regulations regarding this sector.

Vietnam and Laos will also cooperate in developing human resources and joint projects in the sector as well as encouraging long-term investment and cooperation in providing postal and telecom equipment and services.
They agreed to establish a Vietnam-Lao postal and telecom task force including representatives from the two countries’ relevant agencies.

On the same day, Minister Hop held talks with the Lao Minister of Information and Culture, Mounkeo Oraboun.

The two sides agreed to further strengthen cooperation, especially in the exchange of delegations of high-ranking officials, reporters and editors. The Vietnamese side said it will place priority on the training of Lao officials and reporters, including short-term courses in broadcasting and publishing.

The two sides reached an agreement on building and developing their communication network infrastructure and exploiting Vietnam’s VINASAT 1.

Vietnam will also help Laos create a strategy to develop their radio and television industries between now and 2015.

The two ministers signed an agreement on contents of cooperation between the two ministries in the 2009-2010 period.

The Vietnamese delegation will conclude its four-day visit to Lao on October 8.-

RoK’s National Day marked in HCM City

The Republic of Korea (RoK) and Vietnam are combining their efforts to develop a comprehensive partnership for the 21 st century, in which bilateral cooperation in the areas of economy, trade, investment, education and tourism has been opened in mutual trust.

This optimistic opinion regarding Vietnam-RoK relations was shared by Vu Van Hoa, President of the Ho Chi Minh City’s Vietnam-RoK Friendship Association and Kim Sang Yoon, the RoK’s Consul General in HCM City, at a ceremony held in HCM City on Oct. 7 to mark the RoK’s National Day (Oct. 3).

The RoK Consul General expressed his pleasure at the development of the two countries’ economic and commercial cooperation. He said almost all economic, trade, investment and cultural exchange activities between the two countries are currently based in HCM city.
The twinned cities of Busan ( RoK) and Ho Chi Minh City ( Vietnam ) are engaged in the implemention of a number of programmes focusing on the exchange of delegations, economic and trade cooperation, the promotion of tourism and cultural exchanges, he noted.

Hoa said that the relationship between the Vietnam-RoK Friendship Association with the RoK-Vietnam Friendship Association and the Association of RoK people loving Vietnam (Vesamo) has been strengthened through many charitable and cultural activities, such as the provision of healthcare for children and a series of traditional art performances.

He hoped that the association of RoK people in Vietnam, the Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kocham) and the RoK Trade Promotion (Kotra) and other RoK non-governmental organisations would actively contribute to promoting Vietnam-RoK ties in the future.

In the first eight months of this year, Vietnam welcomed more than 500,000 RoK visitors; the number of RoK citizens living in Vietnam has increased to more than 100,000.

Regarding education, eleven universities in Vietnam have Korean language departments and five RoK universities teach the Vietnamese language.-

Vietnamese-Australian relationship going from strength to strength

Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung will pay an official visit to Australia on Oct. 13-14 at the invitation of Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

The visit aims to strengthen and develop the two countries’ friendship and multi-faceted cooperation, lifting the relationship between the two nations to new heights. The two sides will discuss measures to boost bilateral ties in various fields and exchange views relating to a number of international matters of mutual concern.

Vietnam and Australia established diplomatic ties in February 1973. The two sides have since held many high-level meetings and discussions, with the latest taking place in June 2008, when PM Kevin Rudd talked on the phone with PM Dung. PM Kevin Rudd and President Nguyen Minh Triet most recently met on the sidelines of the Beijing Olympics in August 2008.

The two countries’ economic cooperation has developed markedly in recent years, with Australia establishing itself as Vietnam ’s 7 th biggest trade partner and 4 th largest export market.

Vietnam-Australia’s two-way annual trade value has seen continual sharp increases, from 32.3 million USD in 1990 to 4.56 billion USD in 2007. In the first 7 months of this year, two-way trade value reached almost 3.6 billion USD, equal to 80 percent of last year’s total. In particular, in August, Australia informed Vietnam of its principled recognition of the Vietnamese market economy.

Australia is one of the most effective investors in Vietnam with 174 projects, worth 1.01 billion USD by early June 2008. Australia is ranked 17 th among 81 countries and territories that invest in Vietnam .

Australia has continued to increase its official development assistance to Vietnam to approximately 100 million USD for the 2008-2009 period, up from 93.1 million USD during the 2007-2008. Vietnam remains one of the countries to receive the largest ODA from Australia .

Cooperation in training is a particularly strong point in the relationship between the two countries. Currently, almost 10,000 Vietnamese students are studying in Australia .

The two countries still possess great potential to develop cooperation in various areas, including agriculture, technology, education, tourism and health care. They have the potential not only for bilateral cooperation but also for cooperation through regional and international organisations such as APEC and the UN.-

Sympathy over Kyrgyzstan’s earth quake losses

Hanoi (VNA) – State President Nguyen Minh Triet on Oct. 7 cabled a message of condolences to his Kyrgyz counterpart Kurmanbek Bakiev over earthquake’s losses in human lives.

The quake of some 6 magnitude jolted Southern Kyrgyzstan on the evening of Oct. 5.-

Gov’t to get tough with polluting firms

Cassava is grown on 3,200ha in the central province of Binh Thuan for the local Vedan factory, which is facing possible closure. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Long

BINH PHUOC — The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) will make no concessions to polluting companies for any economic considerations,deputy minister Tran Hong Ha said last Friday.

The announcement comes in the wake of Vedan Viet Nam, a monosodium glutamate (MSG) producer, being fined for dumping untreated waste water into rivers in Dong Nai Province.

Fines levied against Vedan Viet Nam Limited Company and the Vedan starch factory in Binh Phuoc Province for dumping untreated effluents into rivers are in accordance with the law, said Ha.

The Phuoc Long Starch Factory, Vedan Viet Nam’s affiliate, was ordered to suspend operations for 10 days due to accusations of violating the same regulations as Vedan Viet Nam.

Truong Tan Thieu, chairman of the Binh Phuoc Province People’s Committee, said no official decisions have been made yet about permanantly shutting the starch factory down.

The factory bought cassava from local farmers to use in its operations, so threats of its closure scare cassava growers.

Thieu said that the blame for Phuoc Long no longer buying cassava rests on Phuoc Long farmers’shoulders. Thus, penalties against the factory could not be adjusted to cater to cassava growers’ concerns.

He urged farmers not to worry because the province still has four other factories to sell cassava to.

“If residents still cannot sell their cassava crops, the administration will help them find customers,” he said.

According to Nguyen Tri Ngoc, director of MoNRE’s Department of Cultivation, many businesses are in need of cassava.

For example, demand for the root is still high at several food and animal feed processing lines.

Trinh Xuan Tuong, a cassava farmer in Long Ha Commune, Binh Phuoc Province, said his family had not been drastically affected by the ten-day suspension as harvest is not until November.

If Phuoc Long Factory is unable to buy his crops, he will still be able to sell to other factories in the nearby provinces or in neighbouring ones or dry the cassava for sale or personal use. —

Ha Noi gets ready for third AIG

Flag and flame: Viet Nam received the official flag and flame of the Asian Indoor Games yesterday. Viet Nam will host the event that will attract attention from the entire continent next year. — VNS Photo Quang Thang

HA NOI — Ha Noi’s People’s Committee vice chairwoman Ngo Thi Thanh Hang yesterday urged Hanoians to organise events to promote the third Asian Indoor Games (AIG), which will be held in the capital in November next year.

Hang, who is also the head of the third AIG organisation board, also received the official flag and flame of the Games from Nguyen Danh Thai, standing deputy minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Speaking at the ceremony, Hang said it was an honour for Ha Noi to host such a big sporting event.

“After the success of the 22nd Southeast Games and the fourth ParaGames in 2003, Viet Nam won over the hearts of the Olympic Council of Asia’s leaders, who agreed to grant the country the right to host the third Asian Indoor Games,” Hang said.

“Hosting the Asian Indoor Games will also be an honour and a big responsibility.

“It is the time for us to introduce our rich history, culture and potentiality for development of the capital to friends,” she said.

On behalf of the city leader and the organising board, Hang asked sportsmen, especially those from Ha Noi, to try their best to win honours at the Games.

She also asked local leaders and residents to upgrade infrastructure and construction serving the event, as well as organise voluntary activities to help visitors to the capital.

Some 5,000 athletes and trainers, and 800 referees, technical staff and sports officials from 45 countries and territories are expected to attend the nine-day event, which features sports that have not yet made it into the world arena.

The third AIG is to have 20 sports and 200 events, including petanque, shuttlecock, pencak silat and vovinam (Vietnamese martial art). Jujitsu and beltwrestling will be demonstration events.

The Co-ordination Committee has strongly recommended that indoor cycling, e-sports and extreme sports be included in the programme. Twelve events will be held in Ha Noi and six in HCM City.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism last October announced the official logo, mascot and song for the third AIG.

The logo will be a torch created by colourful petals. The lotus, with the petals joined together like twisted hands, will symbolise solidarity, friendship and co-operation.

The anthem for the Games will be Thap Sang Ngon Duoc Vi Hoa Binh (Let’s Light A Torch of Peace), written by young composers Duc Tan and An Hieu. The mascot will be a Ho Village chicken, a rare distinctly Vietnamese breed of chicken that is believed to have the five qualities of a man of honour: literary knowledge, martial arts skills, physical strength, humanity and loyalty.

The AIG is a multi-sport event held every two years. The games are regulated by the OCA. The first games were held in 2005 in Bangkok, where Viet Nam finished in 21st place with one silver and one bronze medal. —