Rockslide kills six people in Quang Nam province

A rockslide triggered by recent floods killed six in central Quang Nam province’s Phu Ninh district, local police said.

The victims’ bodies were found on the morning of October 14, Phu Ninh district police chief Tran Anh Quan said, adding that almost all the ill-fated were poor locals who were seeking their fortune at deserted gold mines at the foot of mountains around the Sung Mun area.

The district authorities decided to provide aid in cash to the bereaved families with 3 million VND for each victim.-

Greek First Lady presents gifts to charities

Hanoi (VNA) – Lady May Papoulias, wife of the Greek President presented gifts to a range of Vietnamese charity funds at a ceremony in Hanoi on Oct. 14.

Lady Papoulias presented 100 wheelchairs to the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, 40,000 EUR to a Vietnam News Agency fund supporting Agent Orange victims, 5,000 EUR to the Vietnam Association in Support of the Handicapped, and 5,000 EUR to the “Comradeship” Fund of the Quan Doi Nhan Dan (People’s Army) daily.

On Oct. 13, Lady Papoulias visited and presented gifts to Agent Orange child victims at the Hoa Binh (peace) Village in Thanh Xuan district, Hanoi .

Lady Papoulias was accompanied by representatives from the Vietnam News Agency’s AO fund, who presented the village with gifts of two hot and cold water filters and a fridge.

In 2007, Greece donated 20,000 EUR to the Vietnam News Agency’s fund and the agency channelled over 1 billion VND (60,000 USD) in cash and commodities to Agent Orange victims through its bureaus across the country.-

Government leader receives Baptist church dignitaries

Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem said he expected the Vietnam Baptist Church (southern) to unite its dignitaries and followers in the nation’s common cause following its recent recognition by the Government as a religious organisation.

Receiving dignitaries from the Vietnam Baptist Church (southern) in Hanoi on Oct. 13 after the church received a certificate recognising its legal status, Deputy PM Khiem affirmed that Vietnam places great value upon the right to religious freedom and provides conditions for religions to operate in line with the law.

Chairman of the Executive Board of the Vietnam Baptist Church (southern), Pastor Nguyen Thong, thanked the State and relevant agencies for their care for the operation of the church, confirming that he would encourage Baptists across Vietnam to do good for both their religion and nation.

The Vietnam Baptist Church was established as a branch of the An Dien-Nam Phuong (Grace-southern) Baptist Church in 1989. It has more than 18,000 followers across 42 cities and provinces.

This is the third Protestant church to have been recognised as a religious organisation in Vietnam since the Ordinance on Belief and Religion took effect in 2004.-

PM meets Australian parliamentary leaders

Canberra (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung continued his official visit to Australia on October 13 with a series of meetings with political and parliamentary leaders and talks with overseas Vietnamese.

During his meetings with the Federal Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull, Speaker of the House of Representatives Harry Jenkins, President of the Senate John Hogg and Governor General Quentin Bryce, PM Dung said that friendly and cooperative ties between Vietnam and Australia have developed in many areas, particularly in economics, trade, investment, education and development assistance.

The PM added that he hoped the Australian leaders pay more attention to increasing the level of cooperation between the two countries in the future.

PM Dung expressed his pleasure over the cooperative ties between the Vietnamese and Australian parliaments, saying that these links were enhanced recently, following the visit to Australia by the Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong in March, 2008.

The Australian leaders welcomed the visit by PM Dung, which takes place at a time when the two countries are celebrating the 35 th anniversary of their diplomatic ties.

They said they plan to raise friendly and cooperative relations between Australia and Vietnam to new heights, particularly in the areas of economics, trade, investment and education.

Australia is currently Vietnam’s seventh largest trade partner and its third largest export market.

While meeting with overseas Vietnamese (OVs) and Vietnamese Embassy staff, PM Dung emphasised the Party and the State’s policy of creating the most favourable conditions for OVs to return home to live and conduct business.

He also said that, during his talks with his Australian counterpart Kevin Rudd, they agreed that the community of almost 250,000 Vietnamese in Australia has contributed to fostering the friendship between the two nations.

Talking to scholars, researchers and students at the Australian National University, including a number from Vietnam, the government leader said that educational links are a bright spot in cooperative ties between the two countries. He also spoke highly of the contributions made by the university towards educational cooperation between the two sides.-

Nigerian businesses to visit Vietnam

A delegation of 60 Nigerian businesspeople will visit Vietnam from October 20-26 to seek opportunities for their business and investment.

According to the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Investment (VCCI), the visit will be jointly organised by the Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission, the Nigeria-Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Vietnamese Trade Mission in Nigeria.

The delegation will include officials from the federal government, a number of State governors and leaders of major, and small- and medium groups, business associations, and corporations.

These businesses have been involved in various industries and services such as general trade, industry, agriculture, transport, energy, health care, construction, aviation, banking and finance, oil and gas, mining and environmental protection.

During the visit, the delegation will cooperate with the VCCI to hold trade and investment seminars in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City on October 22 and 24, respectively.-

PM calls for more Australian investment

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has called for more investment from Australia and pledged to further administrative reform to create a more transparent and convenient environment for foreign investors.

“The Vietnamese Government will continue perfecting policies to ensure that the market economy operates in accordance with international practice and will focus investment on infrastructure and human resources to assure sustainable development,” the PM told a business forum in Melbourne on October 14 during his official visit to Australia.

Much remains to be done to boost economic ties to a level that matches the existing traditional friendship, potentials and desires of the two countries, the PM further said.

After the forum, PM Dung witnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Vietnam and the Victoria State, and a memorandum of understanding between Tien Giang province and the Transport Work Construction Corporation 5 of Vietnam and the Country State Development Pty Ltd. of Australia on the construction of a 1-billion-USD urban area and a 120-million-USD bridge.

The same day, PM Dung met with representatives from leading Australian economic groups and universities, including Alcoa, ANZ Bank, BHP Billington, Deakin and RMIT.

He told his guests that during his meetings with Australian leaders, the two sides agreed to work out a roadmap for comprehensive cooperation that aims at practicality and higher efficiency with more favourable conditions to be given to boosting economic ties.

Vietnam and Australia have finalised their bilateral negotiations in the framework of the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, the PM said, adding this will bring in new cooperation opportunities.

“Therefore, Australian businesses can feel secure to do business in Vietnam and they should make full use of the current favourable conditions to further enhance their trade and investment ties with the Vietnamese partners,” he said.

The PM’s guests said they wanted to make long-term investment in Vietnam, with focus on a number of areas that are Australia’s strong points such as services, banking, education, food processing and steel production.

They all felt the Vietnamese Government’s move to permit ANZ to set up a wholly foreign-owned bank is evidence of the rapid development in economic ties between the two countries.

Before wrapping up his official visit to Australia, PM Dung received Victoria State Governor David de Kretser and Premier John Brumby.

He suggested that the Victoria State consider cooperation with Vietnam in financial-telecom services, agriculture, dairy cow husbandry, food processing, oil and gas exploitation, energy and human resources development, which are the state’s strengths.

The PM also asked the Austrian officials to facilitate Vietnamese students study. He said around 10,000 Vietnamese students are studying in Australia, with Victoria State being a top choice for them.

In addition, PM Dung sought Victoria State’s assistance to the overseas Vietnamese community so that they can contribute more to the locality and the friendly relationship between Vietnam and Australia.

The Victorian governor and premier spoke highly of the visit by PM Dung, describing it as a proof of the increasingly practical and efficient cooperation between the two countries.-

World media covers Vietnamese PM’s Australia visit

Hanoi (VNA) – World media has carried out articles about the official visit to Australia by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, affirming the two countries’ beliefs on bilateral relations at present and future.

News network of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), the Radio Australia and the British Boradcasting Corporation (BBC) quoted Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd as saying that Vietnam is an important country in Southeast Asia.

According to PM Kevin Rudd, with its population strength, Vietnam is becoming “one of the strong and important pillars in Southeast Asia.”

The Australian PM also thanked the Prime Minister for Vietnam’s strong support for the successful negotiation for the ASEAN Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement and for the government’s speedy decision to provide the ANZ Banking Group with a foreign banking licence for its operations in Vietnam.

Bilateral trade between Vietnam and Australia has by now reached nearly 7 billion USD, media organisations noted.-

General Secretary stresses need for clean strong Party

Hanoi (VNA) – Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh said on October 14 that it is necessary to focus on core values to ensure that the Party is pure and strong to be able to adapt to meet modern needs.

General Secretary Manh made the statement at a ceremony in Hanoi to mark the party inspection sector’s 60 th traditional day (Oct. 16, 1948-2008) and to present the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Inspection with the Golden Star Order, the highest state decoration.

The Party leader said that inspectors are required to have a thorough understanding of the political creed, Party rules and laws and to ensure their work is conducted in a fair, precise and timely manner.

Addressing the ceremony, head of the Commission for Inspection Nguyen Van Chi said inspectors have been always loyal to the Party, believing in its leadership and observing its policies, guidelines and instructions.

However, there remain a number of shortcomings that the sector should address, including poor competence among its inspectors, Chi said.

Many high-level officials were present at the function to congratulate the sector, including National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong, Party Politburo member and standing member of the Party Central Committee Secretariat Truong Tan Sang, Vice State President Nguyen Thi Doan, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem and President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Huynh Dam.-

Greek President attends business forum

Hanoi (VNA) – Greek President Karolos Papoulias attended the Vietnam-Greece Business Forum in Hanoi on Oct. 14 as part of his week-long visit to Vietnam .

More than 200 Vietnamese and Greek businesses took part in the event which was organised by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI).

Addressing the event, Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Petros Doukas said the two countries are enjoying conditions allowing the expansion of their economic ties.

He pointed to the abundant natural resources possessed by both countries and the fact that one nation is a gateway to ASEAN nations whilst the other offers a route into the EU provides a fantastic opportunity for the two countries’ businesspeople to establish links.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Le Danh Vinh named Greece as a promising partner of Vietnam and hoped that this forum would provide momentum helping to stimulate the two countries’ economic ties.

Earlier on the same day, the Greek President and his entourage paid tribute to the late President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum and visited the war memorial to lay a wreath in memory of the fallen.-

Vice president to attend Francophone summit, visit Cuba

Hanoi (VNA) – A Vietnamese delegation led by State Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan left on Oct. 14 for Quebec, Canada, to participate in the 12 th Francophone Summit, which will take place from Oct. 17-19.

The summit, attended by over 60 leaders of French-speaking countries, will discuss a number of global issues, the community’s affairs, and its cooperation in environmental protection.

On the occasion of the 35 th anniversary of the establishment of the Vietnamese-Canadian diplomatic relationship, Vice President Doan will pay a visit to the host country, where she plans to hold discussions with Canadian politicians, entrepreneurs, and the Vietnamese community in Canada .

She will then pay an official visit to Cuba from Oct. 21-24 at the invitation of Cuba ’s State Council.-