UK a key partner for Vietnam, says PM; Increasing leadership capacity and combative spirit; Strengthening ties between Vietnam and United Arab Emirates; Global disaster reduction fund’s donors visit Vietnam

The UK continues to be an important partner for Vietnam, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung told that country’s Prince Andrew at a meeting in Hanoi on October 5.

The Prince, who is visiting at the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said his visit is aimed at raising the UK’s profile as a major trading and investment partner, exploring investment opportunities for British companies in Vietnam, and encouraging Vietnam to consider Britain as a business gateway to Europe.

Mr. Dung said Vietnam wants to develop its friendship and multi-faceted cooperation with the UK into a partnership for development based on long-term stability and mutual benefit in the spirit of the Joint Declaration by the two countries in 2008.

He promised to create the best conditions for British companies to invest and do business in Vietnam.

The Prince, a special representative of his Government for trade and international investment, hailed Vietnam’s good economic performance this year despite the global economic crisis.

He was happy that the UK continues to be Vietnam’s leading economic partner in the EU.

So far this year investment by British companies in Vietnam has been over US$2 billion.

Increasing leadership capacity and combative spirit

It is very important to develop a programme and strategy to prove the political staunchness, intellect, and revolutionary and scientific characters of the Party and increase its leadership role in the nation, said Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh.

Mr Manh made the statement at the 11th conference of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee (the 10th tenure), which opened in Hanoi on October 5 to prepare and complete the draft documents to be submitted to the 11th National Party Congress.

Participants at the conference discussed and gave their opinions on a number of important documents relating to national construction during the period of transition to socialism, the 10-year plan for socio-economic development (2011-2020), the political report to the 11th National Party Congress, the report on socio-economic development and State budget for 2009, and the plan for socio-economic development and the State budget for 2010.

In his speech, Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh expressed his condolences to the families of victims of tropical storm Ketsana in the central and Central Highland regions. He pledged further assistance to storm-hit areas to help local people overcome the aftermath of the national disaster and stabilise their lives as soon as possible.

Regarding the amendment and supplement to the Party’s programme and strategy, the Party leader noted that members of the CPV Central Committee and delegates at the conference should bring into play the democratic spirit, show creativeness, adopt a practical view, look towards national independence and socialism, adhere to Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh’s Ideology, and increase the Party’s leadership role and its policies on national construction and defence.

He emphasised that the Party’s programme will provide a theoretical, ideological and political foundation and the right direction for the entire Party and people. Therefore, participants at the conference should give an accurate assessment of both achievements and shortcomings, as well as the Party’s activities in order to introduce practical measures to increase the leadership capacity and combative spirit of the Party and help to build and enhance the Party’s key role in the cause of national construction and defence.

The 11th conference will last until October 10.

Strengthening ties between Vietnam and United Arab Emirates

Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum says he wants to strengthen friendship and co-operation with Vietnam.

The commitment was made during a meeting with Vietnamese Ambassador to the UAE Nguyen Quang Khai in Dubai on October 5.

At the meeting, Mr Khai delivered Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s letter to Mr Maktoum urging measures to strengthen co-operation between the two countries, including the implementation of signed agreements.

Mr Maktoum expressed his delight at the growing relations between the two countries and a desire to visit Vietnam soon. He said PM Dung’s visit to the UAE in February 2009 and subsequent signing of a number of agreements have opened a new period for the two countries to boost co-operation in investment, trade, labour and oil.

Global disaster reduction fund’s donors visit Vietnam

Donors from the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) began Oct. 5 a three-day visit to Vietnam to know first-hand how the country is increasingly becoming more prepared and resilient to the devastating effects of natural disasters.

The disaster-prone country saw more than 160 people killed by super Typhoon Ketsana last week and is facing super Typhoon Parma, which killed dozens in the Philippines.

The natural disasters the GFDRR delegation pays attention to include typhoons, floods, earthquakes and other events that systematically affect Vietnam and its neighbors.

The delegation represents Finland, France, Japan, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, the UK, European Commission, United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, and the World Bank, the GFDRR said in a Monday statement.

The donors are to meet with government authorities, GFDRR, and World Bank staff to discuss the impact of recent disasters in the region and ways to further support government initiatives for sustainable recovery and longer term reconstruction, according to the announcement.

“Countries in the region are affected by 50 percent of all recorded natural disasters and 82 percent of all population affected in the world live here,” Per Byman from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and GFDRR Co-chair, said in the statement.

Byman added, “GFDRR is bringing a systematic and innovative approach to disaster risk management and climate change adaptation that provide East Asian Pacific countries with adequate tools to account for disasters in their development planning and to have the adequate tools to mitigate the economic and social impacts once a disaster hits.”

With GFDRR support, a strategy is being implemented in the region, focused on supporting country-led disaster risk management programs and investments.

With a grant of about US$1 million from the GFDRR, the World Bank is working with the Vietnamese government to integrate disaster risk reduction into ongoing development initiatives in the Northern Highlands, improve drainage models for low-lying coastal cities, provide city managers with a tool to assess and improve their cities’ disaster preparedness, increase communities’ awareness of and resilience to natural hazards, and provide an overview of current tools to finance disaster losses.

This June, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretariat, the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction and the World Bank announced a cooperation program – under Track 1 of GFDRR – to strengthen disaster risk reduction and disaster management in Southeast Asia.

The GFDRR is a partnership of 18 countries, the European Commission, the United Nations and the World Bank, committed to helping disaster-prone developing countries and regions reduce their vulnerability to natural hazards and adapt to climate change.

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