Vietnam seeks continued assistance from WB; President receives Chinese procurator-general; Phu Tho needs to focus on human resources training: PM

While receiving WB Country Director for Vietnam, Victoria Kwakwa, in Hanoi on November 23, Mr Hai thanked the WB for formulating policies on public-private partnership (PPP) to encourage more investments in infrastructure construction.

He said that as infrastructure construction projects are associated with many ministries, sectors and localities, it is necessary to boost personnel training, raise public awareness and simplify administrative procedures to attract more private investment in this area.

For her part, Ms Kwakwa affirmed that the WB is willing to provide continued assistance in policy making and institutional completion to Vietnam.

She said the WB and the Ministry of Planning and Investment will co-host a conference on PPP in infrastructure construction in Hanoi on November 24, where domestic and foreign investors, international experts and government agencies will offer recommendations to make PPP projects more effective in Vietnam.

Mr Hai and Ms Kwakwa discussed ways to increase cooperation and the efficiency of WB-funded projects in Vietnam.

President receives Chinese procurator-general

The Supreme People’s Procuracies of Vietnam and China should boost the exchange of visits, share experiences in legislation and cooperate closely in legal assistance and combating crime, especially trans-national and organised crime.

President Nguyen Minh Triet made the proposal while receiving Cao Jianming, procurator-general of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate of China, in Hanoi on November 23. Mr Cao is in Hanoi for the 6^th ASEAN-China Prosecutors General Conference slated for November 24-25.

Mr Triet said as Vietnam is carrying out judicial reform, it needs to share experiences in this field with China and other ASEAN countries to build a transparent, strong, democratic and strict judicial system.

He welcomed the results of earlier talks between the two procuracies and proposed that the Chinese side train Vietnamese prosecutors.

He expressed elation at the fine development of the long-lasting friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and China.

“Vietnam wants to increase cooperation with China for mutual benefit and for peace, friendship, cooperation and development in the region and the rest of the world,” said Mr Triet.

He conveyed his regards to Chinese President Hu Jiintao and other senior Chinese officials.

For his part, Mr Cao noted with satisfaction the productive cooperation in procuracy between the two Supreme People’s Procuracies as well as between Chinese and Vietnamese border provinces. He affirmed that the Supreme People’s Procuratorate of China is willing to support its Vietnamese counterpart in training judicial staff.

China attaches great importance to procuracy cooperation with Vietnam and within the China-ASEAN cooperation framework, said Mr Cao.

Phu Tho needs to focus on human resources training: PM

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has urged the northern midland province of Phu Tho to focus on training human resources who are capable of spurring local growth when it still remains one of poor localities in the country.

At his working session with Phu Tho’s authorities on November 22, PM Dung also asked the province to facilitate the implementation of invested projects, especially those using materials available in the province and local workforce.

Phu Tho should prioritise strategies to push up agricultural production, forestry and fish farming to fully tap its potential to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development, PM Dung said.

The Government leader insisted that the provincial authorities concentrate on speeding up clearance of land for transport projects which are crucial for the development of both Phu Tho and the northern region as well, including the Hanoi-Lao Cai expressway, and Hanoi-Lao Cai railway.

Home to the Temple of Kings Hung, who were the founders of Vietnam, Phu Tho should work to promote tourism to serve its development, said PM Dung.

Phu Tho is expected to achieve a GDP growth rate of 7.64 percent and its poverty households are likely to drop by 4 percent to 13.2 percent in 2009.

The province aims for a GDP growth rate of 10.5-11 percent in 2010.

The same day, PM Dung attended an inaugural ceremony for the Song Thao cement plant in Ninh Dan commune, Thanh Ba district.

Built in April, 2004, the Song Thao cement plant is capable of producing 1 million tonnes of cement a year.

The plant is the first that has its designing, building, installation and operation process entirely done by Vietnamese experts.

VietNamNet/VOV