Trung Luong-My Thuan expressway set to work; PM kicks off pipeline construction; Hanoi to host AIPA workshop on female parliamentarians; FM spokesperson reaffirms sovereignty over East Sea islands

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on November 29 issued an order to kick-start the Trung Luong-My Thuan expressway project in Than Cuu Nghia commune, Chau Thanh district, Tien Giang province.

Present at the ground-breaking ceremony were Minister of Public Security, Le Hong Anh, and ranking officials from relevant ministries and departments and leaders from the southwestern region.

The project is part of the North-South expressway and plays an important role in connecting and promoting socio-economic developments between the Mekong Delta and Ho Chi Minh City.

The Trung Luong-My Thuan expressway will be 43km long, starting from Than Cuu Nghia commune, Tien Giang province, and end where National Highway 1A connects to My Thuan Bridge. With a total investment capital of VND19,000 billion, the expressway will consist of 4 lanes capable of coping with speeds of 120km per hour. 54 bridges are also scheduled to be built along with stations and technical support services on the expressway.

Addressing the ceremony, PM Dung commended the Ministry of Transport (MoT), the Expressway Investment Joint Stock Company, the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV), related agencies and localities for their well-coordinated efforts to start work as scheduled.

He requested that the MoT, investors and the consultancy unit finish construction work in 3 years and ensure the quality of the project. He also asked Tien Giang province to press ahead with site clearance work and deal with resettlement issues.

Mr. Dung emphasised that the country’s modernization and industrialization needs to develop its expressway system for future. He said as the state budget is still limited, it is necessary to mobilize outside sources for infrastructure investment and the Government will create favourable conditions for investors, he added.

He asked the MoT to coordinate with related agencies to sign contracts for the rights to collect fees on the expressway, which is estimated to cost over VND9,000 billion.

Festival honours rice growers

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has applauded the country’s first Rice Festival for heightening the values of the age-old rice civilization and honouring rice growers.

Speaking at the festival’s opening ceremony in the Mekong delta province of Hau Giang on Nov. 28, PM Dung emphasised that the Rice Festival is significant in bringing together rice producers, businesses, importers, distributors, consumers and scientists to seek opportunities for cooperation and partnership.

Binding closely with the nation’s history of construction and defence, rice cultivation has by far accounted for 90 percent of the output of seed crops and contributed to improving incomes for around 80 percent of Vietnam’s households in rural areas, he said.

Accordingly, rice plays an extreme important role in ensuring the nation’s cooking security, PM Dung underscored, hailing Hau Giang province for coordinating with relevant ministries, sectors and rice-growing localities, VINAFOOD II and donors to organize the festival.

He highlighted the fact that rice has brought Vietnam from a food-shortage country into the world’s second largest rice exporter which has for 21 years exported more than 70 million tonnes of rice to earn nearly US$20 billion for the country.

The Government leader noted that the Mekong delta has held a crucial position in the nation’s rice production industry, as it churns out more than 50 percent of the total rice output and 90 percent of rice exports.

While talking about untapped potential in rice farming and production, Mr Dung spoke of difficulties and challenges facing rice farmers and businesses, including natural calamities and especially climate change. The Party, the State, farmers, scientists, businesses and the entire political system should work together to develop and carry out such plans to respond to climate change in order to help rice growers avoid risks, he added.

Youth should serve country selflessly: President

The country’s youth should not demand high-ranking positions and the government will assign them titles compatible with their contribution and ability, said President Nguyen Minh Triet in an interview with Tuoi Tre Newspaper on Saturday.

At the traditional meeting with young generations who took part in resistance wars, held yesterday at the historic Southern Central Revolutionary Base in Southern Province of Tay Ninh , the President answered questions from reporters.

He said that during past wars, millions of young people sacrificed for their country and did not ask for anything in return.

“In the 1972 Quang Tri battle, one company of soldiers lied down everyday but young soldiers did not think they were entitled to receive high positions”.

“Nowadays, the young should not think that they can contribute to the country only if they hold a high position”, the president said.

“It is not the right point of view”, he said.

“The government and people will give the young positions of merit that are appropriate to their ability and work requirement”, he added.

Addressing the opinion that the government lacks policies to encourage youth to develop their abilities to contribute to the country, the President said that the Party, government and people sometimes did not understand the youths’ feelings and desires but was always willing to listen to them.

The party, Government and people want to listen to the young to develop effective policies, he said.

The president said, however, that youth should study and work hard to build the country before asking the country for compensation.

“The young should live and work under the slogan: “Do not ask, what has the country done for us? Ask, what have we done for the country?”

Asked if he thought today’s youth lacked values, he said he did not think so.

“My generation experienced an ebullient period and no one was frightened of death. Instead, they sacrificed themselves for the nation’s independence and freedom”, he said.

“The young have now inherited the traditions of their forefathers. Many of them have thrown themselves into dangerous situations. They study and work hard to build the country and thus pay back those who fought for the nation”, he said.

PM kicks off pipeline construction

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung gave orders November 28 to begin construction on a pipeline to bring gas off the country’s southwestern coast to the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho.

The US$1 billion lot B-O Mon gas pipeline will have a total length of nearly 400 km, with 246 km at sea and 152 km on land. The pipe will cross through O Mon District in Can Tho city and four other Mekong Delta provinces including Hau Giang, Kien Giang, Bac Lieu and Ca Mau, according to the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group.

Once completed, the pipeline will be capable of transporting 18.3 million cu.m of gas a day (or 6.4 billion cu.m/year), to the O Mon and Tra Noc Power Stations. It will have a combined capacity of 3,000 MW in Can Tho and a 750 MW thermoelectric power plant in Ca Mau province.

Speaking at the launch, PM Dung highlighted the pipeline’s profound significance to the Mekong Delta in particular and the country in general as it will ensure energy security for the nation and pave the way for a national gas pipeline system to link Southeast Asia.

Friendship association to promote Vietnam-Hungary relations

The executive committee of the Vietnam-Hungary Friendship Association Chapter in Hanoi gathered for a consultation meeting on November 28 to discuss activities for the 2009-2014 term.

The event was attended by the Hungarian Ambassador to Vietnam, Vizi Laszlo, and 21 members of the executive committee.

Participants agreed to step up exchanges of economic, cultural and education information amongst friendship and humanitarian organisations between the two capital cities and two countries in the future.

They planned to organise cultural and sports programmes and trade and science workshops to promote mutual understanding between the people of Hanoi and Budapest in particular and those of the two countries in general.

The Hanoi Chapter of the Vietnam-Hungary Friendship Association now comprises nine branches that operate within the business circle, schools, media agencies and social organisations, with a total of 317 members.

In recent years, it has actively engaged in friendship and exchange activities, making a significant contribution to improving the city’s people-to-people diplomacy.

Hanoi to host AIPA workshop on female parliamentarians

A workshop on female parliamentarians’ role in lawmaking will be held in Hanoi by the Vietnam National Assembly from November 29 to December 3.

The workshop will draw the participation of representatives of nine member countries and observers of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA). Delegates will discuss the function of legislation and the role of female parliamentarians, their involvement in law building, and the integration of gender issues into the lawmaking process.

It will be a forum to share information and experiences on gender integration in the parliamentary activities of member countries. It will help enhance cooperation among female AIPA parliamentarians and promote their role in parliament activities.

Delegates will prepare a report for the 31st AIPA General Assembly scheduled for Vietnam next September, which will include detailed proposals to harmonise laws on gender equality among member countries.

FM spokesperson reaffirms sovereignty over East Sea islands

Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Nguyen Phuong Nga has reaffirmed Vietnam’s undeniable sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos.

Ms Nga made the statement in response to reporters’ query on November 27 after China recently sent out two fishery patrol ships to Hoang Sa and a medical ship to Truong Sa.

This is a serious violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty over the two archipelagos, said Ms Nga.

She said the Foreign Ministry on November 27 sent staff to the Chinese Embassy to protest and demand China put an end to this action and stop all activities that would further complicate the situation in the East Sea.

PV