Newly appointed ambassadors meet with NA chairman; Chinese delegation visits Vietnam; VNPT asked to take lead in ICT development; Vietnam’s e-government ranking rises to 90 out of 192

21 newly appointed Vietnamese ambassadors and consuls general were received by Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Nguyen Phu Trong at the parliament’s office on February 2.

During the meeting, Mr Trong urged the diplomats to pay particular attention to research so as to help the country devise appropriate policies toward partners from each region in the world.

The NA Chairman also asked the diplomats to increase coordination with NA agencies to strengthen ties of friendship and cooperation and increase experience sharing between Vietnam’s NA and other countries’ parliaments.

He pledged that the NA will do everything possible to help the ambassadors and consuls general fulfil their diplomatic duties and elevate Vietnam’s status in the international arena.

Mr Trong informed the diplomats that Vietnam has been elected a member of the Executive Committee of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and has assumed the presidency of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA).

Most foreign investors to Vietnam have a good impression of the country and overseas Vietnamese are showing an increasing belief in the Party’s revolutionary cause and the nation’s bright future, he said.

President urges Vinh Phuc to build on its advantages

State President Nguyen Minh Triet has attended a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and the 60th anniversary of the northern province of Vinh Phuc.

Addressing the event in Vinh Phuc on February 3, Mr Triet highlighted the importance of the birth of the CPV in the nation’s history and the economic advantages of Vinh Phuc, which is near the capital city of Hanoi and resides in a pivotal economic region of northern Vietnam.

The state leader said Vinh Phuc should exploit its advantages, continue to improve its investment and business climate, and exert greater effort to draw resources from economic sectors. Investment should go to service industries first, he stressed.

Mr Triet pointed out that the province has a large population involved in agricultural and commodity production, which should be done in close association with the markets.

Mr Triet added that the province needs to pay more attention to exports.

Chinese delegation visits Vietnam

A delegation from the Chinese People’s Association for Peace and Disarmament, led by its president Han Qide, began an official visit to Vietnam on February 2 to take part in celebrations of the 60th anniversary of Vietnam-China diplomatic ties.

In a meeting with Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council Chairwoman Pham Phuong Thao, Han, who is also Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, said the visit aimed to boost mutual understanding and friendship between the two nations.

He said China and Vietnam share similarities in culture, ideals and social mechanisms, which lay a firm foundation for building socialism in their respective countries. He expressed his belief that Vietnam will become a strong nation and make a greater contribution to peace in the region and the world.

Mrs Thao said more and more Vietnamese people are studying and working in China, helping to promote friendly exchanges between the young people of both countries. She said this is a key factor in strengthening the friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and China.

VNPT asked to take lead in ICT development

The Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) should help vigorously develop the information and communication technology (ICT) sector to support economic growth, maintain national defence and ensure social welfare.

Party leader Nong Duc Manh gave the task to VNPT during a pre-lunar New Year (Tet) to the group on February 2.

He praised the ICT sector and VNPT in particular for having modernised the country’s ICT infrastructure to keep pace with regional and global levels and contributed significantly to national socio-economic development.

He analysed difficulties and challenges facing the country in 2010 – the last year of the 2006-2010 development plan – and asked the VNPT to pool all resources to develop ICT into a spearhead economic sector.

He extended the best wishes to VNPT managers and staff on the lunar New Year festival, which will fall in two weeks’ time. He also presented Tet gifts to staff who are on duty during the Tet holiday.

VNPT has issued a special collection of stamps to mark the 80th anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (February 3).

New targets for Vietnam-Czech cooperative bonds

It’s now high time for Vietnam and the Czech Republic to renew cooperative commitments and set new targets for their friendship, says the director of Ho Chi Minh City’s department of external affairs, Tran Quang Dung.

Mr Dung made this statement at a ceremony held in the southern hub on February 2 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two nations. The event was attended by the Czech Ambassador to Vietnam, Michal Kral, and members of the Vietnamese community who have studied or worked in the Czech Republic.

In his speech, Mr Dung expressed the Vietnamese people’s sincere gratitude to the former Czechoslovakia, now the Czech Republic, for its wholehearted assistance in a wide variety of fields, from training and health care to helping poor and handicapped children and development aid.

The Czech Republic has frequently participated in international donor conferences for Vietnam and has continuously provided official development assistance (ODA) to Vietnam longer than any other East European country, he added.

The Vietnamese diplomat praised the Czech Republic for putting Vietnam into its 2010 priority list of 12 nations for economic diplomacy. He expressed his hope that given this favourable context, the ties between HCM City and the Czech City of Brno will be tightened, yielding practical results.

Meanwhile, Czech Honourary Consul in HCM City Ngo Hong Chuyen highlighted the deep roots of the bilateral ties. “The Czech Republic has become the second homeland for tens of thousands of Vietnamese citizens – who have been serving as a link and catalyst for this fine relationship,” he said.

Czechtrade, an agency for promoting trade, was set up in HCM City and has become an important centre for information on economics, trade and investment for the two countries’ business communities.

The Czech Republic has invested some US$35 million in Vietnam, with a focus on manufacturing crystal glass, beer, electrical devices, and electronics. Bilateral trade revenues surged in 2009 to more than US$365 million.

Vietnam’s e-government ranking rises to 90 out of 192

Vietnam’s e-government ranking, a measure of the capacity and application of information technologies in the public sector, jumped one step to 90th position out of 192 countries surveyed, according to a report by the United Nations.

The report, titled “E-government Leverage in Time of Financial Crisis”, is conducted every two years.

In the latest report, the Republic of Korea ranked first followed by the US, Canada and England.

PV