Tanzanian PM to visit Vietnam; Ministry sets agenda for ASEAN Financial Ministers Meeting; Vietnam signs tripartite cooperation agreement with FAO and Chad; Vietnam worries about Mid-East tension

The Vietnamese NA leader made the statement while receiving FMLN Secretary and First Vice President of El Salvador’s Parliament Sigfrido Reyes in Hanoi on March 26.

Chairman Trong highlighted the FMLN’s role in promoting the rise to power of many left-wing parties in Latin America.

Mr Trong briefed the guests on Vietnam’s recent situation and thanked the FMLN and the El Salvadorian people for their solidarity and valuable assistance to Vietnam.

He said he was delighted at the new developments in bilateral ties and expressed his belief that the FMLN and the people of El Salvador would overcome difficulties and challenges to gain greater successes in national construction and development.

Mr Reyes applauded Vietnam’s renewal achievements, which he described as valuable experiences for Latin America’s left-wing parties, especially ruling parties like the FMLN.

He expressed his belief that the Vietnamese people would achieve many even greater successes in national construction and defence under the clear-sighted leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV).

The FMLN Secretary spoke with his host on the situation in El Salvador and Latin America, the success of his party in the recent presidential election, and its national development and construction policy in its first year in power.

He thanked the Vietnamese Party, State and people for their valuable assistance to the FMLN and the people of El Salvador in recent years.

He took the occasion to affirm his determination to foster the traditional friendship between the two Parties and countries.

Earlier, the high-ranking FMLN delegation held talks with the Vietnamese side headed by Ha Thi Khiet, head of the CPVCC’s Commission for Mass Mobilisation. Both sides informed each other of the situation of their respective parties and countries and discussed ways to boost bilateral ties.

The delegation also held a working session with Head of the CPVCC’s Commission for External Relations Hoang Binh Quan.

While in Vietnam, they paid floral tributes to late President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum and places where he worked and toured a number of famous historical, cultural and tourism sites.

Law on Vietnamese Representative Offices abroad implemented

Prime Minister Nguyen Tien Dung has issued Decision No 367 on the enforcement of the Law on Vietnamese Representative Offices Abroad.

This decision stipulates that in the second quarter of this year, all ministries, ministerial-level and government agencies and provincial and municipal people’s committees should work closely with relevant agencies to scrutinize all legal and administrative documents relating to the management of Vietnam’s representative agencies abroad, particularly expenditures for these agencies and offices belonging to different ministries and sectors.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be responsible for providing relevant documentation on all functions, tasks, authorities, organisational structures and working conditions for each representative agency.

The PM also asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Finance, plus other relevant ministries and sectors, to complete an inventory of assets, material facilities, and budget allocations for staff sent to work abroad through the end of this year.

Ministry sets agenda for ASEAN Financial Ministers Meeting

ASEAN Finance Ministers will meet in the central coastal city of Nha Trang from April 5-8 to review regional and global economies, discuss macro-economic policies of regional governments and increase financial cooperation within ASEAN.

At a press briefing in Hanoi on March 26, the Vietnamese Ministry of Finance announced that the 14th ASEAN Financial Ministers Meeting (AFMM 14) will focus on increasing the supervisory capacity and coordination of measures and policies towards sustainable economic development in the region.

The ministers will discuss their top leaders’ initiatives to establish the ASEAN Infrastructure Fund and the ASEAN Finance and Macro-economic Surveillance Unit.

They are expected to sign a revised protocol on the ASEAN Harmonized Tariff Nomenclature (AHTN) to facilitate the statistical work and declaration of import-export commodities within the regional grouping.

Meanwhile, Deputy Finance Ministers from ASEAN and their three dialogue partners (China, Japan and the Republic of Korea) will meet in Nha Trang on April 6-7.

They will examine progress in implementing ASEAN+3 financial cooperation initiative, the Asia bond market initiative (ABMI) and the Chiang Mai initiative multilateralisation (CMIM) agreement. They will also review the regional and global macro economies and approve plans of action for financial cooperation in 2010.

The ASEAN General Secretary and the President of the Asian Development Bank will attended these meetings.

Vietnam will have bilateral meetings with other ASEAN countries and ASEAN+3 on the sidelines of these conferences.

Vietnam signs tripartite cooperation agreement with FAO and Chad

On March 26, the Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy, Dang Khanh, on behalf of the Vietnamese Government, signed a tripartite cooperation agreement with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Republic of Chad.

The agreement aims to implement Vietnam’s commitments in world cooking security programmes and share valuable experiences in agriculture with other member countries.

In a speech at the signing ceremony, FAO’s Assistant Director General, Jose Maria Sumpsi praised Vietnam’s multifaceted cooperation with the organisation from 1996 through now particularly its commitments in enhancing the model of the South-South development project, effectively implementing world food security programmes and promoting FAO’s prestige in the world community.

After this agreement, Vietnam and FAO are expected to sign another agreement with Namibia in the near future.

Vietnam attends Japan-ASEAN military meeting

Deputy Defence Minister Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh is heading a high-level military delegation to attend the second Japan-ASEAN defence officials’ meeting in Tokyo from March 24-28.

At the meeting, the Vietnamese delegation briefed attendees on preparations for the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+).

The meeting agreed to consider including ADMM+ as part of future regional security cooperation frameworks.

They discussed frameworks for Asia-Pacific security cooperation, non-traditional security challenges the region is facing and shared experiences in responding to the challenges.

While in Japan, Deputy Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh held talks with his Japanese counterpart, Kimito Nakae, on defence cooperation in the context of Vietnam and Japan setting up a strategic partnership.

The two sides agreed to enhance bilateral defence cooperation, exchanges of delegations and cooperation in human resource training.

Deputy Minister Vinh also paid a courtesy visit to Defence Minister Toshimi Kitazawa, who affirmed Japan’s support for ASEAN’s initiative in holding ADMM+ as well as Japan ’s participation in the meeting.

Border markers with Cambodia erected

The Vietnamese and Cambodian Governments on March 26 started work on planting eight border markers between the two countries.

The markers will be built from Mark No 80 in Tay Ninh province’s Tan Hoa Commune, which is contiguous with Kampong Cham province’s Caro Vien Commune of Cambodia.

Tay Ninh has determined 51 border mark locations in the province so far, 21 of which border with Kampong Cham province. Thirteen of them have been planted.

After the groundbreaking ceremony, the border marking steering committees of the two provinces held a conference to assess the demarcation and marker planting process.

The two parties said the difficult terrain was the main problem during the process as there was no vehicle access to some of the border marker locations.

Both countries plan to complete the officially marked border in 2011 and the legal documents in 2012.

The two provinces’ border marking steering committees have agreed to continue co-operating closely. They will provide assistance to the border marking teams and information to local residents about the importance of the work.

Vietnam, Mozambique urged to cooperate in agriculture

The agricultural sectors of Vietnam and Mozambique need to tap their potential and develop long-term projects in the interests of both sides, said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

The two sides need to implement their commitments and effectively carry out cooperation projects, thus contributing to promoting friendship between the two countries and peoples, PM Dung said while receiving Mozambican Agriculture Minister Soares Nhaca in Hanoi on March 26.

The Prime Minister expressed his support for agreements signed between the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Agriculture Ministry of Mozambique.
He praised the achievements recorded by the Party, government and people of Mozambique in economic development.

Minister Soares Nhaca conveyed an invitation to visit Mozambique from the President and Prime Minister to PM Nguyen Tan Dung.

Mozambique has been making great progress in national construction and development, the minister said, adding the country has, in recent years, registered an average economic growth rate of 7 percent annually, maintained political stability and improved people’s lives.

Minister Soares Nhaca emphasized the Mozambican desire and determination to boost friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Vietnam on the basis of mutual benefit and for peace and development.

Earlier the same day, Minister Soares Nhaca and his Vietnamese counterpart, Cao Duc Phat, signed an MoU of cooperation, under which Vietnam will send a mission of experts to study the potential for rubber, cashew and rice growing as well as aquaculture in the four Mozambican provinces of Zambezia, Nampula, Tete and Gaza in April and May.

Vietnam worries about Mid-East tension

Vietnam has expressed concern over the increased tension in the Middle East and condemned Israel’s irresponsibility, especially its recent decision to build new settlements in east Jerusalem.

Nguyen Phuong Nga, a spokesperson for the Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs, made the statement at a regular press briefing in Hanoi on March 26.

Vietnam supports the statement of the Quartet (the US, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations) during their meeting in Moscow on March 19, 2010, and calls on parties concerned to restrain themselves from further complicating the situation and to resume peace talks, said Ms Nga.

Hanoi to host Mekong-Japan Senior Officials Meeting

The fifth Mekong-Japan Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) will be held in Hanoi on March 31.

The officials will review and speed up the implementation of commitments made at the first Japan-Mekong Summit in November 2009. They will also discuss measures to increase the efficiency of cooperation between Mekong River countries (Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar) and Japan.

Lao Vice President to visit Vietnam

Vice President Bunnhang Volachit will pay an official visit to Vietnam on March 29-30 at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Thi Doan, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Bunnhang Volachit is a member of the Political Bureau of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and permanent member of the Lao Party Secretariat.

During the visit, both sides will discuss measures to promote the special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation, especially in economics, trade and investment between Vietnam and Laos. They will also exchange views on several regional and international issues of mutual concern.

Thua Thien-Hue city celebrates 35th anniversary of liberation

The 35th anniversary of Thua Thien-Hue’s liberation was celebrated on March 26 with the participation more than 10,000 cadres, soldiers and local people along with senior leaders.

In his speech, Chairman of the Thua Thien-Hue Provincial People’s Committee, Nguyen Ngoc Thien, said his province was one of the first three localities to have the honour of receiving a letter of commendation from late President Ho Chi Minh and the Government title for its heroism and resilient courage during the anti-US resistance war in which thousands of local people and soldiers were killed or became martyrs and invalids.

35 years after its liberation, the province has recorded rapid and stable economic growth through the shifting of its economic structure towards industrialisation and modernization of “services- industry- agriculture” with a focus on the key economic sectors.

Last year, the province’s budget collection reached more than VND7 billion, a 2.7 fold increase over 2005 and per capita GDP surpassed US$1,000 while the number of poor households dropped from 3 percent to 2.5 percent. This year, Thua Thien-Hue is striving to make industry and services account for 37 percent and 45 percent of its GDP, respectively.

On behalf of Party and State leaders, Minister of National Defense Phung Quang Thanh praised Thua Thien- Hue’s contributions to the anti-US resistance war for national unification and expressed the hope that the province will make still greater achievements in economic development and national security and defence in order to become a centre for economics, culture, education and training and healthcare for the whole country.

President meets with HUD Holdings executives

The Vietnam Housing and Urban Development Holdings Group (HUD Holdings) must develop faster than the nation’s growth rate, said State President Nguyen Minh Triet at his meeting with the group’s executives in Hanoi on March 25.

HUD Holdings, comprised of the Housing and Urban Development Corp, the Hanoi Construction Corporation (Hancorp), the Vietnam Building Glass and Ceramics Corp (Viglacera), the Bach Dang Construction Corp, and the Vietnam Water Supply Sewerage and Environment Construction Investment Corp (Viwaseen), made its debut in Hanoi on March 24.

“The establishment of HUD Holdings is the affirmation of the Party and State’s sound policy on restructuring, developing and enhancing the effectiveness of the operations of State enterprises,” President Triet said.

HUD Holdings also indicates the robust growth of Vietnamese construction enterprises, Mr Triet emphasised, referring to the fact that enterprises could work together to meet requirements for fast and sustainable development and assist the country in narrowing its development gap with other developed countries in the region and the world.

According to Nguyen Hiep, Chairman of the HUD Holdings Executive Council, HUD Holding plays the core role in deploying the country’s orientations on housing development to 2020 and directing the national strategy for urban development in the coming years until 2025.

Vietnam, Mozambique boost agricultural cooperation

Mozambican Minister of Agriculture Soares Nhaca has pledged to create favourable conditions for Vietnam to implement joint agricultural projects in the African country.

During his talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Cao Duc Phat in Hanoi on March 25, Minister Nhaca proposed that Vietnam assist Mozambique in training graduate-level officials and organising short-term courses for its technicians in cashew and rice growing, and plant protection.

Minister Phat told his guest that Vietnam and Mozambique will carry out cooperation projects between their localities and businesses, along with inter-governmental programmes.

A number of Vietnamese cities and provinces such as Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Nam and the Ton Phat Company are willing to send experts to help Mozambique with rice cultivation, aquaculture and crocodile breeding, he said.

The Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences plans to train an additional 30 students for the School of Agricultural Development under the Mondale University of Mozambique. It has already received 35 students from this school for further training.

As part of the results of the Inter-governmental Committee’s meeting in 2009, Vietnam has supported Mozambique’s efforts to ensure food security by improving its food production capacity.

Vietnam has sent a number of experts to help the African country grow rice in Gaza province, establish an agricultural research centre and increase rice growing in Zambezia province.

Minister Phat said the Hanoi City People’s Committee will also join hands with relevant agencies of Mozambique develop to a rice production project in Zambezia province with funding provided by Japan.

Vietnam blasts Israeli resettlement plan

Vietnam is worried about the rising tension in the Middle East and condemns Israel for its decision to build new resettlement areas in East Jerusalem, said Ministry of Foreign Affair’s spokeswoman Nguyen Phuong Nga on March 25.

In response to a question about Vietnam’s reaction to recent developments in the Middle East, Nga said: “Vietnam supports the statement released on March 19 by the Middle East Quartet (United States, Russia, European Union and United Nations) and calls for restraint from the concerned parties.”

She said Vietnam wants both sides to avoid unilateral action that might aggravate the situation in order to create conditions for the resumption of the peace process in the Middle East.

Tanzanian PM to visit Vietnam

The Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania Mizengo Peter Pinda will pay an official visit to Vietnam from March 29 to 31.

He has been invited by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

Cao Dai followers hold third meeting

Dignitaries of Cao Dai religious organisations along with more than 5,000 followers across the country gathered for their third meeting in Ben Tre province on March 24.

Addressing the event, Tran Thi Bich Nguyet, a representative from the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, acknowledged the strong solidarity among Cao Dai religious organisations, their remarkable achievements and contributions to promoting national patriotism.

Ms Nguyet called on Cao Dai dignitaries and followers to continue making an active response to the Government’s campaigns and strictly implementing State laws and policies in order to build a happy and prosperous country.

At their meeting, participants agreed to launch more charitable activities in 2010.

PV