Vietnam, France keen on further bilateral cooperation

Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan received French
Ambassador Jean Francois Girault in Hanoi on December 8 to discuss promoting
partnership and cooperation in economics, trade, investment, culture and
education and training.

Photo: Vietnam+

The French Ambassador said France
regards Vietnam as one of its strategic partners in Asia not only because
Vietnam has its historical relations with France but also because the country is
now developing strongly and its role is increasing.

He said France is ready to support
Vietnam in the development process with a focus on sustainable development,
coping with climate change and education and training, including promoting the
teaching of the French language and the training of scientific and technological
staff. Promoting the French teaching is not for competition but for the
protection of linguistic diversity, said Mr Jean.

He also expressed his hope that the
Vietnamese Government would continue to create the best possible conditions for
the French teaching and sufficient supply of teachers of French.

For her part, Vice President Doan
praised the French government’s incentives for Vietnam in economics, culture,
education, development cooperation and investment while affirming Vietnam always
attaches great importance to developing multifaceted cooperation with France.

To further enhance the
Vietnam-France cooperation, both sides need to promote cultural exchanges and
carry out signed cooperation agreements, Mrs Doan noted.

Regional police forces share training insights

Representatives of ASEAN police forces and their colleagues from Australia,
China and South Korea yesterday, Dec 8, shared their training and human
resources know-how at a meeting in Ha Noi.

“The
demands of combating crime in general, and non-traditional crimes such as
high-tech crime, and tran-national human and drug trafficking are a real
challenge and nations in the region and around the world are under increasing
pressure,” said Deputy Minister of Public Security General Bui Van Nam in his
opening remarks.

The
three-day event, hosted by the Ministry of Public Security and the People’s
Police Academy, is the latest in a series of law enforcement training workshops
held by ASEAN.

“This
meeting is one of the many efforts of ASEANAPOL to strengthen the co-operation
and mutual assistance in the fight against crime in the region,” said Lim Kim
Tak of the ASEAN Police Forces Secretariat.

He added
that globalisation, new technologies and economic development meant new crime
trends and threats. Front line police needed the necessary skills and expertise
to handle these new challenges.

The
original proposal for ASEAN member states to take turns in organising law
enforcement workshops came from Viet Nam in 2008. The initiative gives police in
the region the chance to compare notes and support each other in staff training
activities.

Viet
Nam, China conduct joint search and rescue drill

Viet Nam
People’s Navy and China People’s Liberation Army Navy held a joint maritime
search and rescue drill in waters off the coast of Da Nang yesterday.

The mock
scenario involved Vietnamese and Chinese fishing vessels in distress in the Bac
Bo (Tonkin) Gulf (East Sea).

Rescue
personnel, who were given the position of the two boats, dispatched joint patrol
ships operating in the area to help the stranded boats and rescue passengers.

Viet Nam
sent the HQ 261 and HQ 263 vessels, together with a helicopter, while China sent
the guided-missile frigate Xiangfan.

The
drill was designed to enhance the abilities of both countries to carry out
search and rescue operations in the area and the implementation of the Fishery
Co-operation Agreement in the Bac Bo (Tonkin) Gulf.

Mongolia defence minister visits VN

An
official welcoming ceremony was held in Ha Noi yesterday in honour of Mongolian
Defence Minister Luvsanvandan Bold and a high-ranking military delegation.

Vietnamese Defence Minister General Phung Quang Thanh and a number of
high-ranking officers of the Viet Nam People’s Army were present at the
ceremony.

A
Vietnamese military delegation, headed by Thanh, also held talks with the
Mongolian military delegation.

Thanh
described the visit as an important milestone, which would pave the way for
greater military relations between the two countries and boost friendship
between the two nations’ peoples.

The
Mongolian defence minister applauded Viet Nam’s achievements in national
development and defence in recent years and congratulated Viet Nam on
successfully hosting the recent ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting plus (ADMM+) in
Ha Noi.

Three
more border markers erected

Three
border markers between Viet Nam and Cambodia were installed yesterday, Dec 8, at
Position 54 in Central Highland Dak Nong Province’s Dak Song District.

Twenty-six markers are to be installed at 14 locations on the 130km between Viet
Nam’s Dak Nong Province and Cambodia’s eastern Mondulkiri Province.
Sixteen-boundary markers have been erected in eight positions since 2007.

The
1.7m-high markers are made of granite and engraved in both Vietnamese and Khmer.
The national marker programme is expected to contribute to friendship,
solidarity and a peaceful border, ensure the security and sovereignty of each
country and help reduce poverty and eliminate hunger in the two provinces.

Cambodia holds conference on anti-drugs initiative

A ministerial meeting on combating the drug trade
between Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos was held in Phnom Penh on December 8.

At the meeting, representatives
reported on the anti-drug activity in their countries and the results of
multilateral and bilateral cooperation in the field.

They also set targets for combating
transnational crimes in the long term.

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Ke
Kim Yan stressed that the multilateral and bilateral cooperation in fighting
drugs between Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia has solved many issues in the region.
The mechanism for exchanging information and experience among national and
regional agencies of the three countries has been strengthened to improve the
capacity of law enforcement, education, treatment and recovery for drug addicts.
Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia have supported each other to ease the burden on these
countries.

Later in the day, the three
countries will continue with other multilateral and bilateral meetings. They
said they will release a joint statement on Cambodia-Vietnam-Laos cooperation in
anti-drug activity.

Ukrainian parliament leader concludes visit

Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament Lytvyn Volodymyr
left Hanoi on December 8, concluding his official friendship visit to Vietnam at
the invitation of National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong.

During the visit, which started on
December 5, Speaker Lytvyn Volodymyr had talks with Chairman Trong, paid a
courtesy visit to State President Nguyen Minh Triet and had an exchange of views
with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

At those sessions, the two sides
expressed their wish to boost multifaceted cooperation for mutual benefit
between the two countries.

The two sides agreed on practical
measures to strengthen cooperation between the two parliaments, as well as in
the areas of trade, investment, education and training on the basis of the
traditional relations and potential of each country.

Speaker Lytvyn Volodymyr and his
entourage visited the northern province of Quang Ninh to admire some historical
and cultural sites and famous landscapes of Vietnam.

Lao leaders receive Vietnamese NA delegation

Lao National Assembly chairman Thongsinh Thammavong
and Deputy Prime Minister Somsavad Lengsavad on December 8 received Nguyen Van
Son, head of NA Committee for External Relations and chairman of Vietnam-Laos
friendship parliamentary group, who is heading a Vietnamese NA delegation to
Laos from December 6-11.

Son briefed his host on the outcomes
of talk with the Lao friendship parliamentary group and affirmed that he will do
his utmost to promote special relations between the two countries.
Lao leaders congratulated Vietnam on its great achievements in the national
construction cause and expressed thanks for the effective support of the
Vietnamese Party, government and people to the country.

In 2012, Laos will host many
important international conferences and would like to benefit from Vietnam’s
experience, the leaders added.

They also expressed their wish that
the two sides would promote comprehensive cooperation to further develop
Laos-Vietnam special ties.

VNN/VOV/VNS