| Nation wants to
speed up co-operation with EFTA
Viet Nam had always
attached great importance to strengthening and expanding multi-faceted
co-operation with member countries of the European Free Trade Association
(EFTA), National Assembly Vice Chairman Nguyen Duc Kien told EFTA Parliamentary
Committee President Svein Roalh Hansen.
Kien highly
appreciated the role and potential of EFTA countries during a reception for
Hansen in Ha Noi yesterday, Feb 24. He said Viet Nam and the EFTA should expand
co-operation in economy, trade, investment, culture, and science and technology
among others. Kien affirmed that
Viet Nam’s National Assembly would accelerate the negotiation process to
facilitate the signature of a free trade agreement (FTA) ahead of schedule.
In reply, Svein Roalh
Hansen told the host that the EFTA was willing to recognise Viet Nam as a market
economy while stressing that the signature of the FTA would be the following
step.
Lao PM to visit
soon
A high-ranking
delegation from Laos led by Prime Minister Thongsing Thamavong will pay an
official visit to Viet Nam at the invitation of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.
The three-day visit
will start next Monday.
President of
Lao trade union group meets VN counterpart
Chairman of the Viet
Nam General Confederation of Labour Dang Ngoc Tung affirmed the determination to
preserve the traditional friendship and special solidarity with the Lao partner
while receiving President of the Lao Federation of Trade Unions Khamla Lorlonesy
yesterday, Feb 24. Tung expressed his
delight at the increasing development of relations between the two sides and
congratulated Laos on the success of the 6th congress of the Lao Federation of
Trade Unions. Lorlonesy said he
wanted the two sides to strengthen the exchange of delegations and create
favourable conditions for trade unions in different sectors and localities to
establish and strengthen the friendly relations. He also urged
Vietnamese partners to share their experience and co-ordinate with each other to
enhance international co-operation and improve the quality of their staff. Also on the occasion,
the Lao Party and Government conferred the Labour Medal on Tung and seven others
in recognition of their contributions to the Lao Federation of Trade Unions.
Praise for chamber
of commerce, US investors
President Nguyen Minh
Triet pledged to continue creating favourable conditions for foreign investors
in Viet Nam, including US businesses, while highly appreciating the Viet Nam
Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) for its contributions to protecting the
legal and legitimate interests of local and foreign entrepreneurs.
Speaking with leaders
of the VCCI HCM City branch and US investors at a meeting in HCM City yesterday,
Feb 24, Triet applauded US businesses for investing time and money in large
projects in Viet Nam. He wished Happy Land
investors success with their project to build the biggest international standard
entertainment park in Viet Nam. Happy Land is one of
largest foreign invested projects in the country. Construction of the US$2
billion venture recently started in southern Long An Province. Joe Jackson, the
father of late pop singer Michael Jackson, will invest $400 million to build a
1,000-room five star hotel as part of the complex. Triet told
participants at the meeting that Viet Nam had attracted many foreign investors
thanks to its stable political situation. US investors had always ranked top, he
added. US consul general in
HCM City An Le and American Chamber of Commerce in Viet Nam (AmCham)
representatives Water Blocker and Binh Nguyen said they believed that US
investors would experience success in Viet Nam, thanks to support from the
Government and local authorities. VCCI Chairman Vu Tien
Loc expressed his gratitude to Triet for making positive contributions to
attracting foreign investment in Viet Nam and creating favourable conditions to
help local and foreign investors expand production and trading. Also on the same day,
President Triet visited the East-West boulevard and Thu Thiem tunnel projects. He commended the
management boards, Vietnamese employees and foreign experts for their endeavours
to ensure construction quality and encouraged them to work to their full
capacities to bring the projects into operation as scheduled.
Hai Duong to
promote cooperation with RoK province
Vietnam’s northern Hai Duong province and the
Republic of Korea (RoK) city of Suwon will cooperate in developing culture,
sports and tourism.
The cooperation is part of a memorandum of
understanding signed on February 24 by the Hai Duong provincial Department of Culture,
Sports and Tourism and the Suwon municipal Department of Culture and Welfare.
Accordingly, the two sides agreed to step up the training of cultural, sports
and tourism management staff and athletes by sending athletes to Suwon city for
further training and inviting coaches from Suwon to the province.
The two sides will also boost the exchange of traditional art troupes and
promote mutual images and tourism products, contributing to strengthening
bilateral cooperative ties.
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