Vietnam - Mozambique collaborate for development projects

Since early November 2010, Vietnam and Mozambique have collaborated to exchange experiences of various reform and development projects.

For 500 years Mozambique was colonized by the Portuguese and soon after gaining independence in 1975, this African country established diplomatic relations with Vietnam on June 25, 1975.

Mozambique’s population is about 20 million with a total area of 799,380 square kilometers. Part of this area forms the 2,470 kilometer coastline along the Indian Ocean.

Every year Mozambique has to import cooking which includes an estimated 300,000 tons of rice, as only about 27 percent of the 43,000 hectares of agricultural land is arable.

One notices that on the 200 kilometer stretch from the capital Maputo to Xai Xai District in the north, there is just barren land and dry brushes. Women are seen carrying water pots on their heads with their child strapped on their backs besides carrying other load as well.

The country’s GDP per capita is only at US$464. Like Vietnam, Mozambique has given up the centrally planned economy in order to build their market economy.

As a result, the country is very interested in making innovative changes similar to Vietnam. Mozambique is therefore encouraging a comprehensive cooperation and investment from Vietnam.

During a recent visit to the Mekong Delta, a Mozambican minister looked at fish ponds there and joked that “Only one fish pond here accounted for half of Mozambique’s fish output.”

Officials at the Mozambican Ministry of Planning and Development and the governor of the country’s central bank said they had read a lot of data on Vietnam’s economic reform and growth. Some had visited Vietnam to study various projects and exchange viewpoints and experiences.

The Vietnamese ambassador in Maputo, Dang Giang said that the Vietnam – Mozambique cooperation project financed by the Food and Agriculture Organization is well underway.

As a result, Professor and doctor Vo Tong Xuan from An Giang University has taken a Vietnamese family from the Mekong Delta to Mozambique to cultivate rice crops there.

They have already harvested the first bumper crop in the African country. Rice cultivation experiences in the Mekong Delta are being applied in Mozambique with the hope that Mozambicans can produce enough rice for domestic need and later even for export.

Unlike Vietnam, Mozambican rural areas are covered with ruined homes due to the war and have as yet not been rebuilt. The existing infrastructure of roads, schools, irrigation, health, electricity and water supply are in disarray.

The past Portuguese dominance has left the country with rubber and cashew plantations that now need nurturing and further development. The Vietnam Rubber Group has been invited to Mozambique to invest in this field.

The Vietnamese military telecom group Viettel has also been invited to bid for developing a cell phone network there.

In the education sector, Vietnam has granted scholarships to 19 Mozambican students to study in Vietnam. Mozambique in turn has also offered to introduce the teaching of the Portuguese language in Vietnam.

Vietnam invites Cambodia, Thailand to keep peace

Vietnam has called on Cambodia and Thailand to deal with a conflict along the shared border near Preah Vihear temple through peaceful negotiations on the basis of fundamental principles of the international law and the UN Charter.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nguyen Phuong Nga made this statement Monday while answering a query regarding the recent conflict at the area near the Preah Vihear temple, situated along the Thailand-Cambodia border.

The negotiations should also be based on ASEAN friendship and solidarity, for the interest of the two countries’ people, and for peace, stability and cooperation in the region and the world at large, Nga said.

“As an ASEAN member, Vietnam shows its deep concern about the conflict and calls on the two countries to exercise self refrain so as not to make the situation more complicated,” said the spokesperson.

Prime Minister pays Tet visit to Hau Giang

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung paid a visit to the Mekong delta province of Hau Giang on Friday to congratulate local people on the Lunar New Year (Tet) festival.

The government leader highly valued the socio-economic achievements made by the province over the past year, saying local people’s living conditions have been improved, helping boost development in the entire region.

He asked the locality to continue upholding its achievements along with focusing on addressing its weaknesses in order to improve implementation of its socio-political tasks set for 2011.

The PM informed local authorities and people of the success of the National Party Congress. He also said that under the leadership of the Party and State, over the past five years, Vietnam recorded an economic growth rate of 7 percent, lowered the unemployment rate in urban areas to below 5 percent and ensured macroeconomic stability.

Vietnam also competently performed its role as ASEAN Chair, helping to raise its prestige in the international arena, he said.

During the meeting, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Huynh Minh Chac said Hau Giang province is determined to fulfil socio-political tasks set for the period 2010-2015.

President celebrates Tet with HCMC leaders

President Nguyen Minh Triet and Party Central Committee Secretariat standing member Truong Tan Sang joined leaders and people of HCMC in celebrating the traditional Tet festival Thursday, the first day of the Lunar New Year.

Triet and Sang congratulated the Party committee and people of HCMC on their socio-economic achievements in the past year, particularly as the city is the country’s largest economic centre.

They said they believed HCMC will live up to its reputation of strong vitality, dynamism and creativity and lead the nation in the industrialisation cause, and they wished HCMC even greater achievements in the New Year.

PV