Malaysia pledges to ensure progress of projects in Vietnam

HCM City (VNA) – Ensuring the implementation of investment projects in Vietnam is the responsibility of both the Malaysian government and investors, Minister of Industry and Foreign Trade of Malaysia Tan Sri Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin told Ho Chi Minh City leaders on July 29.

The Malaysian minister was referring to Berjaya Land Bhd Group’s 3.4 billion USD project to build a 924ha university urban area in Ho Chi Minh City , the largest foreign invested project in the city so far.

In a message to Malaysian businesses on the occasion, Ho Chi Minh City leaders also pledged to give active and strong support to Malaysian investors for a long-term and sustainable cooperation plan.

“The Vietnamese government has been well controlling inflation and will make more efforts to simplify administrative procedures for foreign investors,” said Le Thanh Hai, Secretary of the municipal Party Committee.

Both host and guest expressed the necessity of increasing flights between Kuala Lampur and Ho Chi Minh City , which now number 14 per week. Last year, about 35,000 Vietnamese tourists visited Malaysia .

Minister Yassin led a 45-strong Malaysian business delegation to Ho Chi Minh City to seek investment opportunities in urban traffic infrastructure, services, tourism and real estate.

Two-way trade between Vietnam and Malaysia reached 4.15 billion USD in 2007. Malaysia now has 98 projects in Vietnam with a total investment capital of 5.8 billion USD.-

Vocational training for northwestern ethnic students

– The Song Da Vocational Training Junior College of the Song Da Corporation – the unique of its kind in the country’s northwestern region, is enrolling more than 500 students in engineering construction this year.

At present, students of ethnic minority groups in Hoa Binh, Son La, Lai Chau and Dien Bien provinces are accounting for up to 32 percent of the school’s total students.

Founded in November 1985 in mountainous Hoa Binh province with the assistance of the former Soviet Union, the school has trained more than 27,000 technical workers for the country.

In May 2007, the school, used to be called the Song Da Soviet Union Technical Workers School, was renamed the Song Da Vocational Training Junior College under a decision by the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs.

It was the first vocational training establishment in the country that has got the certificate of quality management system ISO 9001-2000.

The school has been working closely with affiliates of the Song Da Corporation in training construction workers at primary level for key projects. The school’s students have worked as interns at the Vinh Son, Song Hinh and Na Loi hydro-electric power plants and other projects.

To turn out workers of high-quality for the country’s northwestern region, the school has constantly upgraded its teaching facilities and instructors’ quality while cooperating with other training establishments to help its students access advanced learning methods.

Between 55-60 percent of its graduate students have worked as crane handlers and welders in civil engineering and electricity assembling.

By 2010, the junior college is expected to enroll between 2,000-3,000 students majoring in automobile technology, industrial electricity and welding at various levels.-

Young Vietnamese volunteers active in Laos

HCM City (VNA) – A group of 52 young Vietnamese have begun their voluntary activities in Laos ’ Attopu and Champassak provinces as part of the “Pink Vocation 2008” campaign.

From July 28 to August 6, the volunteers, including physicians agronomists and youth volunteers of the City, will conduct health checks-up and provide medicines, educational aids and agricultural production training for local people.

This is the second time the “Pink Vocation” has been launched in Laos . Last year, Vietnamese volunteers helped build communal medical centres and schools in difficulty-hit provinces of the neighbouring country.

Founded in 2004 by the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union, the campaign which has attracted the participation of young workers and state employees, has been carried out in many localities, including Ho Chi Minh City and provinces in the Central Highlands, the Mekong Delta and the central region.-

Party delegation attends Italy’s CRP party congress

Hanoi (VNA) – A delegation of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), led by Nguyen Tan Quyen, member of the CPV Central Committee and Secretary of the Can Tho Party Committee, attended the 7 th Congress of the Communist Refoundation Party (CRP) of Italy held in Chianciano city from July 23-27.

The congress, attended by 650 Italian delegates and 48 foreign delegations from 33 countries, elected Paolo Ferrero as the National Secretary of the CRP.

The Vietnamese delegation conveyed a message of greetings from the CPV Central Committee to the congress and met with some members of the CRP leadership.

The delegation also met with a number of foreign delegates to the congress.-

NA Standing Committee gives opinions on seven bills

Hanoi (VNA) – The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee gave opinions on the amendment of seven draft laws during its 10 th session held in Hanoi from July 23-29.

The amendment of the bills on bio-diversity, civil servants, nationality (revised), road transport (revised), health-care insurance, execution of civil sentences and high technology, were based on recommendations made by NA deputies at the third session of the legislative body.

The committee spoke highly of the close co-ordination between the bill compiling and examination boards and relevant agencies in consulting NA deputies to amend the draft laws.

It asked for these organisations’ further steps to perfect the draft laws for submission to the fourth NA session.

During the session, chaired by NA Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong, the committee also gave opinions on a draft ordinance on procedures for seizing sea vessels and the negotiation and signing of the Hague Convention of May 29, 1993, on protection of children and cooperation in respect of intercountry adoption.-

Industrial project in DPR of Korea continues

Seoul (VNA) – The Republic of Korea (RoK) will continue to develop an inter-Korean industrial complex in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Gaeseong.

Gaeseong Industrial Complex Project Bureau Director General Kim Young-tak said it has been difficult to resume a tour to the Geumgang resort, but the industrial project should continue to be steadily developed, the Korea Times reported.

Speaking to companies stationed at the complex, the official said they should not to hesitate to communicate with the management office at any time.

According to Korea Times, relations between Seoul and Pyongyang have again soured with all communication channels cut following the shooting death of a RoK female tourist at Geumgang resort on July 11. –

China, Japan, RoK finance for ASEAN+3 fund

Hanoi (VNA) – China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (RoK) will each contribute 900,000 USD to the ASEAN+3 Cooperation Fund, according to news reported on July 23.

The 3-million-USD cooperation fund, which also includes ASEAN’s input of 300,000 USD, was launched on July 22 at the ninth meeting of the Foreign Ministers of ASEAN and China, Japan and the RoK, which was chaired by Minister Yeo in Singapore.

The fund will provide the needed resources to implement more projects envisaged under the Second Joint Statement on East Asia Cooperation and the ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation Work Plan, Singapore Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo was quoted as saying.

At the meeting, ministers reaffirmed that the ASEAN Plus Three process would continue to be the main vehicle towards the long-term goal of building an East Asian community, with ASEAN as the driving force.

The ASEAN+3 ministers discussed the Korean Penninsula nuclear issue and emphasised the importance of the early establishment of an effective verification mechanism.

They also discussed the growing challenges of rising oil and food prices, as well as climate change and called for greater information sharing and collaboration among member countries.

Also on the agenda was priorities for the future direction of the ASEAN Plus Three cooperation, including continued support for ASEAN’s efforts to realise the ASEAN Community.-

Japan Airlines to increase flights to Asian cities

– Japan Airlines (JAL) will increase flights on four international routes that connect Kansai in western Japan with Asian cities.

Weekly round-trip flights with Shanghai (China) will increase to 21 from 14, with Hangzhou (China) to seven from three, with Seoul (the Republic of Korea) to 21 from 14, and with Hanoi (Vietnam) to seven from four.

The largest Japanese airline has planned to reduce domestic flights due to soaring fuel prices. However, high demand on international flights to Asia is attributed to the increase of JAL’s routes to Asia.

JAL also plans to abolish an international route between Kansai and London.-

EC approves “black list” of banned airlines

Brussels (VNA) – The European Commission (EC) has adopted the eighth update of the “blacklist” of airlines that are banned from flying into the countries of the European Union due to safety concerns.

The Community list has imposed a ban on carriers from Equatorial Guinea , Indonesia , the Kyrgyz Republic , Liberia , Sierra Leone , Swaziland , the Democratic Republic of Congo. The west African state of Gabon has also been added to the list, though two carriers who already operate flights into Europe – Gabon Airlines and Afrijet – will be allowed to continue, but not expand their services.

The Commission Vice-President in charge of transport, Antonio Tajani, said on July 24 the new list was a move to ensure aviation safety.

“This is another important step in the continuous Commission’s effort to enhance civil aviation safety, in the interest of all passengers,” he said.

In this update, the Commission removed a ban on Iranian air carrier Mahan Airlines, citing significant efforts and progress by the carrier that were verified during an on site inspection in Iran.-

Another Beijing airport to close on Olympic inauguration

Hanoi (VNA) – The Nanyuan Airport, which is for both military and civil use, in China’s capital city of Beijing, will close during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.

This is the second airport, following the Beijing Capital International Airport, to suspend flights during the Olympic inauguration, Xinhua news agency said, adding that no planes would be allowed to take off or land from 7 pm to midnight on August 8.

More than 20 flights from Shanghai to Beijing will be affected by the four-hour closure, a measure aimed at reinforcing security in the capital during the Olympic Games. However, all flights will return to schedule the following day.

There are only 27 flights available from Shanghai to Beijing on August 8 while 43 are available on August 7 and another 45 on August 9.-