State President inspects flood control in Hanoi

Hanoi (VNA) – State President Nguyen Minh Triet made a tour of Hanoi, inspecting flood control measures in the capital city on the afternoon of Nov. 6.

He visited residents in the flooded areas in Dinh Cong ward, Hoang Mai district.

The President was accompanied by Chairman of the Ha Noi People’s Committee Nguyen The Thao and officials from relevant agencies.

During a visit of Yen So water pumping station in Hoang Mai district, President Triet praised the managers and workers at the station, who have been working incessantly to operate the station 24 hours a day to quickly minimize losses resulting from the floods.

He also hailed the military, police forces and local residents for actively protecting the station from flooding to help ensure the continued pumping of water to the Red river to reduce flood levels in the city.

The President appreciated the efforts by city leaders at all levels for their guidance in combating and controlling the floods.

With experiences fresh from the recent heavy rains, President Triet asked Hanoian officials to review plans for the city’s drainage systems and suggested that the operating capacity of Yen So station be increased.

He instructed a number of localities to immediately carry out environmental and hygienic inspections at flooded areas to prevent the spread of diseases.

He also asked the relevant sectors to go to even greater efforts to help local residents return to their normal lives and to be aware of the possible consequences of further heavy rainfall, which is forecast to fall over the next few days.

The President also visited families of Bui Huy Tho and Do Thi Anh in the flooded area of group 24, Dinh Cong ward, Hoang Mai district. He expressed his sympathy over the difficulties caused by the floods and encouraged locals to continue demonstrating the spirit of consolidation to help each other overcome the aftermath of the disaster.-

PM urges quick treatment of tainted milk

Hanoi (VNA) – The Prime Minister has directed all related ministries and agencies to promptly take approved measures to deal with prohibited tainted milk and milk products.

Earlier, at an inter-ministerial meeting addressing food hygiene and safety held on Oct. 23, the Ministries of Health, Agriculture and Rural Development, Industry and Trade, Natural Resources and Environment, Public Security, Foreign Affairs, and Science and Technology agreed to re-export tainted milk and destroy milk of unclear origin or poor quality.-

Oxfam UK helps build infrastructures in Tien Giang

Tien Giang (VNA) – Oxfam UK has financed over 1.68 billion VND to build welfare infrastructures including a school, a pumping station and rural roads in disaster-hit localities of southern Tien Giang province.

The provincial districts of Cai Be, Cai Lay and Tan Phuoc which are usually hit by disasters are launching the construction of a kindergarten, a power pumping station and three rural routes with estimated costs of 626 million VND, 560 million VND and 883 million VND, respectively.

Once completed, the works will help local people overcome aftermaths of natural disaters, develop production and return to stable life.

In 2009, Oxfam UK plans to finance 1.5 billion VND to upgrade infrastructures and public works in 10 poor communes of the three districts.-

Japanese culture imprinted in Vietnam’s daily life

Hanoi (VNA) – Some Japanese cultural values, such as karaoke and comic strips have integrated into the daily life of Vietnamese people, contributing to diversifying Vietnamese contemporary culture, said Dr. Pham Hong Thai from the Institute for Northeast Asian Studies under Vietnamese Academy of Social Sciences.

At a workshop on Vietnam-Japan relations in the context of Northeast regional integration held in Hanoi on Nov. 7, Dr. Thai said Vietnam has acquired certain Japanese experiences in preserving and promoting its traditional cultural values.

Vietnam and Japan have seen interruptions in their relations development which are attributed to the ups and downs in their histories.

Since the normalisation of relations in 1992, the two countries’ cooperation have developed in various fields, including political, economic and cultural, particularly in human resources development.

Over the past five years, Japan has become a an important destination for numerous Vietnamese trainees, including students and scientists.

The two countries are seeking new ways to boost cooperation in this domain.

Economic cooperation has been expanded in various sectors, including tourism, aviation, insurance, finance and banking, science and technology, telecommunications, environment protection and hunger eradication.
The workshop is part of activities to mark the 35 th anniversary of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties.-

Asia-Pacific injury prevention conference concludes

The second Asia-Pacific Conference on Injury Prevention concluded in Hanoi on November 6, with the approval of the Hanoi Statement on Injury and Violence Prevention in the Asia-Pacific region.

The three-day conference agreed on the fact that injuries and violence are the leading precursors of deaths and disabilities.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Asia-Pacific region accounts for the largest proportion of the world’s accidents, with 65 percent of burns, 64 percent of suicides, 62 percent of cases of drowning and 50 percent of road traffic accidents occurring in the region.

The conference, therefore, stressed the necessity of increasing preventative efforts and flexibly applying developed countries’ experiences and practices to current circumstances in regional low- and middle-income nations.

It also emphasised the importance of technical and financial supports from donors, international organisations and scientists for underdeveloped and developing countries.

The conference agreed to revise the current system of information regarding injuries and violence and to establish an injury care network from first-aid to healthcare and rehabilitation services in the community, and pledged to mobilise public efforts in injury prevention.

The 3 rd Asia-Pacific Injury Prevention Conference is scheduled to be held in 2011.-

State president hails Polish defence minister’s visit

Hanoi (VNA) – State President Nguyen Minh Triet spoke highly of the visit to Vietnam by Polish Defence Minister Bogdan Clich on November 6, saying that the visit would help to foster cooperative and friendly ties between the two countries.

The state leader praised the cooperation between the Vietnamese and Polish armies during his meeting with the minister, who began his two-day official visit on the same day at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Phung Quang Thanh.

While urging the two countries to enhance their trade and investment ties to lift them to a level on a par with their political ties, the president said: “Vietnam always welcomes Polish investors.”

He proposed that the two sides strengthen their ties in training-education and culture, saying that cooperation in these areas is of great significance to bilateral ties.

Defence Minister Clich reiterated the Polish Government’s wish to raise levels of multifaceted cooperation with Vietnam , a long-term ally whose friendship with Poland has overcome many challenges, laying a firm foundation for the two sides to develop their relations in the future.

The visiting minister also expressed his pleasure at the development of bilateral ties in recent years, with visits by high-ranking, ministerial and local delegations being conducted regularly and yielding excellent results.

Earlier on the same day, the visiting minister and his Vietnamese counterpart Phung Quang Thanh held talks, during which they agreed to boost cooperation in research into the history of conflicts and museum operations and exchanged experiences in joining peace-keeping forces.

The two ministers exchanged views on the current security situation, both regionally and in the world at large, voiced opinions regarding the setting-up of armed forces and informed each other of socio-economic developments in their respective countries.

The two sides agreed on furthering efforts to cement the traditional friendship between the two armies and the citizens of the two nations in order to lift the relationship to new heights in the future.-

Summit pledges further development, cooperation

Hanoi (VNA) – The 4th CLMV Summit of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV) took place in Hanoi on Nov. 6 under the chairmanship of the Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

Prominent at the event were also Cambodian PM Hun Sen, Lao PM Buasone Bouphavanh, Myanmar PM Thein Sein and ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General Soeung Ratechavy.

Opening the summit, PM Dung said that complex changes in the global economy has created new challenges to all countries, including the CLMV nations. With their low positions of departure and limited developmental level, CLMV members are prone to being affected by any adverse economic changes, both globally and regionally, he said.

Therefore, it is necessary to promote cooperation between CLMV countries in order to accelerate socio-economic development in each country, speed up economic cooperation within ASEAN member nations and minimise negative impacts from external sources, he added.

The PM affirmed that the 4th CLMV Summit offers an opportunity for the four countries to discuss concrete measures to bring into full play their potentials and advantages to promote cooperation along the principles of equality, mutual benefit and development in each country.

The Cambodian, Lao, Myanmar and Vietnamese PMs were pleased at the encouraging steps of development in CLMV cooperation over the recent past, with cooperation mechanisms taking form and a new stage of cooperation being reached, in which concrete projects are implemented.

They praised the outcomes of the implementation of the Vientiane Declaration 2004 on enhancing cooperation and economic integration among CLMV countries and the 2005 CLMV Plan of Action in the areas of trade, investment, agriculture, industry, energy, transport, information technology, telecoms, tourism and human resources development.

Recent progress in regional and international cooperation, particularly the acceleration of the work on a roadmap to establish an ASEAN economic community and enhancement of the Greater Mekong Sub-region cooperation, provided more opportunities for CLMV countries to expand their cooperation, they said.

The PMs agreed to promote socio-economic development and regional economic integration, as well as cooperation in trade and investment among the four countries, while quickly narrowing the developmental gap between CLMV countries and other countries in the ASEAN community in order to effectively contribute to the ASEAN economic community.

They unanimously agreed to adopt a list of 58 CLMV cooperation projects and assigned senior officials to select and decide upon preferential projects to seek investment in.

The summit praised the CLMV scholarship scheme initiated by Vietnam for Cambodian, Lao and Myanmar students.

The PMs signed a Joint Statement of the 4th CLMV Summit, affirming their political commitment and determination to promote CLMV cooperation and put forth orientations and concrete solutions to further accelerate CLMV cooperation.

The 5th CLMV Summit will be held in Cambodia in 2010.-

Regional foreign ministers meet in Hanoi

Hanoi (VNA) – Foreign ministers from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar  Thailand and Vietnam gathered for two separate meetings in Hanoi on November 6, as part of the preparations for the 4 th CLMV Summit and the 3 rd ACMECS Summit.

The Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of Cambodia, Laos , Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV) and the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of the Ayayewady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS), which includes Thailand along with the four afore-mentioned nations, took place under the chairmanship of the Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem.

The CLMV meeting agreed to ensure the group’s cooperation be of a practical nature, with a range of measures to be adopted to boost trade, investment, agriculture and human resources cooperation.

It had high praise for Vietnam’s initiative to launch a host of scholarship programmes for Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar .

The ACMECS meeting decided to increase the efficiency of cooperation between member countries in the areas of trade and investment facilitation, transport, agriculture, industry, energy, health care, tourism and human resources development.

The participating ministers emphasised the necessity of encouraging the participation of the business community in increasing cooperation levels among member nations, including an increase in the frequency of dialogues between the community and the governments.

The meeting agreed upon the 3rd ACMECS Summit’s agenda and approved the summit’s draft joint statement. It also ratified a declaration by the ACMECS leaders on the facilitation and promotion of trade, investment and tourism, which will then be submitted to the summit for approval.-

Vietnam, Czech Republic enhance relations

Hanoi (VNA) – Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh described the Vietnam visit by a delegation of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic ’s Parliament as a manifestation of the fine development of the two countries’ traditional friendly and cooperative ties.

Receiving the Czech delegation, headed by Vojtech Filip, Deputy Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies and President of the Czech-Morava Communist Party, in Hanoi on Nov. 6, the Party leader thanked the people of the Czech Republic (formerly Czechoslovakia) for their valuable assistance to Vietnam in the past struggle for national independence.

The Party leader expressed his pleasure at the achievements the Czech people have recorded in the recent past and the positive development of the two countries’ traditional relationship.

He thanked the Czech parliament, government and people for the favourable conditions they have created for Vietnamese people to live, study and work in their country, contributing to further boosting the friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

The Party leader stressed that Vietnam has always attached great importance to promoting relations with traditional allies, including the Czech Republic . He hoped that the parliaments of the two countries would enhance their cooperation, sharing experiences in legislative and oversight work, and working to complete a legal basis to lift ties between Vietnam and the Czech Republic to new heights.

Deputy Chairman Filip expressed his pleasure at visiting Vietnam to be able to personally witness the great changes in the country as a result of the renewal process.

He heaped praise on Vietnam’s achievements and experiences as well as the prestige and position enjoyed by the country, both regionally and globally. He informed the Party leader of the current situation in the Czech Republic and the excellent outcomes of his talks and meetings with Vietnamese leaders.

He stressed that his country attaches huge importance to boosting the traditional friendly and cooperative ties with Vietnam and pledged to do his best to further promote the two countries’ multifaceted cooperation, particularly through economic and commercial cooperation.

He hoped that the Vietnamese people, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, would go on to even greater achievements in their renewal process and national construction.

On the same day, Deputy Chairman Filip met with Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong, who said he believed that the visit would positively contribute to furthering the two countries’ traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation.

Chairman Trong affirmed that the Vietnamese National Assembly would do its utmost to effectively implement agreements reached by the two sides.

Deputy Chairman Filip stressed that his visit’s aim is to exchange views on matters relating to bilateral economic cooperation and other matters of mutual concern.

He expressed his satisfaction at the results of talks between his delegation and a delegation from the Vietnam National Assembly’s Economic Committee. The two sides discussed measures to promote the two countries economic and commercial ties and increase cooperation between the economic committees of the two parliaments.

Deputy Chairman Filip said he believed that the two parliaments would raise the efficiency of their cooperation.
Later the same day, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem received Deputy Chairman Filip. The two sides discussed a wide range of issues, including the Czech Republic ’s training of Vietnamese workers, cooperation between the Prague University and a number of Vietnamese universities, and cooperation in the areas of transport and construction.

Deputy PM Khiem affirmed that the Vietnamese government would continue to create favourable conditions for businesses from both nations to invest in each other’s country.-

Japanese diplomat’s visit to strengthen ties with Vietnam

Hanoi (VNA) – Chairman of the Vietnam-Japan Parliamentary Friendship Union Ho Duc Viet expressed his hope that the visit to Vietnam by Sugi Ryotaro, the Vietnam-Japan Special Friendship Ambassador, will contribute to promoting the two countries’ friendship and cooperation.

The chairman made this statement while receiving the Japanese diplomat in Hanoi on Nov. 6.

He emphasised that Vietnam hopes to build a strategic partnership and sign bilateral agreements with Japan , as well as continue to implement a number of signed agreements.

He lauded the Japanese ambassador’s initiatives to organise forums relating to industrial development and the promotion and advertisement of industrial and handicraft products.

The Japanese ambassador expressed his pleasure at the success of the recent Vietnam Festival in Japan , which introduced an exhibition of a range of images of Vietnam to the Japanese people.

He expressed his hope to contribute even more to developing the cooperation and friendship between the two nations.-