Industrial group invests millions of USD in real estate

Quang Ninh (VNA)- The Vietnam National Coal – Mineral Industries Group held a ground-breaking ceremony on November 12 to mark the start of construction of a residential quarter and shopping complex in Ha Long city, Quang Ninh province.

The project, capitalised at some 2.3 trillion VND (approximately 135.5 million USD), will include a high-rise block with 1,200 units for office rental and retail purposes and a terraced housing quarter designed to house some 70 families.

The project, scheduled to be commissioned by 2016, forms part of the group’s multi-industrial long-term strategy based on its stronghold of mining.

The group is investing heavily in coal-fed thermal electricity plants and aluminium projects in the Central Highlands and along the central coast.

In addition to mining and mineral processing projects across the country, from the northwestern and northern mountains to the northern central and Central Highlands regions, the group is expanding its operations into Laos and Cambodia while making inroads into financial, insurance and infrastructure markets.

The coal and mining giant plans to become a leading national economic group by 2015 and a major international force by 2025, according to its 2006-2025 strategy.–

Hanoi businesses donate over 9 billion VND to flood victims

Twenty-seven enterprises in Hanoi have donated a total of 9.25 billion VND in aid for local victims of recent floods caused by the prolonged heavy rains earlier this month.

The donations were in response to the city’s campaign, which launched on Nov. 11, calling on businesses and individuals nationwide to join the local authorities and residents in overcoming the consequences of the natural disaster.

At the launch ceremony, Chairman of the Hanoi chapter of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Pham Xuan Hang also urged public servants across the nation to donate at least one day’s salary to the campaign.-

Netherlands funds pro-poor tourism project

SNV Netherlands Development Organisation funded a 25,000 EUR project to help central Quang Tri province to promote tourism in support of the poor, the provincial authorities announced on Nov. 11.

The project aims at improving the capacity of poor locals living along the national road No. 9 and assisting the private sector in their involvement in the tourism industry.-

CEO Exchange introduced to Vietnamese audiences

CEO Exchange, a unique series of TV conversations with today’s most dynamic and visionary chief executive officers (CEO), made its debut in Ho Chi Minh City on Nov. 12.

In each one-hour programme, CEO Exchange brings together two of the most interesting and innovative CEOs in the world for a lively discussion about themselves, their companies and their passions in life.

The next programmes are expected to have talks with CEOs Paul Otelini of the Intel Corporation, Mark Hurd of Hewllet-Packard, Michicle Dell of the Dell Computer Corporation and Bill Gates, former CEO of the Microsoft Corporation.

CEO Exchange will be broadcast on HCM City Television’s VTV9 channel at 9 am on Sundays and re-broadcast at 9 pm every Friday.

Its copyright was jointly bought by the Vietbooks Company and the Export-Import Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Eximbank).-

Nation must plan to care for ageing populace

Vietnam must prepare to care for an ever increasing number of elderly, advises Vietnam Social Science Institute’s Foreign Affairs Department Deputy Director Dang Nguyen Anh.

“Vietnam’s population will be old before the country becomes wealthy,” he said.

And the growing number of elderly will put pressure on families, health services (including mental health); social welfare policy, lifestyle and transport.

A National-Committee-for-Population-Family-and-Children survey last year found that more than 70 percent of Vietnam ’s population remains rural dwellers.

Most of the rural elderly have had to rely on agriculture for their livelihood. Unable to save for their old age, they are dependent on their children.

“This reinforces the need to develop social welfare policy for old people,” said Population and Social Affairs Institute Director Nguyen Dinh Cu.

Such a policy will have to emphasise the development of care suitable for the elderly in an industrial society, he explains.

An example is retirement homes. These are now few in number but will have to be increased for those who can afford them.

The director also suggests that organisations and industries should be encouraged to open retirement homes.

But it will be necessary to have the young comfortable to have their parents been cared for in retirement homes, he said.

The elderly, in turn, should accept the model and realise that their children have not neglected their duty to them.

The proportion of Vietnam’s population older than 60 totalled 9.45 percent last year.

The figure is forecast to rise to about 18 percent within the next twelve years with the proportion of young people in the workforce falling very quickly, said the deputy director.

A country’s population is ageing when the number of elderly is above 10 percent, according to the United Nations.

Life expectancy for Vietnamese was about 71 in 2005, up from 68 in 2000.-

Vietnam eager to boost ties with Central African Republic

Vietnam attaches importance to developing friendly and cooperative mutually-beneficial ties with African nations, including the Central African Republic, State President Nguyen Minh Triet has said.

President Triet made the statement while receiving the visiting Foreign Minister of the Central African Republic, Dieudonne Kombo Yaya, in Hanoi on Nov. 11.

Triet said that the working visit by the FM was a positive sign for the two countries’ relationship and that the issuing of a joint statement during the visit, regarding the establishment of diplomatic ties has created the opportunity for future cooperation between the two nations across various fields.

The State leader applauded the Central African Republic’s initiative to establish tripartite cooperation between Vietnam, the Central African Republic and the International Francophone Organization.

He stressed the fact that Vietnam is willing to boost bilateral cooperation with the Central African Republic, sharing its experiences in ensuring food security.

“Vietnam and Africa, including your country, have the ability to strengthen and expand multiform cooperation in various fields,” President Triet affirmed.

Minister D.K. Yaya said that the aim of his visit was to discuss the tripartite cooperation model and to demonstrate his country’s willingness and desire to enhance bilateral ties with Vietnam.

He said that, although his country is rich in natural resources, its people still lead difficult lives, thus it wished to cooperate with Vietnam, particularly in the fields of agriculture and health care, which are important issues that directly impact upon people’s lives.

According to the minister, his talks with Deputy Prime Minister – FM Pham Gia Khiem also touched on the signing of a framework agreement regarding cooperation between the two countries to form a foundation for future agreements in specific fields.

The President of the Central African Republic, Francois Bozize hopes to visit Vietnam soon, Minister Yaya added.-

PM hails Bulgarian army official’s visit

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung welcomed the visit to Vietnam by Chief of the General Staff of the Bulgarian Army, General Zlatan Kirilov Stoykov on Nov. 11, saying that the visit is expected to contribute to promoting relations between the two nations.

PM Dung expressed his pleasure at the development of the multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Bulgaria, which has experienced a series of encouraging achievements.

Vietnam would like bilateral ties to develop further, bringing benefits to both countries, he said.

The Vietnamese PM also praised the sharing of experiences between the two sides in developing armed forces, exchanging delegations and training athletes.

General Stoykov said that the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Bulgaria forms a firm foundation for development of bilateral ties and for both nations.

The same day, General Stoykov held talks with Senior Lieutenant-General Nguyen Khac Nghien, during which they shared their experiences in developing armed forces, joining peace keeping forces, increasing cooperation over delegation exchanges, training and logistics.-

Swedish donor becomes equal partner in healthcare

Hanoi (VNA)- Vietnam and Sweden have agreed to adopt an equal partnership in healthcare in place of the aid recipient-donor relationship which has existed for 40 years.

The shift aims to increase the sustainability and payment capacity in healthcare for both sides, said Deputy Health Minister Cao Minh Quang at a workshop in Hanoi on November 11.

His view was shared by the Swedish Secretary of Health and Social Affairs Karin Johansson and her entourage, who are visiting the country to examine Vietnam ’s healthcare policies and to seek opportunities for a broader partnership between companies, organisations and research institutions from the two countries that operate in this field.

At the workshop, Quang identified hospital waste treatment and an improvement in hospital hygiene and disinfection as two major opportunities for Swedish investors.

“ Vietnam will provide the best available stimuli for Swedish pharmacies and medical equipment suppliers, as well as Swedish investors in hospitals,” the senior health official pledged.

However, he called upon Sweden to continue assisting in administrative reforms for the health sector, formulating policies in favour of the poor and evaluating Vietnam ’s public health policies.

The Deputy Health Minister also requested Swedish assistance in the development of human resources, research, the transfer of technology in public health and adolescent health programmes, pharmaceutical management and information technology for pharmaceutical State management agencies.

In replying, Swedish Secretary Johansson said that relations between Vietnam and Sweden are based on a strong foundation and can develop rapidly in future years.

She stressed that, in order to effectively develop relations, cooperation and trade are the main tools that can be used by Sweden and Vietnam in facing any challenges to their common interests.

Sweden extended assistance in the healthcare sector to Vietnam before the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1969. The Scandinavian country has helped to build or rebuild several hospitals, such as the the Bach Mai Hospital , the Quang Ninh Hospital and the Swedish Children’s Hospital, which is now the National Hospital of Pediatrics. -

State President pushes for stronger ties with Russia

Hanoi (VNA) – Practical and effective cooperation across all areas, particularly in politics, the economy, culture and education, will create better conditions for the sustained development of Vietnamese-Russian relations.

State President Nguyen Minh Triet made this statement while receiving the chairman of the Russian jewelry firm Etalon-Jenavi, Evgeny Protopopov, in Hanoi on Nov. 11.

Protopopov is in Vietnam to discuss cooperation plans with the Saigon Jewelry Holding Company (SJC) and other partners in the country.

President Triet applauded Etalon-Jenavi’s cooperation with SJC as well as its projects to expand cooperative ties in science, technology, culture and education with a number of Vietnamese partners.

The State leader said he hoped that, through its cooperation with SJC, Etalon-Jenavi will become an active factor in encouraging more Russian investors to flock to Vietnam.

Protopopov said that the recent strong economic development of both Russia and Vietnam has brought a wide range of cooperation opportunities to businesses from the two countries.

An increasing number of Russian investors are planning to channel their investment flow into Vietnam as they believe that Vietnam has spared no efforts in generating and maintaining favourable conditions for foreign investors, he said.

Protopopov informed his host of Etalon-Jenavi’s plans to expand its operations in Vietnam, including the establishment of an industrial zone in the south for Russian companies, a Russian cultural centre in Ho Chi Minh City and an additional centre for Russian science, technology and culture in the southern province of Binh Duong.-

Sweden offers help over int’l child adoption

Hanoi (VNA)- Swedish Secretary of Health and Social Affairs Karin Johansson emphasised her Government’s interest in the child adoption issue in Vietnam and offered help to the Southeast Asian country in ratifying the relevant Hague Convention in the near future.

Johansson made this statement during her working session with the Deputy Minister of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA), Nguyen Thanh Hoa, in Hanoi on November 11.

She also expressed expectations of stronger bilateral cooperation in family care as well as in protecting the health and rights of children.

Vietnam and Sweden have enjoyed long-standing relations in these sectors, marked by the signing of an agreement regarding international child adoption.

Hoa reaffirmed the priority given by the Vietnamese Government to the protection and care of people with disabilities, as well as children as stated in numerous legal documents, including the Law on Protection, Care and Education of Children promulgated in 2004.

Vietnam was the second country in the world and the first in Asia to sign the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990 and issued two relevant supplementary decrees in 2001. Efforts are currently being made to prepare reports on the progress that has been made in implementing the Convention while a law regarding the disabled is in the pipeline as part of an effort to submit it to the National Assembly for consideration and approval in 2010.

The country is home to some 1.4 million disadvantaged children, mostly living in remote communities, vulnerable to the effects of natural disasters and with high rates of poverty.

“Vietnam hopes to receive more technical and financial assistance from Sweden as well as to learn more from Swedish experiences of a safe community, the importance of social work in preventing child injuries, the protection and care of disadvantaged children, child carriers of HIV/AIDS, disabled and malnourished children and those that have dropped out of school” the Deputy Minister of MOLISA said.-