Bulgarian President to visit Vietnam

President Rosen Plevneliev will pay a State-level visit to Vietnam from October 27-31 at the invitation of President Truong Tan Sang, according to a Foreign Ministry communiqué released on October 22.

Vietnam and Bulgaria established diplomatic ties on February 8, 1950.

 Bilateral relations developed well between 1950 and 1989, during which the government and people of Bulgaria provided valuable material and spiritual assistance to Vietnam.

Since 1990 Vietnam-Bulgaria relations have developed on an equal and mutually beneficial basis through high-level visit exchanges.

Both countries signed an agreement on economic and commercial cooperation in March 2001, granting the most favoured nation (MFN) status to each other. However, economic and trade ties have yet to match their huge potential.

President Plevneliev’s upcoming visit is expected to add fresh impetus to bilateral cooperation.

Swiss Economic Minister to visit VN

Swiss Federal Economic Affairs Department Chief Johann N. Schneider-Ammann will visit Viet Nam on October 24–25 at the invitation of Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang.

The visit focuses on developing bilateral economic cooperation as well as potential trade and investment opportunities.

Schneider-Ammann will be accompanied by a delegation of 17 businesses operating in pharmaceuticals, banking, insurance, machinery, energy, watches, airport services, railways, industrial consultancy, and construction.

The Swiss delegation is scheduled to meet Vietnamese leaders on October 24 in Ha Noi to discuss bilateral economic cooperation and the ongoing negotiations of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries.

They will visit Ho Chi Minh City on October 25.

Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit to visit Vietnam

The Mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit, will pay an official visit to Vietnam from October 27-31.

Wowereit, to be accompanied by senior officials and businesses of the Berlin federal state, is scheduled to visit and work in Hanoi and HCM City.

This is a Berlin Mayor’s first-ever visit to Vietnam since the united Germany was formed in 1990.

At a September 24 reception for Vietnamese ambassador to Germany Nguyen Thi Hoang Anh, Wowereit said he was looking forward to his upcoming visit to Vietnam, aiming to create new opportunities of cooperation between German and Vietnamese localities, as well as between the two countries.

Berlin is home to more than 15,000 Vietnamese nationals - the largest Vietnamese community in Germany.  

Vietnam, Cuba consolidate defence cooperation

Vietnam and Cuba will strengthen national defence cooperation through increasing visit exchanges and sharing experience in military development and expertise training.

The agreement was reached during talks in Havana on October 21 between Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces and Army Corps (FAR) Minister Cintra Frias and the Vietnam People’s Army’s General Politics Department Director Senior Lieutenant General Ngo Xuan Lich.

Incoming recruits must be well versed in the revolutionary history of the alliance, they said.

The two leaders noted the role of their countries’ Party organisations in defending the socialist regime against insidious schemes by hostile forces attempting to sabotage the revolutionary fruit in each country.

Minister Cintra Frias used the talks to affirm the special bond and solidarity shared between the Cuban people and military and their Vietnamese comrades. He expressed his belief Lich’s visit will propel the traditional defence relationship between Cuba and Vietnam to new heights.

For his part, Lich said the seeds of Vietnamese and Cuban friendship were planted by President Ho Chi Minh and President Fidel Castro and have since flourished into an exemplary model for each country’s international relations.

The Vietnamese people and military establishment will always bear in their mind Fidel Castro’s famous commitment, “For Vietnam, Cuba is ready to shed its blood,” Lich said.

He praised Cuba’s historical achievements and stressed Vietnam’s consistent support for its ally’s socialist construction.

Lich and Cintra also noted with satisfaction the closer national defence cooperation between the two countries, highlighting the progress recorded after the signing of their cooperative development agreement.

Lich conveyed Vietnamese defence leaders’ invitations to Minister-Senior Lieutenant General Cintra Frias and FAR Political Department Chief Lieutenant General Carrillo Gomez to visit Vietnam at appropriate times.

Viet Nam, Kuwait step up oil, gas ties

Viet Nam considered Kuwait as one of the country's most important economic partners and wished to further enhance relationship with the Gulf state, especially in the field of oil and gas.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung (right) receives Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Oil Mustafa Al-Shamali.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung made the statement while meeting with visiting Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Oil Mustafa Al-Shamali in Ha Noi yesterday, Oct 22.

He applauded the minister's visit during which he would attend the groundbreaking ceremony of the Nghi Son refinery and petrochemical complex in the central province of Thanh Hoa, scheduled for today.

The Prime Minister used the occasion to thank the Kuwaiti State for supporting flood victims in Viet Nam's central region as well as its assistance to help Viet Nam access loans for rural infrastructure projects through the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development.

The leader expressed his hope that Kuwait would help Viet Nam to train personnel for the oil and gas sector and consider welcoming Vietnamese guest workers.

He spoke highly of the Kuwaiti Government's role in the implementation of the Nghi Son refinery and petrochemical project, especially the country's commitment to providing crude oil for the complex.

Dung asked the Kuwaiti Government to instruct and assist the Kuwait Limited Liability Company, one of the project's investors, to ensure the project's progress, contributing to each country's development and friendship between the two nations.

For his part, Mustafa Al-Shamali said Viet Nam and Kuwait still had a lot of potential for co-operation, voicing his hope for further links in energy, industry and oil and gas.

The minister pledged to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese businesses to invest in Kuwait and affirmed his readiness to back Vietnamese human resources in the oil and gas sector.

The Kuwaiti State had decided to send US$3 million in support for victims of the recent tropical storm in the central region of Viet Nam, he said.

Bulgarian leader to visit

Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev will pay a State visit to Viet Nam from October 27-31, the Foreign Ministry announced yesterday, Oct 22.

The visit is being made at the invitation of President Truong Tan Sang.

UK maintains strong support to Vietnam

The UK Government will continue offering strong support to Vietnam and its ongoing renewal and reform process, a UK diplomat has pledged.

Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Hugo Swire made the promise on the sidelines of the Vietnam-UK Strategic Dialogue in London on October 22, which was co-chaired by the diplomat himself and Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son.

Swire said that the UK is ready to share its experience with Vietnam in the fields of public-private partnerships, financial and banking activities and the organisation of major sports events – with Vietnam chosen as the host of the 2019 Asian Games.

He also called for Vietnamese support as the UK has many investment opportunities for businesses from Southeast Asia and a lot of UK companies want to do business in Vietnam.

Deputy Minister Son said the UK is one of the few countries that Vietnam has set up a strategic partnership with, adding that its increasing role in providing international jobs and training makes it a particularly attractive partner.

The diplomat suggested cooperation in various fields in which the UK excels, including trade, investment, education and training.

He also voiced his hope that the UK will continue its official development assistance to Vietnam to help the country fulfill the Millennium Development Goals and cope with global challenges such as climate change.

The Vietnam-UK Strategic Dialogue, the third of its kind since Vietnam and the UK established their strategic partnership in September 2010. Since then the relationship has strengthened and Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made his first official visit to the UK in January at the invitation of Prime Minister David Cameron. The two nations are also celebrating the 40th anniversary of their bilateral diplomatic ties.

During the latest dialogue, views on regional and bilateral issues were shared, such as ASEAN’s economic prospects, the application of a principle-based international economic system, business and investment and post-2015 international development.

Other topics up for discuss included international integration, Vietnam’s foreign policy, the UK’s diplomatic policy towards Asia and ASEAN, climate change and energy security.

At the end of the dialogue, the two sides issued a joint statement in which they rolled out their future plans to further promote their fruitful relationship.

Regional broadcasting union opens annual forum

The 50th General Assembly and Associated Meetings of Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) are taking place in Hanoi with more than 700 international domestic professionals in attendance.

Themed “Serving our audience in the digital era, marking a “perspective shift” from technology to audience”, the annual event focuses on how broadcasters can meet the needs of audiences in the digital age.

The week-long event, hosted by Vietnam Television (VTV), will feature discussions on the most pressing issues facing a changing media landscape and the high-level forum series “Women with the wave: Information and Communication Technology and Media Inclusion of Women, Girls and Persons with disabilities.”

Sidelines activities include an ABU TV Song Festival and an ABU Prize ceremony for the best broadcasting products.

Established in 1964, ABU is to support member countries in developing the broadcasting industry, exchanging programmes, and providing technical consultations, services and training. It now has 255 members in 63 countries and territories, including associate members in Europe and North America.

Vietnam Television and Radio the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) became ABU’s members from 1976.

This is the second time VTV has hosted such event following the first in 2005.

Ho Chi Minh City leader receives French communists

Permanent deputy secretary of the Party Committee of Ho Chi Minh City Nguyen Van Dua and Politburo member and head of the Communist Party of France Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Lydia Samarbakhsh on October 22 exchanged their views on various issues of mutual concern.

During their meeting in Ho Chi Minh City, Dua said the visit by the French delegation helps further strengthen the relations between the two Parties and States, and expressed thanks for the support and assistance from the French party and people to Vietnam during the American War as well as their recent activities for the country.

He also briefed his guest on the municipal socio-economic development and the operation of French investors in the city.

For her part, Samarbakhsh said the visit was to further strengthen the relations between the two Parties which need to be boosted in the current context.

Host and guest also exchanged views on such issues as building a fair and democratic society, ensuring social welfare, and support to labourers to overcome the difficulties caused by the current economic crisis.

Vietnam, Cuba intensify defence cooperation

Senior Lieutenant General Ngo Xuan Lich, Director of the General Department of Politics under the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA), held talks with Sen. Lieut. Gen. Leopoldo Cintra Frias, Minister of Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces, on October 21 as part of his visit to Cuba.

Lich, who is also Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam’s Central Committee and member of the executive board of the Central Military Commission, stated that Vietnam and Cuba possess a special traditional and close relationship which has been nurtured by their high-ranking leaders and become a model for international relations.

He highly valued Cuba’s positive results in putting into reality the policies on socio-economic updates of the Communist Party of Cuba’s sixth Congress, and affirmed Vietnam’s consistent support for Cuba’s socialist construction.

For his part, Frias said the Vietnamese delegation’s visit will significantly contribute to further developing the bilateral traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation.

He affirmed that Cuba’s people and revolutionary armed forces always attach special sentiments to and consider Vietnamese people and the VPA their comrades and brothers.

Guest and host expressed their satisfaction at the fine development of bilateral defence ties in many fields.

The two sides agreed to continue developing the ties more effectively, particularly in the exchange of all-level delegations, young officers, the sharing of information and experience in military building, and cooperation in training.

They also stressed the need for the two sides to popularise the bilateral special friendship as well as raise the fighting will of their soldiers.

They agreed that it is necessary to consider politics building a basis to increase the combativeness of Party organisations and to thwart all plots of the hostile forces.

Lich, who is also Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam’s Central Committee and member of the executive board of the Central Military Commission, stated that Vietnam and Cuba possess a special traditional and close relationship which has been nurtured by their high-ranking leaders and become a model for international relations.

He highly valued Cuba’s positive results in putting into reality the policies on socio-economic updates of the Communist Party of Cuba’s sixth Congress, and affirmed Vietnam’s consistent support for Cuba’s socialist construction.

For his part, Frias said the Vietnamese delegation’s visit will significantly contribute to further developing the bilateral traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation.

He affirmed that Cuba’s people and revolutionary armed forces always attach special sentiments to and consider Vietnamese people and the VPA their comrades and brothers.

Guest and host expressed their satisfaction at the fine development of bilateral defence ties in many fields.

The two sides agreed to continue developing the ties more effectively, particularly in the exchange of all-level delegations, young officers, the sharing of information and experience in military building, and cooperation in training.

They also stressed the need for the two sides to popularise the bilateral special friendship as well as raise the fighting will of their soldiers.

They agreed that it is necessary to consider politics building a basis to increase the combativeness of Party organisations and to thwart all plots of the hostile forces.

VNN/VNS/VNA