Deputy PM: 2013 marks a milestone in Vietnam-US ties

The year 2013 marked an important milestone in Vietnam-US relations with the establishment of the comprehensive partnership that reflected accurately the healthy, wide-ranging growth of the ties, from politics to economics, trade and science-technology.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh was speaking with Lao dong (Labour) newspaper on the threshold of US Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit to Vietnam, starting on December 14.

He revealed that Kerry once spoke of a plan to visit Vietnam since the beginning of this year but has delayed it due to issues arising in his home country.

The Deputy PM went on to note that bilateral political ties are moving forward, supported by exchanges of visits by the US Presidents, the President and the Prime Minister of Vietnam in 2000-2012, during which principles of the two countries’ ties gradually took shape.

The joint declaration issued during President Truong Tan Sang’s visit to the US in 2013 left a major mark. Apart from launching the comprehensive partnership, it set out principles with the core one referring to the respect for both sides’ political institution. The US side declared to respect Vietnam’s political institution and avoid intervention in the country’s internal affairs, Minh told the paper.

Economic and trade connection is also noteworthy. Since the normalisation of bilateral ties in 1995, two-way trade surged 200-fold to 24 billion USD in 2012-2013 and there remains huge potential.

According to the Government leader, the bilateral relationship is enjoying favourable conditions. He cited the fact that the then senator John Kerry, or senator John McCain, or senator Chuck Hagel (the now Defence Secretary), who once actively worked for bilateral ties to be normalised, are dedicating their efforts to bringing them forward.

Minh said fine political links must be built so the economic, commercial, scientific and technological affiliation can benefit from to grow efficiently. Otherwise, their joint work in other fields will stand hard to go further.

He went on to say that Vietnam and the US still differ on approaches to democracy and human rights, describing it as inevitable in any relationship.

All differences must be settled via dialogues and exchanges, as President Truong Tan Sang stated during his recent US visit, Deputy PM Minh stressed, pointing to it as Vietnam’s consistent viewpoint and both sides are steadfast in this point.-

Vietnam’s diplomatic focus on international integration

Hanoi will host the 28th Diplomatic Conference on Vietnamese diplomacy and international integration from December 15–20.

In an interview granted on the threshold of the conference, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh explained the event’s significance in the context of Vietnam’s new national construction and defence achievements.

He admitted international and regional complexity has presented Vietnam with formidable as it continues working to fulfil the targets—including diplomatic goals—set during the 11th National Party Congress.

FM Minh said the Politburo’s Resolution No 22 on international integration, and its resolution on national security strategy in the new international era, will dictate foreign affairs priorities and orientations in the years ahead.

The 28th Diplomatic Conference will review current foreign policies and guidelines and discuss initiatives promoting international integration with a long-term vision to 2020.

Successful international integration is a major component of Vietnam’s 2001–2020 socio-economic development strategy. This makes foreign affairs and international integration a responsibility shared across the political system in its entirety and the Vietnamese people themselves.

Vietnam has devoted itself to liberalising the international outlooks of the Party, State, and people, as well as the national defence and security establishments.

Minh said the conference is also a good opportunity for ministries, sectors, and localities to improve the effectiveness of their foreign affairs coordination, strengthening their collective drive towards comprehensive international integration.

VN, Laos, Cambodia work together to fight drug trafficking

Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia have held a high-level meeting in Cambodia's Siem Reap Province to improve their joint work in combating the movement of drugs along their three borders.

Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Cambodian National Authority for Combating Drugs (NACD) Ke Kim Yan, who chaired the Wednesday event, said the trilateral meeting, the 13th of its kind, reflected the three countries' friendship, as well as their determination to work closely in combating drugs.

He stressed each country's role in working to reach the goal of having a drug-free ASEAN by 2015.

The discussions with the drug authorities of the three countries aimed to create a protocol on the work. It was a result of their strengthened partnerships in cementing peace and stability for people along the border areas, said Virith, NACD's Secretary General.

Nelson Mandela remembered in Vietnam

More than 80 Vietnamese and foreign delegations paid tribute to President Nelson Mandela at the South African Embassy in Vietnam from December 9-13.

They include President Truong Tan Sang, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, representatives of Vietnamese ministries, branches and agencies, and foreign embassies and international organisations in Hanoi such as India, Cuba, Venezuela and the UK.

In the mourning book, they conveyed deepest sympathy to the South African people and the deceased’s family, expressing their hope that the South African people would surpass the heart-breaking period to continue the President’s noble ideal of a democratic, free and equal world.

Nelson Mandela passed away on December 5 at the age of 95.

He was a staunch soldier and a prominent hero of the South African people, who devoted his whole life to the fight against oppression, injustice and apartheid in South Africa and the world as well.

Vietnam, Russia hold first strategic defence dialogue

Senior Vietnamese and Rusian defence officials have came to terms to fostering naval partnerships as well as training and strategic study cooperation in the coming years.

Deputy Defence Minister Sen. Lieut. Gen Nguyen Chi Vinh and his Russian counterpart Anatoly Antonov reached the agreement at the first Vietnam-Russia deputy ministerial strategic defence dialogue in Moscow on December 12.

They also agreed to step up science and military technology cooperation via all-level visits.

Reviewing security in the Asia-Pacific and issues of interests to both countries’ relations, they shared the view that maintaining regional peace and stability requires strengthening regional and bilateral cooperation mechanisms, especially dialogue mechanisms.

Additionally, building strategic trust and increasing more preventive diplomacy activities need to be put in place, along with all possible ways to avert and control conflicts in the region, they said.

Both host and guest expressed their concern over emerging security issues in the region, especially sovereignty disputes.

According to the officials, the dialogue is a move to realise the contents of the Vietnam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership, of which defence and military connections play a key role.

The second dialogue of this kind is slated for Hanoi in 2014.-