Vietnam willing to join UN peace-keeping forces

A Vietnamese delegation led by Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh has paid a four-day visit to the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations and other UN agencies in New York City, USA.

During their stay from June 26-29, the delegation met with UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Edmon Mulet, who spoke highly of Vietnam’s willingness to share the responsibility for peace-keeping activities with international community.

He said that maintaining peace and stability on the earth is top priority task regulated by the UN Charter and undertaken by 193 UN members.

Mulet introduced his guests to the structural organization and operation of UN peace-keeping missions and several missions in numerous countries that are responsible for preventing conflicts, segregating combatants or restructuring areas where conflicts have occurred.

He said he hopes that a nation like Vietnam, that loves peace, has experienced the hardships of war and also bravely struggled for peace, will offer valuable experience in protecting peace for humankind.

Vinh thanked the UN for its positive evaluation of Vietnam's role in peacekeeping and emphasised that this is an honour and responsibility of UN member countries.

He added that as an active member, Vietnam will begin making preparations to soon send its forces to UN peace-keeping missions soon.

Earlier, the delegation made a fact-finding tour of the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan and learned from the actual experience of missions from many countries undertaking peacekeeping and restructuring work in South Sudan.

Vietnam promotes ties with Cuba

A Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Head of the Department of Propaganda and Training Vu Ngoc Hoang has paid a four-day visit to Cuba.

During their stay in Havana from June 27 to 30, Hoang met with Roberto Montesino Perez, head of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba’s Department of Education and Sports. They spoke of their functions and tasks and experiences in the management of educational, healthcare, socio-cultural, scientific and technological affairs.

Montesino briefed the guest on the Communist Party of Cuba (CPC)’s close ties with social organisations, such as the Federation of University Student (FEU), the National Association of Small Farmers (ANAP), the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR), and The National Association of Economists and Accountants of Cuba (ANEC).

Hoang highlighted Cuba’s achievements in recent years, particularly its significant breakthrough in the implementation of economic models, and affirmed Vietnam’s full support for Cuba’s revolutionary cause.

The Vietnamese delegation worked with the Habana Party Committee and visited the International Press Centre, a monument to hero Jose Marti and some cultural and tourism sites.  

They also visited Artemisa province where rice cultivation projects have got off the ground well with the assistance of Vietnamese experts.

Poverty innovators praised

One hundred and nine outstanding organisations and individuals who have made a huge contribution to Viet Nam's efforts to reduce poverty were honoured at a ceremony held in Ha Noi on Saturday.

Amongst the guests attending the event were President Truong Tan Sang and Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh.

The ceremony was just one of a number of activities celebrating the 65th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's appeal to the nation to combat poverty and illiteracy and fight off foreign invaders.

The participants also reviewed the 10 years since a comprehensive strategy on growth and poverty reduction was put into action and the 5 years after the Government implemented a resolution to support fast and sustainable poverty reduction in 62 poor districts across the country.

As part of the ceremony, the organising board presented gifts to several poor students who had performed well in their studies in the Dong Van District of northern mountainous province Ha Giang.

HCM City Party delegation visits South Africa

A delegation from the HCM City Party Committee, led by Deputy Secretary Nguyen Van Dua, paid a working visit to South Africa from June 28-30.

The Vietnamese delegates worked with leaders of Johannesburg city to exchange information about cooperation potential and share experience in management work.

Trevor Fowler, a senior official of Johannesburg city, who is in charge of municipal administrative affairs, welcomed their visit as a boost to the traditional friendship between the two countries in general and the two sister cities in particular.

Deputy Secretary Nguyen Van Dua paid a courtesy visit to former South African President Nelson Madela, who is a great friend of Vietnam.

During their stay in Johannesburg city, the Vietnamese delegates had working sessions with functional agencies and departments to learn about urban management and public transport development. They visited a number of newly-built public transport facilities (bus and train station) in the city.

Earlier, they visited Israel and Mozambique to share experience in the field of urban management.

Leading legislator visits Azerbaijan

A delegation from Viet Nam led by National Assembly Vice Chairman Uong Chu Luu visited the Azerbaijan Republic last week to strengthen ties between their legislative bodies and consolidate the traditional relationship between the two countries.

During his stay, Luu held talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart and paid a courtesy visit to the Chair of the National Assembly as well as meeting with the Foreign Minister.

The delegation also went on a fact finding tour of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan and the Baku State University and later met up with members of the Vietnamese community living in Baku.

During the talks, Azerbaijan's officials stated that the two countries had a traditional, close relationship which holds a lot of potential for development, especially in the oil and gas industry and education and training.

Azerbaijani leaders said they believed that Viet Nam would continue to develop and make an active contribution to the foundation of the ASEAN Community by 2015.

Luu thanked Azerbaijan for supporting Viet Nam during its period of national construction and defence, as well as helping the country to nurture academics and train skilled workers.

Both also agreed to step up joint working between the two legislative bodies by exchanging delegations and co-ordinating closely at international forums.

Vietnam-Czech Friendship Association elects new executive board

The Vietnam-Czech Friendship Association (VCFA) elected a new 53-member executive board for the 2013-2018 term at its third congress in Hanoi on June 30.

Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Minh Hong was appointed as VCFA President

The VCFA has more than 2,000 members who are former students, post-graduates, workers, and diplomats who worked and studied in the Czech Republic.

Vice President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) Don Tuan Phong acknowledged the VCFA’s efforts during the previous term and agreed with its tasks for the next term, which will focus on consolidating current partnerships and expanding the organisation’s network of friends and partners.

The association should also diversify its activities and promote cooperative relations in economics, trade, culture, education, and the arts, as well as poverty reduction, tourism and social affairs, Phong said.

Czech Ambassador to Vietnam, Martin Klepetko, and the honourary President of the Czech-Vietnam Friendship Association, Marcel Winter, said he hope that the new executive board will help the VCFA gain new achievements in the next term and strengthen the friendship between the two countries.

Newly appointed president Hong reviewed the VCFA’s activities in the past term with a focus on fostering people-to-people exchanges and consolidating the traditional friendship.

The website hoivietsec.org.vn provides information about the socio-economic situation in both countries as well as the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic.

On the occasion, VUFO also presented insignias for peace and friendship among nations and certificates of merit to the VCFA and a number of associated individuals and organisations.

Customs in pact with Hong Kong

Viet Nam's General Department of Customs and Hong Kong Customs and Excise signed a mutual co-operation and assistance agreement on Friday.

The agreement, which was signed in Brussels, Belgium during the annual meeting of the World Customs Organisation, is the 18th co-operative agreement that Viet Nam made with customs agencies around the world.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Vietnamese Department of Customs General Director Nguyen Ngoc Tuc underlined the significance of the agreement in fostering customs co-operation between Viet Nam and Hong Kong, especially in preventing smuggling, trade fraud and violations of customs laws.

"The agreement is an important milestone in co-operation between the two countries and will benefit both sides," he said.

Hong Kong is now a territory of transit for many of Viet Nam's import-export commodities. Two-way trade between the two sides increased from US$3.1 billion in 2011 to $4.7 billion in 2012.

VNN/VOV/VNS