PM to attend ASEAN Summit in Brunei

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and the Vietnamese delegation will attend the 22nd ASEAN Summit in Brunei’s capital city, Bandar Seri Begawan, from April 24-25.

The visit comes at the invitation of Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah, according to a statement by Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Vietnam attends APEC meeting in Indonesia

Photo: Xinhua

Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang joined his counterparts from 19 of the 21 APEC member economies at the APEC Ministerial Meeting that kicked off in Surabaya, Indonesia on April 20.

The two-day event was also attended by representatives from the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN), the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC), and the APEC Secretariat.

A number of issues and initiatives will be tabled in order to prepare for the APEC Summit, which is set to take place on Indonesia's resort island Bali in October.

Trade and investment liberalisation will lie at the heart of the discussion. Trade ministers will focus on ways to develop infrastructure, promote investment and restructuring to establish a free and open trade area by 2020.

Giata Wirijawan, Indonesian Minister of Industry and Trade cum Chairman of the event, stressed the importance of APEC in the global economy as it makes up as much as 56 percent of GDP and 44 percent of trade of the world.

He emphasised the fundamental role of infrastructure in APEC’s process to connect and integrate with regional economies, the economic recovery, and sustainable economic growth and equality among Asia-Pacific economies.

A number of issues to support the multilateral trade system and APEC’s priorities in 2013 are also under discussion, such as increasing exchanges and sharing experience in improving management capacity, promoting connectivity among APEC members and intensifying women’s involvement in economics and human resource development.

The Vietnamese delegation led by Minister Vu Huy Hoang is scheduled to take part in bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the conference with officials from the US, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Russia, China and Canada to discuss issues of mutual concern, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Vietnamese leaders send sympathy over China earthquake

Vietnamese leaders have extended condolences to China over the recent powerful earthquake in the southwestern province of Sichuan that resulted in great human and property losses.

According to the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, President Truong Tan Sang, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung on April 20 sent messages of sympathy to General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and Chairman of the Standing Committee of National People’s Congress Zhang Dejiang.

The same day, Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh conveyed his sympathy to his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

According to the Chinese news agency Xinhua, the 7.0-magnitude earthquake has so far left at least 179 dead and thousands injured.

Vietnam, US hold naval exchange activities

US naval vessels docked at Tien Sa Port, central Da Nang City on April 21, starting naval exchange activities with the Vietnam People’s Navy.

The five-day collaboration will focus on non-combatant and skill exchanges in navigation and maintenance.
As planned, professional exchanges will be conducted in the fields of heath, humanitarian assistance, natural disaster relief as well as dive training, salvage and underwater medicine. Ship tours, concerts, community relations events, and bilateral sporting events will also get underway. These activities underscore the closer ties between the US and Vietnam.

During their stay, Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific Rear Admiral Tom Carney; Commander, Maritime Staff Element Captain Paul Schlise; and the Captains of USS Chung-Hoon and USNS Salvor will pay a courtesy call to leaders of the municipal People’s Committee and Naval Zone 3.

The vessels, accompanied by sailors, maritime staff, medical trainers, a mobile diving and salvage detachment, and the seventh Fleet Band Orient Express, will leave the city on April 25.

VNN/VNA