PM Dung visits Air Force Regiment



Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Defence Minister Phung Quang Thanh on January 26 examined training and combat readiness at Air Force Regiment 923 of Division 371 under the Air Defence-Air Force in Thanh Hoa province.

The Government leader praised the Regiment for its training efforts, and asked it to promptly master modern ammunitions to strengthen its self-defence capacity so as to firmly defend national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“Your primary tasks are to improve training quality, heighten vigilance, and hold regular drills to be capable of coping with any possible worst circumstances,” said the PM.

He reminded the Regiment to pay special attention to staff training, considering this a decisive factor in mastering modern ammunitions and military techniques.

He asked the Ministry of Defence to better care for the material and spiritual lives of military officers and soldiers to ensure they devote themselves to tasks entrusted to them.

The same day, PM Dung and Defence Minister Thanh visited Tho Xuan air terminal in the province. The first air route between Thanh Hoa and Ho Chi Minh City is scheduled to be inaugurated on February 5, 2013.

Finnish Minister visits Danang

Minister for International Development Heidi Hautala flew to Danang in central Vietnam on January 26 to examine the city’s investment environment.

Hautala, who is being accompanied by a number of Finnish businesses, is visiting Vietnam at the invitation of the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

At a meeting with Danang Vice Mayor Phung Tan Viet, Hautala said Finnish businesses are experienced in development projects, especially in poverty reduction and water supply, and they hope to seek more opportunities for investment in Danang and other localities in Vietnam.

Viet welcomed Hautala’s visit and briefed his guest on the outcome of cooperation between Danang and Finland’s Salo city since both cities signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation relations in November 2011.

A cooperation project on business innovations between Danang and Salo has been implemented effectively in the city, Viet said.

He expressed belief that Hautala’s visit will foster business links between the two cities and two countries.

The same day, the Finnish Minister inspected a project to help people with disability access information technology and increase community integration.  The project is financed by Fida International Ry, a non-governmental organisation of Finland.

At a January 25 meeting with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in Hanoi, Hautala confirmed that Vietnam is a traditional partner in Finland’s development cooperation policy, and hoped that the Vietnamese government will facilitate Finnish operations in the country.    

Ecuador seeks close ties with Vietnam

Ecuador considers Vietnam its strategic partner in Asia, Deputy Foreign Minister Marco Albuja told his host Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh in Hanoi on January 25.

Ecuador wants to boost cooperation in potential areas of agriculture, food security, oil&gas exploitation, telecommunications, and science-technology, Albuja said.

He welcomed Vietnamese businesses to explore and establish cooperation partnerships in this South American nation, and said his government will consider recognising Vietnam’s market economy status.

At the political consultation, Minh reaffirmed Vietnam’s desires to develop the friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Ecuador.

He said Vietnam is looking forwards to the upcoming visits by top Ecuador leaders and their plan to open a diplomatic representative agency in Hanoi.

He assured his guest that Vietnamese ministries, agencies and businesses will work closely with their Ecuador counterparts to promote bilateral cooperation, especially in economics, trade and investment.

The two diplomats acknowledged positive developments of bilateral relations in recent times and agreed that both sides have great potential for stronger cooperation.

They exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern, and agreed to increase coordination and support in international organisations and multilateral forums such as the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

They said the two countries will cooperate closely at the Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC) to foster inter-regional cooperation.

President receives Paris Agreement’s guests

Vietnam always welcomes international friends and is willing to cooperate with other countries in various fields.

President Truong Tan Sang made the statement at a January 25 reception in Hanoi for international delegates attending the 40th anniversary of the Paris Agreement signing.

Representatives from France, Russia, the US and Laos recalled unforgettable memories and their support to the two Vietnamese negotiation delegations of the Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam at the Paris conference four decades ago.

They affirmed they and progressive people around the world, including people from countries with political and cultural differences, stood shoulder to shoulder and supported Vietnam’s just struggle for peace.

The Paris Agreement was a great source of encouragement for peace and justice loving people across the world.

Vietnam with its rising status at international forums needs to become involved in resolving global issues to make the 21st century a period of peace, friendship, cooperation and development, they said.

Addressing the event, President Sang thanked international friends, including progressive people from the US, for their support to Vietnam’s just struggle. He said he hopes they will continue to stand side by side with Vietnam during the process of national construction and defence.

Vietnam always demonstrates its role as a reliable and responsible member of the international community thereby contributing to other countries’ peaceful environment and development, Sang added.

The same day, Chairman of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) Vu Xuan Hong, international delegates and representatives from relevant agencies attended a tree-planting ceremony at Hanoi’s Hoa Binh Park.

Lao defence ministry officials visit Vietnam

Deputy Defence Minister, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh received a delegation from the Office of the Lao Ministry of National Defense in Hanoi on January 25.

Vinh briefed the guests on activities of the Vietnam People’s Army to mark the 35 years of the signing of the Vietnam – Laos Friendship and Cooperation Treaty, the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Laos diplomatic ties, and the 2012 Vietnam-Laos Friendship Year.

The Lao delegates informed the host of the cooperation between the two ministries over the last time, as well as plans to promote cooperation in the coming time.

Hanoi meeting marks Paris Agreement signing

Hanoi hosted a grand meeting on January 25 marking the 40th anniversary of the 1973 Paris Peace Agreement signing.

Luminaries at the event included Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, State President Truong Tan Sang, National Assembly (NA) Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung, Party Central Committee Head of Information and Communication Dinh The Huynh, Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee President Huynh Dam, Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, and former Party, State, Government, and NA leaders.

In his speech, President Sang said the Paris Peace Agreement represented the most hard-fought victory in Vietnam’s diplomatic history, a milestone of the 19- year struggle against the US that spanned political, militaristic, and diplomatic fronts.

Vietnam’s protracted resistance and its perpetual diplomatic struggle forced the US to recognise the country’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and eventually withdraw its troops from South Vietnam.

The peace agreement—the Ho Chi Minh campaign its highpoint—culminated in the liberation of the south and reunification of the country in April 1975.

The agreement also managed to internationally inspire peace-loving people to join in efforts supporting Vietnamese people amid the hardships of their struggle. Many followed developments in the Paris negotiations as closely as they did those in battle.

Former Vice State President Nguyen Thi Binh, who was also the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of Southern Vietnam’s Delegation Chief, said the Vietnamese people’s campaign for justice accorded with the ideals and aspirations of people around the world.

Vietnam’s victory at the Paris conference was confirmed the correct diplomatic policy and guidelines had been adopted under the clear-sighted leadership of President Ho Chi Minh and his Politburo.

Le Viet Phuong, Secretary of the Foreign Ministry’s Youth Union, said lessons from the Paris Agreement were valuable assets teaching and encouraging generations of foreign ministry cadres.

Activities marking the anniversary provide younger generations the chance to deepen their understandings of the sacrifices and contributions their forebears made in the name of the united, beautiful, and peaceful nation they currently enjoy, Phuong added.

Party chief’s West Europe trip a success

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s tour of Belgium, the EU, Italy and the UK from January 17-24 has created strong momentums for Vietnam to foster its comprehensive relations with important partners in Europe.

Hoang Binh Quan, member of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and head of the committee’s Commission for External Relations, made the remarks in his interview granted to the reporters on the outcomes of the trip.

The visit, the first to West European nations by Trong as General Secretary of the CPV, is in line with the Party and State’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation and development, diversification and multilateralisation of international relations, he stressed. It also affirms the country’s policy of strengthening relations with the EU and countries of importance in Europe.

The visit took place at a significant time when Vietnam and its European partners are celebrating the 40 th anniversary of their bilateral diplomatic ties, he added.

Quan said that the European countries gave the Vietnamese delegation a warm welcome, reflecting the importance they attach to Vietnam’s role and position and the leadership of the CPV as well as their wish to boost practical and comprehensive relations with Vietnam.

The talks and meetings took place in an open, straightforward and result-oriented manner, he noted.
The visit also offered a chance for the European partners to understand more about Vietnam and its renewal achievements and foreign policy, thus increasing understanding and winning the partners’ cooperation and support.

The official noted that during the visit, Vietnam upgraded its cooperation with Italy to a strategic partnership, while achieving agreement on measures to strengthen its strategic partnership with the UK, boosting multi-faceted ties with Belgium and deepening the cooperation with the EU. The Party General Secretary also had a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI in the spirit of frankness and mutual understanding.

Trong and the leaders of the host countries agreed to strengthen political ties as a foundation for developing their long-term relations in all aspects, especially economics, trade and investment. They agreed to increase dialogues and maintain high-ranking meetings and the exchange of delegations at all levels.

In other fields such as economics, trade, investment, education-training, defence-security, and culture, the Party chief witnessed the signing of a series of cooperation agreements, plans and programmes.

Trong and the leaders of the European countries also discussed regional and international issues of common concern, including the East Sea issue.

The Vietnamese side received the sympathy and support of the EU and the three countries for its stance of solving the disputes in the East Sea by peaceful means on the basis of international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and in the spirit of the Declaration on Conduct of the Parties in the East Sea (DOC) towards the early conclusion of a Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea.

The leaders agreed to continue cooperation and coordination at multilateral forums and spent much time discussing measures to boost the ASEAN-EU ties. They emphasized the role of Vietnam as a coordinator of ASEAN-EU relations, serving as a bridge for promoting the relations between the two important regions of the world.

They also debated measures to protect peace and boost development in Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific.
Regarding measures to realise the outcomes of the visit, Quan emphasised the need to carry out the key cooperation contents defined by Vietnam and its partners during the visit.

In the coming time, Vietnam will also boost relations between the CPV and political parties in the European countries, he added.

PM seeks additional Finnish development aid

Vietnam hopes to receive more Finnish development aid for poverty reduction, water supply and environmental sanitation, forestation, private economic development, green growth and climate change adaptation.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung made the proposal while receiving Finnish Minister for International Development Heidi Hautala in Hanoi on January 25.

He noted with satisfaction the positive development of Vietnam-Finland relations in recent times, and said both sides need to promote cooperation in politics, diplomacy, economics, trade, investment, education-training, and development aid.

The Vietnamese government will create the best possible conditions for Finnish businesses to establish long-term partnerships with their Vietnamese counterparts and foster bilateral trade links, Dung assured his guest.

Minister Hautala said she was accompanied by a number of Finnish businesses on a visit to Vietnam aiming to increase Finnish investment in the country, especially in the environment and green technology.

Vietnam is a traditional partner in Finland’s development cooperation policy, she said, hoping that the Vietnamese government will facilitate Finnish operations in the country.

Representatives of Finnish businesses showed their desires to invest in their strong areas such as consultations, technology, renewable energy, measurement and weather forecast.

Source: VNA/VOV