IPU high ranking official visits Vietnam

Vietnam hopes to get further support from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Secretariat in preparation for the 132nd IPU General Assembly, which will be held in the country in 2015.

Tran Van Hang, Chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee for External Relations, expressed the wish while receiving Director for Member Parliaments and External Relations at the IPU Anda Filip, in Hanoi on June 21.

The Vietnamese official, who is also permanent deputy head of the 132nd IPU’s Organising Committee, thanked the IPU Secretariat for its swift and effective coordination with the host to ensure a successful event.

For her part, Anda Filip said that the IPU Secertariat will continue its close ties with the Vietnam National Assembly in an effort to help Vietnam organise the event successfully.

Earlier the same day, Anda Filip participated in the first training session on IPU for key Vietnamese officials involving in the 132nd IPU General Assembly event.

The two-day function is to prepare for a week-long IPU general assembly, the first of its kind to be held in Vietnam next year, with the participation of around 1,300 delegates.

Established in 1889, the IPU now has 163 members and 10 associate members. Vietnam joined the organisation in 1979.

Vietnam attends World Press Conference 2014 in Seoul

Vietnamese representatives joined a plethora of nearly 100 delegates from 50 countries at World Press Conference 2014, taking place in Seoul, the Republic of Korea, from June 15-20.

The event called on media agencies worldwide to strengthen cooperation and share information in the wake of the rising number of regional and global challenges.

Participants discussed a disparate and complex array of issues ranging from nuclear energy and multilateral negotiations to the escalating tensions in the Korean Peninsula.

They shared views on media agencies' ethical roles and responsibilities in reporting conflicts and disasters, as well as the developmental trend in an environment of social media boom.

Many delegates stressed the need to establish a media network to deal with emerging issues such as natural disasters, serious accidents, and conflicts among countries or groups.

Lieutenant-General Le Phuc Nguyen, editor-in-chief of Quan doi Nhan dan (People's Army) newspaper, said the conference provided objective opinions and raised media agencies' responsibilities for reporting on global issues, such as the ongoing territorial dispute in the East Sea.

Deputy PM makes field trip to HCM City

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai on June 21 attended a ceremony to inaugurate the second phase of Soài Rạp channel dredging project in the Hiep Phuoc Industrial Park, Nha Be district, Ho Chi Minh City.

Started in 2013, the project cost nearly 131.6 million USD with over 103 million USD financed by Belgium.

The 54-km channel was equipped with warning systems, marking buoys and other devices, allowing 50,000 deadweight tonnage vessels to traverse ports in Ho Chi Minh City.

In the coming time, it will be dredged to the depth of up to 12 metres in service of 70,000 deadweight tonnage vessels.

Addressing the event, Deputy Prime Minister Hai said the project forms part of the national maritime economic development strategy by 2020.

The navigation route in Ho Chi Minh City plays the most important role in economic development as well as national defence, he added.

The same day, the Deputy Prime Minister visited the Da Phuoc Solid Waste Treatment Complex in Ho Chi Minh City and had a working session with its operator, Vietnam Waste Solutions.

He highly valued the cooperation between the municipal authorities and the operator in promot ing th e modern waste treatment method, which helps reduce environmental pollution.

The 150 million USD project has its first phase completed with a 30-hectare landfill that can handle 10,000 tonnes of waste per day. The complex is currently treati ng 3,000 tonnes of waste per day discharged by Ho Chi Minh City and 20 tonnes by Long An province.