Vietnam introduces IAEA Resolution at UN General Assembly

Vietnam, as Chair of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), introduced a Draft Resolution entitled “Report of the IAEA” at a plenary session of the 68 th UN General Assembly in New York on November 5-6.

In his introduction speech, Ambassador Le Hoai Trung, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations, said that the Report manifests the IAEA’s indispensable role in developing and transferring nuclear technologies for peaceful purposes, contributing to the strengthening of the global nuclear safety framework and guarding against the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

In 2012, the IAEA’s activities were strengthened in both areas of nuclear technology and nuclear application. IAEA continued to play an important role in providing technical assistance to its member states in pursuit of peaceful uses of nuclear energy, he said.

According to Trung, the IAEA has also played a central role in assisting developing countries, including Vietnam, in improving the research, development and use of energy and nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, contributing to boosting their socio-economic development as well as accelerating the realisation of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Over the past years, Vietnam has always been an active member of the IAEA and made great contributions to this organization. Vietnam’s election as Chair of the Board of Governors of the IAEA has created favourable conditions for the country to contribute more to the organisation’s objectives.

It has also reflected the country’s consistent policy in promoting the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and guarding against the proliferation of nuclear weapons towards the complete and thorough nuclear disarmament.

On the occasion, Ambassador Trung congratulated Yukiya Amano on his re-appointment as the IAEA Director General for the second four-year term.

Concluding the plenary session, the UN General Assembly adopted the Draft Resolution on the “Report of the International Atomic Energy Agency”. The resolution was built by Vietnam with active support from co-authors from 78 member countries.

Set up in 1957, the IAEA plays a central role in international cooperation in promoting the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, improving people’s living standards, ensuring energy and food security, and protecting the environment.

VN keen to learn from Singapore

Deputy PM Vu Van Ninh has expressed the wish that Singapore will share its first-hand experience with Viet Nam in long-term planning, policy-making and management regarding land issues so as to meet future needs in the country's development cause.

Deputy PM Vu Van Ninh meets with Grace Fu, Minister at the Prime Minister's Office, Second Minister for Environment and Water Resources, and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs, in Singapore yesterday.

The Deputy PM made the request during a working session with Grace Fu, Minister at the Prime Minister's Office, Second Minister for Environment and Water Resources, and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs, in Singapore yesterday, Nov 6.

He also suggested that Singapore invest in developing Phu Quoc island, turning it into a model economic area in Viet Nam.

Grace Fu said Singapore stood ready to share its experiences with Viet Nam on how to better attract, plan and manage foreign investment, as well as in developing trade.

She cited an example of Singapore's economic development agency, which provides domestic and foreign investors with all necessary information while assisting domestic companies in investing overseas.

Both sides agreed that the model of a Viet Nam–Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) in Viet Nam was a success, which should be multiplied in other provinces and cities besides the five existing facilities.

The two sides shared the view that the elevation of bilateral ties to a strategic partnership in September this year would lay the foundation for further boosting co-operation between the two countries in the time ahead.

Ninh said Viet Nam was actively carrying out the content of co-operation outlined during recent visits by the two countries' leaders as well as in the strategic partnership, and asked Singapore to work closely with Viet Nam in this process.

The two officials compared notes on the two countries' global economic integration, including experiences in negotiating free trade agreements and the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal, agreeing that membership in regional and global economic institutions would bring long-term benefits.

Both host and guest affirmed that the two countries would work closely together during the TPP negotiations.

Ninh is in Singapore for a visit from November 5-8 at the invitation of Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Law K Shanmugam under the S R Nathan Fellowship.

Also yesterday, the Deputy PM held working sessions with the Monetary Authority of Singapore and Temasek Holdings, during which they discussed the management of State assets and the making of monetary and banking policies.

The S R Nathan Fellowship is a high-level programme through which foreign leaders, prominent personalities and opinion-shapers are invited to Singapore to exchange ideas

and experiences on current and long-term challenges with Singapore leaders and senior government officials.

The Fellowship was launched by Minister Shanmugam and former President S R Nathan in November 2012.

Sudan, Vietnam sign MoU on labour and social affairs

Vietnam and Sudan have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen technical cooperation in labour and social affairs.

The MoU was reached between the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) and the Sudanese Ministry of Human Resources Development and Labour in Hanoi on November 6.

Under the MoU, the two ministries will increase the exchange of knowledge and experience in poverty reduction, vocational training, and labour safety.

They will exchange delegations, hold dialogues on devising and implementing labour and social affairs-related policies.

The document is valid for five years and will be automatically extended for another five years at the end of the first term.

Vietnam and Sudan established diplomatic relations in 1969 and their bilateral cooperation is mostly focused on agriculture.

Italy, Vietnam boost audit cooperation

A delegation from the State Audit of Vietnam (SAV) led by its Deputy Chief Nguyen Quang Thanh is on a working visit to Italy from November 5-8.

Thanh paid a courtesy visit to Audit Court President Raffaele Squitieri, and held a working session with Italian auditors on November 6.

The two sides proposed measures to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the future.

The Vietnamese delegation wished to learn Italy’s experience in building and implementing annual and medium-term audit plans, especially in the fields of environment, information technology, and construction.

They invited Italian auditors to take part in seminars and training courses in Vietnam, with the aim of carrying out Italy’s official development assistance (ODA)-funded projects effectively.

Representatives of Italy's Audit Court pledged to help the SAV in personnel training and technical assistance.

The SAV is an official member of the Asian Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI), and one of co-founders of the ASEAN Supreme Audit Institution (ASEAN SAI).

The SAV has made active contributions to the international integration process and signed cooperative documents with more than 30 top audit agencies and prestigious international organizations throughout the world.

Vietnam, Palestine sign double tax avoidance agreement

Vietnam and Palestine signed an agreement on double tax avoidance and prevention of tax evasion on income and assets, on November 6, with a view to enhancing trade and investment cooperation.

The signatories to the agreement included Deputy Finance Minister Truong Chi Chung and Palestine Ambassador to Vietnam Saadi M.H.Salama.

Ambassador Chung described the signing as a contribution to boosting bilateral cooperation across a variety of fields. He hoped the newly agreed clear-cut legal taxation system, would improve investment and business between the two countries.

He congratulated both sides on their successful cooperation and hoped that the collaboration between the two governments will continue to grow and flourish in the future.

In response, the Palestinian diplomat highlighted the signing of the agreement as an significant event demonstrating the time-honored friendship between Vietnam and Palestine.

The agreement will provide a firm legal foundation for both nations to foster economic and trade links as well as all-round productive and substantial cooperation, Salama said.

Vietnam’s Ambassador to Laos Nguyen Manh Hung has praised overseas Vietnamese in Khammouan province for their solidarity and preservation of national characteristics.

The ambassador on November 6 had a working session with the executive board of the Association of Overseas Vietnamese in Khammouan, as part of his visit to central Lao provinces.

Hung suggested the association build a Vietnamese community’s primary school into Vietnam – Laos school in the time to come, reminding them to abide by the law and live in harmony with their host fellows.

The association comprises 400 households with 2,000 people. Up to 70 percent of them live on trading while others are farmers.

Khammoune is home to Sieng Vang village where President Ho Chi Minh lived and worked in 1929. During the war in 1946, the Laos – Vietnam coalition troops fought against French invaders on Thakhek battlefield.

UNDP Administrator visits Vietnam

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Helen Clark began a five-day visit to Vietnam on November 6.

According to a press release issued by the UNDP in Vietnam on the same day, Clark will meet with senior government and UN officials on the evolving role of the UN in the country, acceleration of progress towards the Millennium Development Goals, support to the Vietnam Green Growth Strategy, and challenges and aspirations of the country’s women and ethnic minorities.

She will participate in two high-level UN meetings that will take stock of UN priorities in the region.

In her role as Chair of the UN Development Group (UNDG), she will take part in the UNDG Asia-Pacific Meeting with Regional Directors of UN offices in Asia.

They will discuss progress of UN coherence and the Delivering as One efforts in which UN agencies work in a fully integrated manner. The UNDG will also be discussing the post-2015 development agenda and how progress on the Millennium Development Goals can be accelerated across the region by 2015.

Her trip will include participation at the annual UNDP Regional Cluster Meeting of UNDP Representatives across the region. They will focus on advancing UNDP’s strategic plan 2014-2017 in Asia and the Pacific. The aim is to find ways to make UNDP even more responsive to the needs of the countries in which it serves. It will look at emerging challenges and opportunities for the region.

Meetings with leading government officials will cover discussions on the UN Vietnam One Plan and UN reform in Vietnam, and the country’s active engagement in shaping post-2015 development goals. UNDP is helping Vietnam design and implement national poverty reduction and social assistance programmes targeting the poorest members of society, especially ethnic minority communities.

Clark will spend time with ethnic minority women to share views on development challenges in Viet Nam. She will also meet with Civil Society Organizations involved with advancing development in the country.

Vietnam has shown robust progress towards the Millennium Development Goals having achieved or exceeded most of the 2015 targets, in particular on poverty reduction and primary education.

The country has halved the poverty rate in the nine years from 1993, and then halved it again between 2002 and 2008. By 2010, the country was ranked 6th globally in terms of progress, both in absolute and relative terms.

However, pockets of poverty remain with half of ethnic minority people in 2012 still living below the poverty line and lagging behind MDG national averages. Challenges remain but the country is working toward improving progress on MDG 6 on HIV targets and MDG 7 on environmental sustainability.

Cambodia’s National Day marked in Hanoi

The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations and the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association co-organised a meeting in Hanoi on November 6 to celebrate the 60 th anniversary of Cambodia’s National Day (November 11).

Speaking at the event, the association’s President Vu Mao praised the socio-economic achievements gained by the Cambodian people over the past time.

He stressed that Vietnam and Cambodia enjoy a time-honoured friendship and cooperation, which is further enhanced by regular visits and meetings recently by their high-ranking officials.

Over the past years, two-way trade has enjoyed an incessant increase, reaching 3.3 billion USD in 2012, a year-on-year increase of 18 percent, Mao said, adding that Vietnam now ranks second among 140 countries and territories trading with Cambodia.

Besides, the two countries have also paid attention to boosting cooperation in the fields of education-training, energy, healthcare and transport, he added.

Cambodian Ambassador Hul Phanny recalled the history of the struggle for national independence of the three Indochinese countries of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, as well as Vietnam’s support for Cambodia to overthrow the Pol Pot genocidal regime and its national construction and development.

Vietnam keen on bolstering ties with Tanzania

Vietnam’s new Ambassador to Tanzania Vo Thanh Nam has conveyed to the Tanzanian President the desire of the Vietnamese Government and people to strengthen the traditional friendship with Tanzania.

At a ceremony to present his credentials to President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete on November 4, Ambassador Nam promised that during his office term, he will spare no effort to consolidate and develop the friendship and cooperation between the two countries, especially in the fields of economics, trade, agriculture and telecommunications.

He congratulated the Tanzanian Government and people on the significant achievements they have gained during the past years under the leadership of the Revolutionary Party of Tanzania (CCM), particularly the implementation of the country’s “Development Vision 2025”, thus enhancing its role and status in the continent and the world.

President Kikwete said leaders and people of Tanzania always admire the brave spirit of Vietnamese people during the past struggle for national independence, freedom and union, which is an inspiration for Tanzania’s own struggle for independence that led to the founding of Tanzania.

He spoke highly of Vietnam’s achievements under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, while expressing his hope that the two countries will continue bolstering their ties in all aspects, including the relations between the Communist Party of Vietnam and the CCM.

On the occasion, Ambassador Nam also extended to President Kikwete an invitation to visit Vietnam from President Truong Tan Sang.

Vietnam, Sudan expand cooperation in labour, social affairs

Vietnam and Sudan have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote their technical cooperation in labour and social affairs.

The MoU was inked between the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) and the Sudanese Ministry of Human Resources Development and Labour on November 6 in Hanoi.

It focuses on increasing the exchange of knowledge and experience in poverty reduction, vocational training, and labour safety.

The two ministries will exchange working delegations, hold dialogues on making and implementing labour and social affairs-related policies.

The MoU is valid for five years and will be automatically extended for another five years at the end of the first term.

Vietnam and Sudan established diplomatic relations in 1969. The two countries are promoting their cooperation with particular attention on agriculture.

Vietnam, Canada look towards comprehensive, stable, long-term partnership

The ties between Vietnam and Canada have seen development in many fields over the recent past towards a comprehensive, stable and long-term partnership, Vietnamese Ambassador to Canada To Anh Dung said on the occasion of the 40 th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Canada hosted a ceremony to mark the anniversary in Canada’s capital city of Ottawa on November 5, which saw the attendance of Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Deepak Obhrai and former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, several representatives from the Canada-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Group and government officials.

Ambassador Dung said it is now a favourable time to further boost the bilateral ties as Canada adopts the policy of expanding its cooperation with Asia-Pacific countries while Vietnam is also making efforts to integrate into the region and the world.

The Vietnamese diplomat hailed Canada’s positive contribution to the development of Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region at large, and thanked Canada for its help to Vietnam ’s national construction.

Deepak Obhrai underlined the bilateral ties’ development which was marked by State-level visits and meetings between the two sides’ leaders, notably the first Vietnam visit of the Canadian Governor-General in November 2011.

He noted that two-way trade turnover reached nearly 2 billion USD last year and expressed his hope of seeing stronger development of Vietnam.

On the occasion, the Vietnam-Canada ties and Vietnamese culture were introduced through photos and video clips. Internationally renowned pianist Dang Thai Son gave a performance.

Prospects of cooperation with Bolivarian alliance

Participants at a seminar held in Hanoi on November 6 discussed prospects of cooperation between Vietnam and member states of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our Americas, known as ALBA.

They said Vietnam and the alliance’s member states should enhance their multifaceted cooperation, especially in agriculture, energy, transport, telecommunications and services.

During the seminar “ALBA: Development and Challenges”, Venezuelan Ambassador to Vietnam Jorge Rondon Uzcategui and Cuban Ambassador Herminio Lopez Diaz gave a brief about the formation and development of the alliance, its objectives and its cultural and socio-economic achievements, as well as the challenges it is facing.

On December 14, 2004, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Cuban President Fidel Castro signed a joint statement on the establishment of the alliance.

The group now includes Venezuela, Cuba, Ecuador, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, San Civente, Santa Lucia and Granadinas.

The alliance aims to enhance solidarity among Latin American and Caribbean peoples, ensure independence and self-reliance and promote typical identity of its member states alongside focusing on the fight against poverty and socio-economic backwardness.

The seminar was co-hosted by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations and the Venezuelan and Cuban embassies in Vietnam.

RoK to resume receiving Vietnamese guest workers

The Republic of Korea (RoK)’s government would consider the possibility of granting multiple exit/entry visa to both Vietnamese and Korean citizens, said RoK Ambassador to Vietnam Jun Dae Joo.

The move aims to facilitate trade and investment activities and promote the relationship between the two countries, added the diplomat during his visit to the Lao dong (Labour) newspaper in Hanoi on November 5.

He also said during RoK President Park Geun-hye’s visit to Vietnam from September 7 to 11, Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang and his counterpart Park Geun-hye had agreed to boost multi-faceted cooperation between the two countries, including labour cooperation.

Vietnam and the RoK signed their first memorandum of understanding on guest workers under the Korea Employment Permit System (EPS) in 2004, and extended it every two years. However, RoK ceased accepting new Vietnamese workers in August 2012.

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