VN signs nuclear deal with Britain

Viet Nam's Minister of Science and Technology and the British Embassy signed a memorandum of understanding on co-operation in peaceful use of nuclear energy yesterday, Nov 28.

The memorandum constitutes efforts from both sides to address the challenges of meeting growing energy demand.

Under the framework of the memorandum, the two countries will focus on exchanging scientific and technical information and documentation.

They will also co-operate on regulatory frameworks, personnel training, research and development for civil power plants' cores as well as improving management of waste and spent fuel.

"Viet Nam is only embarking on its nuclear power programme. Therefore, it is particularly important for the country to learn from the knowledge and experience of a country such as Britain, which has successfully acquired extensive experience and technology in the area of peaceful nuclear energy," said Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Le Dinh Tien.

Deputy Minister Tien also said that the memorandum would be an important framework for the expansion of future co-operation in peaceful use of nuclear energy between the two ministries of science and technology.

British Ambassador to Viet Nam Antony Stokes said the signing of this MoU confirmed Britain's intention to share its expertise with Viet Nam.

Vietnamese and British governments signed a Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership in 2010, in which science and technology is one of the priorities.

Prime Minister receives new Cuban ambassador

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung received the newly accredited Cuban ambassador to Viet Nam, Herminio Lopez Diaz, yesterday, Nov 28.

Prime Minister Dung told his guest that he hoped he would work closely with relevant agencies and ministries of the two countries to implement co-operation agreements already reached between them.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung (R) receives the newly accredited Cuban ambassador to Viet Nam, Herminio Lopez Diaz, yesterday.

These include those related to trade, investment, education, pharmaceutical production and science and technology.

Viet Nam wanted Cuba to support its businesses when investing in agriculture and telecommunications in Cuba, Dung added.

In turn, the Vietnamese government would create favourable conditions for the diplomat to fulfill his tasks during his tenure in Viet Nam.

Ambassador Diaz affirmed that he would do his utmost to promote Vietnamese-Cuban co-operation, especially in economics, trade and investment.

He also hoped Viet Nam would share with Cuba its experience in national development.

Government to review core resolutions

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has assigned the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) to work with other ministries, agencies and localities to evaluate the implementation of key resolutions on socio-economic development and market assistance, according to the Vietnam Government Portal.

Specifically, the Government will review Resolution 01/NQ-CP on “Major solutions guiding and directing the realisation of the plan for socio-economic development and state budget estimate in 2013” and Resolution 02/NQ-CP on “Solutions to remove difficulties against production and business, support the market and deal with non-performing loans” dated January 7, 2013.

The Prime Minister also asked his inferiors to craft a resolution on “Major solutions guiding and directing the realisation of the plan for socio-economic development and state budget estimate in 2014.”

The MPI is put in charge of reporting the implementation before December 10, 2013 in order to prepare for an upcoming conference between the Government and localities to realise the National Assembly’s Resolution on socio-economic development plan and State budget estimate for 2014.

Earlier, the National Assembly approved main growth rates, including a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of 5.8 percent, an export turnover growth of 10 percent, a trade deficit of 6 percent of total export turnover, a Consumer Price Index (CPI) growth of 7 percent, and a total social development investment that makes up 30 percent of GDP.

On social development, the Resolution has set to reduce poor households by 1.7 -2 percent, create jobs for 1.6 million laborers, reduce urban unemployment rate to under 4 percent, increase the percentage of trained workers to 52 percent, and reduce the rate of children under five with malnutrition to 15.5 percent.

Vietnam, Cambodia news agencies’ cooperation lauded

Cambodian Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith on November 28 lauded the cooperation between the Cambodian news agency AKP and the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) over the past time.

He made the remark during a reception for VNA Director General Nguyen Duc Loi, who is on a working visit to the country at the invitation of AKP Director General Sok Mom Nimul.

At the meeting, Director General Loi briefed the host on the outcomes of his talks with AKP the previous day, affirming that the partnership between AKP and VNA has helped enhance the mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples.

He expressed his gratitude to the Cambodian minister for helping VNA correspondents in Cambodia successfully fulfil their tasks while working in the country.

The VNA leader said he hopes for more support from Minister Khieu Kanharith to step up the relations between VNA and AKP, on par with the traditional friendship between the two countries.

The Cambodian minister thanked VNA for assisting AKP in personnel training, technical support and information exchanges.

He promised to order relevant agencies, together with AKP, to map out cooperation projects with VNA.

The minister also congratulated VNA on its development over the past time, and pledged support to integrate VNA’s TV news into Cambodia’s cable TV network.

The Romanian Embassy in Hanoi on November 28 hosted a reception to mark the 95th anniversary of the National Day of Romania.

Addressing the function, Charge d'Affaires Valeriu Arteni highlighted the fine development of the two countries’ traditional friendship and cooperation.

Vietnam holds a special place in the foreign policy of Romania, and is the leading trade partner of Romania in ASEAN, he affirmed.

Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son said as the close friend of the Romanian people, Vietnam always follows with keen interest and is glad to see the encouraging achievements recorded by Romania in the past years.

He highly valued the support and assistance extended by the two governments to the Vietnamese community in Romania and the Romanian community in Vietnam in their daily living and businesses, thus contributing to building a friendship bridge to promote trade and investment ties and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

Bilateral trade between Vietnam and Romania in the past 3 years has been stably increasing, reaching over 100 million USD a year and 97 million USD in the first 10 months of 2013 alone.

Congratulations on Laos’ National Day

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh has congratulated Lao people on its 38 th National Day (December 2).

Meeting with the staff of the Lao Embassy in Hanoi on November 28, Minh lauded great achievements the country has gained in implementing Resolution of the ninth Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and the seventh five-year socio-economic development plan.

He also congratulated Laos on the successful organisation of a number of regional summits and conferences and its membership of the World Trade Organisation, which have helped raise the country’s prestige and position in the international arena.

The Deputy PM expressed his delight at the fine development of the Vietnam-Laos special friendship, solidarity and comprehensive cooperation, significantly contributing to each country’s socio-economic development as well as maintaining peace, stability, cooperation and prosperity in the region and the world.

Lao Charge d’Affaires to Vietnam Oukham Sengkeomixay thanked the Vietnamese Party, State, Government and people for their valuable support for his country.

He affirmed that the Lao Embassy will continue working closely with the Vietnamese relevant agencies to further enhance the two countries’ ties.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Papua New Guinea presents credentials

Vietnam’s non-resident Ambassador to Papua New Guinea Nguyen Xuan Thuy on November 26 submitted his credentials to Papua New Guinea’s Governor-General Michael Ogio, representative of Queen Elizabeth II.

Governor-General Ogio highly valued the friendship between Vietnam and Papua New Guinea over the past time and the achievements Vietnam has obtained. He voiced determination to further the relations in the fields of agriculture, fisheries and tourism.

The head of the independent state raised the need to exchange visits of high-ranking offices, especially technicians now that Vietnam’s construction and development model matches Papua New Guinea’s current situation.

He sent his thanks to Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang for strongly supporting his country become the host of the APEC Summit in 2018, wishing to learn about Vietnam’s experience in preparation for the summit.

Ambassador Nguyen Xuan Thuy, who also works as Vietnam’s Ambassador to Indonesia paid courtesy visits to Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Commerce and Industry, and met with Indonesian and Japanese ambassadors to the country.

Vietnam learns from Mexico’s judicial reform

A Vietnamese delegation from the Central Steering Committee for Judicial Reform led by the committee’s deputy head Le Thi Thu Ba has made a working visit to Mexico to study the country’s experience in judicial reform.

During its four-day visit from November 24-27, the delegation had meetings with representatives from Mexico’s judicial and legal sectors, including the Attorney General’s Ofice (PGR), Mexico City’s Supreme Court of Justice, the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) and the Federal Council of the Judiciary.

During the working sessions, the two sides discussed issues related to investigation and legal procedure, the reform of human rights institutions, judicial activities, the policy on gender and the coordination between authorities and agencies in law enforcement at all levels.

The delegation learned about regulations and functions of Mexico’s judicial agencies at each level as well as the content and orientations for judicial reform in the coming time.

The Vietnamese delegation was received by Ricardo Garza, politburo member of the Mexico Labour Party (PT) on Nov. 26.

At the reception, the two sides informed each other of the socio-economic situation in their respective countries and compared notes on regional and international issues of common concerns.

Both sides affirmed their determination to further promote the relations between the two parties, thus contributing to consolidating and deepening multifaceted cooperation between the two countries for mutual benefit of their people.

Le Thi Thu Ba, who is also member of the Communist Party of Vietnam’s Central Committee and deputy head of the Party Central Committee’s Office, conveyed an invitation from President Truong Tan Sang to the PT’s Secretary General Alberto Anaya Gutierrez to visit Vietnam.

VNN/VNS/VNA