Viet Nam expands relations with Republic of Seychelles

President Truong Tan Sang has affirmed Viet Nam's external policy of expanding mutually beneficial co-operation with African nations, including the Republic of Seychelles.

President Truong Tan Sang (left) and Republic of Seychelles President James Alix Michel review Viet Nam's guards of honour.

Sang made the affirmation during a high-level dialogue yesterday, Aug 28, with President James Alix Michel who began a two-day visit to Ha Noi the same day.

He thanked Seychelles for recognising Viet Nam's market economy status, making an important contribution to the fine development of traditional friendship, mutual trust and support for the two countries.

He congratulated Seychelles for its achievements in socio-economic development in recent years and appreciated its contributions to peace and stability for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and across the whole region.

For his part, President James Alix Michel expressed his admiration for late President Ho Chi Minh, the Communist Party of Viet Nam and the Vietnamese people's past struggle for national independence.

He wished Viet Nam to reap greater fruits in realising its socio-economic development targets to build a wealthy and strong nation with a rising position in the world arena.

Both presidents said they were happy with the encouraging results of multifaceted co-operation between the two countries, stressing that Seychelles is currently the biggest African investor in Viet Nam.

They said they would instruct their relevant agencies to study the possibility of increasing bilateral co-operation in investment, tourism, agriculture, seafood processing, oil and gas, and renewable energy.

The two leaders exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern and agreed to share information and boost co-ordination at multilateral forums to contribute to global peace, stability, co-operation and development.

They also agreed to release a joint statement after President James Alix Michel's visit.

After the talk, Presidents Sang and his counterpart witnessed the signing of five co-operation documents in the areas of diplomacy, aviation, tourism, trade, and the twinning relationship between the two capitals of Ha Noi and Victoria.

President James Alix Michel invited President Sang to visit his country and the invitation was accepted with pleasure.

The same day, President James Alix Michel was also received by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

The guest briefed Trong on the results of the dialogue with his Vietnamese counterpart and informed the Party leader about the activities of Seychelles People's Progressive Front, in which the president holds the position of General Secretary.

Trong said he believed under the leadership of the Front, the Seychelles people would continue achieving greater success in the course of national construction and development, thus lifting the country's position in the international arena.

He expressed his hope that after the president's visit, the two countries would continue to complete legal framework to strengthen the co-operation for mutual benefits.

VN talks defence at ASEAN retreat

Minister of National Defence General Phung Quang Thanh yesterday, Aug 28, discussed the importance of defence co-operation towards building an ASEAN Political-Security Community by 2015 at the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Retreat (ADMM) in Brunei.

At the event, Thanh and other defence ministers of ASEAN bloc pledged to cope with defence and security challenges via ADMM and ADMM Plus (ADMM+) mechanisms which, according to them, should be strengthened.

Closer links to tackle other challenges like humanitarian assistance, search and rescue and maritime security were agreed.

The ministers pointed to cyber security as a new field that needs attention. They reached a consensus on strengthening realistic measures, such as the opening of communication lines to minimise risks of incidents, especially those at sea, to build trust.

Participants shared the opinion that a stronger army-to-army link is a key momentum behind defence co-operation and ASEAN's centrality is crucial to the process of promoting ADMM+.

On the fringes of the event there was an informal ASEAN-US meeting where US Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel said his country wants to work with ASEAN member nations in all fields and backs the regional co-operation mechanism in which the bloc plays a central role.

The US wants the East Sea disputes to be settled peacefully and it will make continued contributions to regional peace and stability, Hagel said.

Addressing the meeting, Minister Thanh said Viet Nam wanted the US to continue engaging in dealing with war consequences in the country.

Thanh stressed that Viet Nam treasured a comprehensive partnership with the US in various realms, including defence. He said he hoped the two nations would develop the ties for the sake of the two peoples.

"Viet Nam will make it easier for the US in the MIA issue and expects that the US will provide the country with more information about missing Vietnamese soldiers during the war," he added.

Hagel vowed to continue carrying out the MoU and help Viet Nam with bomb and mine clearance, detoxification and peacekeeping activities.

Thanh also had meetings with his Japanese counterpart Itsunori Onodera, RoK's Minister of Defence Kim Kwan-ji, and Malaysian Defence Minister Dato Seri Hishammuddin Tun Husein.

Today, the ASEAN defence ministers, together with senior defence officials of the eight dialogue partners, are to take part in the ADMM+.

At the first meeting in Viet Nam in 2010, the ADMM+ was described as a tool to engage ASEAN Dialogue Partners in dialogue and co-operation on defence and security matters, aimed at ensuring peace, stability and development in the region and heading towards an ASEAN Community by 2015.

Vietnam appreciates WB assistance

The government of Vietnam considers the World Bank a trusted partner in the development process, providing not only resources but also policy consulting.

At a reception for WB Country Director Victoria Kwakwa in Hanoi on August 28, Dung thanked the director for lobbying the WB and other donors to maintain preferential loans for Vietnam, especially in infrastructure development and poverty reduction.

He confirmed that Vietnam gives top priority to containing inflation, stabilising the macroeconomy and maintaining reasonable growth. It is pooling resources to restructure its economy, public investments, banks and State-owned enterprises, and these efforts have proved effective initially.

Vietnam wants to receive continued assistance and advice from the WB in this area, said Dung.

He told Kwakwa that the government has instructed relevant ministries and agencies to work harder to accelerate disbursement of WB loans, including 10 projects worth US$1.3 billion in the 2013 fiscal year.

He also appreciated the WB’s decision to include Vietnam in the list of preferential loan recipients of the International Development Association (IDA) – a member of the WB Group, to support national poverty reduction efforts.

Dung proposed both sides work on criteria for selecting feasible projects on climate change adaptation, infrastructure development, and poverty reduction.

Kwakwa spoke highly of the close and effective cooperation between the WB and Vietnam, especially in disbursing WB loans in 2013.

She proposed relevant Vietnamese agencies work closely with the WB in project appraisal and submission to effectively disburse the loans.

She assured Dung that the WB supports Vietnam’s socio-economic development and economic restructuring, as well as its efforts to settle non-performing loans among commercial banks.

Angola, Viet Nam increase multi-faceted ties

Angola wants to beef up co-operation with Viet Nam in various fields, especially politics, economic-trade, science and technology, health, education and telecommunications.

Afonso Van-Dunem, Secretary of the Central Committee for External Affairs for the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), made the statement during his talks with Le Hong Anh, Politburo member and permanent secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) in Luanda, Angola on Tuesday.

Le Hong Anh led a CPV delegation on an official visit to Angola which ended today, Aug 29.

The two sides discussed the co-operative ties between the two parties and countries as well as international and regional issues of mutual concern.

Afonso Van-Dunem spoke highly of Viet Nam's national construction and defence achievements and thanked the country for its great support of Angola, especially in agriculture, healthcare and education.

He said Movitel, a joint venture between Viet Nam's military-run telecom service provider Viettel and Mozambique's SPI and Invespar companies, is an effective co-operation model and should be developed in Angola.

For his part, Le Hong Anh said he highly valued the great achievements made by the Angolan Government and people under the leadership of MPLA in maintaining peace, political stability, economic development and international economic integration.

He affirmed Viet Nam's determination to promote the implementation of agreements between the two parties and states for the benefits of their people.

He also expressed his hope that the Angolan side will continue creating favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community to live stably and do long-term business in the country, contributing to strengthening the friendship and co-operation between the two peoples.

Brunei Ambassador bids farewell to PM

Brunei Darussalam's outgoing Ambassador Dato Paduka Haji Mahadi Haji Wasli paid farewell visit to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in Ha Noi yesterday, Aug 28.

Dung highly valued the diplomat's contribution to the two countries' all-rounded relations during the past, stressing that Viet Nam will work together with Brunei to deepen bilateral relations for the sake of their people.

He affirmed that Viet Nam will join hands with other ASEAN countries to make an ASEAN Summit and related meetings, which are slated for October in Brunei, successful.

For his part, Ambassador Dato Mahadi Haji vowed to do his best to nurture the growing friendship and co-operation between the two countries and people.

He said he hopes the two sides will expand co-operation in a wide range of fields, especially the potential oil and gas sector, and in the ASEAN framework.

Lao President receives Vietnamese university honour

The Vietnam National Economic University on August 28 conferred an honorary doctorate degree on Lao Party General Secretary and President Chummaly Saynhasone.

The degree recognises Saynhasone’s significant contribution to developing the comprehensive cooperation relations between Vietnam and Laos, as well as to education and training cooperation between the two countries.

Saynhasone said he was happy to receive the honour from the university – one of the leading institutions in Vietnam, saying it creates a source of encouragement for not only himself but the entire Party, State and people of Laos during the renewal process.

The Vietnam National Economic University has been assigned by the Vietnamese Party and State to train Lao officials and students since 1963-1964.

It has also coordinated with Lao agencies to organise workshops and develop high-quality human resources for Laos.

VNN/VOV/VNS/VNA