Vietnam, US seek ways to boost defence ties

On December 15, Defence Minister Thanh held talks with his American counterpart Robert Gates at which they touched upon a wide range of issues in the bilateral defence ties together with regional and international issues of mutual concern.

The Vietnamese minister affirmed that the US is a big partner of Vietnam in all fields and that his visit’s purpose is to contribute to strengthening friendship, relationship and mutual understanding between the two countries.

The US officials spoke highly of Vietnam ’s active and effective cooperation in searching US servicemen missing in action (MIA) during the war as well as in gathering the full account of MIA soldiers in the Vietnam War.

Vietnam and the US have jointly conducted 97 search and excavation missions so far, resulting in the repatriation of 894 sets of remains of US soldiers. 

The US side has provided Vietnam with information relating to nearly 1,000 cases of Vietnamese soldiers missing in action – the figure remains small in comparison with Vietnam ’s recorded 300,000 soldiers missing during the war. 

The Vietnamese officials also handed over to the US officials documents that specify 13 locations where joint excavations will be conducted in order to shorten the duration of the programme to search US MIA soldiers in Vietnam further.

The two sides pledged to continue to cooperate in the issue in humanitarian spirit.

They agreed to continue to work together in addressing the aftermaths of the war, including decontaminating toxic chemicals, removing bombs and mines left from the war, cooperating in search and rescue activities on sea, and coordinating in the forecasting of storms on sea.

During his official visit to the US , Defence Minister Thanh also met with First Deputy Secretary of State James B. Steinberg, Senator James Webb, Senator John McCain, and National Security Advisor General James Johns, and visited the National Defense University of the US (NDU).

Vietnamese girls crowned by penalty kicks

Vientiane (VNA) – The Vietnamese female football team on Dec. 16 beat their Thai rivals in a penalty shoot-out, ended in 3-0, taking the gold medal of the sport at the 25th Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 25) being held in Laos.

The two teams made no score both in the first 90 minutes and in the 30-minute extra time.

At first in the penalty shoot-out, the Thai captain fired over the bar-netting, then the Vietnamese goal keeper hindered once. Finally, another kick by a Thai player was not successful.

On Dec. 16, Vietnam scooped 16 more gold medals equal to Thailand , but ranked second after the latter due to the number of silver and bronze medals.

Three gold medals were bagged in fin-swimming and two in shuttle cock.

Judo also brought three gold medals for Vietnam.

State President leaves Spain for Slovakia

Barcelona (VNA) – State President Nguyen Minh Triet and the ranking delegation of Vietnam on Dec. 16 left Barcelona city of Spain for Slovakia for a state visit from Dec. 17-18.

President Triet is accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Gia Khiem, Head of the State President’s Office Nguyen Van Chien, Minister of Information and Communications Le Doan Hop, Vietnamese Ambassador to Slovakia Nguyen Ba Than and other senior officials of the government.

Earlier in the morning, the farewell ceremony was solemnly held at the El Pardo Palace in Madrid, Spain for President Triet and his spouse.

Before his departure, President Triet and his entourage paid a visit to Barcelona city where he met with the President of Catalonia Region Jose Montilla and Mayor Jordi Hereu.

At the meeting, President Triet underlined that Vietnam and Spain have identified the framework for building “the strategic partnership towards the future” with the aim of lifting bilateral relations to a new height, especially in areas where Spain has strong advantages such as infrastructure, renewable energy, science, technology and tourism.

He welcomed the newly signed cooperation deal between Barcelona and Ho Chi Minh City, saying that the two cities have huge potentials for cooperation in infrastructure, urban planning and management, environmental protection, health, and education.

Meanwhile, Barcelona’s Mayor Hereu confirmed that his city puts close attention to promoting cooperative relations with cities and province in Vietnam.

At the Vietnam-Spain Business Forum, President Triet expressed his wish that Catalonia authorities would share experiences with Vietnam in terms of developing the regional economy and harmoniously mainstream culture into development plans.

He said Vietnam welcomed Spanish companies, especially those from the Catalonia region, to step up exchange of information and business relations with Vietnamese partners in the areas of shared interests, including sea ports, logistics and tourism.

King Tran Nhan Tong’s attainment of Nirvana commemorated

Quang Ninh (VNA) – The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha hosted a solemn ceremony at the Yen Tu Holy Mountain on December 16 to commemorate the 701st anniversary of the attainment of Nirvana of King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong, the founder of Vietnamese Zen Buddhism.

Construction of a copper statute dedicated to the King also began at the An Ky Sinh area on the Yen Tu Holy Mountain where the King-Monk’s passage to Nirvana took place. It is designed to be 9.9 m high and weighing about 100 tonnes.

Localities nationwide simultaneously celebrated the 701st anniversary of the attainment of Nirvana of King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong. 

At the Quang Duc Zen Monastery in Ho Chi Minh City, hundreds of Buddhist dignitaries and followers gathered to offer incense to the King.

Venerable Thich Tri Quang, Vice President of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha’s Executive Committee, recalled the lesson in how King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong brought compassion into society under his reign, hoping this valuable lesson would be studied and applied practically at present. 

A grand ceremony was held in the central province of Quang Nam to honor King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong, who was famed for twice defeating Mongol invaders under his reign.

The ceremony was a tribute to the King’s great services to the nation and Buddhism, said Venerable Thich Chi Dao, Vice Head of the Quang Nam Buddhist Sangha’s Executive Committee. 

Tran Nhan Tong (1258-1308), the third emperor of the Tran dynasty, ascended to the throne when he was just 21. He is famed for defeating Mongol invaders.

He abdicated his throne at the age of 35 and spent the rest of his life on the Yen Tu Mountain practising and propagating Buddhism, and founded the Truc Lam School of Zen (the Bamboo Forest School).

During that time, the King-Monk worked to unify different sects of Vietnamese Buddhism into Vietnamese Zen Buddhism.

The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha Central Committee has long observed the day King Tran Nhan Tong attained Nirvana (the first day of the eleventh lunar month) as the national anniversary of Vietnamese Buddhism.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is working with relevant ministries and the Quang Ninh authorities to compile a record on King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong for submission to UNESCO to recognise him as a World Cultural Celebrity.

A/H1N1 flu claims 49 lives in Vietnam

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam’s health ministry has confirmed 49 deaths from the A/H1N1 flu as of December 15, with two recent victims were pregnant and the other already suffered from the African fever.

The ministry also has confirmed that a total of 11,047 people were found positive for the A/H1N1 virus in 21 cities and provinces, said Dr. Nguyen Huy Nga, Chief of the Health Ministry’s Department for Preventive Medicine and Environment at a meeting of the National Steering Board on Flu Prevention in Humans in Hanoi on December 16.

At the meeting, Dr. Nguyen Van Kinh, Director of the Central Hospital of Tropical Diseases, reported that infections of the A/H1N1 flu in the country seems to have taken a break for sometime.

He said doctors have recognised several cases where patients showed resistance to Tamiflu. However, they said there has been no evidence of genetic mutations from taking the medication.

Dr. Kinh alerted that although the number of A/H1N1 people hospitalized has reduced significantly, those who have been taken to the hospital recently have often dealt with serious complications of the flu infection.

Accordingly, he recommends that an early diagnose and prompt treatment remains the best option for people to prevent themselves from catching the disease.

The doctor also warned that the A/H1N1 influenza in poultry has recently showed signs of recurrence in a number of cities and provinces in the country, which would increase potential risks of poultry-human transmissions.

Russian mass media highlights Vietnam-Russia cooperation

Moscow (VNA) – Russia’s mass media on December 15 and 16 highlighted the results of a working visit by a Vietnamese government delegation led by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and spoke highly of the increasingly enhanced strategic partnership between the two countries. 

Russia’s major TV channels, including Channel One, Russia, TVS and NTV, gave news on the results of the Vietnam-Russia talks and the signing of important cooperative documents between the two countries. 

The Russia Journal reported on December 16 that gas industry group, Gazprom, wants to penetrate into Asian markets with Hanoi help. The article was accompanied with photos relating to the talks between PM Dung and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. 

The article stated that Gazprom decided to penetrate into the Southeast Asian market with Vietnam’s help through the signing of two strategic agreements with the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam). 

The Commersant newspaper also ran an article quoting Putin as saying that despite the global economic-financial crisis, two-way trade between Vietnam and Russia increased 4.1 percent to 1.16 billion USD in the first nine months of this year. 

While emphasising the two countries’ achievements in energy cooperation, the article concluded that the signing of new cooperative documents will help further strengthen the all-round strategic partnership between Russia and Vietnam. 

The Novosti newspaper also quoted the Russian PM as saying that the relationship between Vietnam and Russia is very special and the two sides always give each other the warmest sentiments. 

The Russian Government leader thanked Vietnam for the building of a monument commemorating former Soviet Union and Vietnamese soldiers who sacrificed their lives for peace and stability in the region, the newspaper wrote. 

Meanwhile, the Komsomoljkaja Pravda newspaper confirmed that the Russian and Vietnamese government leaders reached an agreement on Russian companies’ involvement in gas production and building the first nuclear power plant in Vietnam. 

The Gazeta newspaper ran an article and photos on the signing of cooperative agreements between Russian and Vietnamese companies during PM Dung’s visit on December 15.

ASEAN worker representatives meet in Hanoi

Hanoi (VNA) – Almost 50 defenders of workers’ rights from eight ASEAN countries met in Hanoi on Dec. 16 to discuss cooperative measures to protect the rights of migration workers.

Hosted by the Vietnam National Union of Post and Telecom Workers, the ongoing conference of the ASEAN Service Employees’ Trade Unions Council (ASETUC) is themed “From Thailand to Vietnam – important steps towards successful ASEAN integration.” 

Participants reviewed what ASETUC’s achievements in 2009 and will discuss until Dec. 17 other issues, including the role of partners in building the ASEAN community, ASEAN’s tools to protect and promote the rights of migration workers within the bloc focusing on labour health and safety, as well as the future development of ASEAN.

ASETUC was founded in March 2007 with three main objectives: promoting welfare for migration workers, safety for service workers and free trade and services.

Next year, the Vietnam National Union of Post and Telecom Workers will assume the rotating chairmanship of ASETUC.

RoK offers universities books

Hanoi (VNA) – A total of 10,000 books in Korean language were presented to Hanoi-based universities in a ceremony jointly held by the Republic of Korea-Vietnam Fund and the RoK Cultural Centre in Hanoi on December 16. 

The books from the YES24 Co. Ltd, an online book seller in the RoK, were handed over to representatives from the Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities, the University of Foreign Languages , the Hanoi University , the University of Culture and the Hanoi National University of Education. 

The books focusing on the Korean culture, politics and economy will help Vietnamese students of studying Korea improve their language skills and gain more knowledge about the East Asia country. 

Earlier, in October, YES24 Co. Ltd offered books to the National Library and several universities in the city.

Cambodian art troupe to tour northern Vietnam

Hanoi (VNA) – A delegation of 30 Cambodian artists and officials will give three performances in northern Vietnam as part of various activities to celebrate the Cambodian Culture Week 2009 later this month.

The first show to be held in Hanoi ’s Opera House on Dec. 23 will kick off the culture week, according to the Art Performance Organising Centre under the Department of Performing Arts. 

The Cambodian artists will also star in another concert in the capital city at the Military Theatre on Dec. 25 and wrap up their tour on Dec. 27 with a show in the northern portal city of Hai Phong.

Tickets to the shows will be distributed free of charge among guests. 

During the Cambodian Culture Week, a lot of art performances, exhibitions and film screenings will be held with the aim of bringing the rich and extraordinary folk art of Cambodia to Vietnamese people, thereby fostering the friendship relations between Vietnam and Cambodia .

The first culture week of Cambodia was held in southern Vietnam two years ago.

Training course on HIV/AIDS held for kindergarteners

Hanoi (VNA) – The National Fund for Vietnamese Children held a two-day training course on measures to prevent and combat against HIV/AIDS for 39 kindergarteners who are working at Centres for Social Support in 21 cities and provinces nationwide.

The course took place on Dec. 15-16 and was initiated and funded by a US donor, Susan Clark.

The course provided basic knowledge and treatment with children infected with HIV/AIDS; techniques to prevent the disease contraction, available vaccinations, and ARV medicine treatment procedures. 

The course also created an opportunity for the trainees to discuss issues related to HIV/AIDS with medical experts from the Ministry of Health and the Central Children Hopital.

Trainees also took a field trip to the Centre for Education and Social Labour No 2 in Hanoi to call on 53 HIV infectious children who are brought up and treated in the centre.

ASEAN marks first anniversary of charter

Jakarta (VNA) - The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Dec. 16 commemorated the first anniversary of the ASEAN Charter by hosting the 2nd ASEAN Secretariat Policy Forum at its secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia. 

Present at the forum titled “The ASEAN Charter: One Year On”, were ASEAN General Secretary Surin Pitsuwan, ambassadors of the ASEAN countries based in Jakarta, heads of permanent missions to ASEAN, and many other diplomats. 

In his opening remarks, Pitsuwan said the charter reflects aspiration of the governments and people of the ASEAN member nations in building the ASEAN Community by 2015 in three pillars: politics-security, economy, and culture-society. 

The bloc has, over the past year, made progress especially in developing mechanisms towards an integrated ASEAN, he said, adding that the group however faced various difficulties and challenges. 

The general secretary stressed that it was time for all the ASEAN member countries to make greater efforts to bring the charter into life. 

Singaporean Ambassador Tun Musa Hitam, Chairman of the Eminent Persons Group, and a number of other diplomats hailed the establishment of the ASEAN Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR) and the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights as the most outstanding results of the implementation of the charter. 

They also pointed to agreements on diplomatic privileges and exemptions for individuals who perform the ASEAN’s official tasks within the region and strides in building the ASEAN Economic Community. 

ASEAN groups include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

Ancient woodblocks win UNESCO heritage title

Hanoi (VNA) - The UNESCO country director on Dec. 12 awarded the certificate of Documentary Heritage to the State Records and Archives Department for woodblocks from the Nguyen Dynasty two centuries ago. 

At the ceremony, Katherine Muller Marin recognised that 34,555 plates of woodblocks of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1863) helped record official literature and history as well as classic and historical books. 

She added that apart from their historic value, the woodblocks also have artistic and technical merit as they mark the development of woodblock carving and the printing profession in Vietnam. 

Experts said woodblocks were considered national assets under the feudal regimes as only authorities and historians were allowed to use such materials. 

The importance and high value of these woodblocks led feudal dynasties and State regimes in history of Vietnam to pay considerable attention to preserving the records, stated UNESCO in its website on the Memory of the World Register Programme. 

Woodblocks of the Nguyen Dynasty were carved with up-side-down ancient Vietnamese and Chinese scripts for book printings under the feudal regime. They made up a valuable collection consisting of 152 books documenting different topics ranging from history to socio-politics, military arts, justice, culture, education and poetry. Books were only printed under the King’s mandate. 

The woodblocks of the Nguyen Dynasty were included into the list of World Documentary Heritage at a three day meeting that ended on July 31, 2009 by the International Consultative Group on the Memory of the World Register Programme. 

The programme launched by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) aims at preserving and disseminating valuable archive holdings and library collection worldwide.

Russian oil experts receive honour

Moscow (VNA) – Six Russian oil and gas experts have been presented with the Friendship Order for their active contributions to Vietnam’s oil and gas sector, helping strengthen the traditional friendship between the two countries. 

Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Bui Dinh Dinh presented the honour to the Russian experts in Moscow on December 16. 

The awardees included the Deputy General Director for Foreign Relations of oil and gas group Zarubezhneft, Archem Garibyan, First Deputy General Director of the Vietsovpetro joint venture Mikhail Sobolev, and General Director of the Rusvietpetro joint venture Valery Klinchev. 

Vietgazprom General Director Valery Petrenko, production manager Vasyl Slabous, and exploration manager Sergey Mikhailenko were also honoured. 

On the occasion, General Director of the PetroVietnam Construction Joint Stock Corporation (PVC) Vu Duc Thuan and Venyamin Roitman, General Director of the Zarubezhneftstroimontazh Company (ZNSM) signed an agreement on bilateral cooperation orientations. 

Nguyen Tuan Anh, Chairman of the Board of the PetroVietnam Insurance Joint Stock Corporation (PVI) and Vadim Yanov, President of the Russian oil and gas insurance group Sogaz also signed a framework agreement on insurance cooperation between the two companies.

Corruption busters honoured in Da Nang

Da Nang (VNA) – Twenty-nine people from 21 cities and provinces nationwide, who made outstanding contributions to the fight against corruption, have been honoured for their bravery in bringing to light acts of embezzlement. 

At a conference held in the central city of Da Nang, the Central Steering Committee for the Prevention of Corruption praised 23 citizens who denounced corrupt acts, plus two inspectors, two policemen and two journalists who have fought resolutely against corruption. 

Vu Tien Chien, Chief of the Office of the Steering Committee, said that honouring these individuals shows the public’s respect and support for courageous people who denounce corruption and this will gradually eradicate the problem. 

According to Chien, the fight against corruption has seen several positive results three years after the Party issued its resolution on fighting corruption, and waste. 

In the first eight months of 2009, investigations were launched into 200 corruption cases involving 432 individuals. Judgement has already been passed on eight major cases and six out of 17 serious cases monitored by the Steering Committee were sent to trial. 

The conference also highlighted weaknesses and shortcoming in the fight against corruption and pointed to five ways of uncovering corruption. These include enhancing the supervisory role of State agencies, National Assembly Deputies and representatives of People’s Councils at all levels.

Vietnamese legislators visit Brazil

Hanoi (VNA) – A delegation from Vietnam ’s National Assembly led by its Deputy Chairman Huynh Ngoc Son concluded their four-day visit to Brazil on Dec. 16. 

While in Brazil , the Vietnamese delegation paid courtesy visits to the President of the Chamber of Deputies and the Vice President of the Federal Senate as well as holding talks with the Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies. 

The MPs also met with the Chamber of Deputies’ External Relations and Defence Committee, the Brazil-Vietnam friendship parliamentarians group and the Brazilian Communist Party’s parliamentary group. 

They also met with the Brazilian Ministries of Development, Trade and Industry, and Defence. 

At the meetings, Vice Chairman Son informed his hosts of Vietnam ’s socio-economic achievements in 2009. 

Brazil agreed to step up the exchange of legislative delegations to increase mutual understanding between the two countries and work closer together in fields of mutual concern. 

Brazil and Vietnam should actively cooperate in politics, economics and trade, science-technology, defence, education and training, culture, sports and tourism, they said. 

Brazil wants to expand and tighten its relations with Vietnam and other developing nations in Asia as well as increasing two-way trade between the two countries to 1 billion USD by 2010, they said. 

Brazil also asked Vietnam to provide more information before considering the country as a market economy. 

Both hosts and guests applauded the cooperation and mutual assistance shown at multilateral forums including the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation and the World Parliamentary Union.

Vietnam celebrates Army Day in RoK

Seoul (VNA) – The Vietnamese Embassy and the country’s Defence Attaché Office in the Republic of Korea (RoK) held a meeting on December 15 to celebrate the 65 th anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army (Dec. 22).

Vietnam ’s Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Huy Hieu attended the meeting while prominent guests included the RoK’s Deputy Defence Minister Kim Yong Ki, the ambassadors of ASEAN member countries, the defence attachés from several other countries and Vietnamese people who live and work in the RoK. 

When speaking at the event, the RoK’s Deputy Defence Minister Kim Yong Ki congratulated the Vietnam People’s Army for its achievements over the past 65 years and spoke highly of the economic success Vietnam has recorded in recent times.

The RoK Deputy Minister said that he believed the armed forces of Vietnam and the RoK will further contribute to the Asia-Pacific region. He also stressed on the similarity in cultures that both nations have and praised the development of bilateral relations in the fields of economics, culture, politics and education since the two countries first established diplomatic ties on December 22, seventeen years ago.

Ha Long Bay’s 15th anniversary marked

Quang Ninh (VNA) – The 15 th anniversary of Ha Long Bay’s recognition as a world natural heritage was celebrated in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh on Dec. 15. 

Speaking at the ceremony, Vice Chairman of the Quang Ninh provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Van Doc said that Ha Long Bay’s status as a world natural heritage site has helped more people in the world know Vietnam . The Ga Choi (Fighting Cock ) islet on the Ha Long Bay was selected as a symbol of Vietnam ’s tourism sector in 2000. 

The Bay, which was twice recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for its natural beauty in 1994 and geomorphic characteristics in 2000, is also among the top of the list in a campaign to vote for the world’s seven new natural wonders by the NewOpenWorld, he said. 

Quang Ninh province always considers the preservation of Ha Long Bay one of the top priorities in its socio-economic development strategy. Nearly 80 investment scientific research project on the Bay have been carried out at a total cost of more than 100 billion VND in total. They include an environment management project and a community-based natural resources circulation assistance project funded by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), a flora system research project funded by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a feasibility study project on a Ha Long Ecological Museum sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and a project to raise the awareness of marine protection by Fauna and Flora International (FFI). 

Ha Long Bay welcomed almost 2.2 million tourists in the first 11 months of the year. 


The Bay, with a 120 km stretch of coastline, is part of the Bac Bo ( Tonkin ) Gulf in the northeast of the country. Covering over 430sq.km, the bay is dotted with 1,969 limestone islands that rise spectacularly from the sea, and is renowned for its diverse geographical features, such as a unique system of island caves and karst topography. 


Geographical attractions aside, Ha Long Bay is home to a diverse ecological system that includes mangrove forests, tropical forests and coral reefs that are inhabited by more than 1,000 species of fish and marine life. 


The islands are also home to many species of birds, bantams, antelopes, monkeys and iguanas. 


Scientists have proved that Ha Long Bay is one of the cradles of ancient Vietnamese people with three consecutive prehistoric cultures that dated back to 18,000 years.

Hearing-impaired dancers explore mankind, memory

Hanoi (VNA) – A contemporary dance featuring hearing impaired dancers from the Together Higher dance troupe will perform the debut of Sigh Memory in Hanoi on Dec. 18.

Sigh Memory tells the story about man and memory. It begins with a man looking into his past to confirm he exists in the present. But the memory he finds does not belong to him. It has a life of its own, and it doesn’t need him.

The show was put together by Le Vu Long, hailed as Vietnam ’s first independent contemporary choreographer. In 2002 he established the dance company Together Higher for the deaf people.

In 2007, he became director of the UNESCO centre for cultural and sport development to support and organise cultural and sporting activities. Long’s works have been presented in Japan , Italy , the US , Thailand and Cambodia .

The Together Higher group has also participated in several art festivals including the Hue , Bangkok , and Constate Combiamento; and conducted extensive workshop and training programmes and fund-raising through their performances.

Together Higher uses the natural movement of the body to investigate the interaction between people . By exploring the rhythm of the body, Together Higher forges a choreographic world full of emotional range and power that examines the miracle of human potential.

Funded by the Ford Foundation and the Culture Exchange Development Fund of Denmark, the Sigh Memory is a result of a four-month project. 

“Eight workshops were held over a weekend with a view to bring the art of contemporary dance to the public,” said Luu Thu Lan, co-founder of Together Higher. 
Training courses were also organised with the participation of different groups of audiences.

The one hour-dance will be performed by 10 amateur dancers including six males and four females.

Insurance premiums to rise

HCM City (VNA) – The HCM City Social Insurance Agency has instructed enterprises to apply the new rates for social security, health and unemployment insurance that will take effect on January 1, 2010.

Accordingly, the social security contribution will increase to 22 percent of the contracted monthly salary, with the employer paying 16 percent and the employee the remaining 6 percent. The current rates are 15 and 5 percent, respectively.

The health insurance premiums, meanwhile, will increase to 4.5 percent with the employer paying 3 percent, up from 2 percent, and the employee paying 1.5 percent, up from 1 percent. Unemployment insurance will be maintained at the old rate of 2 percent, with equal contributions from both employer and employee.

Do Quang Khanh, deputy head of the HCM City Social Insurance Agency, said the rate of insurance was based on the salary level in employment contract.

“Under the regulation, from 2010, the employer portion for social security will increase by 2 percent every two years until it reaches 22 percent, and employee portion will increase by 1 percent every two years until it reaches 8 percent,” Khanh said.

Stricter stance on domestic violence

Hanoi (VNA) – The Government has issued a new decree on fine levels for domestic violence.

Violence that is harmful to a family member’s health, such as desertion, forcing a person to live in unhygienic conditions, or underfeeding him or her will incur a fine of 1-2 million VND (54-108 USD) each time it is reported.

Threatening a family member with offensive images or animals will incur the same fine.

Activities which damage a person’s reputation or are demeaning will incur a fine of between 200,000 VND and 1 million VND (10-54 USD). Forbidding a person to work or threatening to reveal damaging secrets will incur a similar fine.

Extorting money from a family member, forcing them to work against their will or destroying their assets will incur a fine of 2 million VND (108 USD).

Meanwhile, advice centres that take advantage of a victim of domestic violence to get money or to release private information will be fined a maximum of 30 million VND (1,621 USD).

Chairpersons of provincial People’s Committees will be responsible for implementing the administrative punishments.

Similarly, serious cases of domestic violence will be punished according to the criminal code.

The decree will take effect in January.

Le Thi Phuong Thuy, head of the Advice Bureau at the Centre for Women and Development, said her staff had handled 910 cases of domestic violence against women and children this year. She said instances of domestic violence were increasing each year and that the victims are of all age groups and education levels. 
Thuy said that domestic violence involves both mental and physical abuse as well as financial or sexual maltreatment. She said mental abuse is more common among educated individuals, while physical violence tended to occur among the uneducated.

Golden day for second-place Vietnam

Vientiane (VNA) – Vietnam won 13 gold medals on Dec. 15, bringing its gold possession so far to 45, ranking second in the medal tally after seven days of competition at the 25 th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Vientiane , Laos . 

In shooting, Ngo Huu Vuong broke SEA Games record in the men’s individual 10m rifle running target event with 372 points and his teammates took another gold in the men’s team event.

A group of three marksmen including Vu Thanh Hung, Nguyen Hoang Duy and Pham Ngoc Thanh bagged one gold in the men’s 50m rifle three position 3x40 shots mixed team event. The fourth gold was carried off by Ngoc Thanh in the men’s individual event. 

In the fin swimming competition, Vietnam took four out of five golds and broke three SEA Games records on just the first day. Duong Thi Huyen Trang and Nguyen Trung Kien made new SEA Games records in the women’s and men’s 100m surface event, respectively. Two other golds were brought in the men’s and women’s 4x100m team event and Vietnamese male fin swimmers broke the SEA Games record in the team event. 

Wrestler Man Ba Xuan defeated Michael Baletin of the Philippines and Dorn Saov from Cambodia in a round robin format to take the title in the men’s 74kg category. 

His teammate Ta Ngoc Tan defeated three rivals from Indonesia , Thailand and powerhouses the Philippines to pocket a gold in the men’s Greco-Roman 60kg category. 

In Judo, Huynh Nhat Thong snatched a gold after defeating host artist Chittakone Sivanvilay in the men’s under 55-kg class final. Meanwhile, Nguyen Thanh Tai and Nguyen Ngoc Son brought home a gold in the men’s technique event. 

The last gold for the day was brought by shuttlecock players Le Thi Be Sau and Cao Hai Yen in the team’s event.

Int’l community offers aid to Vietnam’s climate effort

Copenhagen (VNA)- The UN lauded Vietnam’s efforts in coping with climate change as exemplary while Luxembourg promised further aid to help the country adapt to climate change as a result of Copenhagen talks. 

The Director of the UN Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (UN-REDD), Yern Katerere, made the praise at a workshop held in the Danish capital on December 14 (local time) as part of the Climate Change talks. 

The workshop was held by Vietnam to present to the international community this raging problem as well as policies, strategies and actions made by the country to adapt itself to and reduce climate change impact. 

The event was a very good move by Vietnam to help other countries better understand the real situation as well as measures taken by the country to cope with climate change, said the UN expert. 

He also urged other developing countries to grasp this opportunity to learn from Vietnam ’s rich experiences in reducing emissions through its efforts against deforestation and forest degradation. 

The same day, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Pham Khoi Nguyen met the Luxembourg Minister of Cooperation, Development and Humanitarian Issues, Marie Josee Jabobs. 

Vietnam is at risk of losing up to 40 percent of land in the Mekong Delta, its rice bowl, due to climate change, said Nguyen. 

He added to secure food security in Vietnam also means food security for the world as the country has met the needs of not only its 87 million population but also some 100 million people in other countries. 

In response, Marie made commitments to further aid to Vietnam in coping with climate change. 

Luxembourge is willing to give Vietnam part of its aid to developing countries in climate change combat, which is to make up 1 percent of the European country’s gross budget, she concluded.

UN climate summit opens in Copenhagen

Copenhagen (VNA) – The United Nations climate summit opened in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Dec. 15 with strong calls for world leaders to reach a “fair ambitious and comprehensive” deal.

Speaking at the ceremony, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on delegates to seal the deal, that reduces greenhouse-gas emissions, protects the most vulnerable, and ushers in a new era of clean development and green growth for all.

According to the UN chief, with the attendance of more than 130 world leaders plus strong support from all social strata from businessmen, civil organisations, religious organistions and the youth, this is a defining moment in history in response to climate change.

To translate the target into reality, developed countries should have their stronger medium targets for reductions in emissions while developing nations take actions to keep gas emission under normal level, according to Ban.

The climate summit opened amidst large gaps on targets for gas emission cut and developed countries’ responsibilities in helping poor nations to climate change resilience.

Vietnamese People’s Army Day celebrated in Algeria

Algiers (VNA) – The Vietnamese Embassy and the Military Attache in Algeria on December 15 held a reception to celebrate the 65 th anniversary of the Vietnamese People’s Army Day and the 20 th anniversary of Vietnam’s National Defense Day (Dec.22). 

Prominent among the guest was Zerhouni Mohamed, military advisor to Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. 

At the reception, the Algerian guests praised Vietnamese and the People’s Army for their achievements in the process of national defense, construction and development. They also expressed their wish to further strengthen the Vietnam-Algeria cooperation and friendship.

Vietnam applauds peace progress in Central African Republic

New York (VNA) – Vietnam ’s representative to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has applauded progresses in the peace process in the Central African Republic . 

Addressing the UNSC’s session on Dec. 15, Ambassador Hoang Chi Trung, Deputy Permanent Representative to the UNSC, spoke highly of positive developments in the political front such as the appointment of a new National Mediator, the finalisation of the legal framework and establishment of the Independent Electoral Commission in preparation for the 2010 elections. 

He commended the efforts made by the Government of the Central African Republic (CAR) in combating corruption, implementing civil service reform and promoting socio-economic development. 

The Ambassador called on all parties concerned in the CAR to maintain the momentum of the Inclusive Political Dialogue held last December and further promote the peace process. 

However, Trung expressed deep concerns about the worsening security and humanitarian situation in the southeastern part of the CAR as a result of the continued violent attacks by the rebel groups. 

He affirmed support of a closer and better coordination between the UN Peacebuilding Support Office in the CAR (BONUCA) with other UN missions in the region to help the CAR and other regional states effectively deal with the security threat posed by the rebel groups. 

He commended the assistance extended by BONUCA to the Government of the CAR in capacity building, expediting the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) and the Security Sector Reform (SSR) processes, and protecting the vulnerable groups, especially women and children.

BUSINESS

Seminar focuses on audit reform in Vietnam

Hanoi (VNA) – A seminar to strengthen capacity in planning and managing reforms in Vietnam’s audit sector took place in the capital city of Hanoi on December 16. 

The conference was jointly held by the State Audit Office (SAO) of Vietnam and the UK Department for International Development (DFID). 

At the conference, Deputy State Auditor General Le Minh Khai stressed that the reforms are part of a strategy to develop Vietnam ’s state audit sector by 2020. He said SAO had worked with DFID and the UK State Audit Office to prepare a detailed action plan to implement the strategy. The strategy–which takes into account the legal status, human resources, facilities and other working conditions–will help the auditing department perform well, Khai affirmed. 

By 2020, SAO will have secured audit capacity equal to the regional level, the official added. 

SAO conducted financial audits of 133 major State-owned enterprises during 2006-08 and unearthed nearly 6.6 trillion VND (365 million USD) in misappropriated State subsidies or wrongful expenditures.

PetroVietnam Oil Corp. to buy Shell Laos

Hanoi (VNA) – The PetroVietnam Oil (PV Oil) Corporation will own 100 percent of Shell Laos as part of PV Oil’s strategy to develop its market to regional countries, including Cambodia and Laos .

A contract of transfer is to be signed on Dec. 17 and PV Oil plans to carry out business activities right after the conveyance. 

The shares include 0.06 percent owned by individuals that were committed by Shell group and not to be influenced to business management of PV if those individuals do not transfer their shares.

PV Oil was established in June 2008 by merging the PetroVietnam Trading Corporation (Petechim) and the Oil Processing and Distribution Company (PDC), both were subsidiaries of the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam).

Tokyo seminar calls for investors to Hanoi

Tokyo (VNA) – A seminar calling for Japanese investors to the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi was held in Tokyo on Dec. 16, attracting 150 representatives from numerous local enterprises. 

When addressing the event, the Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Phu Binh said that Vietnam is expected to post an economic growth rate of 5.2 percent this year despite the adverse impacts of the global financial crisis. 

Japan has been one of the leading foreign investors and largest providers of official development assistance to Vietnam in recent years, said the ambassador. 

However, he underlined that the country needs access to capital and new technologies from other countries, including Japan, to accelerate its economic recovery and development. 

The diplomat said he hoped that the seminar will provide Japanese investors with information that will help them to understand Hanoi’s investment environment and to draw up definite plans to invest in the city. 

The chief of Hanoi’s representative office in Tokyo, Nguyen Thi Thuy Van, presented the city’s advantages such as its location, infrastructure, security, and abundant workforce. 

Van confirmed that Japanese investors are offered various incentives in terms of leasing land, workshops and tax breaks if they invest in Hanoi. 

At the seminar, Asano Eiji, a financial analyst with the Mizuho Bank, gave a run down of Vietnam ’s economic situation and the major contents of the Vietnam-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement. 

Eiji said that Vietnam is considered a huge potential market, with a population of more than 86 million, a young and abundant workforce and an improved investment environment. 

Vietnam’s move to sign free trade agreements with other nations has opened up many opportunities for foreign investors, including those from Japan, stated the expert. 

Japanese businesses which currently operate in Vietnam share their investment experiences in the country in general and in Hanoi in particular.

Debate promotes Franco-Vietnamese economic ties

Paris (VNA) – Vietnam considers France as an important friend in helping the country to forge closer links with others in the European Union (EU), said a Vietnamese diplomat.

Ambassador to France Le Kinh Tai made statement during a debate on Vietnam ’s economy and the prospect of more economic cooperation between the two countries, which was held in Paris on Dec. 15. 

“Both countries have the potential for further bilateral cooperation, particularly after last month’s visit to Vietnam by French Prime Minister Francois Fillon when several major contracts worth nearly 10 billion EUR were signed, Tai said. 

The ambassador gave a run down of economic developments in Vietnam in recent years, especially the government and people’s efforts to solve financial issues caused by the global economic crisis.

He confirmed that the most difficult period had passed and the economy is still on track. “The fact that donors are committed to spending 8more than .5 billion USD in the country during 2010 is evidence of the international community’s trust in Vietnam ,” he added.

The debate, organised by the Graduates Association from the ESSEC Business School in Paris , drew many members of the French and overseas Vietnamese business communities.

France is Vietnam ’s third largest investor in the EU and it accounts for 1.2 percent of the Southeast Asian nation’s import value.

ESSEC is one of the most prestigious business schools in France and has a global reputation.

Eco-friendly waste treatment plant opens in HCM City

HCM City (VNA) – Vietstar Joint Stock Company is scheduled to officially inaugurated on Dec. 18 a solid waste treatment facility in HCM City’s Cu Chi District that it says is the first of its kind in Southeast Asia.

The Vietstar Lemna Eco Centre, which is also the largest modern waste treatment facility in Vietnam , has been built with a total investment of 53 million USD.

It will be able to accept 1,200 tonnes of garbage per day from the city and treat it with environmental friendly technology to convert it into useful products.

“Lemna’s proprietary technology is uniquely suited to Vietnam ’s hot and rainy climate and the whole facility has been designed and built to provide the most comprehensive solution for HCM City ’s urgent call for solid waste treatment,” Poldi Gerard, acting general director and chairperson of Vietstar’s Board of Management, said on Dec. 15.

The facility accepts unsorted, mixed municipal solid waste. 

The garbage will be sorted and the organic portion will be turned into high quality compost and organic fertilisers for agriculture.

Film plastic will be carefully washed and reprocessed into plastic pellets that will be sold to manufacturers. This material can replace costly imported plastic resin made from petroleum.

In addition to creating useful products from the waste, the facility will help the environment by keeping more than 80 percent of the waste out of landfills, thereby reducing greenhouse gases and the production of leachate. 
Vietstar will operate the facility for 30 years under a long-term “put-or-pay” service contract with the City’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment, charging the city a tipping fee of 5 USD per tonne.

Vietstar Company obtained its original investment licence in 2005. It was founded and developed by Lemna International, a US-based infrastructure development company, which also built the facility under an EPC (Engineering-Procurement-Construction) contract.

Lemna invested more than 10 million USD in the facility. The remaining funds came from contributions by Vietnam Infrastructure Supero Co of VinaCapital Group, and loans provided by three European Development Finance Institutions – (FMO of the Netherlands , DEG of Germany and Swedfund of Sweden).

Vietnamese, Russian banks to set up 500 mln USD investment fund

Hanoi (VNA) – The Bank of Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) and the VTB – Russia ’s largest bank in term of authorised capital – have agreed on principle to set up a 500 million USD fund for investment projects in Vietnam , Laos and Cambodia . 

The agreement will be a basis for the two sides to further negotiations toward signing an official contract as early as possible. 

The fund, with a minimum capital of 100 million USD for the first stage by 2010, will prioritise projects in tourism, real estate and energy. 

The BIDV and VTB will work to attract potential investors from Russia , countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Vietnam and other countries to contribute to the fund, thus helping to boost the trade and investment ties between the two countries.

Market rebound grinds to halt

Hanoi (VNA) – An apparent rebound on the HCM Stock Exchange the previous day stalled on Dec. 15, with the VN-Index closing largely unchanged at 459.44. 

Total trading volumedropped to 28.8 million, worth a combined value of just over 1 trillion VND (56.8 million USD), just half of Dec. 14’s total. 

Foreign investors accounted for 6.5 million of the total volume, while banking and financial stocks continued to be the most active shares. 

Substantial buys of Sacombank (STB) and Eximbank (EIB) shares by foreign investors helped keep the market afloat on Dec. 15, said Nguyen Hoang Hai, an analyst with a HCM City-based brokerage. 

Some commercial banks had also begun posting positive year-end figures, he said. 

“Furthermore, foreign investors take a different view from domestic investors towards current State Bank monetary policies, leading them to different investment behavious,” Hai said: “ low trading volume reflected that local investors are wavering over securities trading, with their obsession over collateral shares placing a hush on trading.” 

On the Hanoi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index fared more poorly, dropping by 2.27 percent to end the day’s session at 143.61. Trading also slowed to 14.3 million shares, generating a turnover of 389.3 billion VND (21 million USD).

Securities taxes to take effect January 1

Hanoi (VNA) – Provisions of the new Law on Personal Income Tax applicable to taxation of dividend income and capital gains on securities trading will take effect on January 1, said Vu Van Truong, director of the Ministry of Finance’s tax policy department. 

The new taxes were suspended for all of 2009 as part of the Government’s stimulus package and to help sustain the stock market during the downturn. 

Pursuant to the law, investors will have two options for paying the capital gains tax; either a flat 0.1 percent levy on the value of each securities transaction or a 20 percent tax on net capital gains during the tax year. 

However, individuals opting to apply the 20 percent rate would still be temporarily charged the 0.1 percent levy on each securities transfer, Truong said. 

“Most investors will opt for the 0.1 percent option due to the simple and transparent procedures for paying the tax with each transaction , as well as to avoid tedious and complicated formalities of tax computation and filing returns at the end of the year,” opined An Phat Securities Co general director Tran Thien Ha. 

Tan Viet Securities Co deputy director Hoang Xuan Quyen predicted the tax would have little impact on the market as securities companies and investors have been aware it was coming since the end of last year. 

Tax on securities trades will be collected by securities companies. Unlisted companies will be responsible for collecting the tax on behalf of their shareholders.

State reclaims idle land from investors

Hanoi (VNA) – The Hanoi People’s Committee will revoke licences for more than 364,000sq.m of public land because investors have been too slow to develop it or they have used it for the wrong purpose. 

Vu Van Hau, director of the city’s Environment and Natural Resources Department, said during a recent inspection, 20 out of 420 projects, mostly in the districts of Hai Ba Trung, Chuong My, Thanh Oai and Phu Xuyen, had violated the conditions of use. 

Some had been illegally transferred to other projects and some developers had let others encroach on the land. 

Among the developers with the largest amounts of land being revoked are the Electricity Project Company, Ha Dong Garment Company, Gia Lam Irrigation company and Vinh Ha Food Manufacturing Company. 

Nguyen Dang Hung, head of Chuong My district’s Environment and Natural Resources Department, said that six projects in the district would lose the use of State land. Nothing had been done on the sites for many years, creating big losses for the State. 

Hau said that the department is completing legal procedures to take the land back. He said the municipal People’s Committee had extended the deadline by six to 12 months for 286 other projects that had failed to clear land held by them. 

In the past year, Hanoi authorities have taken back 30,597sq.m of State land being used for purposes different to what had been nominated. The revocations are based on Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s decision to strictly management the use of State land.

Green enterprises enjoy tax incentives

Hanoi (VNA) – Enterprises and co-operatives that have carried out environmentally friendly projects will have to pay just 10 percent corporate income tax instead of the usual rate of 25 percent on the work, according to a recently issued circular by the Ministry of Finance. 

In addition, enterprises and co-operatives in remote areas will be exempted from paying tax for the first four years and will have to pay just 50 percent for the following nine years.