VN, US target stronger defence cooperation

In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) following his official visit to the US from Dec. 10-15, Minister Thanh said he held frank, open and constructive talks with his US counterpart Robert Gates. 

Defence ties form part of the Vietnam-US bilateral relationship and do not affect any third country, the minister elaborated. 

Regarding cooperation directions in the years to come, Thanh said the two countries will give priority to a range of areas, including the clearance of bombs and mines left from the war and the search for their soldiers missing in action (MIA). 

“During the trip, we handed over to the US officials documents which 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 ,” he said. 

The minister added that the US also pledged to cooperate with Vietnam in decontaminating Agent Orange/dioxin and providing information related to areas where the US troops once stored and sprayed toxic chemicals. 

Thanh went on to say that he also met with Senator James Webb, Senator John McCain, and National Security Advisor General James Johns, and First Deputy Secretary of State James B. Steinberg. 

At these meetings, the two sides discussed issues, including differences in the perception of democracy and human rights, and agreed to increase mutual understanding through dialogue mechanisms. 

The minister stressed that the visit reaffirmed Vietnam ’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification, thus contributing to the normalisation of Vietnam-US relations and promotion of bilateral economic ties.

PM says destruction of old villas must stop

Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has ordered the People’s Committee of Hanoi to stop the demolition of ancient villas to build high-rise buildings in down-town districts.

The decision was included in the Conclusion of the Prime Minister for the Capital Construction Planning to 2025 with a vision to 2030.

The conclusion also said that the municipal authorities must carry out research into the restoration of the Old Quarter in order to preserve its typical architectural characteristics. The restoration needs to ensure that requirements on construction, green spaces and traffic are met.

The Prime Minister also required the plan to ensure a balanced development of urban and rural areas and maintain the traditional cultural characteristics of rural areas. 
In the meantime, the Ministry of Construction has been assigned to cooperate with the municipal People’s Committee to instruct a consultant unit in research planning for Government offices in My Dinh area.

Party leader begins Cambodia visit

Hanoi (VNA) – General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nong Duc Manh began his second official visit to Cambodia on Dec. 17 at the invitation of King Norodom Sihamoni.

The three-day visit was arranged to promote the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia .

It also aims to build on the consistent foreign policies the Vietnamese Party and State have developed to strengthen and boost traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

Vietnam bags bronzes at junior science olympiad

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamese students won three bronze medals at the annual International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO), which took place in Baku, Azerbaijan from December 2-11. 

The students are from the Hanoi-Amsterdam High School. This is the third time the school has sent a team to the IJSO, which is designed for students under the age of 15. 

The competition includes two theoretical exams for individuals and an experimental test for teams. 

The 6 th IJSO attracted the participation of young people from 51 countries and territories worldwide.

Two ex-Khmer Rouge leaders face genocide charges

Phnom Penh (VNA) - Cambodia 's UN-backed court has for the first time issued genocide charges against two leaders of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime, a tribunal spokesman said on Dec. 16.

Spokesman Lars Olsen said that former Khmer Rouge number two Nuon Chea and former foreign minister Ieng Sary were charged with genocide against the Vietnamese people and ethnic Cham muslims during the 1970s. 

"This is the first time that anyone has been charged with genocide" at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), Olsen was quoted by the French news agency AFP as saying. 

The two ex-Khmer Rouge leaders have already been charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The ECCC tried its first Khmer Rouge leader, prison chief Kaing Guek Eav, this year.

Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch, commanded Tuol S’leng S-21 prison in Phnom Penh . The ECCC is expected to give a verdict early next year.

Vietnam, Cuba strengthen customs cooperation

Havana (VNA) – Vietnam and Cuban have confirmed their intent to further strengthen cooperation between the two countries’ customs sectors. 

Vietnam General Administration of Customs (VGAC) Deputy Director Nguyen Duong Thai held talks to this purpose with Director of the General Customs Office of Cuba Pedro Pupo Perez during Thai’s visit to Cuba from December 10-16. 

The two sides exchanged experiences in customs management, drug fight and smuggling prevention. 

The Cuban side pledged to provide technical assistance for Vietnam to build a professional dog training centre. 

On the occasion, Deputy Director Thai presented the VGAC’s gifts, including 50 computers and 11 printers, to the General Customs Office of Cuba . 

During their stay in Cuba , the VGAC delegation visited the University of Information Technology and the Cuban National Dog Training Centre.

VN wins auction to export more rice to Philippines in 2010

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam has won additional contracts to export rice to the Philippines at higher prices, following the latest auction on Tuesday, bringing the total of rice auction volume over the last four bids to 1.3 million tonnes of rice.

At the Filipino government rice auction on Tuesday, the Southern Food Corporation (Vinafood 2) won export contracts for 600,000 tonnes of rice at an average export price of 665 USD per tonne.

Cao Thi Ngoc Hoa, the corporation’s deputy general director, said the winning bid was the largest export rice volume the corporation has won over the four auctions that the Filipino Government recently held.

Enterprises from Thailand , Germany , France and the Republic of Korea failed in their bids because they offered export prices at more than 700 USD per tonne, said Hoa. 
At the auction on December 8, the corporation also won contracts to export a total of 300,000 tonnes of rice at an average export price of 650 USD per tonne. While at the auction on December 1, the Vietnamese rice exporter won contracts to export a total of 300,000 tonnes of 25 percent broken rice to the Philippines to be delivered from February to May 2010 at an average price of 625 USD per tonne, higher than 480 USD at the auction on November 4.

The corporation currently has contracts to export 1.3 million tonnes of rice to the Philippines in 2010 as a result of the four auctions.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said Vietnam exported 5.7 million tonnes of rice in the first 11 months of this year, earning 2.3 billion USD. The figures jumped by 31.9 percent in volume but fell 7.12 percent in value compared with the same period last year.

The country is expected to export a record 6-6.2 million tonnes of rice this year. 
The ministry estimates it will have a total unhusked rice output of 38.9 million tonnes for this year, higher than the output of 38.6 million tonnes in 2008.

Heavy sales push index down

Hanoi (VNA) – Heavy sales on the HCM Stock Exchange drove the VN-Index back down on Dec. 16 to a five-month low of 442.1 points, a dive of 3.77 percent.

But the heavy sell-off boosted trading volume of 36.1 million shares, worth a combined 1.28 trillion VND (69.2 million USD).

On the Hanoi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index plunged for a second day, dropping another 4.23 percent to close at 137.54. Trades totalled 362.9 billion VND (19.6 million USD) on a volume of 14.3 million shares.

Foreign investors, sensing the long-term trend, turned to net buyers on the HCM Stock Exchange on Dec. 16, acquiring a net of 2.7 million shares. They continued as net sellers in Hanoi , however, but at a modest net volume of just 60,800 shares.