Vietnam, Laos agree to tighten cooperative ties

The agreement was reached at talks between Vice State President Nguyen Thi Doan and her visiting Lao counterpart Bounnhang Vorachit in Hanoi on March 29. 

The talks were held following a State welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace on the same day. 

Vice President Doan congratulated the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) (March 22) on its 55th founding anniversary, and extended best wishes on the occasion of the Lao traditional Tet, Bunpimay. She also praised the successful organisation of the 25th SEA Games, a major regional sporting event, which she said helped boost Laos ’s prestige and position in the region and the world. 

The two sides updated each other on the state of affairs in their respective countries and expressed their delight at the in-depth development of the special and comprehensive relationship between Vietnam and Laos . 

Both sides confirmed the determination of their Parties, States and peoples to maintain and develop their fine relations as well as the trust between the two leaders and peoples. 

The two sides vowed to implement the agreements reached between them on enhancing their political ties and cooperation on security and defence as well as the exchange of delegations from the central to local levels. 

Both sides reached unanimity on promoting the compilation of the history of Vietnam-Laos special relations, on building a President Ho Chi Minh commemorative zone in Laos and continuing to search for the remains of Vietnamese volunteers in Laos. 

The two sides also agreed to build their common border into the border of peace, friendship and cooperation and to accelerate the pace of a project to upgrade the system of border markers between Vietnam and Laos . 

They also concurred on facilitating the flow of transit goods, increasing two-way trade and educating all strata of the people of the two countries, especially younger generations, on the Vietnam-Laos traditional relations, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation. 

The two sides agreed to closely coordinate to successfully organise events of major significant in the two countries this year, including the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi, the 120th birthday of President Ho Chi Minh, the 450th anniversary of Vientiane, and the 90th birthday of President Kaysone Phomvihane. 

Both sides expressed their delight and agreement on closely and effectively collaborating in the exchange of information and activities at regional and international forums. 

Also the same day, Vice President Doan hosted a banquet in honour of Vice President Bounnhang Vorachit and her entourage, who are on a three-day official visit to Vietnam beginning on March 28. 

Earlier, Vice President Bounnhang Vorachit, who is also a member of the Politburo Bureau and the Secretariat of the LPRP Central Committee, and her entourage went on a working tour to the northern mountain province of Vinh Phuc。

China asked to immediately release Vietnamese fishermen

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam has asked China to immediately, unconditionally release a fishing vessel and its crew, seized a week ago while fishing offshore Vietnam ’s coast, said a spokesperson from the Foreign Ministry.

Spokesperson Nguyen Phuong Nga made the statement on March 29 in response to questions from reporters on Vietnam ’s reaction to an incident where the Chinese sea patrol seized a Vietnamese fishing vessel QNg 50362 TS and its 12 fishermen, all from the central coast province of Quang Ngai , on March 22 and demanded they pay a fine. The event occurred while the boat was fishing around the Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago, which is under Vietnamese sovereignty. 

“After getting information on the case, the Foreign Ministry of Vietnam met with the Chinese side to clearly affirm Vietnam ’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa archipelago. It asked the Chinese side to inquire into the exact circumstances of the incident, then inform the Vietnamese side of the results, and, in any case, to immediately and unconditionally release the vessel and all the fishermen,” she said.

Vietnam condemns Moscow subway bomb attacks

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam strongly condemns the deadly bomb attacks that occurred in two Moscow subway stations on the morning of March 29, said a spokesperson for the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry. 

In response to questions from reporters on Vietnam ’s reaction to the attacks, spokesperson Nguyen Phuong Nga said, “We are both sorrowed and outraged by the bomb blasts that struck the Lybyanka station and Park Kultury station in central Moscow , killing and injuring dozens of people.” 

She went on to say that Vietnam strongly condemns these acts of terrorism and believes that the culprits will soon be brought to justice and severely punished. 

The Vietnamese Government and people expressed their sincere condolences to the Russian Government and people and especially the families of the victims of the explosions, she said.

Relevant Russian and Vietnamese agencies as saying no Vietnamese were killed or injured in the bomb attacks. 

As of 15:00 hrs (local time), there were 37 dead and 65 others, including one Philippine and two Malaysians, injured in the two bomb blasts. However, 17 of the 37 fatalities have not yet been identified.

Morocco wants to learn from Vietnam

Hanoi (VNA) – Morocco wants to learn from Vietnam and share experiences with the Southeast Asian country in the areas of forestry, aquaculture, education and training and cultural exchange.

So said Latifa Akherbach, Secretary of State to the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, while receiving Vietnamese Ambassador Cao Xuan Than who presented a copy of President Nguyen Minh Triet’s credentials at her ministry’s headquarters on March 25.

Secretary of State Latifa Akherbach expressed her admiration for Vietnam ’s victory in its past struggle for national liberation as well as achievements in the present process of national construction. She hailed the Southeast Asian country’s prestigious role and position in the region, in international arena and at multilateral forums.

The Secretary of State highlighted relations between Vietnam and Morocco , saying that the two countries have good political ties, many similarities and a young pool of human resources with great potential. They have worked closely together at multilateral forums as well as in South-South cooperation.

She expressed her hope that the two countries would sign an agreement on investment encouragement and protection soon and hold the second session of their joint committee. The first session was held in March 2008.

Ambassador Than said he will spare no effort to promote friendly cooperation between Vietnam and Morocco, with a focus on the completion of a legal framework, paving the way for boosting economic, cultural, and education and training cooperation.

VN increases collaboration to fulfil AIPA-31 presidency

Hanoi (VNA) – A legislator has stressed the need for increased collaboration among relevant agencies to successfully organise events surrounding the 31st ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA-31). 

At the first meeting of AIPA-31 General Assembly’s organising committee in Hanoi on March 29, Head of the National Assembly’s External Relations Committee Nguyen Van Son said preparations for the events should be made carefully to ensure high quality and effectiveness to contribute to increasing solidarity, cooperation and development among ASEAN countries, especially in this year when Vietnam takes the helm of the AIPA-31. 

Delegates exchanged views on the collaboration in preparation for the meeting between AIPA and ASEAN leaders at the 16th ASEAN Summit, which will be held in Hanoi on April 8-9.

The General Assembly of the AIPA-31 will take place in September. 

Within the framework of the Assembly, Vietnam successfully held a workshop on the role of female parliamentarians in law making in Hanoi last November and another one on the post-economic crisis period and sustainable development in Da Nang on March 8-9. 

This is the second time Vietnam has taken on the AIPA presidency, the first time being in 2002.

Efforts stepped up to raise public awareness on UXO

Hanoi (VNA) – A talk show on addressing the legacy of unexploded ordnance for a peaceful life will be broadcast live on April 4 on the VTC14 – a specialised channel for programmes on natural disaster prevention.

The programme is being jointly organised by the People’s Army Newspaper, Vietnam ’s Bomb and Mine Disposal Technology Centre (BOMICEN) and the Vietnam Multimedia Corporation (VTC), said Major-General Le Phuc Nguyen, the newspaper’s Editor-in-chief, at a press briefing on March 29.

The show will bring together the victims of bombs and landmines remaining unexploded and undetected since the war—known as unexploded ordnance, or UXO--and representatives of organisations that are directly involved in mine and bomb clearance activities in Vietnam . 
The talk show is expected to help raise public awareness on the dangers of UXO as well as measures to avoid injury and death for those living in heavily infested areas.

According to Nguyen Trong Canh, BOMICEN Director, publicity campaigns to raise awareness should be accelerated, especially in focal localities, where many people living in poverty and forced to collect scraps to earn a living, putting them at risk of exposure to UXO.

Vocational training and guidance will be provided for the poor living in highly-contaminated areas in the coming time once the national action programme on address the UXO issue is approved by the government, Canh added.

Many places in Vietnam are still heavily contaminated with UXO, particularly the six central provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Ngai.

35 years after the war, bombs and mines are still taking a heavy toll on human life. To date, over 100,000 people in Vietnam have fallen victim to UXO, of which 42,000 died.

Every year, 20,000 hectares of land are cleared of UXO, yet there remains a lot of work to do before all contaminated land can be declared safe.

Use of natural gas expected to protect environment in VN

HCM City (VNA) – A government official has urged the use of compressed natural gas (CNG), which is expected to help reduce gas emissions and protect the environment in Vietnam .

At an international seminar on using CNG that opened in Ho Chi Minh City on March 29, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Thanh Bien also said that use of CNG in industrial production and to fuel vehicles, especially public vehicles, in Vietnam would bring economic efficiency and reduce environmental pollution.

Using CNG will cost less than half of using petroleum, he affirmed.

At present, two CNG-fuelled buses have been operating in Ho Chi Minh City since 2009, at 53.5 percent the cost of petroleum. The city plans to put about 50 more buses of this kind into operation in April and bring the total number of CNG-fuel buses to 800 by the end of this year.

According to the Southern LPG Joint Stock Company (PV Gas South), one of the country’s two CNG suppliers, Vietnam is a strong potential market for using CNG.

PV Gas South provides CNG to 14 customers to produce steel, tiles, various construction materials, glass and food at industrial parks in the southern provinces of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Dong Nai, Binh Duong and Ho Chi Minh City at an estimated volume of 60 million cu.m in 2010, which is expected to hit 250 million cu.m in 2015.

The seminar drew investors and CNG manufacturers and suppliers from Japan , the Republic of Korea , China , Thailand , Germany , Singapore , Australia , Austria and Canada .

It will run until Mar. 31.

Vietnam, Tanzania set to bolster ties

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam and Tanzania on March 29 inked agreements on visa exemptions and the establishment of a diplomatic consultancy mechanism.

The signing of an agreement on visa exemptions, which applies to holders of diplomatic and official passports, and a memorandum of understanding on diplomatic consultancy took place following talks between Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his Tanzanian counterpart Mizengo Peter Pinda in Hanoi the same day.

During the talks, PM Dung hailed PM Pinda’s visit to Vietnam as a manifestation of the two countries’ traditional political ties, especially at a time when they are celebrating the 45th anniversary of their diplomatic ties.

The Vietnamese government leader showed his delight with developments in bilateral cooperation and praised the achievements the Tanzanian people have made in their cause of national construction.

He asserted that Vietnam treasures the strengthening and promotion of ties with traditional friends in Africa, including Tanzania , and is willing to share its experiences, particularly in dealing with agriculture and poverty reduction, with the African country. 

The Tanzanian PM said he was happy with the visit to Vietnam and underscored his country’s desire to bolster and promote its traditional friendship and multi-faceted cooperation with Vietnam.

He especially mentioned the bilateral cooperation in trade, agriculture, health and education, as it would aid his country in accomplishing the Millennium Goal of eradicating poverty initiated by the United Nations.

PM Mizengo Peter Pinda expressed interest in Vietnam ’s experiences in fighting malaria and in the production of anti-malarial drugs and the desire to learn from the Southeast Asian country in the field.

The Tanzanian PM took the occasion to invite PM Dung to visit his country. He also expressed his hope to receive Vietnamese businesses to seek investment opportunities in his country.

At the end of talks, the leaders witnessed the hand-over of Vietnamese –made agricultural tractors as gifts to the Tanzanian side.

The same day, Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh received the visiting Tanzanian PM, who said he had admiration for Vietnam ’s gains in its renovation process, especially in agriculture and poverty reduction.

He reiterated his wish to beef up their friendship, solidarity, and cooperation, with a focus on agriculture, healthcare and education.

For his part, Party General Secretary Manh spoke highly of what has been done by the Revolutionary State Party (CCM), Government and people of Tanzania to promote socio-economic development, maintain political stability and security, improve the people’s living conditions and develop their country prosperously.

He said he hoped the CCM would achieve a great victory at the upcoming general election so it might continue to lead the Tanzanian people to successfully implement the “Vision 2025” plan that it, together with the Tanzanian Government, has set forth.

Manh emphasised that the Party, State and people of Vietnam will continue to boost friendship and cooperation with the CCM, the State and the people in the interests of their people and of peace, cooperation and development.

US symposium spotlights 1,000-years of Hanoi history

New York (VNA) – The 1,000 year-old capital of Hanoi and its distinctive features took centre stage at a symposium held in Philadelphia , the US , on March 28.

The symposium formed part of an annual meeting of the Association for Asian Studies (AAS), which is open to all researchers and those who are interested in Asia .

Among Vietnamese researcher participants, Truong Quang Hoc from the Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment discussed how Hanoi ’s ecological system has changed over its 1,000-year course of development.

Hoc highlighted the rivers and lakes as the most vital feature of Hanoi , describing them as the city’s “lungs”-- an inseparable part of the capital’s socio-economic and cultural development.

Discussing the extremely important role such bodies of water play, the researcher reflected on the fact that they numbered 600-750 in the early 20th century, and have dwindled to just 44 according to a 2002 assessment. And many of those are heavily polluted, threatening the city’s sustainable development.

Chu Tuyet Lan from the Han-Nom Institute introduced to the participants the development history of Thang Long-Hanoi, stressing that though the capital city of Vietnam had been changed several times, Hanoi remains the country’s political, economic and cultural centre, closely binding with the nation’s development course.

Vietnamese researchers, both professional and amateur, delivered presentations on the age-old features of Thang Long-Hanoi in terms of culture, lifestyle, language, and architecture at the symposium, giving the participants an interesting insight into the ancient Asian capital over its 1,000 years of growth.

As usual, this year’s AAS meeting, held from March 25-28, provided a venue for its members to keep each other updated on their studies in a wide range of fields concerning Asia . The AAS currently has 7,000 members.

Da Nang comes closer to industrialised status

Da Nang (VNA) – Da Nang is making an all-out effort to become an industrialised city by 2020, said a local official on the 35 th anniversary of the city’s liberation day on March 29.

Whilst making his address at the ceremony, Nguyen Ba Thanh, Secretary of the municipal Party Committee, recalled the historic victory that liberated the city on March 29, 1975.

After being a large enemy military base, Da Nang has since tackled various challenges to overcome the war’s aftermath and develop the city’s socio-economic and political life, he said.

The city has now become a first-class, industrial city under direct state administration. It is the centre of the region’s service centre and an important international gateway, Thanh added.

The city’s economy has swiftly been restructured to be mainly dependent on services, various industries and agriculture, growing at an average pace of more than 11 percent annually. Its annual per capita income is expected to hit 2,000 USD this year and its export revenues pass the one billion USD threshold.

Da Nang ’s competitiveness index has remained in the top position nationwide for the last two consecutive years.

Truong Tan Sang, Politburo member and permanent member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, urged Da Nang ’s authorities to speed up the construction of hi-tech industrial facilities, especially those concerning IT.

The central government always provides Da Nang with significant support, yet the city needs to come up with its own initiatives to cooperate effectively with other localities and contribute more to the growth of the central economic zone and the whole nation, he said.

The event drew the participation of many party leaders including incumbent Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai, National Assembly Deputy Chairman Huynh Ngoc Son, former party General Secretary Le Kha Phieu, former NA Chairman Nguyen Van An and numerous army officials.

Mekong Delta economic cooperation forum to be held annually

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam will hold the Mekong Delta Economic Cooperation (MDEC) Forum annually following a recent government decision. 

According to decision No 388/QD-TTg, MDEC, the forum is aimed at increasing cooperation amongst the centrally-run cities and provinces in the Mekong Delta region as well as creating closer links between the regions and other localities across the country, while promoting its image, huge potential and strengths. 

The event’s organising board will include representatives of the South-Western Steering Committee (SWSC), the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the National Committee for International Economic Cooperation, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Government Office and numerous leaders from cities and provinces across the region, with the Deputy Chief of the SWSC holding the chair.

Sympathy over Moscow bomb blasts

Hanoi (VNA) – President Nguyen Minh Triet on Mar. 29 sent a message of condolences to Russian President D. Medvedev over bomb attacks which hit two subway stations in Moscow .

The acts of terrorism, which occurred on Mar. 29, caused 65 deaths and injuries.

According to the Emergency Situations Ministry, the first blast struck the Lybyanka station at 7:56 a.m. (0356 GMT). The station is underneath the headquarters of the Russian Federal Security Service. 

The second explosion occurred 45 minutes later at Park Kultury station in central Moscow .

Russian security officers said terrorists were to blame for the bombing attacks while the Interfax news agency was quoted as saying that the explosive devices were tied to suicide bombers. Russian Prosecutors have opened an investigation into the incidents. 

Emergency crews are currently still at the scene of both blasts.

Spanish-funded project to help phase out child labour

Hanoi (VNA) - Spain will donate 2.5 million EUR to help Vietnam create and implement programmes to eliminate the worst forms of child labour. 

Under the terms of the agreement signed in Hanoi on March 29, the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) will undertake the four-year project with technical assistance provided by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). 

The project aims to support 5,000 children who are currently working in dangerous and Dickensian conditions in Hanoi, Lao Cai and Ninh Binh provinces in the north, Quang Nam province in the central region and Dong Nai province in the south by trying to find them suitable jobs after providing vocational training, additional schooling or simply returning them to their families. 

It will improve information systems and the national database on child workers, design new models to reduce the worst forms of child labour in the five targeted localities and raise the public’s awareness on the issue. 

Speaking at the signing ceremony, MoLISA Deputy Minister Nguyen Thanh Hoa said that the project represents a practical foundation which will enable Vietnam to set up and realise a national plan of action to prevent and eliminate the worst forms of child labour. 

The ILO Director in Vietnam, Rie Vejs-Kjeldgaard, praised the country’s efforts to eradicate several kinds of child labour, including its approval of ILO Convention 182 on the eliminating the worst forms of child labour and Convention 183 on the minimum age for child workers. 

The director confirmed that the ILO will work together with Vietnam to deal with this issue, adding that the project will be expanded into other cities and provinces if it is successful in the first five targeted localities. 

The Spanish Ambassador to Vietnam , Fernando Curcio Ruigomez, said the funding clearly indicates the Spanish government’s support for Vietnam in eradicating hunger, reducing poverty and accomplishing its Millennium Development Goals. 

By accelerating its open policy and promoting international integration, Vietnam has made a lot of achievements in many fields. However, the country has noted several negative issues emerging along with the development of the market economy. A growing number of children have become victim to social evils such as prostitution, drug and sexual abuse as well as human trafficking. 

According to MoLISA, more than 26,000 Vietnamese children, equivalent to 0.1 percent of the total number, are currently working in hard, harmful and dangerous conditions.

IMF proposes fund for climate change

New York (VNA) – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on March 28 released a paper suggesting the creation of a “Green Fund,” with the capacity to mobilise resources worth 100 billion USD a year by 2020, to help developing countries finance the costs of combating climate change. 

According to the paper, the Green Fund will probably use initial capital injected by developed countries in the form of reserve assets, which could include Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) - reserve assets created by the IMF. 

The paper said that the contributors could agree to scale their equity stakes in proportion to their IMF quota shares, making these the “key” for burden sharing among the contributing countries. 

Once its capital base is established, the Green Fund could begin to issue highly-rated and low-cost “green bonds” that would be sold to private investors as well as official holders. 

The IMF and UN organisations who oppose climate change worry that developing countries do not respond strongly or efficiently enough to climate change issues unless they are provided with the necessary financial sources. 

However, IMF economists say that the financial institution will not manage the Green Fund, leaving the job to the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Vietnam joins int’l community to prevent terrorism

Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) held a seminar on legal frameworks to fight and prevent terrorism in the capital city of Hanoi on March 28. 

Addressing at the opening ceremony, Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son confirmed Vietnam’s consistent policy of cooperating with international community concerning the need to build up global and national legal frameworks to fight and prevent terrorism. 
The event outcomes have contributed to completing national legal frameworks and also strengthen international cooperation on anti-terrorism prevention measures whilst complying with UN charter and the basic principles of international law.

Buddhist prayer woodblocks submitted for UNESCO recognition

Bac Giang (VNA) – The northern province of Bac Giang is working with several state agencies to put forward a case for the treasure of Buddhist prayer woodblocks in Vinh Nghiem Pagoda to be recognised by UNESCO as a World Documentary Heritage. 

The Truc Lam Buddhist Zen prayer woodblocks in the pagoda are now seen as culturally priceless as the 3,050 separate woodblocks were carved during the late 19 th century to early 20 th century. 

According to historians, they are the only Buddhist woodblocks of prayers belonging to Truc Lam Buddhist Zen, an outstanding Zen sect of Vietnamese Buddhism. They are also an extensive and diverse documentary heritage of the history of Buddhism and the religious thoughts and culture of the Truc Lam Buddhist Zen. They also document the history of woodblock carving and the printing industry as well as the biography and career of several eminent monks who contributed greatly to the development of the country’s culture. 

Apart from their historical value, the woodblocks are a valuable documentary source for studying the early days of the Vietnamese language and Demotic scripts. 

According to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the woodblocks, which were carved in Han (Chinese) or Demotic scripts on wooden boards, were recognised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a national historical and cultural heritage – grade A in 1964. 

Sitting on a site of over 10,000 sq.m in Tri Yen Commune, Yen Dung district, Vinh Nghiem Pagoda was turned into a Zen monastery by King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong, the founder of the Truc Lam Buddhist Zen, in the late 13 th century.

HCM City to spend 158 mln USD in poverty fight

HCM City (VNA) – HCM City will allocate more than 3 trillion VND (158 million USD) for the city’s 2010 poverty alleviation programme to reduce the number id poor households to 6.6 percent, from last year’s figure of 7.21 percent or 130,645 households. 

The programme would provide preferential loans to 10,000 to 15,000 poor households to start business, to ensure average incomes in the households exceed the HCM City poverty lines of 12 million VND per year, deputy director of the municipal Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, Nguyen Van Xe told a meeting on March 28 to outline the programme objectives this year. 

Preferential bank loans for poor households were estimated to reach 2.3 trillion VND by the end of this year, Xe said. 

Funding from the city and district’s budgets for this year’s poverty alleviation programme was 160 billion VND with the rest of the location coming from various sources, he said. 

Some 1,300 poor households with individual members’ average incomes less than 6 million VND would be given priority to improve living standards during the year. 

At least 20,000 households with members’ yearly incomes average less than 8 million VND would receive financial support to raise them to more than 8 million VND, he said. 

It would assist all primary school and junior school dropouts in returning to school and try to prevent new dropouts in the new school year of 2010-2011. 

Thirty to 50 percent of the poor with annual earnings between 8 million VND and 12 million VND would be encouraged to buy compulsory health insurance with a yearly 50 percent subsidy. 

Poverty alleviation, which is one of the top policy priorities in the city’s socio-economic development, aim to improve the income of poor households, improve living standards and the access of the poor to social welfare services, according to Nguyen Thanh Tai, deputy chairman of the city’s People’s Committee. 

The city granted nearly 310,000 health insurance cards to poor people during the first month of the year. 

“The results of the programme over the last few years are not sustainable and comprehensive and there are still a lot of challenges to face,” Tai said. 

The poverty line was raised to just under 12 million VND per person per year last year. 

The new line meant more than 152,000 poor households with nearly 690,000 people or 8.4 percent of the number of households in the city were recognised as living below the poverty line last year. 

Last year the programme helped more than 19,000 poor households to raise their members’ average yearly incomes to more than 12 million VND, according to a department report. 

Last year, the city provided more than 78 billion VND to help poor people get health insurance cards, 76 billion VND of which was used to grand free cards to 450,000 people with incomes of 8 million VND and below, and the rest to subsidise half of insurance coverage for nearly 29,000 people with incomes of between 8 million VND and 12 million VND. 

The 2009 programme helped reduce the number of school dropouts to 6,723 to 21,847 students in 2008. 

The programme has so far helped 2,500 poor people using thee or four-wheel self-modified vehicles to transition into other businesses, accounting for 95 percent of the total number of users. 

The programme received total funding of 2.32 trillion VND last year, an increase of 565 billion VND against the previous year.

Prime Minister heads to Myanmar, Thailand

Hanoi (VNA)- Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung will visit Myanmar from April 2-4 at the invitation of Myanmar Prime Minister General Thein Sein. 
Later, on April 4-5, the Prime Minister will attend the Mekong River Summit in Hua Hin City, Thailand, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Festival celebrates Mekong seafood

Can Tho (VNA) – A festival to celebrate aquaculture and seafood production the Cuu Long ( Mekong ) Delta provinces will be held in Can Tho city next month. 

To Minh Gioi, deputy chairman of the city People’s Committee told a press conference held on March 28 that the Can Tho Seafood Festival 2010 would take place from April 24-27 with the participation of many provinces and cities. 

“The festival will be a great opportunity for aquaculture farmers, fishermen and around 400-450 seafood businesses in the country and abroad to meet the exchange views and information,” he said. 

The festival also aims to highlight the vast aquaculture and fisheries potential in the delta with its millions of waterways. 

It seeks to enhance the reputation of Vietnamese seafood. 

Key activities in the festival include conferences on improving seafood quality for export markets, policies for sustainable development of the seafood sector, and legal corridors for seafood exports, a trade promotion event for seafood businesses, a contest for the biggest shrimp and catfish, and a food festival featuring delta specialities. 

Until now, the festival’s organising committee has received 15 billion VND in sponsorship from seven businesses.

Project to improve nutrition for patients

Hanoi (VNA) – A project to improve nutrition for patients at Vietnamese hospitals was launched March 28 by Bach Mai Hospital , the National Institute of Nutrition and Bolton University ’s Global Health Primary Care Initiative. 

Backed by 1 million USD in funds, the 3-year project titled Abbott Fund Institute of Nutrition Science aims to advance clinical nutrition at hospitals by providing training and health education, clinical research and high quality nutrition care for patients across the nation.

Seminar in France supports Vietnamese AO victims

Paris (VNA) – The France-Vietnam Association for Educational Development and Exchange (ADEP France-Vietnam) has held a seminar on issues relating to victims of Agent Orange/dioxin in Vietnam in southern Herault province of France . 

Attending the event were Nguyen Xuan Phuong, General Secretary of the Association for Vietnamese AO Children – a non-governmental organisation set up by the Vietnamese and French communities in Paris, President of the International Committee in Support for Vietnamese AO Victims Andre Bouny, and members of ADEF France-Vietnam. 

Through documentary films, photos, exchanges with witnesses and speeches relating to medical and legal aspects, participants at the seminar were provided with a comprehensive outlook on Agent Orange/dioxin, including its negative impacts on humans, the environment and the society. 

Andre Bouny said with the strengthening of information campaigns and seminars, his association and other organisations of the same purpose have received more support and sympathy from people throughout France . 

Established in 2002, ADEP France-Vietnam now has nearly 100 voluntary members with one third being teachers. It aims to encourage study and support poor Vietnamese children as well as boost educational exchange and cooperation between the two countries.

Tanzanian PM’s visit opens up chances for bilateral ties

Hanoi (VNA) - Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania Mizengo Peter Pinda began a three-day official visit to Vietnam on March 29 as a guest of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. 

The visit, the first to Vietnam by Pinda since he took up his position as Prime Minister of Tanzania in 2008, takes place at a time when the two nations are celebrating 45 years of diplomatic ties. 

It aims to promote economic, trade and investment relations, especially in agriculture and farm produce processing, between Vietnam and Tanzania . 

Vietnam and Tanzania established diplomatic ties on February 14, 1965. During Vietnam ’s resistance war against US aggressors, Tanzania gave support, both materially and spiritually, to Vietnam and considered it as an example for oppressed nations, especially those in Africa . 

The two countries have already signed a number of agreements and deals covering bilateral cooperation in economy, trade, science and technology. They also set up an inter-governmental committee. 

Tanzania wants to step up its cooperative ties with Vietnam in the field of agriculture and is willing to zone off a large area for joint projects. It has asked Vietnam to send experts to Tanzania to help with agricultural and irrigation development. 

Two-way trade remains modest, reaching 30 million USD in 2007, with 18.3 million USD coming from Vietnamese exports. Vietnam mainly exports rice to Tanzania and imports cotton, wood, garment materials and leather products from the African country. 

Tanzania ’s economy has grown steadily in recent years, posting a growth rate of 4.5 percent in 2009 despite adverse impacts of the world economic downturn. Its export revenues surged to 2.74 billion USD last year from 2.1 billion USD in 2007. 

As a member of the Organisation of African Unity (OUA), the United Nations and the Non-Alliance Movement (NAM), Tanzania has played an important role in maintaining solidarity in Africa and promoting South-South cooperation.

JBIC extends credit to coal projects in Vietnam

Hanoi (VNA) – The Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) will provide 150 million USD in credit to the coal development projects of the Vietnam National Coal-Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin). 

A loan contract to this effect was signed in Hanoi on March 29 by representatives from JBIC, the Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and Vinacomin. 

Speaking at the singing ceremony, the Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation’s representative emphasised the importance of the contract, saying that this was the first line of credit granted as part of the JBIC’s energy and resources funding programme for high-quality coal trading. 

Vinacomin General Director Tran Xuan Hoa affirmed that this was also the first-ever funding that Japan has provided to Vietnam ’s coal projects. 

The group pledged to continue providing 1-2 million tonnes of high-quality coal to Japan each year, he said, adding that the quality and quantity of coal will be raised as of 2010.

Over 1.3 million foreigners visit Vietnam in first quarter

Hanoi (VNA) – The number of foreign tourists visiting Vietnam in March has been estimated at 473,000, raising the total number of international arrivals to the country in the first quarter of this year to 1.35 million, a year-on-year increase of 36.2 percent.

According to Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), in March, several markets saw a huge growth in the number of tourists to Vietnam , including Cambodia with a month-on-month increase of 147.2 percent; China , 115 percent; Thailand , 37 percent and the Republic of Korea , 29.5 percent. 

Experts attribute the increasing number of tourists to Vietnam to the recovery in the global economy and the tourist sector’s efforts to expand markets, increase tourist promotions and organise festivals. 

In the first quarter, the VNAT put many tourism promotion programmes into action, notably the programme entitled “ Vietnam – your destination”. 

The sector will carry out a sales campaign in August and September aimed at both domestic and international tourists and will encourage businesses to drop the prices of their tourist services by 10-30 percent. 

After the encouraging growth in the first quarter, the VNPT forecasts that the country’s target of receiving 4.2 million international visitors this year may well be reached.

France funds public investment reform in Vietnam

Hanoi (VNA) – The France Development Agency (AFD) will provide a 100 million EUR loan to back Vietnam ’s public investment reform programme. 

An agreement to this effect was signed in Hanoi on March 29 by Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Finance Tran Xuan Ha, French Ambassador to Vietnam Jean-Francois Girault and Director of AFD’s Hanoi Agency Alain Henry. 

With this credit, AFD has become the co-sponsor, together with the World Bank (WB), of Vietnam ’s public investment reform programme in its first phase. In late 2009, the WB extended its biggest-ever loan to Vietnam , worth 500 million USD to carry out the project. 

The programme aims to create a legal framework to improve the efficiency of public investment management, project implementation, transparency, and the supervision and evaluation of projects as well as support public-private partnerships. 

The WB and the AFD also plan to jointly finance the second phase of the project which will be launched in 2011. 

According to the Finance Ministry, the newly-signed credit brought the total amount of official development assistance committed by the AFD to Vietnam since 1994 to nearly 1.1 billion EUR.

Gov’t considers public-private investment in infrastructure

Hanoi (VNA) – A new idea in structuring investment--the private and public partnership (PPP)--has been submitted for approval to the government by the Ministry of Investment and Planning (MPI). 

Under the MPI’s proposal, PPP will be deployed under a pilot programme encompassing a wide variety of projects, including the building of roads, bridges, ferry landings, railways, urban transport systems, airports, seaports, river ports, clean water supply systems, electric-power plants, infrastructure and public services. 

Those projects selected for PPP investment must meet several requirements in terms of their importance, scale and ability to recoup capital. 

In addition, the projects must be competitive in terms of technology, management and operations, and effectively use private financial resources, along with other criteria, under the PM’s decision. 

According to the Ministry of Transport, there are about 10 highway, high-speed railway and seaport projects calling for domestic and foreign investment in the form of PPP. 

The projects include the Dau Giay-Phan Thiet, Ninh Binh-Thanh Hoa, Da Nang-Quang Ngai, My Thuan-Can Tho, Noi Bai-Ha Long, Ha Long-Mong Cai, Dau Giay-Da Lat, and Ben Luc-Long Thanh highways, Hai Phong international port and the Ho Chi Minh City-Can Tho high-speed railway. 

A 14.3 trillion-VND highway linking Dau Giay with Phan Thiet city is expected to be the first PPP project.

HCM City’s economy growing well

HCM City (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City ’s economy has developed well in the first quarter of this year with a gain of more than 74.1 trillion VND in GDP, a rise of 11 percent over the same period last year.

Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Le Hoang Quan made these remarks at a conference on March 29 discussing the city’s socio-economic performance in the first quarter.

The rise was fuelled by increases of 10.5 percent for the services sector, 11.7 percent for the industrial and construction areas, and 6.2 percent for the agricultural sector, he emphasised.

“The city has for the first time in many years posted a GDP growth rate in the first quarter of the new year much higher than the last quarter of the previous year,” Quan said. 

Regarding the GDP growth rate of over 11 percent, the municipal leader asked branches and sectors to continue to implement the set socio-economic targets and focus on measures to reign in inflation and mitigate its impact on the people.

He also requested that branches and sectors decisively halt the implementation of ineffective and unnecessary projects, as well as step up capital disbursement for projects.

Municipal businesses were called on to save energy and reduce input costs, to keep production costs low and ensure the competitiveness of their products.

At the meeting, HCM City authorities asked relevant agencies to deal with unemployment, traffic congestion, and food safety and hygiene issues effectively in addition to regulating the market to stabilise prices.

Footwear exports exceed 1 billion USD in first quarter

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam ’s turnover from footwear exports reached over 1 billion USD in the first quarter of 2010, up 10 percent over the same period last year and coming third among the over 1 billion USD earners, after garments and crude oil. 

According to the General Statistics Office (GSO), the EU continues to be Vietnam ’s largest importer of footwear with a turnover of 326 million USD in the first two months of this year, accounting for more than 48 percent of the country’s total. It was followed by the US and Japan . 

At present, Vietnam ’s footwear products, mainly sports shoes, cloth and leather shoes and sandals, are exported to 50 countries and territories worldwide. 

According to the Vietnam Leather and Footwear Association (Lefaso), Vietnam now ranks fourth amongst the worlds 10 leading footwear exporters. In 2009, the turnover of the country’s footwear exports reached nearly 4.8 billion USD and is expected to increase to 5.6 billion USD this year, a rise of 17 percent over last year. 

To boost stable growth and competitiveness in the global market, Lefaso’s Chairman Nguyen Duc Thuan has recommended that domestic businesses pay more attention to design, while producing products that are suitable to each market’s demand and tastes. 

The association has suggested that the Ministry of Industry and Trade urgently build up a trademark and train more human resources for the footwear fashion industry in order to improve the value of the country’s export products.

Singapore’s franchises eye Vietnam

HCM City (VNA) – Singapore companies see Vietnam as a “hot-spot” for franchise investment, director of Singapore ’s Astreem Corporation Pte Ltd. Hsien Naidu said at a press conference last week to announce a coming franchise seminar. 


Ten Singapore franchise companies in the food, beverage and lifestyle sectors including Pasta Mania, Polar Puffs, 3-Monkeys Café, Worldwide Wings, Kooshi. Animal and TTQ Massage would seek franchises in the coming month, he said. 


The seminar called Franchise Vietnam 2010 will be held in HCM City on April 9 for franchisers to meet and develop more business here. 

It will provide business owners with franchising knowledge and opportunities to expand their businesses locally and across borders. Established brands from Singapore that are ready to enter the Vietnamese market will be represented. 


Dr.T.Chandroo, deputy chairman of Singapore ’s Franchising & Licensing Association and chief executive Officer of Modern Montessori International said Vietnam ’s population of 86 million, 65 percent of them under 35, was open to modern services, making it a good opportunity for Singapore franchise companies. 


Bui Le Quan from Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry Exhibition Services Ltd. Co. said the Vietnam franchising market was estimated to experience 20-30 percent growth annually. 


Vietnam currently has 100 international brands operating franchising agreements with local partners, according to Quan.

3G services reel in mobile subscribers

Hanoi (VNA) – Mobile internet services using third generation (3G) technology is becoming increasingly popular in Vietnam as prices fall, say industry experts. 

Dinh Viet Hung, from MobiFone’s Marketing and Telecoms Charge Department, said that 90 percent of all MobiFone 3G subscribers used high speed 3G mobile internet services at work and on the move. 

Meanwhile, Nguyen Anh Duc, deputy director of Viettel’s HCM City branch, said the telecommunications sector in 2010 would focus on developing faster mobile internet services to attract subscribers. 

“Mobile internet services will play an increasingly important role in subscriber development and Vietttel is focusing on building strong infrastructure to meet demand for broadband internet access,” he said. 
Hung added that changing work patterns and leisure activities had increased the need for fast mobile internet access. 

In addition, the price of terminal equipment integrated with 3G internet access had become increasingly cheaper, he said. 

Conversely, he said to use 3G services such as Video Call and Mobile Television, customers needed to purchase expensive terminal equipment, which was why they were not as popular yet in the country, particularly as demand for these services was chiefly from the younger generation who have less disposable income. 

MobiFone and VinaPhone have been providing 3G services since the end of 2009. The Electricity of Vietnam’s Telecommunications business and Vietnam Mobile plan to launch 3G services in April and June, respectively. 

According to BMI (Business Monitor International), Vietnam ’s 3G market has not yet boomed because the price of 3G services is still high. 

BMI forecasts that the number of 3G subscribers will reach about 4.5 million in 2013, accounting for just 2 percent of all mobile phone users.

Ministry seeks further extensions for equitisations

HCM City (VNA) – Following the tardy progress of equitisation of State-owned enterprises last year, the Ministry of Finance fears similar delays this year too and has said it will ask the Government to extend deadlines for further equitisation. 

Only 65 enterprises were equitised last year compared to 349 in 2008. The Government had set a target of 714 in 2009 and 2010, including 65 large corporations with an average capital of more than 1 trillion VND (52.49 million USD), the ministry said. 

Minister of Finance Vu Van Ninh blamed the slow pace on the large size of the companies involved, saying it usually takes a long time to select strategic investors, value their assets, and do other tasks, the Dau Tu (Vietnam Investment Reviews) reports. 

The global economic crisis last year saw demand for securities take a hit, affecting the equitisation process, he explained. 

“So we can not rush in and equitise at any price. The process should be implemented in the most effective way to avoid a loss of State assets,” he said. 
The equitisation process reflects the Government’s decision to restructure the economy and would force enterprises to stand on their own feet or go bankrupt if they incur losses. 

The Government had decided to reduce its stakes in small companies and sectors where it only needs to have a small presence so that it could invest in key sectors, he added. 

The State Capital Investment Corporation, the Government’s investment arm, will focus on withdrawing State capital from 87 percent of equitised enterprises this year. 

Last year it withdrew from nearly 300 enterprises, four times more than in 2008. According to a ministry report, 3,910 enterprises have been equitised under a process that began in 1992.

Online advertising gets a rise

Hanoi (VNA) – The relatively young online advertising market in Vietnam was worth 15.5 million USD last year, an increase of 71 percent over 2008, according to a report by Cimigo, a market research company. 

Cimigo said the internet now played a significant role in Vietnamese lives both personally and professionally and had therefore become an increasingly important way for advertisers to reach their target customers. 

“More than half of the urban population in Vietnam is online, and users spend more than two hours on the internet every day,” said Lukas Mira, Cimigo’s online director. 

Despite the rapid rise in the number of internet users, advertisers were still sceptical about using the Web to promote their products and services, he said. 

Only a small proportion of a company’s advertising budget was spent on online marketing in Vietnam , far lower than in other Southeast Asian nations, he added. 

“Just 50 US cents per year is spent on online advertising per internet user. China spends 15 times that amount,” said Brian Pelz, co-founder of Vinagame and a member of the Internet Architecture Board (IAB) steering committee in Vietnam . 

“This report [“Vietnam Online Advertising Revenue Report 2009”] would help advertisers, websites, agencies and the online ecosystem quantify where the market is going so we can plan and invest appropriately,” Pelz said. 

Cimigo operates throughout the Asia Pacific region.

HCM City to host Chinamac Fair

HCM City (VNA) – The 8 th Chinamac Fair 2010 will be held from July 28-31 at the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center (SECC), showing off products, equipment and machines used in the electricity sector, healthcare services, footware, heavy industry, garments and packing. 

The Chinamac Fair 2010 (CMF 2010), which is expected to attract 200 manufacturing enterprises from China , will introduce trade and investment policies in Vietnam , share business experience and conduct a Vietnam-China Trade Seminar.

Investors ignore positive signs

Hanoi (VNA) -- Despite a lift on March 26 from the State Bank of Vietnam’s announcement that it would leave the prime rate unchanged through April, shares on the HCM Stock Exchange saw a losing week overall last week, with the VN-Index dropping by the cumulative 2.07 percent to a close on March 26 of 505.30. 

Average daily trading volumes retreated from the previous week to about 45 million shares, a drop of 15.54 percent, while average daily value declined by nearly 19.2 percent to 1.88 trillion VND (98 million USD). 

On the Hanoi Stock Exchange, meanwhile, the HNX-Index finished down on the week by a whopping 3.59 percent, ending the day on March 26 at 163.76 points. The average daily value of traders in Hanoi fell slightly by 7.56 percent to around 898 billion VND (47 million USD) on an average volume of just 27.2 million shares. 

The markets were clouded by the release of four major items of economic news during the week, including announcements that inflation had climbed by 0.75 percent in March, the trade deficit had expanded in the first quarter to 3.6 billion USD (a full 25.6 percent of total export turnover), and the nation’s growth rate had hit 5.83percent in the first quarter of the year, as well as the decision on the prime rate. 

Except for the trade deficit number, the other news was regarded as positive but nevertheless failed to boost shares, said FPT Security Co analyst Le Thi Bich Hang, suggesting that wary investor psychology continued to rule investor decisions rather than economic data or business results. 

“Indices on both bourses were down, along with declines in both trading volumes and values, which sent another negative signal reflecting investor caution,” Hang said. 

Foreign investors concluded last week as net buyers on both exchanges, but the net value of their buys dropped by over 63 percent from the previous week to 114.8 billion VND (6 million USD), Hang said. 

“The market seems to be being manipulated by a few speculators,” said Le Dat Chi of the HCM City University of Economics. 

While inflation in March was under control, investors were obsessed by and fixated on the prime rate, which actually had less significance, since real market lending rates were far beyond the base 8-percent rate, reaching 15-18 percent. 

Meanwhile, investors ignored much constructive information said Chi, including the Ministry of Finance decision to allow margin trading and a reduction in the clearance time for shares to just two days, information that would have given the market a real boost in prior years. 

“Negative sentiment will continue to send the market down, and when share prices fall to the expectations of speculators, they will then start to buy,” Chi said. 

Bao Viet Securities Co analysts said the market concealed risk in the short term as investor sentiment was unstable and investors needed time to regain their confidence. They encouraged short-term investors to stay out of the market and wait for clearer signs of an uptrend, but they advised medium- and long-term investors to pick up shares that declined by more than 1 percent. 

Analysts of Saigon Security Inc and Viet Capital Securities Co retained a brighter outlook, predicting the market this week would be buoyed by the release of first-quarter business results by listed companies and the movement of investment funds to close out their net asset values at the end of March.

HCM City leads in FDI attraction

HCM City (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City continues leading the country in attraction of foreign direct investment (FDI) with nearly 27.8 billion USD poured into 3,604 projects so far. 

In the first quarter of this year, the city licensed 68 FDI projects with registered capital standing at 378 million USD and legal capital at 61.6 million USD. 

Areas attracting more and more large-scale FDI projects are high technology, health care and education. 

Foreign investment also helped the city get access to modern technology and experiences in business administration and generate hundreds of thousands of jobs for people. 

The city’s dynamic FDI capital has helped speed up the transfer of economic structure, contributing to increasing export turnover, personnel training, settling unemployment and providing high-quality products, according to economic experts. 

In 2009, the city licensed 369 FDI projects with 841 million USD registered capital and 352 million USD legal capital.

Vietnam Airlines launches direct Shanghai-Vietnam route

Hanoi (VNA) – The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines conducted the first direct flight from Vietnam to Shanghai, China on March 28. 

There will be three direct flights between Hanoi and Shanghai a week which will be on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday while the flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Shanghai will serve passengers every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday on the Airbus A321. 

On the same day, Vietnam Airlines launched a new domestic air route from Ho Chi Minh City to the Mekong delta city of Can Tho and the southern resort island of Phu Quoc and vice versa. 
The Ho Chi Minh City- Can Tho- Phu Quoc route has five flights per week.