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Foreign leaders send condolences to flood victims
Hanoi (VNA) – Premier of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Chue Yong-rim on October 26 sent a message of sympathy to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung over serious human and property losses caused by floods in several central provinces .
Earlier on October 20, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh cabled a message of sympathy to his Vietnamese counterpart over flood losses in Vietnam ’s central region.
The Indian Embassy in Hanoi informed that the Indian Government decided to provide 100,000 USD as humanitarian aid for flood-affected areas.-Enditem
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APFNet helps Vietnam in sustainable forest management
Hanoi (VNA) – Enhancing forests’ contributions to hunger elimination, poverty alleviation, environmental services and livelihood improvement is the general objective of a project funded by the Asia-Pacific Network for Sustainable Forest Management and Rehabilitation (APFNet) in Vietnam .
The project, entitled “Demonstration of capacity building of forest restoration and sustainable forest management in Vietnam ”, was launched by the Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development (MARD) and APFNet at an inception workshop in Hanoi on October 27.
This is APFNet’s first project in Vietnam with a total budget of nearly 500,000 USD. The two-year project will be implemented in Thanh Son and Tan Son communes in the northern province of Phu Tho, where most of the locals are Muong and Dao ethnic people.
Under the project, a series of measures will be applied to ensure the sustainable restoration and management of 50 ha of secondary degraded natural forests in the two communes.
“The success implementation of the project will contribute to combating global warming and climate change through minimising deforestation and forest degradation as well as increasing the carbon sequestration of secondary forests,” said Nguyen Ngoc Binh, Deputy General Director of the Vietnam Directorate of Forestry.
According to APFNet General Director Qu Guilin, in recent years, due to the large-scale afforestation, the forest resources in the Asia-Pacific region have been effectively restored and the forest coverage has been gradually increased.
“However, forest degradation and deforestation are still a big problem and the capacity on forest management differs a lot in different economies,” he said.
Therefore, the implementation of this project in Vietnam will help strengthen forest management capacity and information sharing in an effort to increase forest coverage in the APEC region by at least 20 million hectares of all types of forests by 2020, he added.
Phu Tho, the destination of the project, is one of the Vietnamese localities seeing good forest restoration. In recent years, the province planted 6,000-7,000 hectares of forests annually and is expected to have around 10,000 ha covered by forest this year.
APFNet is an open regional organisation which promotes and improves sustainable forest management and rehabilitation in the Asia-Pacific region.
Initiated by China and co-sponsored by Australia and the US , the establishment of the APFNet was approved at the 15 th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Sydney , Australia , in September 2007 and was included in the APEC Leaders’ Declaration on Climate Change, Energy Security and Clean Development.-Enditem
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Vietnam confirms support, solidarity with Cuba
New York (VNA) – Vietnam ’s representative to the United Nations once again confirmed the country’s support for and solidarity with Cuba .
Addressing the 65th session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Oct. 26 on a resolution calling on the United States to end its five-decade old embargo against Cuba , Ambassador Bui The Giang said Vietnam , as in all previous year, has voted in favour of the resolution.
The session overwhelmingly voted for Resolution A/65/L3 on the “necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States against Cuba ” with 187 out of 192 voting in its favour. This is the 19th consecutive year the UN General Assembly há adopted the resolution with increasingly consensual support.
Ambassador Giang in his speech said “As a grave violation of international laws, including laws relating to the freedom of trade and navigation, sovereign equality and non-interference in internal affairs of States, this embargo runs counter to universally recognised norms governing relations between sovereign countries regardless of their political systems and their choices of their paths of development, as well as to the fundamental principles and purposes enshrined in the UN Charter.”
He noted that this half-a-century embargo has caused phenomenal financial and material losses to the Cuban economy, and represented a major obstacle to Cuba ’s social development, affecting the Cuban people’s efforts to maintain a normal life in respect and dignity, let alone an improved life as humanity is moving towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
It has also hit all those who have wished and worked to foster legitimate, normal and mutually beneficial cultural, economic, commercial and financial relations with Cuba , including an increasing proportion of the American population, he added.
The diplomat reiterated Vietnam ’s unswerving position that disputes among States should and can only be resolved through peaceful dialogue and negotiations on the basis of equality, mutual respect for each other’s independence and sovereignty, and the principle of non-interference in internal affairs of States.
“We again join the overwhelming majority of member States in requesting that the Government of the US put an immediate end to its unilateral economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba in order to lessen the hardships unduly inflicted upon the Cuban people, reduce tension and create an atmosphere conducive to constructive efforts toward early normalisation of the relations between the two countries in the interest of peace, stability and development of this region and the world as a whole,” he said.
He stressed that Vietnam stands ready together with the international community to continue assisting Cuba , as has been always the case, to overcome the consequences of this embargo.
Addressing the UN General Assembly session, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said the embargo, first partially imposed in 1960 and turned into law in 1962, has made serious impact on all aspects of Cubans’ life, particularly health care and food. The Cuban government estimated the blockade had cost Cuba more than 750 billion USD.
FM Rodriguez said US President Barack Obama previously called for a "new beginning" with Cuba but the blockade has been continued and tightened this year.
The result of the UN General Assembly’s vote was hailed by Cuba’s mass media, saying Washington’s policy against Cuba was isolated by international community and the fact that there is one more country choosing not to vote against Cuba this year proved the righteousness of the demand for an end to Washington’s embargo against Cuba.-Enditem
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Vietnam confirms support, solidarity with Cuba
New York (VNA) – Vietnam ’s representative to the United Nations once again confirmed the country’s support for and solidarity with Cuba .
Addressing the 65th session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Oct. 26 on a resolution calling on the United States to end its five-decade old embargo against Cuba , Ambassador Bui The Giang said Vietnam , as in all previous year, has voted in favour of the resolution.
The session overwhelmingly voted for Resolution A/65/L3 on the “necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States against Cuba ” with 187 out of 192 voting in its favour. This is the 19th consecutive year the UN General Assembly há adopted the resolution with increasingly consensual support.
Ambassador Giang in his speech said “As a grave violation of international laws, including laws relating to the freedom of trade and navigation, sovereign equality and non-interference in internal affairs of States, this embargo runs counter to universally recognised norms governing relations between sovereign countries regardless of their political systems and their choices of their paths of development, as well as to the fundamental principles and purposes enshrined in the UN Charter.”
He noted that this half-a-century embargo has caused phenomenal financial and material losses to the Cuban economy, and represented a major obstacle to Cuba ’s social development, affecting the Cuban people’s efforts to maintain a normal life in respect and dignity, let alone an improved life as humanity is moving towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
It has also hit all those who have wished and worked to foster legitimate, normal and mutually beneficial cultural, economic, commercial and financial relations with Cuba , including an increasing proportion of the American population, he added.
The diplomat reiterated Vietnam ’s unswerving position that disputes among States should and can only be resolved through peaceful dialogue and negotiations on the basis of equality, mutual respect for each other’s independence and sovereignty, and the principle of non-interference in internal affairs of States.
“We again join the overwhelming majority of member States in requesting that the Government of the US put an immediate end to its unilateral economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba in order to lessen the hardships unduly inflicted upon the Cuban people, reduce tension and create an atmosphere conducive to constructive efforts toward early normalisation of the relations between the two countries in the interest of peace, stability and development of this region and the world as a whole,” he said.
He stressed that Vietnam stands ready together with the international community to continue assisting Cuba , as has been always the case, to overcome the consequences of this embargo.
Addressing the UN General Assembly session, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said the embargo, first partially imposed in 1960 and turned into law in 1962, has made serious impact on all aspects of Cubans’ life, particularly health care and food. The Cuban government estimated the blockade had cost Cuba more than 750 billion USD.
FM Rodriguez said US President Barack Obama previously called for a "new beginning" with Cuba but the blockade has been continued and tightened this year.
The result of the UN General Assembly’s vote was hailed by Cuba’s mass media, saying Washington’s policy against Cuba was isolated by international community and the fact that there is one more country choosing not to vote against Cuba this year proved the righteousness of the demand for an end to Washington’s embargo against Cuba.-Enditem
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US, Cambodian Navies conduct CARAT 2010 maneuver
Phnom Penh (VNA)- Around 600 US navy sailors from the United States Marine Corp (USMC) are joining hundreds of Royal Cambodian navy sailors for six-day maneuver for Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) 2010 to the offshore of Preah Sihanouk , Cambodia .
CARAT Cambodia 2010 occurs in two phases with the first one finished in June. The second phase, which began on Oct. 25, covers a series of actions to help strengthen the two navies’ fighting capability and mutual understanding.-Enditem
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Int’l media exhibition opens in Iran
Cairo (VNA) – The 17 th Int’l news agencies and media exhibition opened in the Iranian capital of Tehran on Oct. 26, drawing the participation of 175 news agencies and journals from 55 countries including Vietnam News Agency.
According to the Iran ’s Ministry of Culture, the annual exhibition aims to expand cultural relations between the international press and news agencies and promote an interaction among them.
Through signing bilateral agreements and exchanging viewpoint on key issues of common concern in the region and the world, media and news agencies can establish their long-term cooperation relations, said the ministry.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Iranian Minister of Culture Sayed Mohamad Husseini called upon regional countries to enhance information cooperation with Iran .
The exhibition will be opened until November 1. - Enditem
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Vietnam, Indonesia vow to boost comprehensive ties
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam wishes to boost bilateral friendship, solidarity and comprehensive cooperation with Indonesia , affirmed the Vietnamese State President.
Welcoming Indonesian President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at a solemn ceremony in Hanoi on Oct. 27, State President Nguyen Minh Triet said he believed the Indonesian President’s visit will help cement bilateral friendship and cooperation.
The Vietnamese State leader also spoke highly of socio-economic achievements Indonesia has obtained in recent years and the country’s role in ASEAN and in the international arena as well.
President Yudhoyono expressed his belief that the visit would further strengthen the sound relationship between Vietnam and Indonesia .
The two leaders informed each other of measures to lift bilateral ties to a new height, especially in economy, trade and investment, security and national defence, agriculture, culture and tourism.
They both affirmed their countries’ determination to maintain peace and stability in the East Sea , increase political dialogue, regional connectivity and support for settlement of conflicts through peaceful talks.
The two leaders also discussed measures to intensify security and defence cooperation through training and exchange of high-level delegations, cooperation in fishery and sea-related issues to raise fishermen’s awareness.
Apart from the current sound political relations, Vietnam and Indonesia have potentials of increasing bilateral trade value and expanding investment cooperation, they said.
Trade and industry are the two areas offering opportunities for enterprises of both countries to enhance cooperation, including projects on infrastructure, transport development and aviation, said President Triet.
“ Vietnam is paying attention to developing energy for socio-economic development and is willing to work with Indonesia in coal and oil and gas exploitation,” he said.
The two countries need to further promote cooperation in agriculture and food security as well as increase culture and tourism exchange, he added.
Learning that strong quake which triggered tsunami in Indonesia ’s West Sumartra on Oct. 26 caused serious losses in human and property, President Triet, on behalf of the Vietnamese State and people extended deep condolences to President Yudhoyono and Indonesian people.
He said he believed that the Indonesians would overcome difficulties and soon return to their normal lives.
President Yudhoyono congratulated Vietnam on its successful ASEAN chair in 2010, expressing his hope that Vietnam would share experience and help Indonesia to fulfil its ASEAN Chairmanship in 2011.-Enditem
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Vietnam records highest rice yields in Southeast Asia
Hanoi (VNA)- With a yield of 5.3 tonnes per ha per harvest, Vietnam ranked top in Southeast Asia in rice productivity, confirmed Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Bui Ba Bong.
Some major rice producing areas such as the Mekong Delta provinces of An Giang, Can Tho and Dong Thap gathered up to 7.3 tonnes per ha in the freshly-harvested winter-spring crop, equivalent to world leaders like Japan and the Republic of Korea.
The nation’s rice production output is estimated at 39.9 million tonnes in 2010, with southern provinces producing over 23.5 million tonnes, reported the Cultivation Department.
The Mekong Delta alone made up almost 91.5 percent of the southern production output, gathering 21.5 million tonnes with an average per-ha yield of 5.47 tonnes.
The figures show that the skills of rice farming in Vietnam had been improving, explaining why Vietnam has entered into the list of world giants in rice exports.
In the past 10 months, the country already exported 5.66 million tonnes of rice, earning 2.63 billion USD. The yearly rice export volume was expected to reach 6.5 million tonnes due to the supply of wheat falling short.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) forecasts a “possible skyrocketing” in world rice demand with Indonesia, which failed to reach a deal with Thailand, likely to import an additional 200,000 tonnes of rice from Vietnam. Typhoon Megi wreaked havoc in the northern Philippines and is expected to push the country to import between 500,000 and 600,000 tonnes of rice.
“The situation may drive the world rice market into a chaos,” said economists, adding that a surge in demand would make prices escalate.
In October, major rice exporters, including Vietnam, Thailand, Pakistan and India, increased their export prices by at least 30 percent over the previous month.
Despite increased prices, Vietnam does not have much rice in storage for export, said MARD.
The world’s second largest rice exporter has expanded its line-up to parboiled rice, which is expected to increase by 300,000-400,000 tonnes in 2011 to meet rising demand, said the President of the Vietnam Food Association, Truong Thanh Phong.
Parboiled rice preferred by Muslims as it is dry when fully cooked, making it easy to eat by hand. The world demand for the product is estimated at between 3.5 and 4 million tonnes a year. Its price per tonne is often 70-80 USD higher than five percent broken rice product, which now plays a key role in Vietnam’s rice exportation.
Vietnam’s parboiled rice quality is higher than that from Pakistan and India, the two biggest parboiled rice exporters of the world, sparking confidence on the “high competitive edge” among domestic rice exporters, Phong says.
VFA members are building three parboiled rice factories in the Mekong Delta, one of which - with a daily capacity of 500 tonnes - is scheduled to start operation later this year, bringing the total number to five.
The VFA also unveiled a plan to join hands with the Cultivation Department in marking off a special zone to provide raw material for these factories.-Enditem
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Male smoking reaches alarming rate
Hanoi (VNA)- With almost half (47.4 percent) of adult men smoking or getting involved in other uses of tobacco, Vietnam has been put into the group of countries with extremely high smoking rates among men.
The risk of secondhand smoking is also high with 67.6 percent of the adults exposed to the risk at home and 49.0 percent at the workplace.
The highest rate of secondhand smoking was found at cafes, wine and tea shops (92.6 percent), followed by restaurants (84.9 percent) and universities (54.5 percent).
The figures were released at a workshop in Hanoi on October 27 where the Ministry of Health released the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) result related to Vietnam .
Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thi Xuyen said tobacco is the cause of 25 potentially fatal diseases.
She quoted the World Health Organisation (WHO) as estimating that unless Vietnam takes prompt measures to control the trend, up to 10 percent of national deaths will be of tobacco-related diseases in 2020.
Under the GATS survey conducted by WHO in 2010, in addition to male smoking, 1.4 percent of Vietnamese women smoke.
Up to 81.8 percent of smokers in Vietnam smoke daily and 26.9 percent use traditional tobacco pipes.
The ages for beginners average 19.8 years for men, 23.6 for women and 19.9 in general.
Of the 9,925 respondents aged 15 years old and upwards, 29.3 percent of smokers said they had quit the habit while 67.5 percent of current smokers said they are thinking of quitting smoking one day in the future.
As many as 71.3 percent of respondents indicate support for the policy on tax increases for cigarettes.
Mass media warnings on the risks caused by tobacco have caught public attention, according to 91.6 percent of respondents.
Vietnam has been advised to strictly prohibit smoking in public places and increase taxes on cigarettes. Bans on relevant advertisements, trade promotions and any kinds of financial support by tobacco companies should also be tightened.
The country has also been urged to intensify investment in detoxification services for smokers.--Enditem
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Uncle Ho’s poems translated into Mongolian
Hanoi (VNA) – Poems from the “Prison Diary” written by the late President Ho Chi Minh have been translated into Mongolian by President of the Mongolia-Vietnam Friendship Association (MVFA) Doctor Sonomish Dashtsevel.
Dr. Dashtsevel, 67, has spent nearly 10 years on the project with the hope that it would help introduce President Ho Chi Minh’s patriotism, simplicity and greatness to younger generations of Mongolians.
“When reading the Prison Diary, I felt closer to Uncle Ho’s personality. The poems demonstrate his determination, patriotism and love for his people,” said Dr. Dashtsevel.
He has spent considerable time studying the collection’s translated versions in Russian, English and French languages and made great efforts to preserve the spirit and philosophy of the poems, besides the rhyme and meaning of the words.
As MVFA President, Dr. Dashtsevel has served as a bridge linking the two countries through friendship groups and the economic and trade cooperation of businesses.
The Mongolian Doctor, a former student of the Literature Department, Hanoi University , has a boundless love for the late Vietnamese president and his poems.
He has been married to a Vietnamese lady and his regular trips to Vietnam aim not only to visit his wife’s hometown but also to find out more about the culture and people of Vietnam.-Enditem
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SEOM discusses documents to enhance cooperation
Hanoi (VNA) – The ASEAN Senior Economic Officials’ Meeting (SEOM) convened in Hanoi on October 27 to review and discuss a range of important documents to speed up the building of the ASEAN Economic Community by 2015.
All of these documents will be submitted to the Meeting of the ASEAN Economic Community Council scheduled to take place in Hanoi on October 28.
SEOM debated the Protocol to Provide Special Consideration for Rice and Sugar and the Protocol to Implement the Eighth Package of Commitments under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services in order to strengthen cooperation within the bloc.
Le Quang Lan, Deputy Director of the Multilateral Trade Policy Department under the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade, said the eighth package covers a broad scope of commitments on 80 out of the total 150 service sub-sectors. The protocol was designed to encourage the flow of investment in services among the regional countries, he said.
With this package of commitments, ASEAN is striving to create a more open framework compared with what the bloc was performing in pursuant to the regulations of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Lan added.
At the meeting, delegates showed optimism about the successful building of the ASEAN Economic Community by 2015 and put forward recommendations to the governments of the ASEAN nations to implement the Community roadmap.
Srirat Sartapana, Director of the Trade Negotiations Department under the Thai Ministry of Commerce, said the target is achievable by 2015, but ASEAN members must work together closely to separately address each of the issues.
The governments need to work out reasonable policies to overcome trade barriers and expand economic cooperation with regional nations, the official said.
Meanwhile, the Assistant to the Philippines Secretary of Trade and Industry, Vicente Ramon, urged economic ministers to have a stronger voice and asked for inter-sector coordination to step up regional cooperation not only in the economy but also in social aspects.
Also on Oct. 27, SEOM finalised documents on the granting of certificate of origin to goods from ASEAN and China , in a move to facilitate bilateral trade.-Enditem
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State Treasury joins treasury association
Hanoi (VNA)- Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung has allowed the State Treasury to join the International Association of Treasury Services (AIST) following a proposal from the Ministry of Finance.
The Ministry of Finance will work with the Foreign Ministry and relevant organisations to follow procedures to join AIST.-Enditem
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General Giap receives 70-year Party badge
Hanoi (VNA) – State President Nguyen Minh Triet, on behalf of the Party and State, presented the 70-year Party membership badge to General Vo Nguyen Giap in Hanoi on October 27.
Speaking at the award ceremony, President Triet congratulated General Giap, an outstanding student of President Ho Chi Minh, on his 100 th birthday and 70 years of Party membership.
The name and career of General Vo Nguyen Giap have long been associated with the struggle for national liberation and construction and the Vietnamese people always admired his outstanding talent and great contributions to the country, he said.
The State leader affirmed that younger generations were willing to learn from the General’s morals, manners, revolutionary spirit and faithfulness to build a more prosperous Vietnam.-Enditem
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RoK’s economic growth slows down in Q3
Seoul (VNA) – The Republic of Korea’s economy grew at a slower rate in the third quarter than in the previous quarter, with the recovery pace losing momentum under the influence of a stronger local currency, the central bank said on October 27.
According to the Bank of Korea (BOK), the RoK posted a 0.7 percent quarter-on-quarter growth for its gross domestic product (GDP) during the July-September period.
The nation's GDP in the second quarter recorded growth of 1.4 percent compared with the January-March period and 7.2 percent over the same period last year.
The slowdown in the reviewed period came amid the country’s won climbing as much as 7.2 percent against the U.S. dollar, according to the BOK.
The strong currency hit the country's export sector, driving down the quarter-on-quarter export growth rate to 1.9 percent from a 7 percent gain three months ago.
Private consumption, on the other hand, rose by 1.3 percent, accelerating from a 0.8 percent growth marked for the second quarter. This was also the first increase in private consumption following the 1.7 percent rise recorded in the third quarter last year.
With respect to facilities investment, the country scored a 6.3 percent expansion, but the growth pace lost steam compared with a quarter ago, when the figure grew 9.1 percent.
The data came after the BOK forecast slower economic growth for the country’s economy in the second half, after its 7.6 percent year-on-year growth in the first half of the year.-Enditem
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Japan eager for concrete outcomes in strategic partnership with VN
Tokyo (VNA)- A senior official of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has said that Japan places emphasis on its relations with Vietnam and would like to see concrete outcomes in each area of its strategic partnership with the Southeast Asian country.
Speaking to a correspondent of the Vietnam News Agency in Tokyo on Oct. 27 before the official visit to Vietnam by Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan, the official said: “The last visit to Vietnam by a Japanese prime minister took place in 2006. This visit by PM Kan clearly indicates Japan’s stance of placing emphasis on relations with Vietnam and we expect that the upcoming summit meeting between PM Kan and his Vietnamse counterpart, Nguyen Tan Dung, will produce fruitful outcomes”.
During the official visit to Japan by Secretary General of the Vietnam Communist Party Nong Duc Manh in April last year, leaders of the two countries already agreed to develop the Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia, which Japan and Vietnam had constructed by advancing their bilateral relations in a wide range of areas.
The Japanese diplomat said through the holding of a meeting between PM Kan and PM Dung, the promotion of mutual cooperation in economic infrastructure development and a reinforcement of their partnership in national security and in the international arena, Japan and Vietnam will engage in the comprehensive promotion of their bilateral strategic partnership.
“We would like to see the concrete outcomes in each area of the strategic partnership,” the official stressed.
He also commented that Vietnam is a country of significant potentials, with a population of 85 million people, abundant natural resources, a hard-working and inexpensive labour force and a high rate of economic growth, averaging 7.3 percent over the last five years and forecasted to be 6.7 percent for 2010.
He said Japanese businesses are interested in exporting infrastructure-related products and also in making foreign direct investment (FDI) to the country.
He concluded that the official visit to Vietnam by PM Kan “will be a very short, but significant visit to Vietnam from our viewpoint”.
Regarding to the upcoming talks between the two PMs, the Japanese official said that PM Kan and his Vietnamese counterpart are expected to welcome a basic substantial agreement between the two countries for bilateral cooperation in the development and peaceful uses of nuclear energy and encourage their officials to work for the early signing of the agreement.
Regarding the issue of granting a market economy status to Vietnam, he said: “We held a forum for giving a market economy status to Vietnam in January 2010. We are in the process of examining various status and information related to the economic situation and economic policies of Vietnam”.
“It is possible that the issue of market economy status will be raised at the summit meeting and we might be talking that we are going to have another round on that matter,” he said, adding that “it has not been fixed yet.”
PM Kan is scheduled to arrive in Hanoi on late Oct. 28. Before the official visit, he will attend various ASEAN-related summit meetings, including the ASEAN-Japan Summit. On the sidelines of those meetings, he is scheduled to meet his counterparts from Singapore and New Zealand, and possibly to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart.-Enditem
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Distance education conference opens in Hanoi
Hanoi (VNA)- The 24 th Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU) annual conference opened in Hanoi for the first time, on October 27.
Attending the event were Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Bui Van Ga, representatives of 70 distance education universities from 45 AAOU member countries and territories, international organisations in Asia and members of the AAOU across the world.
At the ceremony, Deputy PM Nguyen Thien Nhan spoke highly of the AAOU’s role in offering study opportunities for the people. He affirmed that open and distance education contributed to building a lifelong study-oriented society for everyone and had become an integral part of the national education system.
With the theme “Open distance learning towards building sustainable global learning communities”, the event will focus on ideology and philosophy, partnership and communication, methodology and technology, sustainability, access, equity and quality, opportunities and challenges.
About 200 reports from experts discussed the building of a sustainable study community and its challenges, cooperation among colleges and universities in sharing materials and e-learning equipment, and government subsidies for distance education.
The event will last till October 28.-Enditem
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Indonesian President shortens Vietnam visit
Hanoi (VNA) – Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono shortened his state visit to Vietnam and returned home on Oct. 27 for post-tsunami and earthquake rescue work.
The Indonesian President informed Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung about the plan in a telephone conversation he made immediately after his talks with State President Nguyen Minh Triet.
He said he returned home to directly guide search and rescue operations at an area off the west coast of Sumatra, where an earthquake-triggered tsunami killed more than 100 people and left over 500 others missing.
The Indonesian President affirmed that he will come back to Hanoi on Oct. 30 for the East Asia Summit (EAS) and related meetings as part of the 17 th ASEAN Summit.
On behalf of the Vietnamese Government and people, Prime Minister Dung expressed his deep sympathy with the Indonesian Government and people over heavy losses in life and property caused by the twin disasters.
He also expressed his belief that the Indonesian Government and people, especially those in the disaster-hit area, would soon overcome the consequences of these disasters and stabilise their lives.
PM Dung welcomed the Indonesian President’s decision to go to Hanoi for the EAS and the 17 th ASEAN Summit’s related meetings later this week.
The Indonesian President thanked the Vietnamese Government and people for their sympathy to disaster victims and described this as a manifestation of friendship and solidarity between the two countries.-Enditem
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ASEAN coordination meetings held in Hanoi
Hanoi (VNA) – The ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and the 7 th Meeting of the ASEAN Coordinating Council Meeting were held in Hanoi on Oct. 27 to finalise preparations for the 17 th ASEAN Summit and related summits.
Foreign Ministers and Vice Foreign Ministers of the 10 ASEAN countries and ASEAN General Secretary Surin Pitsuwan attended the meetings under the chairmanship of Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem.
At the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, FMs approved many important documents, including the ASEAN Declaration on Cooperation in Research and Rescue of Persons and Vessels in Distress at Sea, the Rules for Reference of Unresolved Disputes to the ASEAN Summit and the Rules of Authorisation for Legal Transactions under Domestic Laws, which are two legal instruments to realise the ASEAN Charter.
They also approved Procedures for the Accreditation of Ambassadors and Establishment of Diplomatic Missions to ASEAN from Non-ASEAN Member States and Relevant Inter-governmental Organisations.
They considered the report by the Chair of the ASEAN Inter-governmental Commission on Human Rights on its operations and gave instructions for the commission in the future, including the implementation of the 2010-11 plan and completion of the working plan till 2015, as well as consultations on the drafting of an ASEAN Human Rights Declaration.
At the 7 th Meeting of the ASEAN Coordinating Council Meeting, ministers asessed preparations for the 17 th ASEAN Summit and related summits.
They agreed to submit to ASEAN leaders the Masterplan on ASEAN Connectivity, the draft ASEAN Leaders’ Statement on Human Resources and Skills Development for Economic Recovery and Sustainable Growth and the draft Hanoi Declaration on the Enhancement of Welfare and Development of ASEAN Women and Children.
They gave opinions on statements and cooperation plans between ASEAN and its partners, which amounted to 30 documents and the drafts of seven Chairman’s Statements.
They exchanged views on the outcome of the 6 th ASEAN People Forum and agreed to submit the final statement of the forum to ASEAN leaders.
They also approved the budget for the ASEAN Secretariat for the 2011 fiscal year.
The ministers signed the Instrument of Incorporation of the Rules for Reference of Unresolved Disputes to the ASEAN Summit to the Protocol to the ASEAN Charter on Disputes Settlement Mechanism and witnessed the launching ceremony of the stamp collection “Vietnam in the ASEAN Community”.-Enditem
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Korea Eximbank helps build VN’s infrastructure
Hanoi (VNA) –Korea Eximbank will provide Vietnam as many loans as it can to help the latter develop transport infrastructure, Korea Eximbank Chairman cum General Director Dong Soo Kim said.
The Korea Eximbank Chairman made the statement at his meeting with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in Hanoi on Oct. 27.
PM Dung spoke highly of Korea Eximbank’s provision of loans for Vietnam for developing socio-economic infrastructure.
He said projects with the bank’s investment, especially the construction of Vam Cong bridge and the southern coastal road route, were important to Vietnam ’s socio-economic development and contributed in a practical way to friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
PM Dung told the bank official that Vietnam ’s biggest current challenge was investment for infrastructural development, especially transport systems, so the country is in dire need for international community’s assistance, including that of the Republic of Korea .
He asked Korea Eximbank to continue arranging loans for Vietnam to enable it to complete the construction of Vam Cong bridge and the southern coastal road route.
Korea Eximbank Chairman highly valued the Vietnamese government’s role in weathering economic crisis impacts and maintaining the country’s economic growth.
He said he believed Vietnam would fulfill all development goals it has set forth.
Korea Eximbank and the Vietnamese Transport Ministry are working on loans for a series of transport infrastructure projects, including 120 million USD for the southern coastal corridor road route, 200 million USD for the construction of Vam Cong bridge, and 100 million USD for the building of Vinh Thinh bridge.-Enditem
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