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Supreme People’s Procuracy delegation visits Cambodia
Phnom Penh (VNA) – A delegation from the Vietnamese Supreme People’s Procuracy (VSPP) led by its head official, Tran Quoc Vuong, is currently visiting Cambodia from December 5-9.
During their visit, the delegation paid a courtesy visit to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who expressed his thanks to the Vietnamese government and people for their supporting the Cambodian victims of a stampede at the recent water festival in Phnom Penh late last month.
Vuong informed the PM on the outcomes of cooperation between the VSPP and the Cambodian Supreme Procuracy (CSP), stressing that the two agencies will continue to strengthen their ties in the future to match the fine friendship between the two nations.
Earlier, the Vietnamese guests met with a delegation from the CSP, led by its head Chea Leang. They both reviewed the implementation of agreements reached during previous meetings and agreed to step up coordination and make more effort to realise their memorandum of understanding which was signed in Hanoi in 2009.
They also agreed to increase the exchange of information and provide mutual assistance in procedural work.-Enditem
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ASEAN discusses joint statistics framework
Hanoi (VNA)- The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its partners will work together to compile statistics for the period up until 2015 at a meeting which opened in Hanoi on December 8.
The two-day meeting has drawn the heads of statistical offices from eight of the groups 10 members (excluding Brunei and Myanmar) plus the United Nations, the EU, Japan, the Republic of Korea and China.
It is the first follow-up to an ASEAN Summit joint statement that recognised the framework of cooperation as an important legal foundation for regional efforts to establish an ASEAN community statistical system by 2015.
The Acting General Director of Vietnam General Statistics Office, Do Thuc, said the 11 th ASEAN Heads of Statistical Offices Meeting (AHSOM 11) would review the progress made in 2010 and difficulties and challenges during the next five years as well as developing statistics agencies across the bloc.
Also high on the meeting’s agenda are measures to improve the capacity of the ASEAN Statistics committee (ASEAN stats) to make it an important link between the statistics agencies of each member as well as between the group and outsiders, including international organisations.
Plans to build mechanisms and commitments to implement sharing and providing statistics within the grouping and priorities of cooperation will also be discussed.
The head of ASEAN’s Press Office, Dr. Aladdin D. Rillo pointed out the important role played by statistics in socio-economic reforms. Rillo called for further improvement in regional statistics to overcome the limitations and challenges when processing statistics data by each member and the group as a whole.
ASEAN’s Secretariat pledged to provide more technical assistance to statistics offices in member nations to meet ASEAN’s goals.
Statistics have been put under the supervision of the ASEAN secretariat.--Enditem
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ASEAN steps up cooperation in police training
Hanoi (VNA) – Representatives from the diplomatic corps, ASEAN police agencies, INTERPOL and ASEANAPOl, as well as observers from other countries are gathering in Hanoi for the first ever conference on cooperation in police training between ASEAN countries.
During the opening the session on December 8, Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Public Security Lieutenant General Bui Van Nam, stressed on the urgent need for countries in the region to fight crime, including non-traditional crimes.
“This requires more cooperation in controlling crime,” he said, adding that the traditional relations between ASEAN countries enable regional police forces to link up to combat crime, ensuring stability and peace in each regional nation.
He underlined ASEAN’s efforts in joint police training in the region, such as the exchange of cadets between police training colleges, short-term training courses and training programmes with partner countries.
Major-General Nguyen Xuan Yem, Director of the People’s Police Academy, said that Vietnam has made great efforts, in its capacity as ASEAN Chair in 2010, to promote cooperation between the region’s countries, including security and defence, which is one of the three pillars that will enable the creation of an ASEAN Community.
The conference, initiated by Vietnam, aims to strengthen cooperation amongst the region’s police forces and offers an opportunity to increase cooperation in ASEAN.
It also serves as a forum for ASEAN nations to present their police training methods, share their experiences, achievements and challenges in the area, which will help to improve police forces across ASEAN and meet the demand for more action against crime throughout the region.
During the two-day conference, the participants are scheduled to take part in an exchange programme at the People’s Police Academy, the country’s leading police training college and visit several interesting places around the country.-Enditem
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Germany helps to protect Vietnam’s biodiversity
Hanoi (VNA) – The “Preservation of Biodiversity in Forest Ecosystems in Vietnam” project, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) was launched in Hanoi on December 8.
The 3 million EUR project, will be implemented by the Forestry Directorate under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) until 2013.
With its head office in Hanoi, the project will focus its work on pilot areas, including the Ba Be National Park in Bac Kan province, Na Hang Nature Reserve in Tuyen Quang province, Pu Hu and Pu Luong Nature Reserves in Thanh Hoa province, Bach Ma National Park in Thua Thien Hue province and the buffer zones of these protected areas.
The project’s long-term objective is to improve the quality of personnel, as well as the institutional, technical, financial and legal conditions to preserve biodiversity in forest ecosystems in Vietnam, particularly at a national level and in protected areas.
When addressing the launching ceremony, MARD’s Deputy Minister Hua Duc Nhi said that the agricultural sector always pays a great deal of attention to ensuring the preservation of biodiversity in forest ecosystems.
Vietnam is home to 10.3 million ha of natural forest, accounting for 31 percent of the country. However, there are only 0.57 million ha of primeval forest left and the country still faces many difficulties in preserving its biodiversity despite efforts, due to a lack of management skills.
Statistics show that about 700 species of flora and fauna in Vietnam are under threat, including 300 globally endangered species.-Enditem
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UN pledges help to Vietnam in gender equality
Hanoi (VNA) – The top representative of the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) in Vietnam , Suzette Mitchell, affirms the UN will help Vietnam improve its record in gender equality and the empowerment of women.
At a December 8 conference in Hanoi on ways of pushing a national strategy on gender equality for the period 2011-2020 on December 8, Mitchell emphasised the importance of maintaining the achievements already made in gender equality, especially as Vietnam is becoming a middle-income country.
She also highlighted the nation’s first-ever national strategy on gender equality. However, she said that the selection of national priorities to ensure the budget will endanger the investment made in women and gender equality.
Gender equality is not only an important development target but also a premise to achieving other development goals and creates the right dynamic for strong socio-economic development, she said.
Nguyen The Trung, the Deputy Director of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Mass Mobilisation, said that Vietnamese women’s role and position in society has been lifted after 10 years of carrying out the national strategy for the advancement of women during the 2001-2010 period.
The gender gap in society has been narrowed, said Trung, adding that women are now involved in every field, especially in leading roles and political management.
Vietnam always has a female Vice President and women make up 25.76 percent of the country’s NA deputies in the 2007-2011 term, the highest rate among eight ASEAN parliaments, he stressed.
However, the conference pointed out the shortcomings in social life which have hindered economic growth, social progress, equality and sustainable development.
The Minister of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, Nguyen Kim Ngan, said that the draft of the national strategy on gender equality for the 2011-2020 has been presented to the Government. The strategy aims to ensure equal opportunities and benefits for both men and women in political, economic and socio-cultural fields, she said.
The strategy also aims to the raise the rate of women deputies in the National Assembly (NA) and People’s Councils to over 30 percent during the 2011-2015 period and over 35 percent in the following five years.
It also targets providing vocational training for half of rural women workers and create new jobs for at least 40 percent of workers of each gender.
She proposed that the 11 th National Party Congress set out clear directions for implementing gender equality targets in the future. The Party, as well as Government agencies need to facilitate human and financial resources to ensure gender equality, she added.-Enditem
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Indonesia releases Vietnamese fishermen
Ba Ria-Vung Tau (VNA) – The southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau on Dec. 8 received 101 Vietnamese fishermen at Ha Loc port who were seized by Indonesian authorities while fishing.
The fishermen came home in their own fishing vessels, including BV 5799 TS, BV 99678 TS from Ba Ria-Vung Tau province and 1364 TS, KG 1907 TS and KG 1538 TS from the southern province of Kien Giang.
After getting ashore, the crew members were taken care of and relevant agencies completed procedures to bring the fishermen to their families.
Border military forces of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province are conducting an investigation into the issue.-Enditem
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VN attends East Asian business forum in China
Beijing (VNA) – A Vietnamese delegation led by Vice President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) Doan Duy Khuong took part in the third China-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) forum, which opened in Beijing on December 8.
Themed “East Asia cooperation for prosperity”, the forum, which drew the participation of over 200 delegates from ASEAN nations, China , the Republic of Korea and Japan , focused on trade and investment cooperation in the East Asian region as well as proposing measures to expand cooperative channels.
The delegates also approved a Joint Statement on the third CABC forum to further strengthen mechanism building and boost regional cooperation.
According to the VCCI Vice President, ASEAN was now one of the most dynamic and effective economic regions in the world, so it should strengthen integration and expand cooperation.
ASEAN is actively negotiating with concerned parties on the establishment of several Free Trade Area (FTA) agreements with northeastern Asian countries, plus India, Australia and New Zealand, Doan Duy Khuong said.
Therefore, this forum was very important for expanding trade and investment cooperation and economic development in the region, he said.
The ASEAN-China FTA, which took effect on January 1, 2010, has made important contributions to boosting the regional economic and trade cooperation.
Two-way trade between ASEAN and China reached over 211 billion USD in the first nine months of this year, up 43.7 percent over the same period last year.-Enditem
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Deputy PM welcomes Canadian ambassador
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam attaches importance to relations with Canada and wants the North American country to become an important partner in many fields.
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan made the statement while receiving newly-appointed Canadian Ambassador Deborah Chatsis in Hanoi on December 8.
Nhan expressed his hope that with the ambassador’s contributions, Canadian businesses will continue pouring cash into Vietnam.
Vietnam pays special attention to international educational cooperation, particularly university and post-graduate training programmes and vocational training systems, he said, conveying his wish that the two countries would further cooperation in this field in the future.
The Deputy PM also suggested the ambassador make active contributions to labour cooperation between the two countries.
For her part, Ambassador Deborah Chatsis promised to try her best to fulfil her tasks, helping boost the Vietnam-Canada relationship for the common interests of the two nations and the two peoples.
The Vietnam-Canada ties have seen positive developments in the past, especially in trade and investment. Two-way trade between Vietnam and Canada was expected to exceed 1 billion USD in 2010.
Canada now ranks 13 th among countries and territories investing in Vietnam.-Enditem
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VN gets nearly 8 billion USD in 2011 ODA pledges
Hanoi (VNA) – Development partners pledged 7.905 billion USD in Official Development Assistance (ODA) for Vietnam in 2011 at the end of their two-day meeting with the Vietnamese Government in Hanoi on December 8.
The amount included 3.3 billion USD from bilateral partners (with 1.76 billion USD from Japan ) and the remaining 4.6 billion USD from multilateral partners.
Addressing the closing session of the meeting, known as the Consultative Group Meeting for Vietnam (CG), Minister of Planning and Investment Vo Hong Phuc said this amount will mainly be used for infrastructural facilities, transport projects, and programmes to deal with climate change.
“Though the ODA amount committed for 2011 is lower than the 2010 level, the figure of 7.9 billion USD is still impressive,” Minister Phuc said.
At the CG meeting held in December 2009, Vietnam got the committed ODA amount of 8 billion USD, however 1 billion USD was reserved to support Vietnam in weathering the financial and economic crisis.
As Vietnam enters Middle Income Country status, it cannot be granted the preferential lending treatments enjoyed before, Minister Phuc emphasised, noting that ODA will have shorter lending terms but higher interest rates.
Because of that, Vietnam will prioritise ODA for projects that will serve economic development and are capable of refunding the loans they get, according to Minister Phuc.
The 7.9 billion USD ODA amount committed at this year’s CG meeting brings the total ODA sum pledged for Vietnam since 1998 to over 64 billion USD.
The mid-term CG meeting in 2011 will take place in the central province of Ha Tinh in June.-Enditem
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Seminar seeks ways to promote women’s human rights
Hanoi (VNA) – Strategies for the protection and promotion of women’s human rights topped the agenda of a consultation seminar entitled, “ASEAN and women’s human rights” which was held in Hanoi on Dec. 8.
Delegates discussed and put forward effective solutions to protect women’s rights through ASEAN mechanisms and measures to effectively educate about human rights in member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and in Vietnam in particular.
Delegates emphasised the important role of mass organisations in the promotion and protection of the rights of women and children. They also affirmed that human rights are the rights of all people and are prescribed and protected by international and national laws.
According to the delegates, human rights-related issues have become more important to ASEAN over the past 20 years, especially since the term “Human rights” was placed on the agenda of the ASEAN Ministerial Meetings in 1993.
ASEAN has approved a number of documents regarding human rights, such as the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women in the ASEAN Region, the ASEAN Declaration against Trafficking in Persons, Particularly Women and Children, and the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers.
The Vientiane Action Programme also underlined the necessity of incorporation of human rights mechanisms in ASEAN member nations; the education of human rights and the rights of women, children and migrant workers; and the establishment of an ASEAN commission on the rights of women and children.
Since its accession to the United Nations in 1977, Vietnam has joined a wide range of human rights conventions. The country has also played a growing role in forming ASEAN’s apparatus and operations, including mechanisms for the protection of human rights.
Co-hosted by the Institute of Human Rights under the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and Public Administration, the UN Development Fund for Women and the Canadian International Development Agency, the seminar aimed to celebrate World Human Rights Day (Dec. 10) and perfect ASEAN mechanisms for the protection and promotion of human rights, and women’s rights in particular.
Close to 100 delegates, including leaders, managers and employees working in the fields of justice, labour-invalids-social affairs, children, human rights, youth union and education, representatives of international organisations and several embassies in Hanoi attended the event.-Enditem
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Vietnam, RoK boost forestry cooperation
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) should promote cooperation in the exchange of scientific forestry research and afforestation in coastal areas and desert areas like Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan provinces, said an official of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).
At the fifth session of the Vietnam-RoK Forestry Cooperation Committee in Hanoi on Dec. 8, Deputy Head of MARD’s Forestry General Department Nguyen Ngoc Binh said he hoped the RoK would become involved in the Forest Sector Support Partnership (FSSP) for deeper and more effective cooperation.
Yoon Young-kyon, Director General of the Forest Resources Policy Bureau of the Korea Forest Service, said his country had significant experience in afforestation.
He said he hoped Vietnam would assist and facilitate RoK business activities and implement cooperation projects between the RoK and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
According to Binh, Vietnam’s forest coverage has been raised from 35 percent in 2004 to more than 39 percent in 2009. However, forest quality has decreased. In the meantime, Vietnam is one of countries that are being badly affected by climate change.
Vietnam has cooperated and exchanged information with many countries to improve its forest protection capability and reduce the negative impacts of climate change, he said.
The Vietnam-RoK Forestry Cooperation Committee meets every two years. The two countries were expected to sign a minute of forestry cooperation for the 2010-2012 period on the afternoon of Dec. 8.-Enditem
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New VN-Cambodia border marker inaugurated
Dak Nong (VNA)- Vietnam’s Central Highlands province of Dak Nong on Dec. 8 inaugurated border marker No. 54 at the Dak Nong - Mondulkiri (Cambodia) border gate in Thuan Hanh commune, Dak Song district.
The marker is among 16 new border markers to be erected along the 130km common borderline between the Vietnamese and Cambodian provinces.
As scheduled, authorities of the two provinces plan to erect 26 markers at 14 locations.
The national marker programme will contribute to friendship, solidarity and a peaceful borderline, ensuring the security and sovereignty of each country and helping the two provinces’ locals reduce poverty and eliminate hunger.-Enditem
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Vietnam to attend World Youth Festival
Hanoi (VNA) – A 135-member delegation from Vietnam will attend the World Festival of Youth and Students in South Africa from Dec. 12-21.
They will join about 12,000 other delegates from 110 countries and territories.
Speaking at a press conference on the festival in Hanoi on Dec. 8, Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee Pham Van Mai said the Vietnamese delegation will enhance the image of Vietnam during the renewal process and mark the contributions of youth to national construction and defence.
The festival will take the theme, “For a World of Peace, Solidarity and Social Transformation - Let's Defeat Imperialism”.
The Vietnamese delegation will host a conference on the 80th anniversary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and participate in the international tribunal against imperialism to condemn the use of chemical substances during wars, causing an aftermath unacceptable to people. The Vietnamese delegation will call on international friends and organisations to ask for justice for Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange.
Vietnam will also take part in many conferences and seminars on poverty reduction and gender equality and hold bilateral exchanges with other participating delegations.-Enditem
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Southeast Asian youth ship leaves Vietnam
HCM City (VNA) – The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Committee on Dec. 12 held a farewell ceremony for 329 youth delegates from the Southeast Asian nations and Japan , concluding the Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Programme (SSEAYP) in Vietnam .
Taking place from Oct. 26 to Dec. 12, 2010, the programme aims to strengthen friendship and mutual understanding between young people from Japan and the Southeast Asian countries.
The ship departed from Japan on Nov. 4 and visited Malaysia , Indonesia , Singapore , Thailand , Laos and Vietnam before finishing its journey in Japan .
During their stay in Ho Chi Minh City from Dec. 5-8, delegates joined cultural exchanges with local youths, went sightseeing and visited several press agencies and universities in the city.
They said that they were particularly impressed at the homestay programme and learned much about the local cultures, manners and customs.
The SSEAYP was established in 1974 under the cooperation agreement between the Japanese government and ASEAN member governments.
Vietnam joined the programme in 1996 and this was the 11 th time the ship has come to Vietnam , docking in Saigon port 10 times and Da Nang once.-Enditem
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Ukrainian parliament leader concludes visit
Hanoi (VNA) – Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament Lytvyn Volodymyr left Hanoi on Dec. 8, concluding his official friendship visit to Vietnam at the invitation of National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong.
During the visit, which started on Dec. 5, Speaker Lytvyn Volodymyr had talks with Chairman Trong, paid a courtesy visit to State President Nguyen Minh Triet and had an exchange of views with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.
At those sessions, the two sides expressed their wish to boost multifaceted cooperation for mutual benefit between the two countries.
The two sides agreed on practical measures to further boost exchanges and cooperation between the two parliaments, as well as to strengthen cooperation in trade, investment, education and training on the basis of the traditional relations and potential of each country.
Speaker Lytvyn Volodymyr and his entourage visited the northern province of Quang Ninh to admire some historical and cultural sites and famous landscapes of Vietnam.-Enditem
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Tra fish breeding strictly monitored
Hanoi (VNA) – The breeding of tra fish in Vietnam has been stringently monitored, from the establishment of farms, water supply and treatment of waste water, breeding fish, managing feeds and quality of fry, through to the processing phase, a senior fisheries official said.
Nguyen Anh Tuan, Deputy Chief of the General Fisheries Department, was speaking at a press briefing in Hanoi on Dec. 8 regarding the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) listing of Vietnam ’s tra (Pangasius) fish in the Red List in its guidance manual for European consumers.
According to Intrafish Media Group, WWF member organisations in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Norway and Denmark have moved a number of Vietnam’s tra fish products from the Orange List (products can be considered for use) to the Red List (products should not be used) in the 2010-2011 consumer guidance manual for the six EU countries.
“Listing tra fish in the ‘Red List’ is totally unconvincing,” Tuan said, stressing that it was erroneous to use environmental issues to send out such a recommendation.
The fishery official said that in Vietnam , feeds for tra fish have been supplied by prestigious companies which meet standardised hygienic safety standards in their production.
Tuan told the press that during its working session with WWF Vietnam the same day, the General Fisheries Department proposed that WWF Vietnam contact WWF organisations in the affected countries to request them to remove the recommendation.
Nguyen Tu Cuong, a representative from the Vietnam Fishing Association, requested WWF correct the erroneous information it had already delivered and recall leaflets containing its recommendation already sent to consumers.
According to Cuong, WWF’s act infringed the principles of objectivity and openness the organisation has pursued, blackened the name of Vietnam ’s tra fish and caused harm to European consumers.
The civil authorities of 28 EU countries, the US , Russia and ASEAN member countries have all recognised that Vietnamese aquatic products are environmentally safe, said Cuong.
The Government has in recent times given special attention to the breeding of tra fish in the Mekong delta by establishing a steering committee for tra fish production and consumption and preparing to promulgate a decree related to the work.
Since 2003, Vietnam has applied the standards of the quality management certification system SQF 1000, owned and operated by the US Food Marketing Institute (FMI).
Almost all Vietnam tra fish businesses have adopted this traceability system and a closed production chain to ensure the quality of their products.
Many Vietnamese tra fish farms and plants have received Global GAP certificates, the rigorous global standard for the farms since early 2010, and the Global GAP programme will be widely applied for all commercial fish farms in the 2011-2015 period.
Tra fish, a freshwater native fish in the Mekong Delta, is a nutritionally rich food source. Vietnam now supplies more than 95 percent of commercial tra fish to the world market.
In the first 10 months of this year, it exported more than 538,200 tonnes of tra fish products to 124 countries and territories, including 184,360 tonnes to the EU.-Enditem
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Website featuring Overseas Vietnamese launched
Hanoi (VNA) – A website designed to connect Overseas Vietnamese (OV) from all parts of the world was launched on December 8.
Jointly launched by the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), and the Agency for Foreign Information Service (AFIS) under the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC), the website – www.vietkieu.info – is the largest-ever information project specifically designed for OV.
It provides information about the Party and the State’s guidelines and policies on OV, activities of OV regarding the homeland as well as the most outstanding OV, and serves as a detailed database about OV in each country.
Deputy Prime Minister cum Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem and leaders of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Information and Education, MoFA, MIC and VNA pressed the button to officially link the website to the global internet, with the mission of “Connecting Vietnamese”.
Khiem said he was delighted to witness the debut of the website vietkieu.info with the target of serving the community and connecting OV throughout five continents. He expressed his hope that the website would satisfy the aspirations of OV as well as all people at home.
The deputy PM also urged news for foreign service agencies to continue renewing themselves and provide more specialised pages, columns, news and articles to better serve the Party and State’s community mobilisation and foreign affairs.
Addressing the launch, VNA Director General Tran Mai Huong said as an official speaker for the Party and State, VNA has for years actively spread far and wide information on affairs relating to Overseas Vietnamese.
He affirmed that VNA will further step up the dissemination of information in various forms to promote the image of Vietnam and its major events in all fields to the world to help foreigners and Vietnamese communities abroad to gain an accurate and complete understanding what happens in Vietnam as well as policies adopted by the Party and State.
The website is divided into different parts for each nation, so readers can rapidly learn about the lives of the OV community in a targeted country.
The Community News column is being supplemented with information from reporters, agencies for foreign affairs, overseas Vietnamese trade missions as well as OV to help draw up a complete picture about OV communities in every country and region. In the content column of each nation, readers can also find out its overview, its relations with Vietnam as well as visits of leaders of both countries.
The website provides sufficient and systematised State documents and policies that are divided into different fields such as nationality, exit and entry, investment-business and verification of Vietnamese origin. In particular, a list of overseas Vietnamese diplomatic agencies, associations, companies, trade centres and restaurants is being updated to facilitate OV business transactions and personal relations.
Having applauded the significance of the website, the Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MB) – one of the leading commercial banks in Vietnam – has joined VNA and concerned agencies to build up the website.-Enditem
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VN PM affirms fine partnership with donors
Hanoi (VNA) – The success of the freshly ended Consultative Group Meeting for Vietnam (CG) affirmed the fine partnership between the Vietnamese Government and donors, said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.
PM Dung made the remark at a party in Hanoi on Dec. 8 to honour consultative groups, donors, representatives of diplomatic corps and international organisations in Vietnam at the conclusion of CG 2010.
At the CG, development partners pledged 7.905 billion USD in Official Development Assistance (ODA) for Vietnam in 2011.
They also gave many helpful opinions to Vietnam in the areas of socio-economic development, macro-economic stabilisation, improving the efficiency of the State economy, anti-corruption and raising national competitive capacity, and giving priority to sustainable development, including environmental protection and climate change.
They gave recommendations to ensure social welfare and security, and to raise the efficiency of assistance and partnership when Vietnam reaches its target of becoming a nation with an average income.
On behalf of the Vietnamese Government and people, PM Dung expressed thanks to the active participation and generous assistance from donors to Vietnam over past years and at CG 2010.
He said that this year’s CG was an open, useful and practical forum between donors and the Vietnamese Government.
The Government leader said that over nearly two decades, from 1993-2009, donors pledged more than 56 billion USD in ODA to Vietnam and about 30 billion USD (nearly 53 percent) has been disbursed. This amount was used effectively to implement targets of socio-economic development, the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and poverty reduction programmes.
PM Dung expressed his wish that donors would give more ODA to Vietnam and continue to share opinions and experiences in planning how best to effectively use ODA in coming years.-Enditem
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Lao leaders receive Vietnamese NA delegation
Vientiane (VNA)- Lao National Assembly chairman Thongsinh Thammavong and Deputy Prime Minister Somsavad Lengsavad on Dec. 8 received Nguyen Van Son, head of NA Committee for External Relations and chairman of Vietnam-Laos friendship parliamentary group, who is heading a Vietnamese NA delegation to Laos from Dec. 6-11.
Son briefed his host on the outcomes of talk with the Lao friendship parliamentary group and affirmed that he would do his utmost to promote special relations between the two countries.
Lao leaders congratulated Vietnam on its great achievements in the national construction cause and expressed thanks for the effective support of the Vietnamese Party, government and people to the country.
In 2012, Laos will host many important international conferences and would like to benefit from Vietnam ’s experience, the leaders added.
They also expressed their wish that the two sides would promote comprehensive cooperation to further develop Laos-Vietnam special ties.-Enditem
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Mongolian Defence Minister visits VN
Hanoi (VNA) – An official welcoming ceremony was held in Hanoi on Dec. 8 in honour of Defence Minister Luvsanvandan Bold and a high-ranking military delegation from Mongolia .
Vietnamese Defence Minister General Phung Quang Thanh and a number of high-ranking officers of the Vietnam People’s Army were present at the ceremony.
A military delegation of Vietnam, headed by General Thanh, held talks with the Mongolian military delegation, headed by Minister Luvsanvandan Bold.
General Thanh described the visit as an important milestone to open up a new development stage in military relations between the two countries and contribute to boosting the traditional friendship between the two peoples.
For his part, Minister Luvsanvandan Bold expressed joy at the achievements in national development and defence of Vietnam over past years and congratulated Vietnam on successfully hosting the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting plus (ADMM+) in Hanoi recently.
The two sides shared experiences in building the armed forces in each country and discussed measures to boost cooperation in military medicine, training and coping with non-traditional security challenges.
The two ministers agreed that in the future, relevant agencies of the two armies will work towards the establishment of defence attaché offices and make preparations for signing of the agreement on bilateral national defence cooperation between the two ministries at a suitable time.-Enditem
Firms promise supplies for Tet
Hanoi (VNA) -- Leaders of State-run groups and corporations have pledged to ensure sufficient commodity supply to help stabilise the domestic market as Tet (lunar new year) approaches.
Speaking at an online meeting early this week, Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang called on groups and corporations to increase production, maintain a balance of supply and demand of goods and boost price controls to stop price fever and speculation.
Hoang attributed recent low production to increasing input prices, exchange rate volatility, foreign currency supply and demand imbalance, and the floods in Vietnam 's central region.
According to a representative of the Vietnam National Petroleum Corporation (Petrolimex), the global petrol price has impacted domestic consumption. The Ministry of Finance has used the price stabilisation fund when necessary to compensate for the disparity in retail prices and import prices.
To ensure a supply and demand balance of domestic petrol, Petrolimex signed contracts with Dung Quat Oil Refinery and foreign partners.
Deputy General Director of PetroVietnam Vu Quang Nam said in December alone, Dung Quat Oil Refinery would produce 630,000 cubic metres of various petrol products. Next year, the refinery is expected to sell 5,187 million tonnes of petrol products.
A representative of the Vietnam Southern Food Corporation (VinaFood 2) said the country's total food exports already surpassed its plan for the year. In particular, rice exports were higher than last year. VinaFood 2 has expanded its market to diversify its product base.
Le Ngoc Dao, deputy director of HCM City , said some 14 businesses participating in the State's price stabilisation programme had spent 800 billion VND (40 million USD) on goods, accounting for 35 and 40 percent of the market share in HCM City .
Also at the meeting, Minister Hoang required MarketWatch and related agencies to work with local authorities to ensure the supply of goods and monitor suspicious actions and trade fraud.-Enditem
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Retail sales value declines in real terms
Hanoi (VNA) -- Retail sales grew by 26 percent nationwide during the period of May to November, in comparison with the same period last year, the General Statistics Office (GSO) announced.
Adjusted for inflation, however, the volume and value of retail sales actually fell by between 14.7 and 16.7 percent. Inflation was heating up, according to official figures, with the prices of goods and services rising by 1.86 percent last month alone.
The strongest growth in retail sales was in the private sector, which saw sales rise by 39.2 percent in the first 11 months of the year, while State-owned enterprises and collectives have seen declining sales, noted GSO expert Vu Manh Ha.
Ha attributed the advantage of the private sector to fewer State price controls, with many enterprises taking advantages of high inflation, high commercial lending rates, and the weakness of the Vietnamese dong against the US dollar to raise the prices on goods.
Over the next three months, the retail sales were likely to see a surge in both value and volume as consumer demand for food, clothing, cosmetics, and transportation all traditionally rise ahead of the lunar New Year holidays, the GSO said.-Enditem
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Profit-takers send shares tumbling
Hanoi (VNA) --Shares plunged on Dec.7 on both the HCM and Hanoi stock exchanges as investors rushed to sell and realise profits after the previous day's buying frenzy.
On the HCM Stock Exchange, the VN-Index declined by over a percent to close at 460.76 points. The volume of trades decreased by 11.5 percent from Dec. 6's highs to 84.2 million shares, worth a combined 1.97 trillion VND (93.8 million USD).
About 44 percent of 195 decliners plunged to their floor prices on Dec.7, while only 13 shares hit their ceiling prices – compared to 70 in the previous session.
Blue chips tumbled. Of the major shares, only insurer Bao Viet Holdings (BVH) and property developers Hoang Anh Gia Lai Co (HAG) and Vincom Co (VIC) rose in value, with VIC hitting its ceiling price of 86,000 VND (4.10 USD).
Saigon Securities Inc (SSI), with a volume of over 6 million shares, was again the most-active on the bourse. SSI closed down 3.1 percent, however, to 28,300 VND (1.35 USD).
On the Hanoi Stock Exchange on Dec.7, the HNX-Index declined by 2.46 percent to close at 114.19. Market volume fell by 8 percent from Dec. 6's session to 80.8 million shares, worth a total of 1.6 trillion VND (76.2 million USD).
Decliners outnumbered advancers by 283-48 and almost 56 percent of the losers slumped to their floor prices.
Kim Long Securities Co (KLS) continued to be the most heavily-traded share nationwide, with more than 11 million changing hands, but KLS declined 2.4 percent to close at 16,000 VND (0.76 USD), ending a streak of six consecutive days of gains.
Foreign investors were net buyers in HCM City on Dec.7 of 73 billion VND (3.5 million USD) worth of shares but were net sellers in Hanoi of 5.8 billion VND (276,200 USD).-Enditem
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Retail sales value declines in real terms
Hanoi (VNA) -- Retail sales grew by 26 percent nationwide during the period of May to November, in comparison with the same period last year, the General Statistics Office (GSO) announced.
Adjusted for inflation, however, the volume and value of retail sales actually fell by between 14.7 and 16.7 percent. Inflation was heating up, according to official figures, with the prices of goods and services rising by 1.86 percent last month alone.
The strongest growth in retail sales was in the private sector, which saw sales rise by 39.2 percent in the first 11 months of the year, while State-owned enterprises and collectives have seen declining sales, noted GSO expert Vu Manh Ha.
Ha attributed the advantage of the private sector to fewer State price controls, with many enterprises taking advantages of high inflation, high commercial lending rates, and the weakness of the Vietnamese dong against the US dollar to raise the prices on goods.
Over the next three months, the retail sales were likely to see a surge in both value and volume as consumer demand for food, clothing, cosmetics, and transportation all traditionally rise ahead of the lunar New Year holidays, the GSO said.-Enditem
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Profit-takers send shares tumbling
Hanoi (VNA) --Shares plunged on Dec.7 on both the HCM and Hanoi stock exchanges as investors rushed to sell and realise profits after the previous day's buying frenzy.
On the HCM Stock Exchange, the VN-Index declined by over a percent to close at 460.76 points. The volume of trades decreased by 11.5 percent from Dec. 6's highs to 84.2 million shares, worth a combined 1.97 trillion VND (93.8 million USD).
About 44 percent of 195 decliners plunged to their floor prices on Dec.7, while only 13 shares hit their ceiling prices – compared to 70 in the previous session.
Blue chips tumbled. Of the major shares, only insurer Bao Viet Holdings (BVH) and property developers Hoang Anh Gia Lai Co (HAG) and Vincom Co (VIC) rose in value, with VIC hitting its ceiling price of 86,000 VND (4.10 USD).
Saigon Securities Inc (SSI), with a volume of over 6 million shares, was again the most-active on the bourse. SSI closed down 3.1 percent, however, to 28,300 VND (1.35 USD).
On the Hanoi Stock Exchange on Dec.7, the HNX-Index declined by 2.46 percent to close at 114.19. Market volume fell by 8 percent from Dec. 6's session to 80.8 million shares, worth a total of 1.6 trillion VND (76.2 million USD).
Decliners outnumbered advancers by 283-48 and almost 56 percent of the losers slumped to their floor prices.
Kim Long Securities Co (KLS) continued to be the most heavily-traded share nationwide, with more than 11 million changing hands, but KLS declined 2.4 percent to close at 16,000 VND (0.76 USD), ending a streak of six consecutive days of gains.
Foreign investors were net buyers in HCM City on Dec.7 of 73 billion VND (3.5 million USD) worth of shares but were net sellers in Hanoi of 5.8 billion VND (276,200 USD).-Enditem
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Gas importers call for tax cut
Hanoi (VNA) -- The Vietnam Gas Association has asked the Ministry of Finance to cut gas import taxes from the current 5 percent rate to 2 percent to stabilise the domestic gas market.
There have been seven price hikes since early this year. As of December 1, gas traders raised the price by 38,000 VND (1.9 USD) per 12kg canister, the highest level so far.
The association's chairman, Nguyen Sy Thang, said traders were currently facing many difficulties due to their dependence on imports.
The country currently has to import roughly 60 percent of its total gas consumption volume.
Industry insiders said gas prices on the world market for December had raised 140 USD to 952 USD per tonne, driving up domestic prices.
Retail gas prices are now between 330,000 VND (16.5 USD) and 360,000 VND (18 USD) per 12kg canister, depending on the brand.
A 12-kg cylinder of Shell Gas is sold at 389,000 (19.45 USD), while Petrolimex increased the price of a 12-kg canister to 376,000 VND (18.8 USD) and a 13-kg canister to over 400,000 VND (20 USD). In addition, Thang Long Gas rose by 38,000VND (1.9 USD) to 350,000 VND (17.5 USD) per 12-kg cylinder.
PetroVietnam has seen a notable price increase - a 12-kg canister costs 359,000 VND (17.95 USD), up 40,000 VND (2 USD) since early November.
Thang said that without tax cuts, local gas prices would continue rising amid the global economic climate.
The association has argued that the 5 percent rate maintained by the Ministry of Finance since the world gas price was 200 USD per tonne no longer applies because the price has skyrocketed to more than 900 USD per tonne.-Enditem
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US paper highlights Vietnamese stock market
Washington (VNA) - Vietnam most certainly was a fast-growing emerging market and the country's stock market was one of the world's "cheapest" so Vietnamese stocks should pay out nicely, said a US newspaper.
The “Investment U” paper said that it was better to buy MarketVectors Vietnam (VNM) which was launched onto the New York Exchange in August 2009.
The ETF had about 68 percent invested directly in Vietnamese companies and it then divided the remainder into companies around the globe that do significant business in Vietnam, said the Maryland state-based paper, founded in 1999 with the goal of giving investors impartial, no-nonsense advice on how to build long-lasting wealth.
Bill Stoops, chief investment officer of Dragon Capital, said, "The market has come down a lot but earnings have been holding up" as Vietnam’s economy was forecast to grow at the third-fastest pace in Asia, after China and India, and companies in Vietnam expected an average 27 percent growth in earnings per share.-Enditem
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Customs officials struggle to control maritime smuggling
Hanoi (VNA) -- Preventing smugglers from moving goods by sea will be difficult, especially through the end of the year, said Nguyen Van Huy, head of the Dissemination and Training Department under the Ministry of National Defence.
"Coal, minerals and oil make up most of the cases of trafficking at sea, and the practice tends to increase at the end of the year," said Huy.
The most difficult problem marine police typically face is tracking vessels involved in illegal trade.
"Traffickers use large ships with modern equipment which can resist level six or seven storms, while customs ships can only resist storms up to level five," he said.
Defining a moving target at sea is also difficult. On windy winter days, fog covers the sea and limits the visibility of customs officers.
"Traffickers' ships often move slowly and hide behind fishing ships to avoid being observed," he said.
Awareness among local residents is still low, so they often join hands with traffickers without knowing the real consequences.
"Traffickers divided their goods and move them to fishing boats to make it difficult for us to confiscate contraband items," Huy said.
Traffickers have many other sophisticated tricks.
"When being chased by customs boats, they throw ropes and sacks into the sea to clog up our ship systems. Our boats get stuck and stall in place," Huy said.
Despite the difficulties, Marine Police Region 1, managed by the Dissemination and Education Department, have caught a number of traffickers this year.
From September 26 to October 28, the police investigated 16 ships. In September, they caught a foreign ship transporting 475kg of frozen livestock and poultry organs. On March 13, they caught a ship illegally transporting 1,200 tonnes of coal from northeastern Quang Ninh province to China , said Huy.
In the first ten months this year, Marine Police Region 1 engaged in 27 patrol trips which resulted in the confiscation of more than 7 cubic metres of wood and 4,000 tonnes of coal. Fines for these infractions added 1.2 billion VND (63,157 USD) to the State budget.
Marine Police Region 1 has set a specific plan to minimise their difficulties.
"Next month will be peak season for preventing the trafficking of fire crackers, sky lanterns and dangerous children's toys before the Lunar New Year," said Huy.
The Dissemination and Education Department will organise training courses for its workers on professional competence, managing ships, using arms and swimming.
"We will also join hands closely with local authorities to strengthen our patrols and ask residents to avoid coordinating with traffickers," said Huy.
In recent years, 80-90 percent of known traffickers were caught thanks to help from residents, he said.
Marine Police Region 1 manages waters from the Bac Luan Estuary in the northern province of Quang Ninh to the Con Co Island in the central province of Quang Tri.-Enditem
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Hanoi People's Council sets goals
Hanoi (VNA) -- Urban construction and management, transport, water supply, drainage and pollution would have to be tackled in the New Year, Hanoi Party Committee Secretary Pham Quang Nghi told the opening of the municipal People's Council's 22nd session on Dec. 7.
It would also be necessary to effectively implement the Government's measures to deal with economic decline, curb inflation and stabilise the macro economy, he said.
In addition, the traditional cultural values of Thang Long-Hanoi would have to be maintained and promoted and the spiritual life of the city's citizens improved.
Secretary Nghi asked that more effective concrete and drastic steps be taken to quicken administrative reform.
The reform of administrative procedures and increasing transparency to create favourable conditions for both commerce and citizens should be the focus, he said.
The councillors discussed the implementation of their resolutions dealing with the city's socio-economy, national defence and security, budget estimates and the results of people's complaints and denouncements.
They also reviewed the organisation and celebrations of the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi.
The People's Committee 2010 report shows the city's economy has recovered to GDP growth of 11 percent and a 20-percent rise in export revenue.
Budget revenue was almost 100 trillion VND (5.1 billion USD).
The report says social security and welfare were ensured and economic growth averaged 10.7 percent between 2006-10.
But the report warns of unsustainable economic development; the potential increase in the price of commodities; the high-risk of inflation and traffic congestion and accidents that show no sign of lessening.
Pollution and the violation of food safety and hygiene regulations were rife and administrative reform had failed to meet the target set for it, says the report.-Enditem
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Workshop promotes child protection plan
HCM City (VNA) -- HCM City officials, childcare volunteers and parents will receive additional training in issues related to children's protection over the next five years, according to the City 's Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.
At the workshop held on Dec. 7, Phan Thanh Minh, head of the city's child protection office, said the rate of accidents as well as sexual and labour abuse of children was expected to fall once the public becomes more aware of childcare issues.
The city targets a 15 percent reduction in accident and abuse cases. Officials will also review regulations and responsibilities of authorities in children protection and care as well as devise more preferential policies for officials and volunteers. Nguyen Thi Tuyet Nhung, the department's deputy head, said that the People's Committee would approve spending of more than 11 billion VND (564,102 USD) to pay more to officials and volunteers specialising in children protection and care.
In January this year, the city set up consulting rooms for parents and children in People's Committee's offices in three wards in Tan Phu district and two wards in District 6 to begin a pilot programme. The wards have also created clubs for children.
The city also plans to offer services to support the health of mothers and children.
The new policy has set a goal to ensure that all homeless children will be cared for and that at least 95 percent of children suffering from a harelip or cleft palate deformity will receive free surgery.-Enditem
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Herbalists decry bear bile use
Hanoi (VNA) -- Vietnam 's traditional medicine practitioners are opposed to bear bile farming, according to a recent survey.
The survey carried out by the Animals Asia Foundation of 152 traditional medicine practitioners in Vietnam revealed that 93 percent of Vietnam's traditional medicine practitioners were opposed to bear bile farming and 76 percent had never prescribed bear bile.
Twenty-four percent of practitioners surveyed had prescribed bear bile to treat medical conditions ranging from bruises, fever, poor blood circulation, and cirrhosis. The responses suggest however that bear bile is not safe for human consumption with respondents reporting seven cases of bear bile poisoning, four of which (57 percent) had resulted in death.
Respondents commented that bear bile is expensive, poor in quality and not scientifically proven as a treatment. Thirty-nine herbal alternatives to bear bile were identified by the traditional medicine practitioners, with 45 percent naming cay mat gau (bear bile plant) as a replacement treatment. Animals Asia Foundation is aware of 54 herbal alternatives that can be used instead of bear bile in China .
Bear bile does not have a prominent role in traditional medicine with only a handful of around 1,500 remedies containing bear bile, according to Dr Nguyen Xuan Huong, chairman of the Traditional Medicine Association of Vietnam.-Enditem
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HCM City bounces back from economic crisis
HCM City (VNA) -- The HCM City economy has recovered completely and is back at the point where it was before the economic crisis, city legislators told the opening session of the People's Council on Dec. 7.
Pham Phuong Thao, the Council chairwoman, said the city has performed its socio-economic tasks capably this year but admitted they fall short of its potential and requirements.
She listed some major problems like environmental pollution, bad health care services, and traffic.
The city reached 17 of 22 socio-economic targets it had set for itself, only failing to achieve targets related to inflation, wastewater-treatment, water supply, export, and the number of firms penalised from pollution.
Lawmakers agreed on an economic growth target of 12 percent for next year which will take average income to above 3,000 USD.
Deputy chairman of the People's Committee, Nguyen Thanh Tai, said the city's economic output this year is estimated at 420 trillion VND (21 billion USD), a growth of 11.5 percent.
Industry saw rapid recovery, growing at 14 percent. The city licensed 29,654 new firms with a cumulative registered capital of 192 trillion VND and 414 FDI projects involving investments of 2.5 billion USD.
A further 122 FDI projects increased their investment.
Work is going on 24 infrastructure projects at a total cost of 59 trillion VND (2.9 billion USD), including 46 trillion VND from ODA funding.
However, prices have been rising and are set to continue rising in December due to the floods in the central region and epidemics,taking inflation for the full year to 9 percent. However, it will decrease to below 8 percent next year, he said.
On several social issues there has been progress this year: The percentage of children under five suffering from malnutrition has been reduced to below 7 percent and the number of hospital beds per 10,000 people has been increased to 42 against a target of 40.
At the penultimate sitting of the People's Council's seventh session, several vital issues like the clogged roads, motorbike racing on the streets, potholes in roads, floods, and child abuse are on the agenda.
The issues will be raised at a question session tomorrow following discussions on Dec. 7 and Dec. 8.
The session wraps up on Friday.-Enditem
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Vietnamese youngster wins piano contest
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Hanoi (VNA) -- Vietnam 's Hoang Pham Tra Mi won the 14-year-old or under category at the Singapore International Chopin Piano tournament which ended on Dec. 5.
The competition, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Chopin's birth, was organised for the first time by the Chopin Society ( Singapore ) and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. Contestants were required to perform Chopin's works for a fixed period depending on their age.
The competition attracted 140 candidates from 15 countries and territories such as China , the Philippines , Indonesia , Vietnam and the host, Singapore .
Mi, a 13-year-old student of the Vietnam National Academy for Music, outperformed 30 competitors to take the first prize for her performance of Ballades No 1 and Etudes No 5.
She had previously won prizes in the Republic of Korea and Russia but this was her biggest.-Enditem
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Draft law on advertising debated
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Hanoi (VNA) -- A draft law on advertising that proposed abolishing licences for outdoor advertising in a bid to further develop the industry has sparked concern from management agencies.
The law drawn up by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is expected to help the sector overcome shortcomings such as overlapping management and limitations that are not suitable with the country's current development.
Statistics from the ministry showed that the outdoor activities accounted for around 10 percent of the industry's total turnover while those of the advertisements on TV, radio, press and internet was 80 percent.
It stipulates that firms could advertise without applying for a licence on boards, banners and electronic screens in public places, on public transport and on movable objects.
Accordingly, places used for advertisements would have apply for permission from provincial construction, natural resources and the environment as well as culture departments.
Relevant agencies would carry out spot-checks at a later date to eliminate forms and content that violated regulations.
Advertising firms would have to take responsibility for their content under the law.
However, some said eliminating licences would cause disorder and management difficulties.
Bui Xuan Luyen, marketing director of the Vietnam Commerce and Communications Company, said companies would rush to organise outdoor advertising activities without paying attention to content or security at events but he agreed that the abolishment could provide businesses with more favourable conditions.
"However, the regulation is unlikely to boost industry development immediately, but we may see the benefits in the long term," he said, adding that spot checks would not be easy to implement effectively.
Sharing the ideas, vice president and general secretary of the Vietnam Advertising Association Ha Van Tang said the abolishment was in line with the world trend and would simplify administrative procedures.
Tang said the Government should establish an advertising quality assessment council which would include management representatives, communications firms, customers and associations to tighten spot checks.
"It is necessary to have a complete roadmap and a legal framework for the checks," he said.
He added that overlapping management still existed within the industry as the Commercial Law and the Ordinance on Advertising had conflicting regulations relating to advertising activities.
"The Ordinance on Advertising which was put into effect in 2002 has not kept up with socio-economic development, especially the internet boom in recent years," he said.
The law should be beneficial to both businesses and customers, and classify management responsibilities to promote the sector's development, he said.-Enditem
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Transport sector sees positive changes in ODA disbursement
Hanoi (VNA) – Most transport infrastructure projects using official development assistance (ODA) loans have fulfilled their disbursement plans for the whole year, according to the Ministry of Transport.
Thirty-eight projects using foreign loans have spent nearly 5.84 trillion VND (292 million USD), or 191.6 percent of the yearly target, a year on year increase of 36 percent.
According to the Head of the Planning and Investment Department, Nguyen Hoang, “investors’ drastic management” is the main factor that has lead to the positive changes in infrastructure, which foreign investors consider a major challenge for Vietnam’s economy.
In the Vietnam Competitiveness Report, released in late November, the Central Institute of Economic Management (CIEM) said that the country’s infrastructure, including transport, is one of the issues that Vietnam needs to pay more attention to, if it wants to attract more foreign investment.
Being aware of this, the Ministry of Transport has recently asked the government to allow the Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC) to use loans sourced from the World Bank and Japan ’s International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to develop the 1.47 billion USD Da Nang-Quang Ngai highway project as soon as possible.
According to the General Director of VEC, Tran Xuan Sanh, this is the first highway project using loans from WB, which will cost 511 million USD over 25 years, while the JICA has committed 692 million USD to the project.
If the project is completed on schedule in 2016, the highway will serve the development of industrial zones in the key central economic region, according to the ministry.
VEC also reported that the Asian Development Bank has committed a loan worth 635.7 million USD for the 57km Ben Luc-Long Thanh highway, which crosses the central part of the southern economic zone.
The Vietnam Roads Administration and the Vietnam Maritime Administration are also completing the preparations for the Hai Phong harbour and the Tan Vu-Lach Huyen highway and will soon sign a loan agreement worth 800 million USD with the JICA.-Enditem
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France to assist with Vietnam’s development
Hanoi (VNA) – France will assist Vietnam to cope with climate change, education and training, including expanding the teaching of the French language and training cadres in science and technology, said the French Ambassador to Vietnam Jean - Francois Girault.
At a reception given by Vice State President Nguyen Thi Doan in Ha Noi on December 8, Ambassador Girault said that Vietnam is one of Frances strategic Asian partners, not only because of its historical ties but also due to the country’s strong development and increasing role in the global community.
The French diplomat said that increasing the teaching of French language is not to compete with other languages but is to protect the diversity of languages.
He said he hoped that the Vietnamese Government will continue to provide well qualified staff to teach French in the country.
France will also help Vietnam respond to climate change while strengthening its existing trade ties, which have failed to live up to the expectations of both countries, he added.
Vice President Doan welcomed France ’s policies on Vietnam in economics, culture, education, development cooperation, investment and other fields.
Vietnam has always attaches a great deal of importance to cooperation with France , confirmed the Vice President.
She suggested that both countries increase exchanges and jointly implement previously signed agreements to promote bilateral ties.
The French language is now being taught in primary and junior secondary schools in Vietnam to make French language become one of the country’s major foreign languages, said Doan.
However, the two Governments’ commitment need to be carried out at grass root levels, she said.
It is necessary to have various ways of spreading the use of the French language and the French culture, as well as ensuring the necessary resources for teaching and creating the best possible conditions for those who are good at the French language, she said.-Enditem
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Vietnamese businesses need more information
Dong Nai (VNA) – One of the reasons why Vietnamese businesses are losing ground in the domestic market or encounter problems on the international market is their lack of information about different markets and consumers.
This issue was up for discussion at a seminar on the provision of information in Vietnamese trade associations and businesses, co-held by the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), in the southern province of Dong Nai on December 8.
The seminar is part of the EU-Vietnam Multilateral Trade Assistance Project to enable Vietnamese business associations to get up to date on trade policies and is funded by the EU.
It is an opportunity for businesses and trade associations to get a comprehensive view of how to apply e-trade in addition to other traditional channels between businesses and their clients.
Dr. Matthias Duehn from EuroCham in Vietnam said that EuroCham would help Vietnamese businesses to access information and policy assistance related to trade in Europe to make it easier for them to penetrate this massive market.
A recent survey by the Ministry of Industry and Trade said that taking part in e-trading floors has made businesses more efficient, as they spent only 5 percent of their total investment capital on e-trading but earned more using this method, recording a turnover of 33 percent of their total earnings.-Enditem
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Vietnamese businesses step up online marketing
HCM City (VNA) – Vietnamese enterprises need to apply more online marketing to boost their exports and seek out foreign partners, according to seminar held on December 8 in HCM City .
The seminar themed “export solutions for Vietnamese products-how to apply online marketing measures” was jointly held by the HCM City Department of Industry and Trade (DoIT) and the Emerald Digital Marketing (EDM) Company in Vietnam .
On addressing the seminar, EDM’s Managing Director Nguyen Khoa Hong Thanh said, as advertising products online is becoming more and more popular around the world, Vietnamese enterprises need to consider this method to boost their development, besides using traditional marketing tools such as newspapers, radio and television.
The statistics office at the Ministry of Industry and Trade also revealed that half of the Vietnamese businesses that have started marketing online have been able to increase their export value.
In the past, HCM City has put in place many programmes and policies to help facilitate online trade promotions, according to the DoIT -Enditem
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HCM City hosts international industrial Expo
HCM City (VNA) – Over 200 businesses from several Asian countries and territories are showcasing their products at the fifth Vietnamese International Exhibition on Industrial Machinery, Equipment, Materials and Products (Vinamac) in Ho Chi Minh City from December 8.
The Expo has been jointly organised by the Vietnam Advertising and Fairs Exhibition Company (Vietfair) as well as various domestic and foreign organisations.
With 250 stands, the event exhibits machinery, associated equipment and many different technologies used in a wide range of areas from mining, construction, energy, packaging, the rubber and plastic industries to wood and paper processing.
During the Expo, there will be a number of seminars on steel industry, chemicals and pharmaceutical products used in agriculture and several smaller displays such as the fifth Vietnamese International Exhibition on the Chemicals Industry (Vinachem Expo 2010), the seventh Chinese Exhibition on the Chemicals Industry (Chinachem 2010), the Vietnamese International Coatings Exhibition (Vinacoating 2010) and the Vietnamese International Steel and Metalworking Expo (Isme Vietnam 2010).
Nguyen Van Ngan, the Director General of Vietfair, said that visitors will have the chance to access advanced machinery and facilities both at home and abroad, adding that a lot of contracts are expected to be reached during the Expo.
The event will run until December 11.-Enditem
Registered FDI down, disbursement up
Hanoi (VNA) – Foreign investors have registered around 13.3 billion USD in FDI so far this year, representing 60 percent of the figure in the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment.
The investment includes 12.1 billion USD of 833 newly-licensed projects and 1.2 billion USD of additional capital for 210 existing projects.
The ministry also reported that close to 10 billion USD of FDI were disbursed in the period, a year-on-year increase of 9.9 percent.
Processing and manufacturing industries topped FDI attraction with registered capital of 4.4 billion USD in the 11-month period, followed by production and water supply and electricity distribution with 2.9 billion USD and real estate, 2.8 billion USD.
Forty-eight cities and provinces licensed new FDI projects in the past 11 months. The southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau continued leading the country in FDI attraction with more than 2.3 billion USD, making up 19.4 percent of the country’s 11-month newly-registered capital. It was followed by the northeastern province of Quang Ninh with over 2.1 billion USD and Ho Chi Minh City with more than 1.7 billion USD.-Enditem
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VN pays attention to int’l cooperation in ocean preservation
New York (VNA) – Vietnam values the key role of international cooperation in managing and preserving oceans and its efficiency to sea-borne economies.
The remark was made by Pham Vinh Quang, Minister and Deputy Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, at a debate of the 65th United Nations General Assembly on Dec. 7.
Vinh appreciated the last year’s operation of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, and Commission on the Limits of the Continental shelf within the framework of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The Vietnamese diplomat stressed that Vietnam is a maritime country and its government decided to develop a sea-borne economy, considering it an important strategy for the 21st century.
To ensure the strategy’s success, he added, the government pays attention to preserving the East Sea’s environment in order to use sustainably and legally the sea and maritime resources in accordance with the UNCLOS.
Vietnam would exert its efforts to coordinate with other countries in sharing information and executing laws in order to fight against piracy on the East Sea within the framework of the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia, Vinh said in conclusion.-Enditem
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Vietnam awards charity fund head Friendship Order
London (VNA) - Irish woman, Christina Noble, has been awarded the Friendship Order of Vietnam in recognition of her great contributions to social care and charitable activities to the Vietnamese disadvantaged children.
Vietnamese Ambassador to the United Kingdom Tran Quang Hoan, to be authorised by the President of Vietnam, presented Christina, the founder and spirit of a children’s foundation named after her, the order at a ceremony held in London on Dec. 7.
Christina said she would like to thank the President, the Government and the people of Vietnam for the award.
“I must not forget the Women’s Union of Vietnam and all the colleagues. It is on behalf of those that I accept this award because we own it together,” she said.
Christina is the first from Ireland and the third from the UK to receive this award.
Since the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation (CNCF) was established in 1991, more than 100 projects have been implemented throughout Vietnam including those in the southern provinces of Dong Nai, Kien Giang and Ben Tre.
These projects are designed to help children in need such as street children, malnourished infants and abandoned babies with medial care, nutritional rehabilitation, social opportunity, educational and vocational training.
Christina grew up in the slums of Dublin , Ireland , in the 1950s then later she moved to live in the UK when she was 18. From firsthand experience, she understands a childhood of pain and betrayal, as well as the loneliness and suffering caused by children living on the streets.
In the early 1970s, when Vietnam was so much in the news, Christina had a dream of children in Vietnam in desperate need of help. This dream took her to Vietnam and over the last 20 years she has helped hundreds of thousands of children.-Enditem
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Garment sector lacks local suppliers
Hanoi (VNA) -- The textile and garment sector needs to invest in supporting industries to boost production and competitiveness, said an official from the Vietnam Textile and Garment Group.
Le Tien Truong, the group's deputy general director, said the sector's export value would reach 11-11.2 billion USD this year, 23-24 percent higher than last year. However, he said the sector relied heavily on imports of raw materials.
Truong said the sector should focus on making garments from raw materials it had produced, he said.
After 15 years of development, he said, the textile and garment sector was still failing to focus on every step of the production process, from raw materials to finished goods.
He said a facility that had good transport links needed to be built a water source and access to highly skilled workers that could supply raw materials to garment factories nationwide.
The sector is now looking for locations suitable for producing fibre, weaving and dying cloth and producing finished garments.
For the fifth month running, the sector in November earned 1 billion USD in exports, bringing the total for this year to 10.36 billion USD.
The US accounted for 50 percent of Vietnamese garment exports in the first 11 months, worth 5 billion USD. The next biggest markets were the EU and Japan .
Garment exports to the Republic of Korea increased 70 percent year-on-year to 300 million USD in the first 11 months of this year. The increase was attributed to the fact that the export price rose 12-15 percent against the same period last year.-Enditem
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