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Current events
· Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung receives the Heads of delegations to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) 44 th Annual Meeting (Nhan dan, p1; Sai gon Giai phong, p2).
· Vice State President Nguyen Thi Doan holds talks with her South African counterpart, K. Motlanthe (Nhan dan, Quan doi nhan dan, p1).
Jakarta (VNA) - The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, known as ASEAN, has claimed progress in solving the border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia .
ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan told a press conference on May 4 that with help of global and regional nations, there would be a common effort to address the conflict.
Pitsuwan said the fact that foreign ministers agreed to attend the 18th ASEAN Summit and listen to issues of the two countries in conflict was already the first in many ways. “It's already the step forward into the future.”
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa of Indonesia , the current chair of ASEAN, said Thailand and Cambodia have requested Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to arrange bilateral meetings to settle the border conflicts.
Natalegawa said at the Jakarta Convention Center that it was expected there would be bilateral meetings at the level of foreign ministers and head of states between Thailand and Cambodia .
However, the Indonesian foreign minister could not confirm the time and venue of the meetings yet.
Natalegawa noted the issues of conflicts between Thailand and Cambodia would be raised at the ASEAN Summit in Jakarta from May 5 to 7.
The fighting that began on April 22 has quieted and the two countries reached an agreement of truce again on May 5. Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to allow Indonesia observers be posted at the disputed border area./.
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ASEAN, WB launch development report
Jakarta (VNA) – ASEAN and the World Bank have jointly launched a report on conflict, security and development, saying conflict and insecurity affect development of millions worldwide, and capable and accountable institutions that can provide citizen security, justice and jobs are crucial to prevent violence.
At apress conference held after the launching in Jakarta on May 4, ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan said the report is a result of two-years efforts made to try to understand the relations between conflict, security and development and ASEAN is privileged to be part of the efforts.
The WB Development Report 2011: Conflict, Security and Development, prepared in consultation with the ASEAN Secretariat, provides that there are around 1.5 billion people living in countries affected by political and criminal violence, which caused human misery and disrupting development.
The report finds no low-income fragile or conflict-affected country has yet to achieve a single Millennium Development Goal, in the meantime, children living in fragile states are twice as likely to be undernourished, and three times as likely to be out of school.
It also also shows how organised violence in the 21 st century is provoked by a range of domestic and international stresses, including youth unemployment; income shocks, tension among ethnic, religious or social groups and organised crime and trafficking network.
To break these cycles, legitimate institutions are needed to mediate the stressed that lead to these repeated waves of violence, said Sarah Ciffe, the WB’s Co-Director and Special Representative for the World Development Report, stressing that national and global leaders need better ways to respond to calls for security, job and justice in the most fragile situations.
Good examples of the combination of local and national leadership, regional assistance and global support can be seen in the efforts to restore stability in Timor Leste after the 2006 violence, Aceh, a special region of Indonesia, after the peace agreement, and in Myanmar following cyclone Nargis.
In the three examples, ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Nations, played a regional role in addressing cultural sensitivities and smoothing the path of outside assistance, according to Dr. Surin.
“What ASEAN’s experience has shown, and what the 2011 World Development Report illustrates, is that an alliance of local, national, regional and global groups can help build the strong institutions that are essential to providing citizen security, justice and jobs,” said the ASEAN Secretary General.
The development report, which follows a speech delivered by WB President Robert B. Zoellick in 2008 to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, entitled “Fragile States: Securing Development,” is going to be launched worldwide, and to be used as a roadmap into the future of the WB, Dr. Surin said./.
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ASEAN stresses cooperation in settling conflicts
Jakarta (VNA) - Secretary General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Surin Pitsuwan said on May 4 that all parties must help countries trapped in conflicts as conflicts could engulf the whole region.
Pitsuwan delivered the statement at a ceremony held to launch the World Development Report 2011 themed "Conflict, Security and Development" by the World Bank (WB) at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta , Indonesia .
"All of us have interests in recovering, in helping those societies back to on their feet. That's because any conflicts, insecurity anywhere will spill over to neighboring countries and certainly engulfing the entire region," Pitsuwan was quoted by China ’s Xinhua News Agency as saying.
The bloc’s chief also cited a statement of WB President Robert Zoellick, saying a civil conflict cost average developing country roughly 30 years of GDP growth, and that finding effective ways to help societies escape new outbursts or repeated cycles of violence is critical for global security and development.
According to the ASEAN Secretary General, Zoellick hoped that the report could be a roadmap for global community to work together to tame the conflicts, to contain violence and to avoid conflict to repeat./.
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RoK bank helps vocational training for the disabled
Hanoi (VNA) – Hundreds of young people with disabilities are expected to have chances of landing jobs thanks to the expansion of a humanitarian vocational training centre in Hanoi’s outlying district of Thach That.
The Minh Tam vocational training centre, which is privately-developed, will have its operation scope broadened, with 164,240 USD (3.4 billion VND) allocated by the Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK).
The funding was handed over on May 4 to the Hanoi Association for Support of Handicapped and Orphans, which will undertake the expansion project.
The Minh Tam centre is currently training 100 young people with disabilities in skills in industrial sewing, rattan knitting and wood sculpture.
The expanded centre is expected to be inaugurated by December this year to mark the 19 th anniversary of Vietnam – Republic of Korea diplomatic ties.
Established in 1961, IBK’s main task is to support RoK small and medium-sized enterprises. It opened a branch in Ho Chi Minh City in 2008 and a representative office in Hanoi in 2009./.
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VN looks forward strategic cooperation with France
Paris (VNA) – A Vietnamese minister has affirmed that high-level leaders from Vietnam always look forward to establishing a strategic cooperation with France .
Minister for Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh delivered the idea to French Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Alain Juppe during their talks in Paris on May 4.
The French leader welcomed and signaled determination to realise the idea.
Both discussed the enhancement of multi-faceted cooperation, especially in culture and foreign affairs.
Minister Juppe said he supported Vietnam ’s initiative to hold the Year of Vietnamese Culture in France and the Year of French Culture in Vietnam as part of celebrations of the two countries’40 th diplomatic ties anniversary.
They also spoke ways to early put two Vietnam Culture Centres in France into operation.
Minister Anh asked the French side to support Vietnam ’s efforts to seek UNESCO’s cultural heritage recognition for the Ho Dynasty’s citadel.
Minister Anh arrived in Paris on May 4 to start his four-day working visit to France .
Later the same day, he met with French State Secretary for Tourism Frederic Lefebre, discussing the implementation the protocol on tourism cooperation signed in 2005.
The Vietnamese minister sought the French side’s sharing of experience in tourism management, planning, development and promotion as well as human resources development.
He suggested France create favourable conditions for its businessmen to invest in tourism and establish partnerships in Vietnam and facilitate Vietnamese travel companies’ participation in France-hosted tourism events.
The French official delivered his government’s resolve to boost region-to-region cooperation with Vietnam and pledged help to promotion activities and human resource training in tourism.
At present, France is among 10 countries having the largest number of tourists to Vietnam .
It ranks seventh among foreign investors with tourism projects in Vietnam with 14 projects valued at 188 million USD, mainly in the hotel industry./.
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Safe food chains established in HCM City
HCM City (VNA) — After three years co-operating with companies to develop safe food chains for essential items, the municipal Health Department has succeeded in establishing three – for eggs, pork and vegetables.
The safe food chains attest to strict adherence with food safety and hygiene regulations from the farm to the dining table, covering breeding, slaughtering, processing and distribution.
Le Truong Giang, Deputy Director of the department and chairman of the HCM City Public Health Association, told a recent seminar that the chains had begun supplying about 800,000 eggs, 2 tonnes of vegetables and 2 tonnes of pork a day.
"The city will set up more safe food chains in the coming time, including those for tea and seafood," he said.
Company representatives at the seminar raised concerns about difficulties they had faced when participating the health initiative.
They said it was difficult to get "safe" input materials with good practices without the support of preferential policies.
To further develop safe food chains and attract the participation of more companies, concerned agencies needed to develop a strong image for the products, they said.
Tran Vu Bao, deputy head of the Cau Tre Export Goods Processing Joint-Stock Company's Quality Management and Processing Technology Department, which has registered its participation in safe food chains for tea, tra and basa fish, said products that wanted to receive the certification must ensure that all input materials were also members of similar chains.
To produce cha gio (spring rolls) and ha cao (a kind of Chinese dumpling), for instance, the company needed seafood, pork and vegetables, but the city had not yet established a safe food chain for seafood now, Bao said.
Cau Tre was working with seafood processors and farmers in the Cuu Long ( Mekong ) Delta to set up clean tra and basa fish breeding areas, he said.
Nguyen Dong Hai, general director of Vietfarm, which specialises in vegetable cultivation and received the safe food certification in 2009, said the city should have preferential policies for companies that apply good agriculture practices and standards in farming.
It should also step up efforts to make consumers more aware of the products of safe food chains, he said.
Huynh Le Thai Hoa, head of the city Sub-department of Food Hygiene and Safety, said the city would support co-operation among companies that participated in safe food chains to ensure that input materials used were supplied on time and at reasonable prices.
However, participating companies that did not follow strictly the regulations on food safety and hygiene would be removed from the chain and their violations publicised in the mass media, he said.
Giang said that apart from promoting products of companies participating in the initiative, the city would also provide them with soft loans from its price stabilising programme.
The city had spent 60 billion VND (2.9 million USD) on developing safe food chains so far, he said.
HCM City produces just 15-20 percent of its food it consumes, and the rest is bought from other localities. The food brought is not subjected to quality control measures for the most part, according to the health department. /.
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Boxers grab gold and two silvers
Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnamese boxers won both gold and silver medals at the recent AIBA Youth and Junior World Championships, held in Antalya , Turkey .
After three rounds of fighting, Vuong Thi Vy, 15, fought back to beat India's Lalfakzuai in the girls' 52kg division, making her the second best boxer at the tournament overall.
Liu Thi Duyen marginally lost to China 's Lili Niu in the 54kg division while Pham Thi Phuong lost to Japan 's Kasumi Saeki in the 48kg division final.
The tournament drew 264 young female boxers from 45 countries and provided the Vietnamese boxers with an excellent opportunity to gain experience in preparation for the upcoming London 2012 Olympics where Vietnam hopes to dominate the flyweight (48-51kg), lightweight (56-60kg) and middleweight (69-75kg) divisions. /.
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Violinist promises polished performance
Hanoi (VNA) — Polish violinist Alicja Smietana will be performing at the Vietnam National Academy of Music in Hanoi on May 6.
Accompanied by pianist Grzegorz Mania, she will play pieces by Ludwig Van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms and Henryk Wieniawski.
Born in 1983 in Krakow, Smietana studied at the Krakow Academy of Music before moving to London to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
She later went on to work with such notable performers as Ana Chumachenco, Hagai Shaham and Pavel Vernikov.
She has also performed at the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Birmingham Symphony Hall.
In 2010, she co-founded the Orchestra of Life. Last year, she performed in Hanoi to mark European Days.
After the May 6's performance, which kicks off at 8pm, Smietana will join the Hanoi Philharmonic Orchestra to play pieces by Wieniawski and Dmitri Shostakovich, under the baton of Carlos Cuesta at Hanoi Opera House on May 10.
Carlos performed with the HanoiPhilharmonic Orchestra on the opening night of the Hanoi millennial celebrations last year. This year he was presented with the National Award for Artistic Excellence in Argentina .
Established in 1997, the Hanoi Philharmonic Orchestra was awarded the Japanese Royal Prize in 1998 and represented Vietnam at the Asian Music Festival in Tokyo in 1999. /.
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Distinctive timber houses drawcard in Bac Kan
Bac Kan (VNA) — Visitors walking to Yen Lac town in the northern province of Bac Kan 's Na Ri district will discover scores of unusual old houses made of timber from the nghien (burretiodendron hsienmu) tree, an endangered native of Vietnam and China .
Residents say that most of the people who live in the quarter are Chinese-Vietnamese which could explain why the houses are different from native structures. When they were built more than a half-century ago, these tubular houses were placed very close to one another. At first, only a few people in the district built houses in this style but then they gained popularity and others began to copy the architectural style.
An ethnic Nung woman named Luong Thi Phung, 80, who was born and raised in the quarter, says: "My house, made of nghien wood, was built 60 years ago. Even now, termites and worms stay away from this wood. At that time, it took four people one week to manoeuvre one nghien wood log to use for construction. It took us years to build our house. Other residents in the quarter imitated us and built similar houses, finally making the long row of houses that is here now. That's why this quarter was named the old quarter."
A courtyard and street were constructed in the middle of this wide quarter. People use the public space for a variety of activities, such as selling goods in the morning, taking the air and playing football in the afternoon.
Sitting in the sunshine by a cooking fire on a cold day, Nong Thi Hinh and Ly Thi Nong are talking as they sell banh te (rice cake filled with stir-fried onion) and look after three of their grandchildren as they play.
Hinh smiles and says that her cakes are very cheap, costing only 1,000 VND each. She adds that her sales help her not only earn some money but also allows her to enjoy the fresh air. Talking with her neighbour Nong at noon has become a habit, she says.
Its location 550m above sea level and poor road access keep Na Ri district quite isolated in the eastern part of Bac Can. It is 80km from the centre of Bac Kan Town to the district. In order to reach Yen Lac town, visitors must travel across Ang Toong mountain pass along a steep and narrow road. The population in Yen Lac is 37,000, primarily made up of people from several minorities group such as Mong, Tay , Nung, Kinh and Dao. Primary source of income is agriculture and forestry because commercial services are limited.
As she explains the name of the district, Nong, 68, says that in the Thai language, Na Ri is spelled as Na Sli, which translates as "long rice paddy", describing high mountains, deep valleys and field paddies along the river. She says that it turns into Na Ri when spelled in Vietnamese.
The outside space in each of these old quarter houses is used to receive guests. A narrow corridor on the left runs to the inside and two or three bedrooms are on the right. A kitchen, stable for cattle and toilet are located at one end of the house. An attic for storage is located in the top part of the house which can also be used as a bedroom if there are many children. The most solemn area of the house is the living room, which contains the altar.
Elders say that at first, the roofs of the houses were covered by earthernware tiles arranged as fish scales but today corrugated sheet metal, heat-resistant plastic tiles and other materials are the norm. However, most of the houses have been roofed with traditional ‘ying-yang' tiles (each tile is layered on top of a gap that is created by two bottom tiles which are layered a few centimetres apart from each other).
Residents believe the thin traditional tiles and the method of placing them upside-down make the houses cool in the summer. Phung's daughter-in-law Ly Thi Binh says they have to replace the tiles every few decades but the houses always remain free of termites and worms. If they decided to move to another location, they can disassemble their houses and put them back together, she says.
At this time, there is no project to develop the old quarter as a tourist destination. An official of the Bac Kan Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism says that not many people, particularly foreign tourists, visit the area. Perhaps it will attract more tourists once a project to boost tourism in the nearby Nang Tien Cave is implemented. /.
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Khau Vai Love Market gets cultural recognition
Ha Giang (VNA) — The Khau Vai Love Market was recently recognised as an historical and cultural relic by the Ha Giang People's Committee.
The Khau Vai Love Market, known locally as the Phong Luu Love Market, takes place annually on the 26th-27th of the third month of the lunar calendar in Khau Vai village, Khau Vai commune, Meo Vac district, Ha Giang province.
The love market originated as a meeting spot for men and women from ethnic groups such as the Mong, Tay , Nung and Giay, who loved each other, but could not marry.
The market offers tourists an opportunity to observe the comedy regarding the market's legend, watch performances, admire the clothing of ethnic groups as well as take part in traditional games.
According to Nguyen Trung Thuong, Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, a project aimed at transforming Ha Giang into a tourist hub, will be soon implemented.
"We will soon start restoring the Ong and Ba temples as well as the more than 90-year-old Khau Vai Market. We also plan to build more tourist hostels. The entire project is expected to reach completion by 2015," he said./.
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Piano duo set for Vietnam debut
HCM City (VNA) — Duo d'Accord, the young pianist team of German Sebastian Euler and Taiwanese Lucia Huang, will present a concert for two pianos in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City next week to celebrate Europe Days 2011.
The duo will perform virtuoso works for two pianos and compositions for piano for four hands, including Concerto for Two Pianos in C minor, BWV 1060, a piano transcription of Bach's works by Max Reger and Three Hungarian Dances by Johannes Brahms.
The concert will highlight works by Ravel, Tchaikovsky and Liszt.
Tangata, composed by Astor Piazzolla, will end the duo's show.
Duo d'Acorrd's Euler and Huang were trained as soloists at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich by Karl-Hermann Mrongovius and Begona Uriarte who encouraged and supported them to play together in 1999.
Within the next two years, the duo were awarded second prize at the ARD Broadcasting Competition in Munich and first prize at the Murray Dranoff Competition in Miami, the most significant piano duo competition worldwide.
Duo d'Accord has given critically acclaimed concerts in Europe, the US and Asia, and performances with major orchestras like the Miami Symphony Orchestra, the Munich Chamber Orchestra, and with renowned musicians such as Heinrich Schiff and Christoph Poppen.
They have released CDs featuring works by Reger, Schumann, Beethoven and Messiaen, as well as their own compositions.
Huang and Euler teach at the Conservatory in Innsbruck , Austria . They live in Munich and have a daughter.
The concert is organised by the Goethe Institute in Vietnam in co-operation with the Delegation of the European Union.
The concert will begin at 8pm at the Hanoi Opera House on May 8 and May 9, and the HCM City Opera House on May 10. Free tickets are available at the Goethe Institute in Hanoi and HCM City . /.
Thais paint capture Hanoi's beauty
Hanoi (VNA) - A painting exhibition featuring works about Hanoi people and life by three Thai painters is taking place in Hanoi from May 3 to celebrate 35 years of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Thailand .
The exhibition, entitled “Spring in Hanoi ” showcases 60 works, including large-sized pencil paintings by Suwit Jaipom and coal portraits of Hanoians by Dinhin Rakpong Asoke along with watercolor paintings of daily life in Hanoi by Direk Kingnok.
The exhibition will run until May 9./.
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National Geographic, Lonely Planet spot Vietnam
Hanoi (VNA) – The US magazine National Geographic has put Vietnam in the top 13 “Best Tours in Asia ”, according to the Vietnam Administration of Tourism.
With the title “ Vietnam : Kid-Friendly Orient” the magazine introduced Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City as a private family excursion, which is action-packed with quintessential Vietnamese experiences.
“Trek in bio-diverse Hoang Lien National Park , meet members of the Zay hill tribes in the Black Hmong villages, cruise through the limestone peaks of Halong Bay , and dine with descendants of the royal family in Hue ,” the National Geographic said in its website.
Tour to Vietnam was in the sixth place. Other tours are to Sri Lanka , India , China , Myanmar , Nepal , Pakistan , Thailand , Russia , Mongolia , Indonesia , Lebanon and Syria .
Meanwhile, the resort town of Sa Pa in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai has stood in the world’s top ten spots for walking by popular travel guide Lonely Planet.
According to Lonely Planet, walking can be the best way to experience a place.
Lying 1.600m higher than the sea level, Sa Pa has a mild temperature of 15 to 18 Celsius degree.
Though this town welcomes visitors all year around, it is generally agreed to be most beautiful in April and May, when it is blooming with green pastures and flowers, many of which can’t be found anywhere else in the country, and few visitors fail to marvel at the beauty of the cloudy valleys here every summer morning.
Sa Pa is also home to many breathtaking spots such as Ham Rong Mountain , Silver Waterfall, Rattan Bridge , Bamboo Forest and Ta Phin Cave.
And this is here that adventurers can climb to Vietnam ’s rooftop on Fansipan Mountain at 3.143m above the sea level.
During the week-long Culture-Tourism event from April 30, Sa Pa welcomed over 11,000 visitors, 2.5 times over the same period of 2010.
The other greatest places as rated by Lonely Planet for walkers are the Grand Canyon in the US, Aoraki/Mount Cook Village in New Zealand, Lake District and Dartmoor in England, Torres del Paine in Chile, Lauterbrunnen in Switzerland, Brecon Beacons in Wales, Kakadu National Park in Australia, and Taman Negara in Malaysia./.
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More martyrs’ remains repatriated from Laos, Cambodia
Hanoi (VNA) – Authorities of the central province of Quang Tri on May 5 held a solemn ceremony to rebury 36 sets of remains of Vietnamese volunteers and experts repatriated from the Lao province of Savannakhet .
Of the remains, only three sets were identified.
The Gia Lai People’s Committee has also invested over 50 billion VND in building and upgrading a martyrs’ cemetery in the border district of Duc Co, which is the resting place of fallen soldiers repatriated from Cambodia . After being completed, the cemetery is expected to be home to over 2,500 tombs of martyrs.
As scheduled, by mid May, the Central Highlands province will receive more 78 sets of remains of soldiers from Cambodia. /.
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VN, Russia enhance parliamentary cooperation
Moscow (VNA) – A leader from Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, has been delighted with the growing of legislative ties with Vietnam and the two countries’ strategic partnership.
Ivan Melnikov, Deputy Speaker of the State Duma, met with National Assembly Vice Chairman Nguyen Duc Kien in Moscow on May 4.
He hailed the dynamic development of bilateral economic-trade ties and said there is still potential for the two countries’ cooperation in the field.
Kien spoke highly of Russia’s increasing role and position in the international arena.
The officials exchanged experience in budgetary, tariff, fiscal and monetary fields, the making of law, and talked the legislative body’s role in each country’s political system.
This year, Vietnam and Russia will mark the 10 th anniversary of their strategic partnership and are preparing for Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s visit to Vietnam in July.
Earlier on May 3, Vice Chairman Kien met with Vladimir Petrov, who is Vice Chairman of the Budgetary Committee of the Federation Council of Russia (the upper house of Russia’s parliament).
Both underlined the urgency of raising the quality of living conditions and social welfare for people.
Kien stressed the need to continue bolstering legislative cooperation between Vietnam and Russia.
During the six-day visit, beginning on May 2, the Vietnamese delegation also held working sessions with authorities and the legislative body of Saint Petersburg, and laid wreaths at Ho Chi Minh Monument and the Tomb of Unknown Soldier in Moscow./.
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PM: VN pledges to effectively use ADB loans
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam pledged to effectively use loans from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said in Hanoi on May 5.
PM Dung made the commitment while receiving ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda, who was in Vietnam to attend the 44th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of ADB.
PM Dung said that Vietnam received effective assistance from ADB during its development process and expressed his hope of receiving further help from the bank to expand cooperation.
He asked ADB to coordinate with relevant Vietnamese agencies to ease hindrances and disburse ADB projects, especially ones investing in transport infrastructure and poverty reduction.
PM Dung described the ADB annual meeting as a major event for both ADB and Vietnam , with a belief that the event would successfully contribute to boosting cooperation between Vietnam and ADB.
He informed the guest that during the past three months Vietnam had been focusing on implementing measures to control inflation, stabilise the macro-economy and ensure social welfare, while maintaining sustainable development of the economy.
As a result, initial positive signals on exchange rate management, gold trading and trade deficit reduction have been seen.
However, Vietnam still faces many difficulties and must attempt to control inflation more strictly.
Haruhiko Kuroda praised Vietnam’s assistance in organising the ADB meeting, affirming that ADB would increase preferential loans to Vietnam, especially to help the country carry out projects in environment, transport infrastructure and poverty reduction.
After the reception, PM Dung witnessed the signing of an agreement where ADB will give a loan of 1.38 billion USD to Vietnam, to enhance nationwide clean water access, conserve threatened forests, and ease urban gridlock./.
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Conference improves awareness of sea, islands role
Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on May 5 held a conference on the popularisation of sea and island sovereignty, to raise the community’s awareness of the role, position and significance of sea and islands in people’s lives and during national industrialisation and modernisation.
Vietnam has a sea surface of more than 1 million sq. km and more than 3,000 islands. People living along the 3,260 km coastline represent almost half of its total population.
The event emphasised the important task for ministries and branches, particularly coastal localities, to raise community awareness of the role and position of sea and islands, the Resolutions on Vietnam ’s sea strategy until 2020 and a national defence strategy.
The conference said the ministry was assessing legal documents and policies on sea and islands resources and environment, to propose the contents of the sea environment and natural resources bill.
The Vietnam Sea and Islands General Department and the Khanh Hoa Provincial People’s Committee agreed to choose central coastal Nha Trang city to host Vietnam Sea and Islands Week 2011.
The three-day event is expected to be attended by Vietnamese Party and State leaders, representatives from 28 coastal cities and provinces, foreign embassies, UNESCO, the World Bank and the UNDP.
Sea and Islands Week 2011 is expected to be opened at Vinpearl Land deluxe resort on June 6./.
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Moderate growth slowdown forecast for Asia-Pacific
Hanoi (VNA) – The growth rate of developing economies in the Asia-Pacific region is projected at 7.3 percent in 2011, representing a drop compared with last year’s figure of 8.8 percent.
The report on “ ESCAP Economic and Social Survey”, which was released in Hanoi on May 5 by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), puts growth for East and Northeast Asia at 7.9 percent, North and Middle Asia at 4.8 percent, developing countries in Asia-Pacific islands at 5.5 percent, South and Southwest Asia at 6.8 percent and Southeast Asia at 5.5 percent, respectively.
In 2011, most economies are likely to see an increase in inflation from rising food and oil prices, that could push 42 million additional people in poverty, joining the 19 million already affected in 2010, the report said.
ESCAP urges the protection of poor and vulnerable households through strengthening of public food distribution systems, food vouchers, school feeding programmes and other targeted subsidies.
Governments need to moderate prices through tariffs and tax policies, regulation on hoarding and speculative activities and the countercyclical use of buffer stocks, the report said.
Vietnam ’s economic growth in 2010 reached 6.78 percent. In the first quarter of this year, the figure stood at 5.43 percent while the inflation rate was 6.12 percent./.
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ADB guests hail Vietnam’s macro-economics
Hanoi (VNA) – Guests to the 44th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have praised Vietnam ’s solutions to curb inflation and stabilise the macro-economy.
IMF Deputy General Director Naoyuki Shiohara and World Bank Vice President James Adams were among the guests who were received by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on separate occasions in Hanoi on May 5.
At a reception for IMF Deputy General Director Shiohara, PM Dung hailed the practical results of the cooperation between Vietnam and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in policy consultation and official training.
He told Shiohara that Vietnam would continue with inflation control, macro economic stabilisation and ensuring social welfare for sustainable economic development.
The PM said he hoped the IMF will continue working with Vietnam in policy consultation.
Shiohara congratulated Vietnam on its successful organisation of ADB’s 44 th annual meeting, saying that effective cooperation between the IMF and Vietnam has contributed to assisting Vietnam ’s micro-economic management and policy consultation.
He hailed the Vietnamese Government’s solutions to stabilise the macroeconomy but suggested the nation continue implementing its policy in a medium and long-term to control inflation.
While receiving WB Vice President Adams, PM Dung highlighted the important contributions of the Vietnam-WB relationship to the country’s socio-economic development.
He expressed the hope of receiving the World Bank’s continued assistance with hunger eradication and poverty reduction.
He also welcomed the assistance of the International Financial Company, a WB affiliate, to Vietnamese businesses and its involvement as a strategic shareholder of Vietnamese businesses.
Adams applauded Vietnam ’s achievements in poverty reduction, affirming his continued assistance to Vietnam through policy consultation and technical assistance in sustainable development to help the nation achieve its set targets.
The WB will earmark 2 billion USD to assist Vietnam ’s major projects, Adams said.
At another reception for President and Chief Executive Officer of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) Hiroshi Watanabe, PM Dung spoke of JBIC’s active contributions to the Vietnam-Japan friendly cooperative relationship.
He hailed JBIC’s investment in Vietnam and its funding for Japanese businesses to invest in the country.
JBIC is willing to provide capital to Japanese businesses for investing in the country, said Watanabe, adding that a 100 million USD loan will be provided to the Vietnam Bank for Development and capital sources will be arranged through negotiations for a number of sea port and road transport infrastructure development projects in the country.
PM Dung also received Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Elano Salgado the same day and took the occasion to ask Spain to help Vietnam improve its relations with the European Union (EU) and promote the negotiation to sign the Free Trade Agreement with the EU.
Two-way trade value of 1.3 billion USD in 2010 and Spain-invested capital of 24 million USD in Vietnam remain modest compared with their potential and the two countries’ fine relationship, Dung said.
He suggested both countries accelerate the project on building metro route 5 in Ho Chi Minh City .
He took the occasion to thank Spain for its ODA provision for Vietnam and hoped to receive Spanish assistance in poverty reduction, culture, education, science and technology.
The Spanish Government totally supports the enhancement of the bilateral relationship as well as the relationship between Vietnam and the EU, as Spain considers Vietnam as an important partner and wants to promote economic ties with Vietnam , said Deputy PM Elano Salgado.
The European Bank will provide 150 million EUR in loans to the metro route and Spanish companies are ready to carry out the project, she said.
Earlier, PM Dung witnessed the signing of a 200 million USD loan agreement between the Vietnamese Ministry of Finance and the Import Export Bank of the Republic of Korea, for a project to build the Vam Cong bridge./.
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Vietnam, Germany sign educational accords
Berlin (VNA) - Vietnam signed two accords of educational and research cooperation with Hessen State of Germany in Wiesbaden on May 4.
The signing was part of an ongoing visit to the European country by a delegation from the Ministry of Education and Training (MET) and the Vietnam-Germany University , led by MET Minister Pham Vu Luan.
All three signatories, including the Minister of Science and Art, Eva-Kuehne-Hoerman, and the Minister of Culture, Dorothea Henzler, of Hessen State, described the accords as a contribution to bilateral relations, especially in scientific research and the exchange of students.
The Vietnam-Germany University is an example of successful cooperation between the two countries, attracting many donors, including the Hessen and Baden-Wuerttemberg states of Germany , the Vietnamese Government and businesses from the two countries.
The World Bank has committed a loan worth 180 million USD for the upgrade of infrastructure at the university, which will graduate the first batch of students this year./.
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Vietnam, France sign grant agreements
Hanoi (VNA) – The French Development Agency (AFD) will provide Vietnam with a total of 2.5 million EUR as non-refundable aid to support the country’s medical sector.
Two agreements to this effect were inked by Minister of Planning and Investment Vo Hong Phuc and AFD Director General Dov Zerah in Hanoi on May 5.
Accordingly, AFD will offer an additional 1.5 million EUR to the expertise and capacity building fund (FERC No.2) to finance future projects in Vietnam .
The aid provided by FERC No 2 is seen as an effective tool to assist central agencies, localities and associations in raising their research capacity while boosting projects combating climate change.
Another agreement worth 1 million EUR aims to provide technical assistance for Hanoi Medical University Hospital, upgrading and improving capacity and quality of patient care as well as medical training equipment./.
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ASEAN speeds up regional connectivity
Hanoi (VNA) – Governmental officials and representatives from think-tanks and businesses in the Southeast Asian region gathered in Hanoi on May 5 to discuss how to speed up regional connectivity for benefits of member countries and people in the region.
At the seminar “ASEAN Integration: Speed-up Connectivity”, part of the ongoing 44 th ADB annual meeting in Hanoi, panelists discussed the rationale for accelerated regional economic integration and proposed action strategies and actions to accelerate the progress with a view to the region's better integrated and inclusive economy that narrows the development gap within and between nations.
They stressed the importance and geographic advantage of the group in the world and shared the view that ASEAN connectivity will play as a key to promote the bloc’s position on the international areas.
They addressed common challenges, rising food and oil prices, disaster and climate change, high inflation, and emphasised the need to enhance connectivity among regional members in three areas of infrastructure, institutions and people-to-people.
The seminar spoke highly of Vietnam ’s contributions to and increasing role in the ASEAN integration process, especially efforts in implementing ASEAN commitments on trade facilitation and investment, links on infrastructure and coordinating works.
ASEAN connectivity needs the involvement of different sectors – government, business, people to solve regional and global issues, such as environmental protection, food security, energy and inflation control, Le Hoai Trung, Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister, told VNA reporter.
Therefore, the seminar drew the participation of representatives of different sectors and circles and discussed issues to accelerate the master plan on ASEAN connectivity adopted in Hanoi and enhance traffic network links, facilitating trade and investment, preventing natural disasters and mitigating climate change impacts, he added.
According to the deputy FM, by organising the seminar, ADB wants to draw more partners to involve in the regional integration process. The Manila-based institution not only provides capital, but also expertise and knowledge in different areas, he said./.
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Vientiane inaugurates Lao, VN martyrs’ monument
Vientiane (VNA)- A monument to Lao soldiers and Vietnamese volunteer troops killed on Lao soil was inaugurated in Phonhe village, Thurarom district, in Vientiane province of Laos , on May 5.
The inauguration was honoured with the presence of Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Douangchay Phichith and Vientiane province’s governor Khammung Phomthadi.
Vietnamese Ambassador Ta Minh Chau and representatives of the Vietnamese community in Laos were also present to commemorate 28 Lao and Vietnamese soldiers killed in a local battlefield in 1946 during the war of resistance against French colonialists.
The 4,000 sq. m. monument compound now shelters the tombs of these heroes under the shade of trees.
The major donor to the project is a war veteran-turned Vietnamese CEO, Le Van Kiem, who now runs Long Thanh Golf Investment and Business Joint-stock Company. Kiem donated 150,000 USD to the monument construction, while at the inauguration ceremony his wife handed over another 100,000 USD for Lao military hospital No. 103 to purchase medical equipment and medicines in service of Lao soldiers.
The Vientiane Governor described the project as evidence of evergreen relations between Laos and Vietnam , which should be handed down to younger generations of the two countries.
Phomthadi pledged to follow the late Lao President Kaysone Phomvihane’s teaching to keep the Laos-Vietnam relationship everlasting “even if rivers would have dried up or mountains worn away”./.
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Party leader welcomes foreign guests
Hanoi (VNA) – Party General Secretary and National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong received International Monetary Fund (IMF) Deputy General Director Naoyuki Shinohara and Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in Hanoi on May 5.
The two guests are in Vietnam to attend the Asian Development Bank (ADB) 44th annual meeting.
At a separate reception for the IMF Deputy General Director, the Party leader highly valued the IMF’s important role in boosting international monetary cooperation, economic growth and assistance for its member countries, including Vietnam through providing consultations on economic policies and technical and financial assistance.
He also spoke highly of Naoyuki Shinohara’s important contributions to strengthening the cooperation between Vietnam and the IMF in particular and between Vietnam and the international financial-monetary community in general.
Vietnam is actively implementing measures to stabilise its macro economy, curb inflation and ensure social welfare, Trong said, adding that the country wants to receive more effective support and assistance from the IMF and international financial-monetary institutions in order to successfully fulfil its set socio-economic objectives, contributing to the regional and world economic-financial stability.
For his part, the IMF Deputy General Director appreciated Vietnam ’s economic development potential as well as its socio-economic achievements.
In the context of complex developments regarding the current financial crisis and economic downturn in the region and the world, Vietnam ’s determination to implement packages of macroeconomic stabilisation and inflation control solutions was very important and essential, he said.
He also expressed his belief in Vietnam ’s future development prospects and affirmed that the IMF is always ready to strengthen cooperation and assistance for the Southeast Asian country.
While meeting with the Indian Finance Minister, the Party chief highly valued the increasing role and important contributions of India in addressing regional and international issues and expressed his belief that India will continue harvesting greater achievements and holding an adequate position in the region and the world at large.
Trong stressed that the Vietnamese Party, State and people attach importance to further fostering the strategic partnership with India . He expressed his wish that the two countries would continue to boost relations between their Parties, legislative bodies, and people-to-people exchange, helping develop and deepen their strategic partnership.
Minister Pranab Mukherjee spoke highly of Vietnam ’s organisation work and active participation in activities during the annual ADB meeting, affirming that India wishes to enhance cooperation with Vietnam in all fields ranging from politics, security and defence to trade, investment, finance, education and training, and science and technology.
On the occasion, Party General Secretary and NA Chairman Trong conveyed his invitations to President Sonia Gandhi and General Secretary Rahul Gandhi of the Indian National Congress Party to visit Vietnam./.
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ADB needs to increase investment in agriculture
Hanoi (VNA) – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) should provide more financial resources and investments for the agricultural sector in Asian countries in order to strengthen food security and prevent inflation due to high food prices.
The idea was contributed by members of ADB’s Board of Governors and representatives from large countries at the first plenary session of the 44 th annual ADB meeting in Hanoi on May 5.
According to an Indian representative, the current rising inflation trend in the region is causing adverse impacts on poor people in each nation and the whole region as well. Therefore, together with priorities given to disaster mitigation, ADB should increase investment in the agricultural sector and strengthen connectivity through public-private partnership (PPP) for agricultural development.
In addition, ADB needs to boost soft links to speed up cooperation and information sharing in addressing issues such as epidemics and natural disasters in the region.
The Indian representative suggested ADB promptly discover an effective mechanism to connect the Asian region with Africa and strengthen the South-South cooperation, as well as call upon its member countries to contribute more to ADB’s fund, in order to increase resources for development and for addressing regional challenges.
Sharing this point of view, Marisa Lago, Assistant Secretary for International Affairs and Treasury Department of the US , warned that high inflation accompanied by high food and fuel prices are threatening the recovery of Asia , while poor people are yet to get appropriate assistance in food and energy to cope with the shock.
Therefore, to reach sustainable development, developed countries in Asia should share trade surpluses with developing ones, she said.
The US wants ADB to maintain stable loans for underdeveloped countries, which need ADB resources to develop their economies and narrow the development gap with the developed, she said.
While emphasising the importance of pouring more into the ADB fund, Lago said the US will cooperate with ADB and other financial organisations to maximise this source of capital.
A German representative stated that agricultural development should be relocated onto ADB’s investment focus to ensure regional food security and effectively fight inflation and high food prices.
Pointing out challenges facing the region, a representative from the Republic of Korea suggested establishment of an Asian vision committee led by ADB, to strengthen connectivity among member countries, share information and effectively settle challenges in general inequality and development gaps.
The recovery and growth of Asia are a result of economic restructuring, he said, adding that to reach the goal of sustainable and balanced growth, ADB should have more flexible policies that create more conditions to increase capital sources for poor countries in the region.
The participants suggested ADB focus more investment on regional export and infrastructure, with its continued support for Asian countries to develop markets and connect supply networks.
ADB needs to continue making reforms on administration and strengthen cooperation with the World Bank (WB), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and G8 countries to intensify its power.
Earlier, ADB President Kuroda and RoK Minister of Strategy and Finance Jeung-Hyun Yoon signed an agreement to extend and expand RoK support for ADB projects in Asia-Pacific in the fields of renewable energy, water, sustainable transport, education, finance and administration.
On the evening of May 5, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem hosted a banquet for participants of the 44 th annual ADB meeting./.
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