VIETNAM - GOVERNMENT IN BRIEF 9/11

by lexie Wed Nov 09, 2011 10:28 pm

VIETNAM - GOVERNMENT IN BRIEF 9/11

On November 8, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Henri, and his entourage visited the central province of Thua Thien-Hue.

At a reception for Grand Duke of Luxembourg Henri, the Chairman of the Thua Thien-Hue provincial People’s Committee, Nguyen Van Cao said Luxembourg-funded projects have greatly helped Thua Thien-Hue develop rural infrastructure and tourism facilities.

Photo: VOV

Thua Thien-Hue will create favourable conditions for Luxembourg businesses to invest in the province, especially in its potential areas such as tourism, science and technology and health care, Cao said.

The Grand Duke highly appreciated the effective cooperation between the province and Luxemburg organizations in carrying out projects in Vietnam, and said he hopes Luxembourg will maintain and provide more aid for the province and Vietnam as a whole.

Earlier in Hanoi, the delegation visited and laid wreaths at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the Heroic Martyrs’ Monument, and visited Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature - the first Vietnamese university).

On the same day, Luxembourg’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn talked with students from the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, while Minister of the Economy and Foreign Trade Jeannot Krecke worked with representatives from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Ministry of Transport.

On November 9, the delegation visited the Tu Duc Tomb, Luxembourg-funded project sites, Hue Tourism College and St Paul de Chartres orphanage.

Trade delegation boosts ties with Argentina

A delegation from the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade led by Deputy Minister Tran Tuan Anh paid a working visit to Argentina during November 4-7 to promote industrial and trade relations between the two countries.

The visit also aimed to prepare for the meeting of the Viet Nam-Argentina Inter-Governmental Committee scheduled to take place early next year.

At the delegation's meetings with Argentinean Secretary of Industry and Trade Eduardo Bianchi and head of the international cooperation department Juan Peyrou, the two sides noted with pleasure the multifaceted development of co-operation, with bilateral trade recording a ten-fold increase in the past decade.

They agreed to step up technical co-operation in trade protection and exchanges of market information, defining prioritised areas for co-operation such as renewable energy, chemicals, oil and gas, and biotechnology.

During its stay in Argentina, the Vietnamese delegation also held working sessions with the IMPSA industry group, Enarsa state power company, the Argentina Footwear Industry Chamber, and local businesses.

Finance minister attends seminar

Finance Minister Vuong Dinh Hue joined ASEAN counterparts at the 8th ASEAN Finance Ministers Investor Seminar (AFMIS) in Jakarta, Indonesia yesterday.

The seminar, themed "Growth and Resilience – the ASEAN Story", focused on investment opportunities, financial markets and ASEAN's economic advantages over other developing regions.

Opening the seminar, ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan affirmed ASEAN's increasing role in the region and the world as the bloc's economies maintain rapid growth, which he said had made Asia a significant driver of the global economy.

ASEAN should enhance trade and investment co-operation, especially in infrastructure construction and development, to ensure stable growth towards the target of building the ASEAN Economic Community and the ASEAN Community by 2015, he said.

Finance ministers from Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Viet Nam and the host country spoke about their countries' macroeconomic situations, policies, challenges and measures to ensure stable economic growth.

They noted that the 1997-99 crisis served as a valuable lesson for ASEAN members to apply tight fiscal and monetary policies amidst strong capital inflows.

Hue pointed out that ASEAN had advantages as a potential foreign investment hub, an active economic region with high and stable growth, a huge potential market and an abundant low-cost workforce along with many preferential policies geared towards investors.

He proposed ASEAN members to conduct policies in a synchronous manner, stabilise the macro-economic environment, ensure intellectual property rights and develop strong legal systems.

The minister additionally advocated creating equal and competitive environments, engaging in administrative reform, increasing investment in infrastructure, developing the knowledge-based economy and expanding economic and trade relations with domestic and foreign partners.

The seminar concluded the same day with a joint press release.

On its sidelines, ASEAN finance ministers held private talks with foreign investors to promote the investment environment and opportunities in their respective countries.

Laos urges Vietnam to help train human resources

Laos needs Vietnam’s assistance in training human resources and developing policies for ethnic minority people.

The proposal was made by Lao Vice President Bounhang Volachith at a reception for the visiting delegation of the Vietnam Ethnic Minority Committee (VEMC) led by Deputy Chairman Son Minh Thang in Vientiane on November 8.

Thang briefed Volachith on the result of talks with the Lao Front for National Construction (LFNC). He said the two sides reviewed the results of cooperation in recent years, especially since 2007. They compared notes on religious and ethnic minority affairs and other efforts to maintain security, and social order in the two countries, especially in the border areas.

The two sides were pleased with their effective cooperation in preventing drug trafficking across the common border as well as in organising activities to mark the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Year 2012.

Vice President Volachith expressed his hope that VEMC and LFNC will further strengthen cooperation in all fields.

Get-together marks Cambodia’s National Day

The Vietnam – Cambodia Friendship Association (VCFA) on November 8 hosted a get-together in Hanoi to celebrate Cambodia’s 58th National Day of Cambodia (November 9, 1953).

At the event, VCFA President Vu Mao and Cambodian Ambassador to Vietnam Hul Phanny agreed that in recent years under the leadership of Prime Minister Hun Sen, Cambodia has made impressive progress in political stability, economic development and improvement of people’s living standards.

Regarding bilateral relations, Mao said that with the motto, “Friendly neighbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation, long-term sustainability”, Vietnam and Cambodia have developed solidarity, friendship and cooperation in all fields, both in width and depth, with regular exchanges of high-ranking leaders.

Mao added that the two countries have attached importance to promoting cooperation in many fields to contribute to strengthening and developing the traditional friendly neighbourliness and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

On the occasion, VCFA raised over VND366 million to support Cambodian flood victims.

VNN/VOV/VNS/VNA

http://english.vietnamnet.vn/en/politics/15138/government-in-brief-9-11.html