Political News 5/10 Vanuatu, Vietnam foster multifaceted cooperation Vanuatu Republic Prime Minister Joe Natuman's forthcoming visit to Vietnam aims to promote bilateral cooperation relations in potential fields and discuss regional and international issues of mutual concern. Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu Joe Natuman and his spouse are to pay an official visit to Vietnam from October 5-9 at the invitation of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1982, Vietnam and Vanuatu have maintained a fine political relationship and have exchanged a significant number of high level visits. The most notable visits included one by Prime Minister Serge Vohor to Vietnam in 1997 to attend the Francophone summit, a second by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade George Andre Wells in 2007, and a third by Foreign Minister Nguyen Phu Binh to Vanuatu in 2007. Due to huge geographic distances, bilateral economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries has not developed to any great extent as of yet. The two-way trade turnover just hit more than US$2 million in 2011, of which Vietnamese exports of meat, cereal, seafood and ceramic products made up nearly US$1.9 million. Thanks to many similarities, particularly in agricultural and fisheries sectors, Vanuatu wants to strengthen friendship and cooperation ties with Vietnam. Around 500 Vietnamese citizens are currently residing in Vanuatu – a country with only a small 267,000 population. The Vietnamese community is the second largest foreign community in the country. Many Vietnamese nations gain success there and have made significant contributions to the development of the residing country. The two countries have also cooperated at some international forums, like the United Nations and Francophone. In June 2014, Vanuatu recognized Vietnam’s market economy. NA Standing Committee to discuss contents for upcoming session The 32nd meeting of the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee, scheduled to take place in Hanoi from October 6-10, will focus on the contents of the upcoming eighth session of the 13th legislature. The committee’s members will give opinions on an auditing plan for 2015 and a draft resolution on revising and supplementing a number of articles of Resolution 35/2012/QH13 on conducting a vote of confidence on people holding positions elected or approved by the NA and People’s Councils. They will also discuss preparations for conducting vote of confidence at the upcoming NA session. The lawmakers will examine government reports on the implementation of socio-economic development plans and State budget estimates in 2014 as well as plans and budget estimates for 2015. Reports on the handling of citizen’s complaints, the construction of Long Thanh international airport, and climate change adaptation in the Mekong Delta will also tabled for discussion, besides several draft laws. Vietnam, Azerbaijan news agencies sign cooperation agreement The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and Azerbaijan’s Aslan Aslanov (AzerTAc) signed a cooperation agreement on the sidelines of the International Humanitarian Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan, on October 3. Under the agreement, the two sides will provide each other news and photos, enhance exchange of delegations and coordinate at regional and international forums that both sides attend. Speaking after the signing ceremony, VNA General Director Nguyen Duc Loi and AzerTAc General Director Aslan Aslanov expressed their hope that the implementation of the first cooperation agreement in journalism between the two countries would accelerate and enhance the exchange of information with a view to boosting mutual understanding and creating cooperation opportunities between Vietnam and Azerbaijan. Vietnam and Azerbaijan enjoy a long-standing relationship of friendship and tradition. President Ho Chi Minh visited Azerbaijan in 1959 and Azerbaijan’s leader Heyar Aliyev visited Vietnam in 1983. Vietnam and Azerbaijan established diplomatic relations on September 23, 1992. Azerbaijan opened its embassy in Vietnam in 2013 and President Ilham Aliyev visited Vietnam in May 2014. Two-way trade between the two countries reached US$325 million in 2013. PM urges Hai Phong to focus on shipbuilding Hai Phong should try to attract investment and foreign partners to become a mechanical engineering and shipbuilding centre of the country, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said at a working session with key officials of the northern port city on October 3. He urged Hai Phong to continue with restructuring efforts and make full use of major infrastructure projects in the region which are almost completed to maintain its growth impetus. The PM said the Cat Bi Airport, the Hanoi-Hai Phong and Hai Phong-Quang Ninh Highways and the Lach Huyen international port are expected to create new breakthroughs in socio-economic development in not only Hai Phong but also other localities in the Hanoi-Hai Phong-Quang Ninh development triangle. According to the municipal People’s Committee’s report, the city recorded a GDP growth rate of 7.86% in the first nine months of this year and is likely to achieve an 8.3% growth for the year. Export earnings in the period almost reached US$2.5 billion while FDI attraction is estimated at nearly US$1.2 billion. Hai Phong port, one of the largest in the northern region, handled nearly 45 million tonnes of cargo in the nine-month period. PM inspects National Assembly House project Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung inspected the progress made on the National Assembly (NA) House project in Hanoi on October 3, which is scheduled to host the eight session of the 13 th NA later this month. So far, the NA House project and the infrastructure upgrade project on Doc Lap and Bac Son streets are as good as finished and ready for the meeting. Emphasising the importance of the project, the largest of its kind for a central body since the country’s reunification in 1975, PM Nguyen Tan Dung praised the efforts of the investors, contractors and workers to ensure its progress and quality. Since the building is located in an area with numerous historical relics, it is necessary to make sure the preservation of relics, as well as archeological research, goes hand-in-hand with the construction of the National Assembly House project, he added. Construction on the National Assembly House commenced in October 2009 with a total investment of VND4.8 trillion. The 39m-high building has a total ground area of 60,000m2 and contains 80 meeting rooms. It is expected to be completed in its entirety by October 20. Hai Phong voters pin hopes on upcoming NA session Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and National Assembly (NA) deputies in the northern city of Hai Phong met with voters in Kien An district on October 3. Voters voiced their hopes that the NA’s 8 th session, beginning later this month, would make sound decisions in a bid to foster national socio-economic development. Dinh Dang Hung, a voter from Bac Son ward, suggested more attention be paid to low-income households in rural areas, individuals who served the country during the war, and Agent Orange/dioxin victims. Nguyen Huy Truong from Lang Ha ward called for the acceleration of the construction of national infrastructure projects, particularly traffic facilities, in Hai Phong. Meanwhile, other opinions highlighted the need for more investments in improving the quality of education, building accommodation for students, and training local medical staff. On behalf of Hai Phong’s NA deputies, PM Nguyen Tan Dung said the feedback was constructive and demonstrated voters’ sense of responsibility for socio-economic development in their city and Vietnam in general. Informing voters on the country’s situation, the Cabinet leader said the Government, ministries and localities would do their utmost to achieve this year’s socio-economic targets with a focus on facilitating production, stabilising the macroeconomy, and mobilising resources for development. He also pledged his support for developing education and training, ensuring social welfare, guaranteeing political security and social safety, safeguarding national independence and sovereignty, and protecting a peaceful and stable environment for national development. In the meeting, he requested Hai Phong authorities make full use of all their resources to improve traffic infrastructure and look after the beneficiaries of social policy better, including Agent Orange/dioxin victims. PM Dung also looked into the issues that concerned voters, including the development of education, constructing student dormitories, ensuring the profitability of the textile and garment sector, and reducing overcrowding at hospitals. Voters satisfied with NA’s social welfare policies Voters in central Ha Tinh province’s Cam Xuyen district stated on October 3 that the National Assembly (NA)’s social welfare policies aimed at workers and communities in rural areas had helped improve living standards. In a meeting with NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung, voters suggested the NA and Government pay more attention to improving the capacity and quality of officials at local level, to increasing the efficiency of State management and to tackling corruption head on. Some said the Government should balance domestic agricultural production and agricultural imports in order to take full advantage of Vietnam’s position as the world’s leading exporter of rice, thus increasing farmers’ incomes. Local voters also urged the NA and authorised agencies to upgrade transport and irrigational infrastructure in concentrated production zones and to develop more preferential policies that encourage businesses and farmers to boost production and distribution links and develop fishery logistics services. Speaking of voters’ opinions, NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung asked Ha Tinh province’s leaders to actively implement the State’s policy to support Can Xuyen fishermen in developing offshore fishing. The province should combine the processes of changing economic structure and production models, and consider building urban areas in line with each locality’s characteristics, he said. The NA leader also asked for further participation of voters in implementing the Constitution, improving the legal system and fine-tuning the legislative body’s operations. Cam Xuyen district recorded positive economic growth over the past years. The poverty rate declined from 25.53% in 2011 to 9.43% at present. Income per capita is estimated at VND25 million (US$1,175) per year. Ministries, sectors asked to tighten control of transport activities Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has pushed ministries and sectors for stricter control of transport activities in a bid to bring the number of fatalities from traffic accidents in 2014 to below 9,000. At the National Committee for Traffic Safety’s meeting on October 3 to review traffic safety efforts undertaken so far and identify tasks for the rest of the year, Deputy PM Phuc, who is also Chairman of the committee, asked the Transport Ministry to improve regulations in the field, especially on the management of transport and the inspection of vehicles’ load capacities. The ministry was asked to cooperate with the Ministries of Public Security and Industry and Trade to control the production and import of electric bikes and motorbikes in order to prevent the illegal transportation of non-authorised vehicles. The Government official asked the Ministry of Public Security to expand the application of advanced technology to detect traffic rule violations. From January-September this year, there were 18,697 traffic accidents throughout Vietnam, resulting in 6,758 deaths and 17,835 injuries. This represents a decline in the total numbers of cases, fatalities and injuries compared to the same period last year. Forty-five localities reported fewer fatalities, with over 30 percent less traffic deaths recorded in Bac Giang and Bac Kan provinces. However, the fatalities increase in 14 localities, while the major cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City as well as some key national routes such as Highways No.1 and No.5 continue to suffer from traffic jams. Last year, 9,369 people were killed in 29,385 accidents. Source: VNA/VNS/VOV