Government News 26/1 US, Vietnam step up transnational crime combat efforts Deputy Minister of Public Security Le Quy Vuong hosted a reception for Matthew H.King, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security, in Hanoi on January 23. At the meeting, the deputy minister stressed that the cooperation between Vietnam and the US in general and between their law enforcement agencies in particular has produced important results. The two sides have coordinated in carrying out specific plans, regularly exchanging information on fighting transnational crimes and those involving human and drug trafficking as well as organising workshops and training courses on crime investigations. Deputy Minister Vuong expressed his hope that the two sides will increase the efficiency of bilateral cooperation in order to contribute to boosting the two countries’ diplomatic ties. Matthew H.King spoke highly of good cooperation results between the two sides, hoping that the cooperation will reap more fruits in the fight against crimes, in judicial and law enforcement works and in police training, for the interest of the two peoples and for peace in the region and the world. US war veteran activist welcomed in Hanoi Vice President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) Bui Khac Son has asked the Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) to continue its humanitarian activities in Vietnam, especially the “Veterans Initiative”. Receiving VVA Vice President Marsha Lynn Four in Hanoi on January 23, Son also asked for more VVA support to post-war recovery efforts, especially those aimed at overcoming the consequences of Agent Orange/dioxin which the US army sprayed in Vietnam during the war. Lynn Four agreed with the host’s proposal, saying that her visit is to provide more information about Vietnamese soldiers who were killed or reported as missing in action (MIA), as well as to study the Vietnam-US cooperation in the search for US MIAs in Vietnam. She vowed to continue working closely with the Vietnamese side to deal with war consequences. VN shares agricultural development experience at WEF 2015 Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh shared Vietnam ’s experience in developing a sustainable agriculture, ensuring national food security at a high-level dialogue on Global Agenda for Food Security as part of the recent 2015 World Economic Forum (WEF 2015) in Davos , Switzerland . The Vietnamese delegation also talked about experience in implement the “New Vision for Agriculture” initiative through public-private partnership to call on businesses to invest in the sector. During the January 22-23 WEF, Deputy PM Minh delivered remarks and attended other five sessions, including “ASEAN Agenda” and “Global Geopolitical Prospects 2015”, during which he highlighted the recovery of Vietnam ’s economy in recent years as well as the nation’s economic reform and integration in the coming time. He affirmed the Vietnamese Government’s commitment to improving the business climate and underscored the importance of investment opportunities when negotiations for Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) conclude. Meeting with the Vietnamese delegation, many partners and leaders from international groups said they attach importance to cooperating with Vietnam and showed their optimism about the Vietnamese economy and business opportunities. Some groups unveiled their plans to expand investment in the country.- Ceremony kicks off anniversary year of Vietnam-German ties A ceremony to kick off the 40th anniversary year of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Germany (1975-2015) was held in Ho Chi Minh City on January 24. The 2015 Vietnam- Germany year will see a myriad of political and socio-cultural activities to be held across Vietnam, with the highlight to be a German festival scheduled for March 28. Vietnam and Germany has fostered cross-sector cooperation since two country set up diplomatic relations on September 23, 1975, said Nguyen Huu Thien, Chairman of the Vietnam-Germany Friendship Association in HCM City. He stressed that the two countries lifted their relationship to a strategic partnership with the signing of the Hanoi joint statement in October 2011. Meanwhile, Anke Stahl, director of the DAAD Regional Office in Hanoi, said that in the past 40 years, Vietnamese students who studied and worked in Germany had made great contributions to bilateral relations. She said the DAAD in Hanoi has planned numerous activities in the anniversary year, which include organising meetings of those who used to study and work in Germany, facilitating collaboration between Vietnamese and German universities and granting scholarships for outstanding students. Border guard’s antinarcotics unit awarded Military Cross The Border Guard’s Department of Drug-related Crime Prevention has been awarded the Military Cross, third class, for 10 years of dedicated service. Addressing a ceremony celebrating the 10 th anniversary of its founding, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc congratulated the department on discovering a large number of drug gangs and confiscating hundreds of bars of heroin and tens of thousands of methamphetamine pills. Looking forward, the Deputy PM suggested the department develop a contingent of professional, devoted, and virtuous officers while working closely with the police, customs, and coast guard forces to maintain border security. Units or individuals exhibiting strong merit should be honoured, while those underperforming or demonstrating irresponsibility should be reprimanded. The Deputy PM suggested launching an information sharing database for anti-crime forces in the army and localities across the nation. He also advised the department work to improve the efficiency of its mass media campaigns designed to foster security initiatives and amicable relationships with neighbouring countries Since its inception, the department has taken strong initiative in the fight against drug crimes in border areas through partnership with its Lao and Cambodian counterparts. Beyond that, it has also reduced the trading of smuggled and counterfeit goods and uncovered a large number of trans-national human trafficking rings. In honour of its achievements, the Party, State, government and Defence Ministry has awarded the department with distinctions and certificates of merit. Party leader calls for further solidarity to tap future opportunities The nation has its eye on great opportunities and chances ahead, requiring the whole Party, people, and army to strengthen consensus and utilise all resources and creativity to push the country forward in its path of renewal and development, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has stated. Granting an interview to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the 85th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) (February 3, 1930-2015), he reviewed the achievements Vietnam has reaped in recent years despite numerous difficulties and challenges. Recent years have been tough for Vietnam , with global economic crises persisting and political and security instabilities growing more complex with increasing tensions in a number of communities, he said. Although the domestic economic growth showed signs of recovery, the situation has yet to stabilise, beleaguered by poor productivity, low quality and limited competitiveness, he noted. At the same time, corruption, lavishness and social evils have remained a great concern in society, coupled with complicated disputes over the East Sea with negative impacts on the national construction and defence. In that context, the Party Central Committee, Politburo and Secretariat have worked tirelessly to maintain order in all areas, he stated. Positive figures were seen in 2014 with GDP rising 5.98 percent, exceeding the target set by the National Assembly, and export turnover reaching 150 billion USD, up 13.6 percent from the previous year. Last year, the country attracted 21 billion USD in foreign direct investment and served 8 million foreign visitors and 37.5 million domestic tourists, earning a record of 230 trillion VND (roughly 1.1 billion USD). The Party leader went on to say that progress was also seen in international integration efforts, with Vietnam joining United Nations peacekeeping operations for the first time, taking a leading role in building the ASEAN Community, and concluding negotiations for free trade agreements with the Republic of Korea and the Customs Union of Russia-Belarus-Kazakhstan. All of which served to elevate the country’s relationships with partners and enhance its position in international and regional forums, he stated. Facing sensitive developments in the East Sea , Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said that Vietnam rolled out timely and flexible measures in accordance with international law to firmly safeguard independence and territorial sovereignty while maintaining a peaceful and stable environment for national development, which was applauded by the global community. He said that last year, the first year of implementing the 2013 Constitution, also saw the drafting and issuance of various laws. During its seventh and eighth sessions, the 13 th National Assembly approved 29 bills and 13 resolutions and gave comments on 28 draft laws. These documents aim to concretise the Party’s new guidelines and viewpoints on economic institutions, State apparatus, and administrative and judicial reforms, thus ensuring human rights as well as the basic rights and obligations of citizens as reflected in the spirit of the Constitution. In the meantime, efforts to build the Party and improve its political system were accelerated while the democratic atmosphere inside the Party and the entire society was strengthened, laying the foundation for significant advances in 2015, he asserted. The Party chief underscored that after nearly 30 years of renewal, Vietnam has made great achievements, but there is still much to do in the future. He expressed his concern over the poor living conditions of many people in rural areas, especially in mountainous and remote regions, and the persistently high poverty ratio. To counteract this, the Party has defined two key tasks: boosting economic development and improving social welfare, Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong said, stressing that all Party guidelines and State policies should focus on the final target of caring for the people and improving their living standards. In the coming time, additional efforts will be made to reduce poverty more effectively and ensure that all members of society benefit from national growth, he said. Regarding issues emerging during the process of industrialisation and modernisation, he stated that the Party is designing programmes on vocational training and job generation for farmers in areas projected for industrial parks in order to mitigate the development externalities. For localities with great tourism potential like Quang Ninh, Ninh Binh, Da Nang , Hue , Nha Trang and Phu Quoc, the Party chief emphasised the need to harmonise tourism and industrial development, and protecting the ecological environment. In the context of market economies and expanding international integration, it is crucial to preserve national cultural identities, he noted, adding that degradations in morality and lifestyle are attributed to the increase in crimes and social problems. “Therefore, it is necessary to harmonise economic growth and cultural development and social progress and equality realisation in an effort to develop the country in a rapid and sustainable manner,” he said. Mentioning a Party building resolution issued during the fourth plenum of the 11 th Party Central Committee, the General Secretary said over the past three years, the resolution has been actively implemented within the Party in a synchronous and broad manner, creating drastic changes. The practice of criticism and self-criticism has become a regular activity of all party bodies from central to local levels, helping all Party members adjust their thinking and actions to prevent and minimise negative behaviours, he said. At the same time, votes of confidence were implemented and actions were taken to combat corruption and waste as part of efforts to realise the resolution, he added. He hailed improvements in the fight against corruption and lavishness and attributed them to the participation of the entire political system and people. However, the struggle requires patience and resilience to deal with its continued challenges and complexities, as the process can be damaging to the interests of those in the upper echelons, he noted. The Party leader stressed the need for more practical actions, as opposed to words or slogans, to fuel the fight, and suggested developing mechanisms to prevent, punish, and ultimately eliminate corruption. He also called for the strengthening of information and education activities to raise awareness and senses of morality and esteem, while bettering public and media involvement in the struggle, in tandem with drastic and strict measures to handle violations. He attached significant importance to the pioneer role of each Party official and member in the success of the guidelines and policies issued by the Party. “The spirit and enthusiasm of all Party members, which were indefatigable in the past, now need to be preserved and upheld even more to serve the nation’s renewal, construction and defence. He hailed the significant role and mission of the Party as proven over the past 85 years, calling for further Party building efforts to ensure its strong and everlasting existence. In conclusion, the Party chief highlighted 2015 as an important milestone in terms of the Party building as well as the country’s cultural and socio-economic development and international integration. He named key tasks for the entire Party, army and people for the year, including strengthening the stabilisation of the macro-economy, accelerating the implementation of strategic breakthroughs, restructuring the economy in tandem with renovating growth model, ensuring social security and welfare, improving living conditions, securing national independence, sovereignty, peace and stability for the nation’s development, and boosting diplomatic ties. Vietnam attends WEF food security session Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat attended the “Global food security agenda” session of the ongoing World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on January 23. In his speech delivered at the event, the minister talked about the creative and sustainable development of Vietnam’s agricultural sector. He then joined more than 1,000 officials from countries and international organisations around the globe in discussing measures to develop agriculture sustainably, including investing in smart value chains, improving resilience in a changing climate and expanding cultivation scales. Talking to Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Davos, Minister Phat said that Vietnam’s attendance at the session aims to contribute to global efforts for food security while promoting the country’s agricultural achievements and calling for foreign investments in this field. The event also offered a good chance for Vietnam to share its experience in implementing public private partnership (PPP) models in the sector, particularly the “Grow Asia” initiative with Vietnam being a stakeholder, he added.- VNA/VNN