Government News 22/7 Vietnamese gov’t facilitates anti-corruption work with Singapore The Vietnamese government will facilitate anti-corruption cooperation with Singapore, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc assured Director of the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau of Singapore Wong Hong Kuan during a reception in Hanoi on July 21. The Party and State of Vietnam place an emphasis on inspections, settling complaints and petitions and anti-corruption, considering them top priorities to develop a professional, modern and efficient public administration which values openness, transparency, accountability and work ethic, Phuc said. Speaking highly of Singapore’s anti-corruption merits, the host suggested the Singaporean bureau share its experience with the Vietnamese government inspectorate, especially in the reclamation of bribery assets and fine-tuning legal regulations. The guest informed the host on the outcomes of his working session with the Vietnamese Government Inspectorate. He said both sides have so far conducted visit exchanges and provided technical assistance for each other in accordance with signed agreements. Sympathy to China over decease of Chinese former top legislator Politburo member and National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung on July 21 offered condolences to China over the decease of Wan Li, former Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People’s Congress, 7th tenure. The message was sent to Zhang Dejiang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the 12 th National People’s Congress. Wan Li passed away in Beijing on July 15 at the age of 99. Deputy PM, UK ambassador talk climate change response Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai and UK Ambassador to Vietnam Giles Lever mentioned joint cooperation in climate change response during their meeting in Hanoi on July 21. Both sides reviewed the UK’s assistance to Vietnam in projects on enhancing national capability of coping with climate change, mitigating and controlling the impacts of greenhouse emission, among others. The Deputy PM hoped that both countries will continue facilitating coordination in building a global framework on climate services, a legal framework on climate change and weather forecast technologies. Ambassador Lever proposed several initiatives regarding cooperation on climate change, including making joint preparations for the 21st Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 21) slated for this November in Paris, the most significant event of global negotiations on climate change.- PM greets Vietnam’s Honorary Consul General in RoK Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung asked the Honorary General Consul of Vietnam in the Republic of Korea’s Busan-Gyeongnam region to continue with efforts to boost all-around cooperation between Busan and Vietnamese localities, during a reception in Hanoi on July 21. The PM also requested that Honorary General Consul Park Soo-kwan keep up his good work in protecting and supporting Vietnamese nationals living in Busan-Gyeongnam region. He said that the State Bank of Vietnam will license the opening of the Busan Bank branch in the country soon, saying that he always backs bilateral trade and investment activity between localities of the two countries. Park said Busan is working with several Vietnamese localities in health care and fisheries with optimistic outcomes. According to him, the Busan Hospital and Hanoi-based Viet Duc Hospital are stepping up coordination in liver and internal organ transplant. Meanwhile, representatives from the central province of Khanh Hoa have travelled to Busan recently to study experience in building a large-scale fishing centre. The Busan Bank has been working with relevant RoK agencies and businesses to promote investment in Vietnam, he said, adding that fields of interest include steel, automobile spare parts, semiconductors, aquaculture and industrial plastics. He also pledged to do his best for the friendship between Vietnam and the RoK.- US Second Lady visits HCM City Second Lady of the United States, Jill Biden attended a seminar on English teaching for secondary school teachers at the American Centre (AC) in Ho Chi Minh City on July 2 as part of her visit to Vietnam. Participants to the event included over 70 English teachers in the city’s secondary schools and three English teachers from the US’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Herself a teacher, Biden shared her professional experiences with participants at the seminar. The same day, the lady visited Thao Dan social welfare centre and Vingroup’s VinECom electronic commercial company in Ho Chi Minh City. Police sector honours revolution devotees The Ministry of Public Security acknowledged revolutionary devotees working in police forces at a meeting in Hanoi on July 21 which also saw the presence of State President Truong Tan Sang. The 314 participants were outstanding representatives of tens of thousands of invalids, martyr relatives, and revolutionary devotees who are former or serving members of police forces. Minister of Public Security Tran Dai Quang said millions of Vietnamese people, including police officers, laid down their lives or became invalids during the struggle for national liberation, development and defence. In recent years, the ministry’s agencies at all levels have engaged in practical activities to express gratitude to the revolutionary devotees such as home-building and repairs along with material and spiritual support to war invalids and martyr relatives, General Quang noted. At the function, President Truong Tan Sang praised the sector’s efforts and highlighted the enormous contributions made by the devotees and their relatives. He stressed that the Vietnamese Party, State and people will forever bear in mind their great sacrifice and work to live up to their dedication. The meeting was organised on the occasion of the 68 th anniversary of the War Invalids and Martyrs Day (July 27), the 70 th National Day (September 2) and the 70 th founding anniversary of the People’s Police forces. Vietnam, Laos foster agro-forestry cooperation Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Laos’ Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry will strengthen links in agriculture-forestry, fisheries and rural development in 2015-2016, focusing on the fields of science-technology, education, investment and trade. The two sides reached consensus during the two ministers’ meeting in Vientiane on July 21, part of the annual meeting between the two agencies in 2015 and in the framework of the cooperation agreement signed between the two countries. The two ministries agreed to continue asking the two nations’ cooperation subcommittees to approve capital for programmes and projects in 2016 which aim to support agricultural development and infrastructure facility construction serving agricultural production in Lao localities. They also concurred to enhance not only ministerial-level connections but also lower-level links in the spirit of special friendship and comprehensive cooperation through exchanging delegations and implementing projects signed between the two ministries. They will also boost ties in technology transfer and expert exchanges to enhance training and study capacity for a number of institutes, universities and colleges under the ministries. The Vietnamese ministry is willing to share its experience in building systems for research, IT development and agricultural statistics and in researching and analysing agricultural and rural development policies. At the event, Vietnamese Minister of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat and Lao Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Vilayvanh Phomkhe signed an agreement on cooperating in agriculture-forestry, aquaculture and rural development in 2015. VNA