GOVERNMENT IN BRIEF 30/5 UN Children's Fund to continue support The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) will continue supporting Viet Nam in executing its socio-economic development targets, increasing the sustainability of its achieved Millennium Development Goals, and boosting child care and protection. The pledge was made by visiting UNCIEF Executive Director Anthony Lake, who is in Viet Nam from May 29-30, during his meeting with President Truong Tan Sang in Ha Noi yesterday, May 29.   President Truong Tan Sang meets with United Nations Children's Fund executive director Anthony Lake in Ha Noi on May 29. During the event, President Sang emphasised that Viet Nam always gives priority to child care, protection and education, and the implementation of international conventions, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). He spoke highly of UNICEF's support for the country in recent years and asked for the fund's continued support in introducing policies to promote children's rights and their development. He said UNICEF had offered great assistance to Vietnamese children, especially those with disabilities and victims of Agent Orange/dioxin and unexploded wartime bombs and mines. For his part, Lake recognised Viet Nam's commitment and progress in child care and protection over the last few years and expressed his wish to increase long-term co-operation with the country. On the same day, the UNICEF official attended a meeting with National Assembly Deputy Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, who called for the fund's further assistance in the making of laws in line with the UNCRC. Ngan said she highly valued UNICEF's role in child care, protection and education in the world, and thanked the fund for helping Vietnamese elective agencies to improve their capacity. Lake said Viet Nam has proved its leading position in accomplishing its Millennium Development Goals, which is good for its children. He added that Viet Nam is among the leading countries for calculating data on children with disabilities and confirmed his organisation would select Da Nang City as the host of an international conference on the importance of this kind of data. During his working visit, the UNCIEF Executive Director worked with Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Pham Thi Hai Chuyen. He will preside over a ceremony announcing a report on the State of the World's Children 2013 in Da Nang today. Singapore, Vietnam look to strategic partnership Singapore and Vietnam are expected to release a joint statement on establishing a strategic partnership during PM Lee Hsien Loong’s upcoming visit to Vietnam. Lee is scheduled to visit Hanoi in September 2013 and the two countries will sign a joint statement to raise their relationship to a strategic partnership level, according to the Vietnamese Government portal. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung will attend the 12th Asia Security Summit (known as the Shangri-la Dialogue) in Singapore from May 31 to June 2. During his stay, Dung will meet with his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong and President Tony Tan to exchange views on Vietnam-Singapore relations, as well as regional and international issues of mutual concern. Singapore is one of Vietnam’s largest foreign investors, committing US$24 billion to nearly 1,000 projects. Two-way trade value has increased considerably over the years, reaching US$9.6 billion in 2005. The 2005 Vietnam-Singapore connectivity framework agreement has been implemented effectively. The Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) has expanded to the northern and central regions of Vietnam, alongside an exemplary role model in Binh Duong province in the south. Progress has also been made in investment, finance-banking, education-training, trade-service and transport cooperation between the two countries. Vietnam-Spain diplomatic ties marked The Vietnam-Spain Friendship Association (VSFA) on May 29 held an exchange to mark the 36 th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties. Speaking at the event, VSFA Chairman Nguyen Hoai Duong, who is Deputy Director General of the Vietnam News Agency, spoke highly of the two sides’ growing cooperation in all fields, especially since they established their future-oriented strategic partnership three years ago. VSFA has played an important role in people-to-people exchanges between the two countries over the past years and plans to organise more friendship and exchange activities to intensify bilateral ties. Spanish Ambassador to Vietnam Alfonso Tena Garcia appreciated the outcomes of Vietnam-Spain cooperation programmes, saying the cooperation has continuously developed in the past time, especially in the fields of politics, economics, culture, and education. The two countries’ two-way trade turnover reached 2 billion EURO. The two sides are working on projects on Noi Bai-Lao Cai highway, express bus systems in Hanoi and Hai Phong City, and metro routes in Hanoi and HCM City. Public Security Minister receives foreign guests Public Security Minister General Tran Dai Quang wants to intensify cooperation with the Singaporean Ministry of Home Affairs in fighting transnational crime involving drugs, money laundering, human trafficking and hi-tech crime. General Quang was talking with Masagos Zulkifli, Singaporean Minister of State in charge of Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs in Hanoi on May 29. The comprehensive cooperation that has been retained between the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam and the Singaporean Ministry of Home Affairs has contributed importantly to the two countries’ efforts to maintain their security and social order, Quang told the visiting guest. The host hoped that the two sides will further strengthen the cooperative ties in the coming time, especially in preventing and fighting transnational crimes. Masagos Zulkifli congratulated the achievements Vietnam has gained over the past time. He also hoped to see the cooperation between the Vietnamese Public Security Ministry and the Singaporean Home Affairs continuing in the coming time. The same day, Minister Quang met with Colonel Kiengkham Inphenthavong, Chief Representative of the Lao Public Security Ministry in Vietnam. The two sides expressed their hopes that the cooperation between the two ministries will further develop in the future, helping deepen the special friendship and cooperative ties between the two countries forever. Insignia awarded to RoK Ambassador to Vietnam President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations Vu Xuan Hong on May 29 presented the insignia “For Peace and Friendship among Nations” to the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s Ambassador to Vietnam Ha Chan Ho, in recognition of his contributions to the two countries’ relations. The Ambassador said he was delighted with the honour and took the occasion to thank Vietnamese agencies for their support and cooperation during his tenure in Vietnam. He affirmed that in any position in the future, he will continue working to further strengthen the friendship and cooperation between the RoK and Vietnam. During his working term in Vietnam from June 2011, Ambassador Ha worked closely with the Vietnamese side to organise visits of the two countries’ leaders, and successfully hold the “2012 Vietnam-RoK Friendship Year”. He worked hard to speed up the two sides’ economic ties to turn the RoK into one of Vietnam’s leading economic partners. The Ambassador also helped boost negotiations of the Vietnam-RoK free trade agreement (FTA) as well as cultural and educational activities between the countries. He asked the RoK Government to increase official development assistance (ODA) for Vietnam. Besides, the diplomat also visited many Vietnamese cities and provinces to intensify cooperation between the two sides’ localities. Lao Front learns HCM City’s development experience President of the Lao Front for National Construction (LFNC) Central Committee Phanduongchit Vongsa has said he wishes to learn from Ho Chi Minh City’s experience to further uphold the LFNC’s role. The LFNC’s President made the statement while working with the HCM City chapter of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee in HCM City on May 29. Standing Vice President of the chapter Vo Thi Dung stressed the need to bring into full play the sense of self-management in a densely-populated city. The city is home to 51 out of 54 ethnic groups across the country, she added. The host added that the chapter has worked closely with heads of residential areas to call for the implementation of the Party and State policies. Activities to build cultural life, raise fund for the poor and Truong Sa soldiers, and call for the use of Vietnamese products are also underway in residential areas, she said. The chapter also shared experience in how to build apparatus and great national unity, and grasp public opinions to expand more practical activities at the grassroots level. Vietnam, Laos plan to mark completion of border marker planting Vietnam and Laos plan to hold a ceremony to mark the completion of their land border marker planting in July at the Thanh Thuy-Nam On border gate between Vietnam’s central Nghe An province and Laos’ Bolikhamsay province. A proposal for the ceremony was made at a meeting of the Vietnam-Laos Joint Committee on Border Marker Planting in Hanoi on May 28. The Vietnamese delegation to the meeting was led by Deputy Foreign Minister Ho Xuan Son, who is also Head of the National Boundary Commission and Chairman of the Vietnam-Laos Joint Committee on Border Marker Planting, while the Lao delegation was headed by Bounkeut Sangsomsack, Deputy Foreign Minister, Head of the National Border Committee and Chairman of the Laos-Vietnam Joint Committee on Border Marker Planting. At the meeting, the two sides reviewed their work since 2008, and expressed their pleasure at the completion of upgrading land markers along the Vietnam-Laos common border line thanks to efforts of the two governments and relevant ministries, sectors and localities. VNN/VOV/VNS/VNA