Political News 25/8 Tribute service paid to Vo Thi Thang   Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Ho Chi Minh City Party Organization Secretary Le Thanh Hai on August 23 led a high-level delegation to pay tribute to Vo Thi Thang who rendered great service to the nation at a funeral service in Ho Chi Minh City. Vo Thi Thang was born in 1945 in southern Long An province. She was an iconic patriotic student in Gia Long school in Sai Gon. She was arrested during the 1968 uprising and sentenced by Saigon court 20 years in prison. Though she upheld an optimistic spirit in the fight for national independence and freedom. Her glorious smile was photographed by a foreign journalist and became a source of pride for Vietnam. Vo Thi Thang was a former member of the Party Central Committee, deputy to the National Assembly, Chief of the Vietnam Tourism Administration, chairwoman of Vietnam Cuba Friendship Association and Deputy Chairwoman of Vietnam Women’s Union. She died on August 22 in Ho Chi Minh City, aged 69. Burial service will take place on August 25 before she was laid to rest in her home place. ASEAN enhance maritime security Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh will lead a delegation to attend the 5th ASEAN Maritime Forum (AMF-5) and the 3rd expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum (AMF-3) scheduled to take place from August 26-28 in the central city of Danang. The expanded forum will include 10 ASEAN member states and 8 partner countries in East Asia, including China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand, Russia and the US. The events will highlight the key role played by ASEAN in maritime cooperation, safety and security in the region. This is a dialogue aiming to foster trust building and intensify maritime security and safety in the East Sea based on international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) towards formulating a Code of Conducts in the East Sea (COC). Delegates will evaluate the implementation of existing initiatives and orientations for future cooperation. Deputy PM welcomes new Brunei ambassador Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh has vowed all possible support for Brunei Ambassador Pengiran Sahari Pengiran Salleh to fulfil his mission in Vietnam. At a reception in Hanoi on August 22, Minh expressed his belief that the new ambassador will do his part to develop bilateral ties, especially in agriculture, trade, investment, labour, education, the opening of the Brunei – Ho Chi Minh air route, and at regional and global forums. The Brunei Ambassador, for his part, vowed to work closely with the Foreign Ministry and agencies concerned to enhance the efficiency of the bilateral partnership for the sake of both countries and their people. Meeting marks Independence Days of Vietnam, Uzbekistan The Vietnam-Uzbekistan Friendship Association held a get-together on August 24 in Hanoi to mark the Independence Days of Vietnam (September 2) and Uzbekistan (September 1). Addressing the function, Vice President and General Secretary of the association Nguyen Xuan Hien reiterated Uzbekistan’s support to Vietnam during the country’s past struggles for independence as well as current national construction. Particularly, Uzbekistan’s universities have helped trained thousands of Vietnamese officials serving the country’s development, he noted. Both countries are witnessing growing bilateral ties with many cooperation opportunities, he stated, noting that the two sides have agreed on a number of measures to boost trade and set up partnerships among banks, allowing businesses of both sides to strengthen their affiliation. Meanwhile, Honourary Consul General of Uzbekistan in Vietnam Le Van Nghia said the traditional friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Uzbekistan is developing in all fields, especially politics, economics and culture. The two countries have supported each other at international and regional forums, as well as in many global issues, he said. However, Nghia stressed that the economic partnership between the two countries has yet to match their potentials, adding that more efforts should be made to further boost bilateral cooperation in various fields, especially trade and tourism. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, trade between Vietnam and Uzbekistan reached US$20.2 million in 2012. Independence Day of Indonesia celebrated A ceremony was held in HCM City on August 22 to mark Indonesia’s Independence Day (August 17) by the Vietnam-Indonesia Friendship Association’s HCM City branch. Addressing the function, Le Ton Thanh, chairman of the branch, noted that traditional relations between Vietnam and Indonesia have constantly developed over the years. Both countries have established a strategic partnership in June 2013, creating plenty of opportunity for bilateral cooperation. Indonesia is one of HCM City’s investment and trade partners. Two-way trade hit more than US$1 billion in 2012. Currently, Indonesia has 12 investment projects in HCM City with combined capital of more than US$26 million. Tri Surya, acting consul general of Indonesia, said two-way trade between Indonesia and Vietnam has increased 10fold during the past decade, reaching US$4.8 billion in 2012. The figure is expected to rise to US$5 billion in 2015 and US$10 billion in 2018. He said Indonesia and Vietnam have increased cooperation in all realms, especially in economics, trade, investment and tourism, over the past 10 years. About 30 Indonesian companies have operated in Vietnam with 39 projects capitalised at US$650 million. Indonesia mainly imports rice, mobile phones, steel, crude oil, coffee, automobile spare parts, and garments from Vietnam. It exports paper, vegetable oil, machinery, equipment, computers, chemicals, electronics and spare parts to its neighbour. Vietnam values ties with Sri Lanka Vietnam always attaches high importance to strengthening the time-honoured friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Sri Lanka in a substantial and effective manner. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh made the statement while receiving the visiting Sri Lankan Minister of Industry and Commerce, Rishad Badiutheen in Hanoi on August 21. Minh told his guest that Vietnam is keen to propel broader cooperation forward with Sri Lanka in the two countries’ interests. The Sri Lankan Minister, in turn, affirmed his nation’s desire to boost the ties of friendship and cooperation with Vietnam. The two ministers exchanged views on orientations and measures to enhance bilateral cooperation relations by promoting high-level exchange visits at all levels, improving the efficiency of bilateral cooperation mechanisms through the two countries’ Intergovernmental Committee and accelerating the effective implementation of signed agreements. They also underlined the need to increase cooperation in the areas of the two nations’s strength such as agriculture, tea processing and production, garments and textiles and work together at regional international forums. FM Minh welcomed the results obtained during the working session between the Sri Lankan Minister of Industry and Commerce and Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang and Vietnamese partners, including the early establishment of a joint trade subcommittee between the two countries aiming to reach US$1 billion in trade turnover. Vietnam wants Sri Lanka to create the best possible conditions for its enterprises to run business in the country, particularly in oil and gas and aquaculture, Minh added. Vietnamese and Lao armies boost cooperation The Vietnamese and Lao armies will bolster their cooperation, especially in personnel training and Party building, said Lao Lieut. Col. Sombat Bunkhamkong while working with the Military High Command of the central province of Khanh Hoa on August 21. Sombat Bunkhamkong who led a delegation from the Organisation and Personnel Divisions of the Lao People’s Army’s General Department of Politics to visit Vietnam said the strengthened military collaboration will help reinforce solidarity, friendship and mutual understanding between the two countries. At the meeting, local officers informed the guests about their Party and political works as well as personnel training. Conference looks at fisheries sector The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development recently decided that 2,079 new off-shore fishing ships and 205 logistics ships will be built under a new decree on offshore fishing. However, representatives of many localities told a conference held yesterday to implement a new decree on fishing that the number still did not meet the demand of fishermen. Participants also said more attention should be paid to the development of infrastructure for fisheries, including aquacultural areas at sea and breeding facilities, as well as fishery logistic services and storm shelters. Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh yesterday chaired the conference in the coastal province of Khanh Hoa. More than 300 delegates from sectors, 28 coastal localities, fishing communities and the ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development and Finance presented draft circulars guiding the implementation of Decree 76/2014/ND-CP. The circulars consist of regulations on various issues, including technical requirements on fishing vessels as well as preferential tax and insurance policies for fishermen. According to the State Bank of Viet Nam, five commercial banks have pledged about VND14 trillion (US$658 million) in loans for organisations and individuals wishing to build new vessels or upgrade existing craft under Decree 97, which will become effective on August 25. Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat said that the number of fishing vessels was decided based on surveys of marine reserves and the capacity of the nation's fishing fleets. According to Deputy Prime Minister Ninh, the decree provides a set of basic policies to encourage fishermen to build high-capacity, steel ships capable of fishing offshore. This can produce better incomes and also help protect the country's territorial waters. The decree also gives priority to the building of fishery logistics vessels for the effective operation of offshore catching fleets. The deputy PM said Decree 76 had been built carefully based on fishermen's opinions, field surveys, and lessons drawn from the implementation of previous decrees. He added that the Government would review the implementation of the decree in late 2016 to draw experience for the next years. Police outline threat of sophisticated crime Millions of dollars were illegally exchanged through online gambling rings in Viet Nam every day during the World Cup championship held in June and July this year. Based on that figure, Vietnamese likely gambled billions of dollars every year, deputy general director of the Public Security Ministry's General Department on Combating Crimes Lieutenant General Tran Trong Luong said at a conference in Ha Noi yesterday. Moreover, high-tech crimes caused losses of about US$400 billion a year, which was higher than drug trafficking crimes, according to an Interpol report. "These crimes have seriously affected national security and social order and threaten the nation's economic development," Luong said. While the ministry had busted many gambling rings and organisations and discovered thousands of websites and Internet protocol (IP) addresses dedicated to illegal gambling, ringleaders had merely switched tactics to evade authorities. During the World Cup, the police discovered more than 1,450 websites and IP addresses hosting gambling and football betting. They also supervised and followed the log-ins of over 2,520,000 accesses into gambling sites. The police cracked down on the biggest online football-betting ring through the website M88.com, which involved thousands of gamblers throughout the country. The syndicate where the gamblers placed their bets was caught holding more than VND1.5 trillion ($70 million). "Those efforts not only helped reduce the number of illegal gamblers but also sent a warning to those intending to gamble online," Luong said. Speaking at the conference yesterday, Deputy Minister of Public Security Senior Lieutenant General Le Quy Vuong, stressed that the fight against such crimes had become more focused and urged relevant agents and units to continue research on criminal tactics. He also asked for improvements from key sectors, especially the Internet administration and banking sectors. "Supervision of transactions from Viet Nam to abroad and vice versa, as well as suspicious transactions, should be stepped up," he said. Vuong said that all sectors of the Ministry of Public Security should work closely with the Ministry of Information and Communications and the State Bank of Viet Nam to tighten regulations on preventing money laundering and supervise casino activities. Russian locality willing to further tie-ups with Da Nang Vice Governor of Russia’s Yaroslavl province Dmitry Sekretarev has suggested supplying hi-tech and inorganic chemical products to Vietnam as they are a source of local strength. He told visiting Deputy Secretary of central Da Nang city’s Party Committee and Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Van Huu Chien on August 21. Yaroslavl is interested in the Vietnamese market and willing to work with Vietnam in tourism and education, he said. Chien, who was on a working visit to Yaroslavl from August 20-22, expressed wish for new breakthroughs in bilateral partnership which was established 14 years ago. After a discussion with Vice Mayor in charge of social policy Elena Volkava and Vice Mayor in charge of economic affairs Boris Tamarov, Chien told the media that Da Nang sees Yaroslavl as its strategic partner. The Vietnamese delegation later visited the provincial Chamber of Commerce and Industry to learn about the province’s strength and seek networking opportunities. It introduced top firms working in producing gas turbines, security systems, power generators and diesel-powered equipment. In a meeting with Duma Chairman of Yaroslavl province Mikhail Borovitskii in the afternoon, both host and guests discussed know-how in investment attraction. Later, Borovitskii and Deputy Chairman of the Da Nang People’s Council Huynh Nghia signed a judicial cooperation agreement. Earlier on August 19, the delegation met with First Vice Chairman of the Russian Duma State Ivan Melnikov. On August 18, the delegation joined a tourism promotion campaign co-hosted by Da Nang and the Vietnamese embassy in Moscow.- Vietnam, Indonesia enjoy all-around cooperation The traditional relationship between Vietnam and Indonesia has developed incessantly in recent years, especially after it was lifted to strategic partnership in June 2013, creating various cooperative opportunities. Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City chapter of the Vietnam-Indonesia Friendship Organisation (VIFO) Le Ton Thanh stated this during a ceremony held in the city on August 22 to mark the 69th anniversary of Indonesia’s Proclamation of Independence (August 17). Indonesia is now one of the most important trade partners and investors of Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam in general, Thanh said. He added that two-way trade between HCM City and Indonesia hit over 1 billion USD in 2012 and as many as 12 Indonesia-invested projects with a total capital of over 26 million USD are running in the city so far. According Tri Surya, Acting Indonesian Consul General, his country and Vietnam have recorded developments in various areas over the last decade, especially in economics, trade, investment, and tourism. Bilateral trade value increased 10 times during the period, reaching 4.8 billion USD in 2012. Indonesia has poured about 650 million USD in 39 projects in Vietnam and about 30 Indonesian firms have been present in Vietnamese market. Tri Surya voiced that the two countries will work closely to realise their target of bringing their two-way trade to 5 billion USD by 2015 and 10 billion USD by 2018.-\ Source: VNA/VOV/VNS