Government News 30/10 Vietnam, UK sign WTO trade facilitation agreement Deputy General Director of the General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDC) Vu Ngoc Anh and head of Prosperity of the British Embassy, Andrew Holt signed a grant contract on WTO trade facilitation agreement between the two countries in Hanoi on October 29. The GBP45,429 sponsorship agreement under the framework of the South East Asia Prosperity Fund Programme will be implemented in the form of technical assistance from October 2014 to March 2015. Accordingly, main activities of the project include support to the checking of trade facilitation related legal documents as well as organizing two seminars to review matters and complete a report to the government on the implementation of WTO trade facilitation agreement in Vietnam. Vietnam keen to bolster int’l anti-cyber crime cooperation The Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security wishes to establish and foster cooperation on crime prevention, including those using advanced technology, with law enforcement bodies around the world, Deputy Minister Le Quy Vuong said on October 29. He made the remark in his opening speech at a conference in Hanoi on the enhancement of international cooperation on high-tech crime prevention and control, the first of its kind in Vietnam. Senior Lieutenant General Vuong said the conference provided a platform for participants to break down legal barriers in order to strengthen collaboration in the fight against cyber crime with a view to guaranteeing security and social order in each country and the world at large. Lieutenant General Phan Van Vinh, General Director of the ministry’s General Police Department for Crime Prevention and Control, said cyber crime has become a major threat to social order and national safety around the globe. He quoted an Interpol report as saying that a high-tech crime was committed every 14 seconds, the second most serious crime after terrorism. It caused an estimated damage of US$445 billion, higher than earnings made by the illegal drug trade. Since 2009, Vietnam’s Police Department for High-Tech Crime Prevention has collaborated with foreign agencies to verify and investigate nearly 100 cyber crime-related cases, he noted. During the two-day conference, domestic and international delegates are scheduled to share up-to-date information on cyber crime and exchange experience in cyber crime investigations. They also discuss measures to remove legal barriers to cooperation in the field.  ASOCIO delegates welcomed in Hanoi Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung expressed his hope the Asian-Oceania Computing Industry Organisation (ASOCIO) will help Vietnam with information technology (IT) application in State agencies in the near future. At an October 29 reception for the ASOCIO delegation and some regional IT business leaders headed by ASOCIO Chairman Abdullah Kafi, PM Dung praised the Vietnam Software and IT Services Association (VINASA) and the ASOCIO for co-hosting the great IT event. “The Government of Vietnam considers IT a new development method to improve labor productivity and competitiveness of the national economy. Therefore, the nation has established a national commission on the application of information technology with the aim of putting forward strategies, mechanisms and policies for IT development and application.” Dung said. PM Nguyen Tan Dung proposes greater ASOCIO support for the nation's IT development while welcoming its Chairman Abdullah Kafi in Hanoi. For his part, ASOCIO Chairman Abdullah Kafi said Vietnam has made remarkable progress and major breakthroughs in IT development and is a regional exemplary model in this area. Information and technology has become a resource for national development. With what has been achieved, Vietnam can share its experience with other nations, Abdullah Kafi said while affirming his organization’s willingness to become involved in the Vietnamese IT market. The Asian-Oceanian Computing Industry Organization (ASOCIO) is a grouping of Information and communication technology (ICT) industry associations representing the Asian-Oceania region. Established in 1984 in Tokyo, Japan, ASOCIO’s objective is to develop the computing society and industry across the Asia Oceania region domain by promoting trade as well as fostering relationships between its member economies. ASOCIO has created links between ICT companies and the industry’s growth in member economies. The association represents 29 economies with more than 10,000 ICT companies and total revenues of US$350 million. Workshop finetunes anti-bribery regulations in Penal Code The Party Central Committee’s Commission for Internal Affairs organised a workshop in Hanoi on October 29 with a view to perfecting anti-bribery regulations in the 1999 Penal Code with support from the United Nations Development Programme in Vietnam. Experts, both domestic and international, discussed the challenges in enforcing the Penal Code’s regulations on bribery; identified differences between the regulations in the penal code and international anti-corruption conventions; and shared international experience in dealing with bribery and recalling the bribes. Addressing the event, the commission’s deputy head Nguyen Doan Khanh said that even though Vietnam’s efforts on anti-corruption have shown some success, especially in terms of establishing institutions and implementing preventive measures, the overall targets have not been met due to weak mechanisms, policies and laws on corruption. He stressed the need for Vietnam to revise and supplement its regulations on bribery, since the stipulations in the 1999 Penal Code were out-of-date and did not reflect the country’s socio-economic reality. As a member of the UN Convention against Corruption, the country should undertake measures to ensure the effective enforcement of the convention, he added.  Laos congratulates former Vietnamese soldiers on traditional day The Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Central Committee congratulated the Liaison Board of former Vietnamese soldier volunteers and military experts on missions in Laos on the 65th anniversary of their traditional day (October 30). The message of congratulations said the Party, Government and people of Laos are deeply aware that each victory achieved in the Lao revolution during their struggle for national independence in the past and the ongoing process of nation-building and defence is closely linked to the great sacrifices and invaluable assistance provided by the Party, State and people of Vietnam, including volunteer soldiers and military experts. The Party, State, armies and people of Lao expressed their deep gratitude to their Vietnamese counterparts for their support for Laos’ revolutionary cause, making important contributions to the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States and peoples. On the occasion, the Laos–Vietnam Friendship Association Central Committee and the Lao War Veterans’ Association also sent messages of congratulations to the liaison board. Ceremony marks 60th anniversary of revolutionary southerners’ relocation The northern central province of Thanh Hoa held a ceremony on October 28 to mark the 60th year since the day it welcomed the arrival of cadres, soldiers and revolutionaries who relocated from the south under the 1954 Geneva agreement on ending the war and restoring peace in Vietnam. President Truong Tan Sang and delegates at the event recalled that together with cadres and soldiers, the Party, State and President Ho Chi Minh decided to move tens of thousands of revolutionaries as well as their families and children to the north, both to help the cause of socialism construction in the north and to train human resources for the struggle to liberate the south. Chosen to be the first port of call for the relocated people, Sam Son town in Thanh Hoa province did its best to provide a warm welcome despite the poor economic conditions at that time. Addressing the ceremony, President Truong Tan Sang extended his greetings to millions of people and soldiers in both the north and the south, including those who relocated to the north 60 years ago, who have fought bravely and made heroic sacrifice to the fatherland’s independence and freedom. The anniversary offers an opportunity to recall an important event in the nation’s revolutionary history, he said, adding that the Party and the Vietnamese as a whole are proud about the tradition of great unity and the strong will of the nation for national freedom throughout its thousand-year history. Earlier the same day, President Truong Tan Sang attended the ground-breaking ceremony for a memorial site dedicated to the relocated southern people at the Hoi port in Quang Tien Ward, Sam Son town. HCM City leader meets Japanese prefecture governor Ho Chi Minh City and Japanese localities have achieved initial success in a number of joint projects, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Le Hoang Quan noted in a meeting with visiting Governor of Saitama prefecture of Japan, Kiyoshi Ueda, on October 29. He said Ho Chi Minh City is benefiting substantially from Japanese official development assistance, especially in the fields of transport infrastructure, urbanisation and waste treatment. The city recently granted licenses to 59 new Japanese projects worth more than 230 million USD. The inflow of Japanese investments into the city is now worth 4 billion USD, he said, adding that he hopes to welcome more Japanese visitors to the city to seek investment opportunities. Ueda said Vietnam is exceptionally attractive to Saitama businesses, and expressed his hope for more support from Ho Chi Minh City for investors from the prefecture and Japan in general. Saitama is now home to leading companies in steel production, cosmetics, organic vegetables, food packaging and electronics. Currently, 58 firms with headquarters in Saitama are operating in Vietnam, and are satisfied with the business climate and the quality of the Vietnamese workforce, he announced. HCM City, Gimpo city look towards cooperation Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Le Hoang Quan met with Yoo Young-Rok, the visiting Mayor of Gimpo city in the Republic of Korea (RoK) on October 29 and acknowledged that his visit would surely open up cooperation opportunities between the two cities. Korean investors are one of the biggest international players in the city, with over 1,000 firms investing around 5 billion USD, Quan told his guest. He said two-way trade between Ho Chi Minh City and the RoK was estimated at 2.9 billion USD this year, with the city generating 1.4 billion USD from exports, accounting for 30 percent of the city’s total exports. Gimpo is one of the RoK’s industrial and tourism hubs and has attracted 1,700 Vietnamese workers. Its close proximity to the sea would facilitate trade with Vietnam and other countries in the region, the guest said. Yoo remarked that the two cities’ strengths and advantages made room for plenty of cooperation opportunities. ASEAN pledges to enhance women’s role ASEAN always supports the international community’s effort to upholding women’s involvement in issues related to peace and security. The statement was made by Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations on October 28, at the Open Debate of the UN Security Council (UNSC) on Women, Peace and Security in New York. On behalf of ASEAN countries, Nga said ASEAN appreciates progress in implementing the UNSC Resolution 1325 approved in 2000, noting the international community's greater efforts should be focused on getting to the root of violence and conflicts. ASEAN supports encouraging women’s involvement in peace and security mechanisms and policies and combining gender standards and targets with regional and national plans, Nga said. She added the working session with the participation of representatives of more than 70 out of the total 193 UN member countries took place in the context of complicated situation which more and more women and children are refugees and homeless and lack basic living conditions. Nga quoted the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) statistics as saying last year more than 51 million people are refugees, much higher than previous year’s figure of 45 million. ASEAN treasures the UNSC discussion on issues facing female refugees. At the session, UNSC member countries approved a declaration, reaffirming the international community’s determination to remove inherent barriers in gender equality and calling on countries to promote the empowerment for women to ensure their equal participation in peace and security issues. Party’s Commission for External Relations: 65 years of development The Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations has proven its important role as an advisor to the Party since its establishment 65 years ago. Former Secretary of the PCC (Party Central Committee) and former Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan acknowledged the commission in his article published on the occasion of the 65 th anniversary of the Commission’s Traditional Day (November 1, 1949-2014). According to Khoan, in the context of the difficulties and challenges the newly-born Democratic Republic of Vietnam faced, including hunger, illiteracy and national security threats, the PCC Standing Committee decided to set up the Working Group on Cambodia and Laos, the forerunner of the Commission for External Relations, which was in charge of the Party’s foreign relations, especially with neighbouring Cambodia and Laos. In the early 1950s, the role of the Party’s foreign relations grew when the Soviet Union, China and a number of Eastern European socialist countries recognised Vietnam as an independent country. Via the channel of foreign relations, Party leadership greatly contributed to the country’s success in the negotiations of the 1954 Geneva Accords. From 1955 onwards, the board was entrusted with bigger responsibilities and tasks, helping the PCC research and follow the developments in fraternal countries to learn from their experiences in carrying out a proletarian revolution and building socialism. During the war of resistance against the US, the main task of the commission was to implement the Party’s policies on external relations, coordinate with and support Laos and Cambodia, while maintaining ties with the national liberation movements in Asian, African and Latin American countries. Khoan concluded that from its inception until national unification in 1975, the commission played an active role in attracting global support and assistance for the Vietnamese people in their struggle for national independence, sovereignty and territorial integration; as well as the fight against the embargo of the US and other states. It also contributed to consolidating relations with Laos, ending the genocide in Cambodia, and enhancing ties with the Soviet Union, socialist countries, communist and workers’ parties, and revolutionary and progressive forces around the world, he added. The former Party official went on to say that during the process of renewal and international integration from 1986 onwards, the commission closely cooperated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other agencies in the political system to actively implement the Party’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, and the diversification and multilateralisation of relations. Its activities have greatly contributed to the positive changes in Vietnam, continuously improving the country’s international standing and expanding the Party’s external relations, he stressed. In order to improve its functions and tasks, Khoan said the commission should research development trends, thus giving sound and timely advice to Party leaders. The agency needs to diversify its relations with political parties around the globe and adjust them in accordance with the targets set for each period, he said, adding that the agency should provide guidance on the coordination of foreign relations of the Fatherland Front, and socio-political and mass organisations. He also emphasised the need for the commission to improve the quality of forecasts on international and regional situation, and continuously perfect its organisational apparatus and staff capacity. Vietnamese, Cambodian border localities set up twin ties The southern province of Binh Phuoc and its Cambodian neighbors of Kratie and Mondulkiri signed memoranda of understanding on the establishment of a twinning relationship for their villages on October 28 in Binh Phuoc. The documents laid down a foundation for border villages of the provinces to work together in fostering the traditional friendship, protecting the common borderline, preventing cross-border crimes, and developing the economy. Under the agreements, Binh Phuoc will have two villages to be twined with Kratie’s localities and one with Mondulkiri’s. Cambodian officials at the signing ceremony expressed hope that the documents would allow them to learn more from Binh Phuoc’s economic development experience. The signing of papers on the twining relationship among villages themselves is to take place in November 2014. In June this year, Binh Phuoc also signed partial memoranda of understanding with five Cambodian provinces of Kampong Cham, Kratie, Mondulkiri, Steung Treng and Tbong Khmum, to promote their all-round cooperation. Source: VOV/VNA/VNN