Political News 2/10 Arms sales ban lifting benefits US-Vietnam ties If the US lifted its ban on the sale of lethal arms to Vietnam it would mark a positive move in bilateral relations, Minister and Chairman of the Government Office Nguyen Van Nen said. He responded to reporters’ queries in a press briefing on September 30 following the Cabinet’s regular meeting. He elaborated that Vietnam and the US established a comprehensive partnership, and lifting the embargo would demonstrate their mutual trust and create favourable conditions for Vietnam to safeguard its national security. During meetings with Vietnamese leaders in Hanoi in August 2014, US senators John McCain and Sheldon Whitehouse said they would ask the US Congress to lift the ban on the sale of lethal weapons to Vietnam soon. Japan’s former Science-Technology Minister visits Vietnam Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Tran Van Tung has spoken highly of Japan’s initiative to send experts to Vietnam to help boost its socio-economic development process. Deputy Minister Tung made the remark on October 1 whilst receiving Japan’s former Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy Iwao Matsuda, who proposed sending Japanese senior experts and engineers to assist Vietnam’s science and technology. He shared with the guest that the Vietnamese Government issued a decree on attracting overseas Vietnamese and foreigners to participate in scientific and technological activities in Vietnam. Vietnam is in high demand for experts who are experienced in science, technology and post-harvest processing to help raise added value in agriculture and boost the development of support industry. For his part, Iwao Matsuda, who is also Vice Chairman of the Japan-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Association, vowed to study and build a proper programme in line with Vietnam’s needs in order to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in science and technology. Earlier, the guest met President Truong Tan Sang and Hoang Van Phong, Chairman of the National Council for Science and Technology Policy. Mutual Legal Assistance law under review The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) held a conference yesterday to evaluate the implementation of the Law on Mutual Legal Assistance. Passed six years ago, the law created a significant basis for legal co-operation with other countries. Viet Nam joined more mutual, regional and international legal agreements and treaties as a result of implementing the law, according to the MOJ. The ministry also received 14,842 requests for judicial entrustment from Vietnamese authorities to deal with legal matters in other countries, as well as 2,876 requests for judicial entrustment from other countries, of which about half had been processed. However, Deputy MOJ Minister Nguyen Khanh Ngoc said that Viet Nam's civil code was still an obstacle to international legal co-operation. "The civil code lacks legal guidance regarding cases related to foreigners," he said. He also urged the government to let courts make direct requests for co-operation to Viet Nam's representative offices overseas, in addition to simplifying legal procedures and strengthening co-operation among relevant authorities. A short-term solution was proposed: setting up central government-level hotlines with countries in mutual legal assistance agreements with Viet Nam. Participants also recommended revising and supplementing the law to keep it congruent with international agreements and treaties signed by Viet Nam. In the long run, a separate law regulating different aspects of the Law on Mutual Legal Assistance should be created, they said. Lawmakers look at supervision of economic restructuring The implementation of economic restructuring processes in public investment, State-owned enterprises and the banking system was the focus of the ongoing 31 st session of the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on October 1. A team led by the Chairman of the NA’s Committee for Economic Affairs Nguyen Van Giau reviewed the implementation of the economic restructuring efforts undertaken since 2011, and documented his findings in a 6,000-page report. Chairman Giau said a number of policies on restructuring public investment had been developed and had addressed the scattered and ineffective allocation of the State budget. Mechanisms for reforming State-run enterprises are being implemented, with concise regulations on the rights and obligations of the owners. At the same time, restructuring resulted in a decrease in the number of poorly performing banks and bad debt, while credit institutions’ financial strength improved, he reported. However, some overlapping regulations were hindering the restructuring of public investments, he noted. Deputy Minister of Finance Tran Van Hieu highlighted the role of executives in restructuring their State-run groups and corporations. Meanwhile, Deputy Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam Nguyen Thi Hong pushed for a different set of measures to tackle bad debt without the use of the State budget. Vice Chairman of the NA’s Committee for Judicial Affairs Nguyen Dinh Quyen said the report on economic restructuring needed to examine the responsibilities of each agency and sector, as well as the Government and the NA. NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung said this was parliament’s high-level supervision report. It therefore required an in-depth analysis of the shortcomings of the economic restructuring process and a clarification of the causes.- HCM City leader welcomes Cuban news agency delegation Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City’s People’s Committee Hua Ngoc Thuan hosted a reception on October 1 for a delegation from the Cuban News Agency Prensa Latina (PL), led by its President Luis Enrique Gonzalez Acosta. Thuan lauded the guests’ visit, expressing his belief that it would strengthen the mutual understanding and traditional friendship between the two countries. He also briefed the delegation on the city’s important role in the region and the entire country, and gave an update on the city’s socio-economic development targets and efforts to improve the living conditions for local residents. The PL President said he was impressed by Ho Chi Minh City’s development, history and people. He pledged to do his best to promote the achievements of the city and the other southern localities in Vietnam. He expressed a keen interest in portraying the striking images of a rapidly developing Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City to the Cuban and Latin American people. As part of their visit to the south, the PL delegation is scheduled to tour Tien Giang, Dong Nai and Binh Duong provinces on October 2-3. Int’l seminar on maritime security in East Sea Experts, scholars, researchers from Japan, Vietnam, China, Australia and the European Union (EU) looked closer to maritime security in East Asia at an international seminar in Brussels, Belgium on September 30. The event jointly hosted by the European Institute for Asian Studies (EIAS) in collaboration with the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV) and the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA), gave policy makers the chance to dilate on a topic of European and East Asian concern. The speakers centered their discussion on the global significance of the maritime industry in East Asia, recent developments in the East Sea and East China Sea, legal ramifications of navigation in East Asia and cooperation in potential areas for peace, security and development. In recent years, the East Sea and East China Sea situation has emerged as one of the most important security issues in East Asia, capturing the attention of strategic powers which must readjust their regional policies in the context of a changing regional order.  Disputes have gone beyond navigation space, resulting in regional instabilities and armed conflicts. Bruno Hellendroff from Group for Research and Information on Peace and Security (GRIP) said many countries, including EU member states also have maritime security interests in East Asia, especially after the EU and ASEAN set up a strategic partnership. The EU is deeply concerned about East Sea instabilities. Therefore, it is imperative to maintain peace, security and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and the world and comply with international law, he said. According to Nicolas Gosset- a research from the Centre for Security and Defence Studies, to ease tensions in the East Sea and East China Sea, concerned parities  need to sit down for peace negotiations and may refer to international tribunals in case of need. He also appreciated Vietnam’s stance on the East Sea issue at international forums. While government negotiations have yet to achieve significant progress to resolve disputes, expert-level talks can give recommendations aiming to effectively deal with the situation. The speakers also underlined the need to respect international law,sovereignty and interests of coastal nations without using force to settle disputes. ASEAN promotes Socio-Cultural Community formation The Ministers to the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Council’s 12th meeting at Bagan, Myanmar on September 30 agreed to undertake maximum efforts to shape the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community by 2015. Speaking at the meeting, themed “Moving forward in unity to a peaceful and prosperous community”, Dr. SaiMauk Kham, Vice President of Myanmar, highlighted the importance of the event in a joint effort to build a people-oriented and socially responsible community by 2015. He also underscored the need for a long-term vision to achieve enduring solidarity and unity among the member states and their people. During the plenary session, the Ministers acknowledged the report submitted by the Chair of the 17th SOCA Meeting, which included the progress made by the ASCC Working Group to Follow-Up on the Recommendations of the ASCC Blueprint MTR and Co-ordinate Post-2015 Vision, as well as, the recommendations of the High Level Task Force on Strengthening the ASEAN Secretariat and Reviewing the ASEAN organs. In this connection, the Ministers supported the draft ASEAN Joint Statement on Climate Change 2014, which is expected to be adopted by the leaders during the 25th ASEAN Summit on November 25 in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. The Ministers welcomed Myanmar’s proposal on the establishment of the ASEAN Institute for Green Economy in Yangon, Myanmar and also agreed in principle to the proposal on framing the ASCC Post 2015, a review exercise presented by the ASEAN Secretariat. National workshop discusses orientation for Ly Son island’s development Dozens of managers and scientists gathered at a national workshop on development orientation and specific policies for Ly Son island, which was organised by the Party Central Committee's Economic Commission and the Quang Ngai provincial Party Committee on October 1. Speaking at the gathering, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc stressed that the workshop aimed to realise a maritime strategy on developing the island and Quang Ngai province, which was approved by the Party Central Committee. He asked the attendees to clarify the island’s roles and position in the socio-economic development strategy of Quang Ngai provine and the country in general, along with the locality’s potential, advantages, difficulties and challenges in the development process and national defence and security protection. Deputy PM Phuc also suggested discussions focus on seeking solutions on training human resources, particularly the high-quality human resources, evaluating effects of climate change and water resource degradation on local residents’ daily life and attaching the island’s development to the national target programme and targets on coping with climate change. The Government official noted priorities under the Government’s consideration on facilitating investment in the island, supporting local fishermen, providing a 0.7% allowance to the island’s officers and building a civilian-military combined hospital on the island, while affirming a resolution on protecting agricultural land. The island’s development has become urgent, as the national power network is now available to create breakthroughs in the economic development of the island, Quang Ngai province and the country in general. It is targeted to become strong in economic terms and stand firm in national defence and security by 2020. Ly Son island is 15 nautical miles (28km) from the mainland and 123 nautical miles from Tri Ton island, with a 9.97 square kilometre area, 25km coastal line and a population of 21,587 residing in three communes. It has 350ha of land for cultivating garlic, which attracts 50% of the local labour force and bring about 20% of the island’s gross domestic product. Source: VNA/VOV/VNS/VNN