Political News 21/10 President confident about trade with RoK Bilateral trade between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) is likely to hit US$70 billion by 2020 once their bilateral free trade agreement is implemented, President Truong Tan Sang said. In a meeting with former RoK President Lee Myung-bak in Hanoi on October 20, the host noted with delight that almost all of the RoK’s top corporations now operate in Vietnam. Additionally, the number of RoK nationals living and working in Vietnam is on the rise, totalling more than 100,000 expats. He also praised the RoK’s model of building new-style rural areas, saying that it was useful for Vietnam. Lee told the President that Vietnam as a Southeast Asian nation is very close to the feeling of Koreans. The former President also vowed to do his best, together with the current RoK President, to contribute more to the bilateral relationship. The two sides promised to work together closely at global and regional forums. New Indonesian President values ties with Vietnam The new Indonesian President Joko Widodo spoke highly of the bilateral ties between Indonesia and Vietnam in a meeting with the Head of the Presidential Office Dao Viet Trung, a special envoy sent by President Truong Tan Sang, in Jakarta on October 20. In the meeting just after the presidential inauguration ceremony, Widodo hailed Trung’s presence as proof of bilateral cooperation and friendship. Trung told his host that he firmly believes in the prosperity of Indonesia and that the strategic partnership between the two countries will be strengthened in the future. He also conveyed President Truong Tan Sang’s invitation to visit Vietnam in the foreseeable future. On the occasion, Trung met with Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla and conveyed his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Thi Doan’s regards to him. The inauguration ceremony saw foreign leaders, including Sultan of Brunei, the Prime Ministers of Singapore, Malaysia and Australia, and top diplomats from the US, UK and New Zealand. Law on Public Investment prevents ineffective investment The newly-approved Law on Public Investment will help tackle ineffective and wasteful spending in public investments, an economic expert said. At a conference held in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on October 20 to discuss the implementation of the law, Dr Nguyen Thi Phu Ha, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s General National Economy Department, said the law set forth rules on institutionalising a process of investment policy approval. This is a crucial initial step towards deciding the suitability and efficiency of public investment projects and programmes in line with the Party and State’s targets, visions, planning, and development policy, Ha stressed. She added that the law would also prevent the arbitrary approval of investment projects, simplify the approval process for investment policy, and increase the responsibilities of decision-makers. Recently, public investment management in Vietnam has shown shortcomings, such as sloppy management and corruption, which are at risk of becoming more serious. The new law sets out specific regulations, from developing plans to assessing and approving investment projects, thus promoting management and ensuring transparency in the use of State resources, as well as enhancing anti-corruption efforts and financial caution in investment and construction. The law, which was adopted by the National Assembly on June 18, 2014, will take effect from January 1, 2015. It comprises six chapters with 108 articles, stipulating the management and use of public investment capital; state management of public investment; and the rights, obligations and responsibilities of agencies, organisations and individuals with regard to public investments. Deputy PM receives Russian medical scientists Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc expressed his hope that Russian scientists continue to support Vietnam in scientific research, specialist technology and professional training during a reception for a delegation of scientists from Russia in Hanoi on October 20. The Deputy PM hailed the delegation for its visit to Vietnam, expressing his thanks to the State and people of Russia for helping Vietnam during its struggle for national independence. He was particularly grateful for the experts who took part in preserving President Ho Chi Minh’s body and constructing the President’s Mausoleum. Deputy PM Phuc highlighted that the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is a symbol of the two countries’ friendship, adding that Vietnam highly appreciates the comprehensive support of Russian medical and technical specialists. Prof. PhD Sidelnikov Nikolai Ivanovich, from the Russia’s research institute of medicine and essential oil, expressed his delight over the sound bilateral cooperation on the research of fundamental science, applied sciences in bio-technology, energy, mineral exploitation and the military, which has resulted in a number of practical achievements. He expressed his wish for more frequent exchanges and a broader scientific cooperation with Vietnam. Admin reforms need to facilitate local development Viet Nam has to ensure that public administration and governance in the country is confident, effective, transparent and fair as it proceeds further on the path of regional and global integration, experts and officials say. Speaking at a conference held yesterday by the Eastern Regional Organisation for Public Administration (EROPA) and Ministry of Home Affairs, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung urged participants to propose solutions that would improve the efficiency and efficacy of public administration in the country. "The EROPA conference is an important forum for participants to share practices in public administration and governance," he said. Dung also emphasised that the quality of public and civil servants was the decisive factor in improving the quality of governance and public administration in Viet Nam. A public administration system can only be effective when it is "comprehensive, progressive and convenient" for the people, he said. The Prime Minister also acknowledged that the Government needs to improve its administrative mechanisms and financial management to become straightforward, transparent, accountable. He said EROPA was a reliable organisation that can connect and assist member countries achieve the goal of sustainable development. Home Affairs Minister, Nguyen Thai Binh later said that the EROPA 2014 Conference was being held in the context of global economies becoming more dependent on each other, making the improvement of public administration an urgent task. He said the six-day conference (October 19-24) will address several topics including hurdles in the path of improving public administration as well as the contributions this can make to furthering regional and global integration. Source: VNA/VOV/VNS