Government News 15/1 PM welcomes new Saudi Arabian Ambassador Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung suggested accelerating oil and gas and labour cooperation with Saudi Arabia while welcoming the south-western Asian country’s new Ambassador to Vietnam Dakhil Al Johani in Hanoi on January 14. The Vietnamese Government supports Saudi Arabian entrepreneurs’ long-term business in Vietnam, the PM told the diplomat, calling for greater efforts by both sides to raise two-way trade value to 2 billion USD by the end of 2015. He said the two countries’ relations are growing in various realms and should be more efficient with enhanced mutual understanding and support at international forums, especially at the United Nations. The PM’s suggestion to early sign an agreement on investment encouragement and protection was echoed by the Ambassador who pledged to work hard during his working term to translate the view into action with a view of creating a legal framework for both sides’ cooperative potential to be fully tapped. The diplomat vowed to work for the efficient realization of agreements and accords inked while delivering his Government’s determination to speed up cooperation with Vietnam considering the country as its promising and important market. Dakhil Al Johani confirmed he will do his utmost during his term and wished to witness remarkable developments to be made in the two countries’ relations. President examines conservation of Hoa Lu ancient capital President Truong Tan Sang was informed about the latest efforts to preserve and restore Hoa Lu ancient capital, a historical and cultural site of great value in the northern province of Ninh Binh, during a working session with local authorities on January 14. Sitting on a site of 339ha, Hoa Lu ancient capital gained its status as a special national relic site in 2012. Later in June 2014, the UNESCO listed Trang An scenic landscape complex as a world cultural and natural heritage, with Hoa Lu as part of the zone under special protection. Since 2002, Ninh Binh has undertaken 6 projects worth over 3.4 trillion VND (161 million USD) to give Hoa Lu a new lease of life. However, the province is facing difficulties in raising the necessary funding. Speaking at the session, the President asked the Vietnam Association of Historical Science to continue working as an advisor for the projects. Regarding funding for conservation efforts, he said the State will offer some financial aid and suggested incentive policies be made to attract investors to involve in the process. Several attendees proposed issuing bonds to raise capital and make careful investigation and planning before conducting any restoration process as recommended by the UNESCO. The same day, the President visited a vegetable farm using Japanese technology in the northern province of Ha Nam. Holding a working session with local authorities, he urged them to adopt more effective farming policy to improve local livelihoods, in the context of increasing competition brought about by international integration. Mekong Delta city expands cooperation with Singapore The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho and Singapore want to expand cooperation in agro-fishery processing, electrical home appliances, medicine, and fast food industries. At a reception for Singaporean Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Leow Siu Lin on January 14, Can Tho authorities informed the guest of the local socio-economic development as well as the activities of Singaporean businesses in the city, particularly in the Tra Noc industrial park. The Consul General said she hopes the city will design more policies to ensure safe investment environment for businesses, thus helping them maintain stable operation while attracting more foreign investors, including those from Singapore. Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Tran Thanh Man pledged to create the optimal conditions for Singaporean firm to do business. He invited Singaporean businesses to attend the green tourism week hosted by the city in June 2015. Singaporean investors are running six investment projects worth over 91 million USD in Can Tho in the fields of construction material, aquatic processing, and farm produce. In 2014, Can Tho earned over 51.8 million USD from selling rice, seafood and garment-textile to Singapore, while importing oil and gas, chemical, pharmaceutical products and fertiliser worth over 67.7 million USD. Vietnam to implement incentives for overseas beneficiaries A Vietnamese inter-ministerial delegation is undertaking a working visit to Laos to launch a project providing incentives for Vietnamese nationals living in Laos who contributed to Vietnam’s revolution. They held a working session on January 13 with the Vietnamese Embassy, the Confederation of Vietnamese Overseas in Laos, and the Association of Vietnamese in Vientiane. At the meeting, Vietnamese officials affirmed the country has always held those who contributed to the nation’s revolution in high regard, adding that their session aims to evaluate the current living conditions of Vietnamese nationals residing in Laos in order to create relevant policies to serve the needs of the overseas population at large. Event participants conveyed their appreciation for Vietnamese Party actions and State policies for people who contributed to the nation’s revolution and expressed their desire for the project’s rapid implementation so as to serve the primarily elderly beneficiaries. As scheduled, the delegation will meet with the Association of Vietnamese Nationals in the southern province of Salavan and the General Consulate of Vietnam in Pakse during their visit which will run through January 17.- NA Chairman welcomes Uruguay delegates Anibal Pereyra, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay, will make an official visit to Viet Nam from January 18-22 along with the house's delegation. The National Assembly's External Relations Committee announced yesterday that the trip will be made at the invitation of NA chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung. Viet Nam marks diplomatic ties with China A press conference was held at the Embassy of Viet Nam in China yesterday to mark the 65th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties between the two nations. Viet Nam Ambassador Nguyen Van Tho took the opportunity to invoke the traditional long-time friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership between Viet Nam and China, saying that China was one of the country's most important partners. In spite of recent regional and global changes and the two countries experiencing some difficulties that negatively affected the two nations' relationship, the Government and the people of Viet Nam always valued the importance of their comprehensive strategic partnership with China, Tho said. Viet Nam had high hope that a politically stable and economically prosperous Viet Nam would benefit China as well, the ambassador said. Regarding the East Sea issue, the ambassador said Viet Nam would continue pursuing a consistent policy of solving issues by peaceful measures on the basis of internationally-recognised principles, especially the 1982 UNCLOS and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in East Sea (DOC) while building a Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (COC). The ambassador stressed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security and restraint to avoid unilateral changes to the status quo, complications or damage to the nations' relationship. Hanoi to pay greater attention to external relations in 2015 Hanoi is to pay greater attention to external relations activities in 2015 with an aim of enhancing ties with partners and accelerating international integration, said a senior municipal official. The city should also promote its image as a major cultural hub of the country through external relations, stated Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc, Vice Chairwoman of the municipal People’s Committee at a conference of the Department of External Relations on January 14. She noted that foreign investment has contributed greatly to Hanoi’s rapid development, therefore the department needs to devise a long-term strategy to help attract more investors to the city. According to the department, last year, foreign relations activities played a significant role in fostering cooperation between the city and partners in various fields. The city welcomed 21 delegations from the capitals and cities of other countries and sent 14 delegations abroad, all for the purpose of expanding the partnership between Hanoi and other cities. Hanoi also took part in a number of international events, including the 13th plenary session of the Asia Network of Major Cities 21 (ANMC21) and the second Meeting of Mayors and Governors of Capital Cities of ASEAN, through which the city demonstrated its proactive and responsible role in the organisations. The department will continue to organize external activities across the fields of politics, economics and culture with a view to expanding international economic partnership and cultural exchange, thus enhancing the capital city’s position in the global arena. Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs deploys 2015 tasks The Government’s Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs (CEMA) held a conference in Hanoi on January 14 to review its performance in 2014 and its plan to implement tasks in 2015. According to a report presented at the conference, in 2014 CEMA rigorously monitored the implementation of directions by the Government and the Prime Minister, improved the committee’s leadership approaches in implementing key tasks, and worked closely with ministries, central agencies and localities to effectively realise policies related to ethnic minority groups. The committee also institutionalised the Government’s resolutions and the PM’s directions related to ethnic minorities, consulting the PM on issuing Directive No.28/CT-TTg dated September 10, 2014 on enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of State management over work with ethnic minority groups. Outcomes of policies related to ethnic minority work have contributed to realising the National Target Programmes on Poverty Reduction and Construction of New-style Rural Areas. In 2014, the average growth rate of ethnic minority groups and mountainous provinces was 8-10% and several localities were estimated to have reached growth rates over 10%. Speaking at the conference, Minister and CEMA Chairman Giang Seo Phu said in 2015 CEMA would review the 10 year implementation of the Party Central Committee’s Resolution No.24 on ethnic minority work, and build a master plan on comprehensively developing Vietnamese ethnic groups, under the leadership of the Party for the 2016-2020 period. The committee will also give priority to administrative reform and co-ordinate with relevant ministries and agencies to increase the quality and efficiency of building legal documents and policies in the State management of ethnic minority affairs, he added. In his speech, Politburo member and Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc praised the efforts and accomplishments made by CEMA in the past years. The Deputy PM urged the committee to continue uphold its responsibilities to better fulfil tasks set for 2015. VNA/VNS