Government News 29/5 Embassy liaises with Brunei to safeguard detained fishermen’s rights The Vietnamese Embassy in Brunei is working closely with its host country’s competent agencies to ensure the legitimate rights and interests of the detained Vietnamese fishermen are respected, Spokesman of the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry Le Hai Binh said. The remark was made during the ministry’s regular press conference held on May 28 in response to reporters’ questions about the 33 Vietnamese fishermen detained and scheduled to appear in court in Brunei. After receiving word from Brunei about the detention of fishing vessel QNg 95924TS from central Quang Ngai province with 33 people on board, the Vietnamese Embassy immediately tasked staff members with verifying the information and taking the necessary protection measures, Binh said. He added that the embassy found the fishermen’s health conditions to be stable and that their relatives have been notified. Hanoi Party leader welcomes US senator Politburo Member and Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Pham Quang Nghi hosted a reception for visiting US Senator John McCain on May 28. Secretary Nghi said that the senator’s trip, ahead of the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the normalisation of bilateral diplomatic ties and Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s visit to the US, would contribute to enhancing collaboration between the two parliaments, and the comprehensive partnership between the two countries. Both sides spoke highly of the close co-operation between the two countries, especially with regards to the implementation of the comprehensive partnership. Regarding the developments in the East Sea, the Hanoi leader reaffirmed Vietnam’s consistent stance and expressed his appreciation for the US Parliament’s support for settling disputes at sea by peaceful means in line with international law. He proposed that Senator John McCain and the US Parliament continue to carry out measures to promote economic ties, including trade and investment. He called upon the senator and Parliament to continue negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement in the spirit of dialogue and mutual understanding in order to reach a consensus on several controversial issues. Vietnam-RoK partnership benefits regional peace and development The collaboration between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea, which is based on the establishment of a bilateral strategic cooperative partnership in 2009 and a high level of mutual political trust, actively contributes to regional peace, stability and development. Cultural similarities and the Vietnamese and Korean communities of more than 100,000 expatriates living in the two countries respectively form an important basis for enhancing mutual understanding, friendship and cooperation, State President Truong Tan Sang said during his reception for RoK Minister of Defence Han Min-koo in Hanoi on May 28. The President welcomed the minister to visit Vietnam from May 27-29 to discuss reinforcing the two countries’ strategic cooperative partnership, especially in the field of national defence and trade. He hailed the outcomes of the talks held between the two defence ministers and suggested the two sides implement the signed cooperation agreements as soon as possible, while also proposing new initiatives to deepen bilateral relations. Han Min-koo told the President that the two defence ministers agreed to enhance Vietnam-RoK defence ties in the near future through exchanging delegations regularly and sharing military experience. He proposed the two sides step up cooperation in the field of military industry. Host and guest expressed their appreciation for the growing ties between Vietnam and the RoK, especially on the economy, defence and people-to-people exchanges. Minister Han noted that the Vietnamese community was integrating well into its host society and making active contributions to development in the RoK. The two sides also discussed issues relating to the maintenance of peace and stability in the region. Vietnam and the RoK signed a Memorandum of Understanding on defence cooperation in 2010. The two countries have been holding bilateral strategic defence dialogues at the deputy ministerial level since 2012.- HCM City – UK partnership to foster national relations: official Cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and UK partners will help consolidate the friendship between Vietnam and the UK and lift bilateral relations to a new level, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Le Hoang Quan said. He met with the visiting Executive Chairman of the Vietnam-UK Network, Ben Chapman, who is also the Honourary President of the All Party Group for Vietnam, on May 28. The Vietnamese official highlighted the achievements made as part of the economic, commercial, cultural, and educational cooperation between the Vietnamese southern hub and the UK, including two-way trade reaching 750 million USD in 2014. The UK Government has supported HCM City in training officials and management personnel in the finance, banking and education sectors, Quan said, adding that he hopes the European country will apply favourable conditions for Vietnamese nationals living and working in the UK. Chapman, a former Member of Parliament, said the Vietnamese community in the UK has actively contributed to local development. He expects the development cooperation between the two nations will be enhanced in various fields, especially with regard to the affiliation between their governmental agencies and peoples. VN President to attend inauguration of Lao airport State President Truong Tan Sang will attend the inauguration ceremony of Attapeu International Airport in the Lao province of Attapeu on May 30. His appearance comes at the invitation of General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and State President Choummaly Sayasone, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.- Leaders congratulate Myanmar counterparts on ties celebration State President Truong Tan Sang and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung sent congratulatory messages to the Myanmar President Thein Sein on May 28, marking the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Myanmar. That same day, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh conveyed his congratulations to his Myanmar counterpart, U Wunna Maung Lwin. Vietnam now ranks eighth out of the foreign investors in Myanmar, with seven projects worth 513 million USD in total. Trade between the two countries reached 480 million USD last year and enjoyed an average growth rate of nearly 40 percent between 2010 and 2014. It is expected to hit 1.5 billion USD in the next two years and 1.7 billion USD by 2020. Ambassador presents credentials to ASEAN Secretary General Vietnam will collaborate fully with ASEAN member states on the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in late 2015, Ambassador Nguyen Hoanh Nam, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to ASEAN, declared while presenting his credentials to ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh on May 28. Vietnam will help promote the bloc’s position in the world and contribute to regional peace and stability, he added. The Ambassador highlighted that Vietnam is willing to cooperate with and support the ASEAN Secretariat in effectively implementing its functions and responsibilities, thus contributing to the bloc’s common goals. On his part, ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh congratulated the Vietnamese Ambassador on his new position and spoke highly of the cooperation between the Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR) and the ASEAN Secretariat. He expressed his hope to work closely with the Vietnamese delegation on the establishment of AEC and the development of the bloc’s post-2015 vision. The Vietnamese permanent mission delegation to ASEAN was established in 2009, representing Vietnam on all ASEAN affairs. Together with other mission delegations, it has boosted relations between ASEAN and the bloc’s partners. VNA