Government News 30/5 Vietnam, Germany boost judicial collaboration Judicial ties is one of the key contents of Vietnam-Germany cooperation in 2015, Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Nguyen Thi Hoang Anh announced during a recent meeting with the State of Brandenburg’s Minister of Justice Ronald Pienky in Berlin. Pienkny said the positive outcomes of bilateral cooperation over recent years, reflecting the increasing level of mutual trust since the two countries became strategic partners in 2011. He revealed that Brandenburg is currently studying Vietnam’s experience in making laws, with a focus on local administrative management, which is his State’s current restructuring priority. On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the Federal Minister presented two collections of legal texts, containing more than 200 books, to the German Law Centre at the Hanoi University of Law via the Vietnamese Ambassador. Ambassador Nguyen Thi Hoang Anh expressed her wish for cooperation programmes between Vietnam and Brandenburg following the model of the partnership between Vietnam and the State of Hessen, which has produced good outcomes, particularly the project on establishing the Vietnam-Germany University. Asia-Pacific expert group talks non-traditional security threats The Expert Group on Security in the Asia-Pacific closed its annual workshop in the central city of Da Nang on May 29 after five days of sitting. Deputy Commander of Military Zone 5 Maj. Gen Nguyen Dinh Tien and Managing Director of Strategic Studies at the Asia-Pacific Centre for Security Studies Carleton Cramer co-chaired the closing ceremony. The workshop focused its discussions on possible ways to cope with non-traditional security threats and topics regarding humanitarian assistance and disaster search-and-rescue, maritime security and counter-terrorism. It was also where Vietnam shared its stance and demonstrated the Vietnamese People’s Army’s role and responsibility for regional and global issues of shared concern, thereby fostering friendship and understanding among regional armies and raising Vietnam’s position in international scene. Participants reached agreement on common principles of joint cooperation, including ensuring legitimate interests of each country based on equality, respect for each other’s territorial sovereignty and integrity, international law and regional commitments. They voiced support for the settlement of disputes through peaceful dialogues, without using force or threatening to use force while refraining from making actions that can intensify tension. The event, co-hosted by the Vietnamese Defence Ministry’s Foreign Relations Department and the Special Operations Command Pacific, attracted 80 delegates from 10 ASEAN member countries, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Mongolia. The 2016 workshop of this kind will take place in Indonesia. PM meets with President of Eurasia Economic Commission Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on May 29 met with Chairman of the Board of the Eurasia Economic Commission Viktor Khristenko, on the occasion of the signing of a free trade agreement (FTA) between Vietnam and the Eurasia Economic Union (EAEU). The Vietnamese leader underlined the significance of the agreement, which he said is a modern and comprehensive deal with necessary flexibilities and balanced benefits which take into account the specific situation of each side. He added that it is a breakthrough for economic-trade ties between Vietnam and the EAEU’s member states. For his part, Khristenko expressed his hope that Vietnam will serve as a bridge linking the Union with ASEAN member states. The two sides expressed their belief that the FTA will create a foundation for the EAEU to bolster trade and investment connections with Vietnam and the Southeast Asian region in particular, and the Asia-Pacific in general. Vietnam and the EAEU began negotiations on the bilateral FTA on March 28, 2013. The Eurasia Economic Union comprises Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan.-VNA Vietnamese leaders meet Cuban high-ranking Party delegation General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and State President Truong Tan Sang hosted receptions for a visiting Cuban Party delegation led by Politburo member and Vice President of the Council of State Salvador Valdes Mesa, in Hanoi on May 29. During the meetings, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong spoke highly of Cuba’s great achievement in the process of updating the social-economic model and recent diplomatic victories which he said would lay foundations for Cuba to achieve more positive results in social-economic development and successfully build a prosperous and sustainable socialist country. The Party leader updated the delegation on the situation in Vietnam, especially preparations for the 12th National Party Congress. Meanwhile, State President Sang said the trip taking place on the 55th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries would contribute to further promoting the traditional friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Cuba. The President also wanted the Governments of the two countries and the subcommittees of their Inter-governmental Commission to study and formulate new measures and mechanisms suitable with conditions of the two countries to make bilateral cooperation more effective and practical. Salvador Valdes Mesa congratulated Vietnam on the country’s great achievements over the past years and believed that Vietnam will reap even greater success in the reform process. He expressed his gratitude for Vietnam’s assistance and confirmed Cuba’s determination to strengthen the ties between the two countries. The Cuban delegation previously held talks with a Vietnamese Party delegation led by Le Hong Anh, Politburo member and Standing Secretary of the Party Central Committee Secretariat. During their talks, the two sides informed each other of each country’s situation, discussed relevant issues and measures to realise cooperation agreements signed by the two parties and countries. During their stay, the Cuban delegation paid respect to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum and held working sessions with officials of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations, the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Ogranisation, the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Popularisation and Education. They also visited HCM City, Can Tho City and Quang Ninh province. Asia-Pacific expert group talks non-traditional security threats The Expert Group on Security in the Asia-Pacific closed its annual workshop in the central city of Da Nang on May 29 after five days of sitting. Deputy Commander of Military Zone 5 Maj. Gen Nguyen Dinh Tien and Managing Director of Strategic Studies at the Asia-Pacific Centre for Security Studies Carleton Cramer co-chaired the closing ceremony. The workshop focused its discussions on possible ways to cope with non-traditional security threats and topics regarding humanitarian assistance and disaster search-and-rescue, maritime security and counter-terrorism. It was also where Vietnam shared its stance and demonstrated the Vietnamese People’s Army’s role and responsibility for regional and global issues of shared concern, thereby fostering friendship and understanding among regional armies and raising Vietnam’s position in international scene. Participants reached agreement on common principles of joint cooperation, including ensuring legitimate interests of each country based on equality, respect for each other’s territorial sovereignty and integrity, international law and regional commitments. They voiced support for the settlement of disputes through peaceful dialogues, without using force or threatening to use force while refraining from making actions that can intensify tension. The event, co-hosted by the Vietnamese Defence Ministry’s Foreign Relations Department and the Special Operations Command Pacific, attracted 80 delegates from 10 ASEAN member countries, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Mongolia. The 2016 workshop of this kind will take place in Indonesia. Vietnam, Myanmar reinforce multifaceted partnerships Vietnam and Myanmar have agreed to reinforce cooperation in mutual areas of strength, such as fisheries, oil and gas, information communication technologies, agricultural cultivation and export processing, and tourism. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Myanmar’s Foreign Minister U Wunna Maung Lwin reached this consensus during the eighth meeting of the Joint Committee on Cooperation between Vietnam and Myanmar in the Myanmar capital Nay Pyi Taw on May 29, which coincided with the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties (May 28, 1975-2015). They pledged to continue the facilitation of all-level visits via the State, Government and National Assembly channels while effectively utilising the existing cooperation mechanisms, such as the deputy ministerial-level political consultation and the Sub-Committee on Trade. Myanmar’s Foreign Minister announced the establishment of the Myanmar–Vietnam Friendship Association, led by a Deputy Minister under the Office of the President, to increase mutual understanding and dialogues. The two sides expressed their resolve to lift bilateral trade to 500 million USD this year. A number of Vietnamese projects operating in Myanmar were hailed as profitable, including a hotel, office and shopping complex run by Hoang Anh Gia Lai in Yangon and an oil and gas joint-venture between PetroVietnam Exploration Production Corporation and Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise. The Government of Myanmar is considering granting an investment licence to the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) to set up Myanmar branch and is taking note of the proposals to provide further support for Vietnamese firms operating in the country, U Wunna Maung Lwin said. Host and guest promised to effectively implement the defence cooperation agreement signed in September 2001, to improve the effectiveness of the annual security dialogue, and to promptly set up a defence policy dialogue mechanism. Bilateral cooperation on defence and crime prevention, information and experience sharing, education and training, culture, and science-technology will be strengthened, including joint research on lotus fiber weaving. In terms of regional and global issues, they reiterated their continued mutual collaboration at multilateral forums, pledged to coordinate with other ASEAN member states to establish the ASEAN Economic Community later this year, and maintain ASEAN’s central role and common voice in dealing with regional issues. Myanmar expressed its wish for a settlement of the East Sea issue by peaceful means in line with international law, including the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea, and efforts towards concluding a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC). The ninth meeting of this kind will be held in Vietnam in 2017. VNA