Government News 23/7 Int’l conference to be held to improve Vietnam’s peacekeeping capacity    The working session between foreign military attachés and officers of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations on July 19 (Photo: qdnd.vn)  Vietnam and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will chair an international conference in early September, aiming to improve the country’s capacity of taking part in UN peacekeeping activities. The information was released by a representative of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) while talking to foreign military attachés who visited the department on July 19, Quan doi Nhan dan (People’s Army) newspaper reported. The attachés learned about the development of the DPKO as well as the country’s participation in United Nations peacekeeping activities in recent years. On behalf of the delegation, Defence Attaché of South Africa Mpiwa Kgotso Abiel lauded Vietnam’s effective participation in UN peacekeeping activities. He also congratulated the DPKO on being chosen as a training site for UN peacekeeping forces within the framework of the tripartile partnership programme. The attachés also discussed peacekeeping cooperation with Vietnam in the future. The DPKO, previously the Vietnam Peacekeeping Centre, opened in 2014. Since then, the country has sent 20 officers to the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic and the UN Mission in South Sudan. It is preparing to deploy a level-2 field hospital to South Sudan. Vietnam People’s Army delegation visits China   Sen. Lieut. Gen. Luong Cuong  A high-ranking delegation of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) led by Sen. Lieut. Gen. Luong Cuong, member of the Standing Board of the Central Military Commission and Director of the VPA’s General Department of Politics, is paying a friendly visit to China from July 22-26.  The visit is made at the invitation of Sen. Lieut. Gen. Miao Hua, member of China’s Central Military Commission and head of the commission’s Political Work Department.  The visit aims to continue to implement agreements reached by senior leaders of Vietnam and China, contributing to consolidating the traditional friendship, enhancing mutual political trust and firmly developing the comprehensive cooperation between the two parties, states, peoples and armies, for peace, stability and development in the region and the world at large.  The trip is expected to help boost the affiliation between the VPA’s General Department of Politics and the Chinese Political Work Department, and materialise the joint vision statement on defence relations by 2025 between the two defence ministries in the Party and political work. Ha Tinh province should strive for self-financing: PM    Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (standing) speaks at the working session with Ha Tinh provincial Party Committee   Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc commended the central province of Ha Tinh for its good growth and high disbursement of public investment capital in the first half of the year, telling it to strive for self-financing. Addressing a working session with the Ha Tinh provincial Party Committee on July 21, the PM highlighted that the province has made a strong recovery after the marine environmental incident in 2016 which left serious impacts on the local economy. In the first six months of 2018, the province – which is considered to be the most economically potential in the north central region – recorded high growth of about 33 percent. The industry-construction sector rose by nearly 96 percent, making up over 44 percent of the local economic structure. The total budget collection topped 6 trillion VND (262.1 million USD), equivalent to around 70 percent of the estimate. The industrial production index increased 170.9 percent in comparison with the same period last year. With the aforesaid outcomes, Ha Tinh is standing in a new position in the development map of Vietnam, PM Phuc said. Apart from developing industry, the province still pays great attention to agro-forestry-fishery, which, he said, is suitable for a locality with a high rate of rural and mountainous areas. The Government leader made several suggestions for the province to achieve breakthrough development in the coming time such as focusing on three pillars of industry, agriculture and service. The PM recommended speeding up urbanisation and shifting labour structure, noting that industrialisation should go with urbanisation, especially in coastal urban areas. At the same time, he reminded Ha Tinh to accelerate efforts to reduce poverty, implement more effectively social welfare policies and improve access to education. Besides facilitating the production of Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Company – which caused the marine environmental incident in four central provinces in 2016, Ha Tinh should keep strict monitoring of the company’s operation to ensure no repetition of environment pollution, including the treatment of ash discharged from steel production in Formosa. After the working session, PM Phuc and World Bank (WB) Country Director for Vietnam Ousmane Dione witnessed the signing of a strategic cooperation framework between Ha Tinh and the World Bank in 2018-2022. Under the framework, the two sides will work toward sustainable and comprehensive growth, and increase information sharing, policy dialogues and technical assistance in priority fields including agriculture and food safety, urban development and water resources, maritime strategy, environmental protection and climate change, and industrial development. They will also work together to revise the province’s socio-economic development plan through 2020 and overall planning scheme for 2021-2030 with a vision toward 2050. The WB has so far provided Ha Tinh with more than 5.7 trillion VND (249 million USD) in grants, aid and loans for upgrading infrastructure, improving the environment and human resources, reform institutions and developing education and training. PM pays respect to fallen youth volunteers at Dong Loc T-junction    The event marking the 50th anniversary of the Dong Loc victory was held on July 21  The Dong Loc T-junction in the central province of Ha Tinh has gone down in history with the heroic sacrifice of hundreds of war heroes, especially the ten young female volunteers, during the war to liberate the southern region and reunify the country, said Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. He made the remarks while speaking at a special event held at the Dong Loc T-Junction relic site on July 21 night to mark the 50th anniversary of the Dong Loc victory (1968-2018). The Dong Loc T-junction was the most important transport intersection on the legendary Truong Son-Ho Chi Minh trail, through which trucks carrying soldiers, food, arms and munitions from the north must go on their way to southern battlefields. From 1965 to 1968, the US army dropped nearly 50,000 bombs and fired tens of thousands of missiles on the Dong Loc T-junction in Dong Loc commune, Can Loc district in order to cut off the transport route to the southern front. All human resources were mobilised by the Vietnamese Government at that time to ensure the road would be clear. Many young volunteers worked at the site, using every minute between bombings to level bomb craters on the road. On July 24, 1968,  a bomb fell very close to the mouth of the cave where a group of 10 female volunteers, aged from 17 to 24, were taking shelter, killing all of them. Their sacrifice has become a symbol of Vietnamese heroism. At the event, PM Phuc asked all-level Party Committees, authorities and people of Ha Tinh and other localities nationwide to pay tribute to families of war martyrs, war invalids and veterans, helping them overcome all difficulties to have a better life. On this occasion, the leader presented ten houses of gratitude to local families of revolution contributors who are in difficult circumstances. The organisation board also handed over gifts to war veterans and relatives of the fallen soldiers and young volunteers who fought at the Dong Loc intersection. Earlier the same day, PM Phuc attended the inaugural ceremony of a bypass to the east of the Dong Loc T-junction relic site, which is expected to help ensure traffic safety and reduce dust and noise pollution in the area. Kien Giang, Cambodia’s localities enjoy strong bonds   The Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang and Cambodian localities have joined hands to ensure social order in border area. The Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang, and five Cambodian localities of Kep, Kampot, Preah Sihanouk, Koh Kong and Phnom Penh have enjoyed sound cooperation cross the fields of agriculture, aquaculture, trade, healthcare, education, culture-sports, tourism, and defence-security. Chairman of the provincial People Committee Pham Vu Hong said that the collaboration has made significant contributions to the socio-economic development of each sides as well as the special friendship between the two countries in general and between Kien Giang and the Cambodian provinces and city in particular. The parties have joined hands to ensure security and order along the border areas to build a shared border of peace, friendship, cooperation and sustainable development. Remarkable achievements have seen in border trade, with total import-export revenue recorded at over 414 million USD from 2015. Kien Giang province shipped more than 202 million USD worth of products to the Cambodian localities, and splashed out 211 million USD to purchase coal, frozen seafood, and food additives from Cambodia. Leaders from Kien Giang and Cambodia localities hold regular meetings to remove bottlenecks in border issues in the spirit of solidarity, friendship and mutual understanding. Also, they delivered greetings and held exchanges on the occasion of each other’s national holidays while facilitating cross border travel and trade.  In the coming time, they will push forwards with activities under the signed deal to help each other maintain political stability, develop the economy and stabilise local livelihoods. The two sides vowed to intensify partnership for economic, social and cultural development, and for maintaining peace, stability, social order and security in border areas and at sea.  The sides will bolster coordination to raise public awareness of illegal fishing in foreign waters while working to combat trade fraud and smuggling. PM asks Duc Tho to become first new rural district in Ha Tinh    Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (fourth, left) and officials of Duc Tho district at the working session  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked Duc Tho to work hard to become the first district in the central province of Ha Tinh recognised as a new-style rural area by the end of 2018. During a working session with officials of Duc Tho district on the occasion of his working trip to the locality on July 21, the PM urged authorities of Ha Tinh and its Duc Tho district in particular to make more efforts to improve locals’ living conditions, towards sustainably promoting poverty reduction. PM Phuc called on the local authorities to make new strides in implementing the national target programme on building new-style rural areas. He spoke highly efforts made by the district’s authorities in the work, especially in building model gardens and residential areas, which help improve incomes for locals and contribute to preserving traditional culture values in the community. While stressing the goal of new-style rural area development, PM Phuc said this is a big policy of the State which aims to bring a better life to the people. Statistics show that Duc Tho mobilised nearly 2.6 trillion VND (113.5 million USD) for building new-style rural areas over the last eight years. As many as 18 out of 27 communes in the district have met new-style rural area stardards. Notably, agriculture accounts for only 22.2 percent of the district’s economic structure. The trade and service field accounts for the largest proportion, with 45.8 percent. In 2017, the district’s annual per capita income stood at 35.3 million VND, while the rate of poor households was only 4.9 percent. The building of model gardens and residential areas is the highlight in the new-style rural development in Duc Tho, showing the local authorities’ renovation in the work. A total of 147 residential areas and 755 gardens of this kind were formed in the locality, laying a foundation for building new-style rural areas in a sustainable manner in Ha Tinh. The local authorities have also mapped out a plan to streamline administrative units, with the target of having only 13 communes by 2025, down 15 compared to the current figure, helping reduce expenditure of 25 billion VND per year. The PM underlined the need for the locality to do better the work of building and consolidating the political system, and streamlining administrative apparatus, towards people’s greater satisfaction. On the occasion, the Government leader laid a wreath and offered incense at the memorial site dedicating Tran Phu - the first General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam in Quan Hoi mountain of Duc Tho district. Greetings sent to Belgian leaders on their National Day President Tran Dai Quang on July 20 conveyed greetings to Belgium’s King Philippe I on the occasion of the Belgian National Day (July 21). The same day, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc sent congratulations to his Belgian counterpart Charles Michel. On the special occasion, Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh also cabled a message of celebration to Foreign Minister of Belgium Didier Reynders. Since Vietnam and Belgium set up diplomatic ties in 1973, bilateral partnership has continued to grow. The two countries have held high-level meetings and visits regularly, while also supporting each other at international forums. Economic and trade cooperation has played a key role in bilateral ties. In 2017, two-way trade reached nearly 2.5 billion USD. Belgium is currently running more than 60 projects worth about 600 million USD in Vietnam. Deputy PM calls for improvements in disaster, incident response    Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung speaks at the conference  Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung asked for improvements to be made nationwide in building plans to respond to incidents and disasters, including search and rescue activities, at a conference in Hanoi on July 20. A report delivered at the conference revealed that since the beginning of 2017, authorised forces have saved 5,438 people and 358 vehicles. More than 3.1 million people on over 744,000 vessels operating at sea have been informed of dangerous weather situations to seek shelter, while nearly 107,900 households were evacuated from dangerous areas. Deputy PM Dung, who is head of the State Committee for Incidents and Disaster Response, and Search and Rescue, said that the reviewed period witnessed complicated developments in weather, climate change, disasters, and incidents, causing serious and fatal damages. Most recently, floods and landslides triggered by torrential rains in the northern mountainous provinces during June 23-26 left over 40 dead, missing, or injured, while four were swept away by floods in Lang Chanh district, the central province of Thanh Hoa, on July 19. In addition, many fires and explosions have happened, causing serious impacts, including a fire at the apartment complex Carina Plaza in Ho Chi Minh City which killed 13 people and a blaze at Hai Ha 18 oil tanker in Hai Phong city. “Those incidents and disasters require us to take responsibility for reducing losses and intensifying response measures. Minimising human and asset losses are the core task of the work, contributing to ensuring the continuation of socio-economic development,” Dung stressed. The leader said that in the remaining months of 2018, the weather and climate situation is likely to be complex with unpredictable developments. He asked ministries, sectors, and localities to keep a close watch on rain and flood developments after storm Son Tinh, the third of its kind to hit the East Sea; as well as flood developments in the east, southern, and Mekong Delta regions; and other areas prone to landslides and flashfloods so as to promptly evacuate locals from dangerous areas. The Deputy PM required the State Committee for Incident, Disaster Response, and Search and Rescue and the Central Steering Committee on Disaster Prevention and Control to set up inspection delegations to inspect localities’ preparations for disaster response, including measures to ensure residents’ safety, protect dykes, dams, and reservoirs. It is necessary to step up communications with and heighten the responsibility of leaders at all levels for disaster and incident response, including search and rescue missions, and increase the efficiency of forecasting work and preventive measures to minimise tragic losses. Localities should take initiative in carrying out plans to respond to strong storms and typhoons, widespread downpours, floods, landslides, earthquakes, and tsunamis based on the likelihood of their geographic area, he suggested. He also required localities and authorised forces to pay attention to measures on explosion response and intensify inspections to ensure traffic safety. Boosting international cooperation is also important, he said, stressing the necessity to improve the quality of human resources, apply technology in responding to incidents and disasters and in search and rescue, and participate in bilateral and multilateral drills.  Vietnam highlights ASEAN-India maritime connectivity    Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung speaks at the 10th Delhi Dialogue  Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung highlighted the role of maritime connectivity between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and India at the 10th Delhi Dialogue on July 19. Addressing the event, Deputy FM Dung emphasised the long-standing maritime links between ASEAN member countries and India, as well as the role of maritime shipping routes through ASEAN and India in international trade. Maritime cooperation has offered opportunities and challenges for both sides, he said. Maritime connectivity is one of the key areas that the two sides need to take advantage of in order to strengthen their economic and trade cooperation, Dung said, proposing they spare no effort to conclude negotiations on the ASEAN-India maritime transportation agreement. ASEAN and India should strengthen and develop maritime infrastructure, said the Deputy FM, including hard infrastructure such as seaport systems, logistics and transport; and soft infrastructure like policies, rules, and regulations to connect the transport of goods and relevant services. He underlined the need to preserve the marine environment alongside economic development. The Deputy FM applauded the results of the second ASEAN-India seminar on blue marine economy, co-chaired by India and Vietnam, in New Delhi on July 18, following the first in Vietnam in November 2017. Dung and others from ASEAN member countries and India emphasised the need to maintain marine security and safety as a prerequisite for both sides to develop their maritime economies. He specified that countries involved need to ensure the principles on freedom of navigation and aviation, respect international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), while also strengthening cooperation to tackle transnational challenges such as pirates, human trafficking, and weapon and drug smuggling. The Delhi Dialogue is held annually to discuss measures to implement the ASEAN-India strategic partnership. The 2018 dialogue saw more than 200 delegates, including ministers, government officials, policymakers, scholars, business leaders, and organisation representatives from both sides. Governors of India’s northeastern states were also present at the event to promote relations between the region and ASEAN. The Delhi Dialogue focused discussions on a series of issues such as the role of India’s northeastern provinces in cooperation with ASEAN countries; ASEAN-India partnership and the role of marine cooperation in bilateral affiliation; and collaboration in trade, investment, technology, e-commerce, support for small- and medium-sized enterprises, tourism, and construction of smart cities. VNN