Political News Headlines 28/3 Viet Nam looking to tap Spain partnership potential: President Viet Nam treasures its ties with Spain and wishes to boost bilateral co-operation in all fields, President Truong Tan Sang informed Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs and Co-operation Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo.   President Truong Tan Sang (right) receives Spain's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Co-operation Jose Manuel Garcia Margallo.  During his meeting with the diplomat in Ha Noi yesterday (March 27), he lauded Spain's approval to a free trade agreement with Viet Nam, adding that Viet Nam hoped that Spain will work in close coordination during the negotiations for a similar deal with the European Union. As an active and responsible member of ASEAN, Viet Nam was willing to act as a bridge for Spain to strengthen relations with other members of the group, Sang noted. Emphasising that the bilateral cooperation outcomes have yet to match the potential of both sides, he also suggested that Viet Nam and Spain should deploy specific action programmes to further intensify their partnership in the future, especially in trade and investment. Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo noted that top Spanish firms travelling with him were seeking investment opportunities in Viet Nam. Sharing Sang's opinion that there was room for both sides to foster all-round cooperation, he was of the viewpoint that in the future, more businesses from Spain will enjoy effective investment in Viet Nam. He affirmed that his country supported Viet Nam's intentions to strengthen relations with the EU. The official stressed that the two countries should enhance political dialogues by increasing high-level meetings, while continuing their close affiliation in regional and international forums, especially in the framework of the United Nations, ASEAN-EU relations, and the Asia-Europe Meeting. On the same day, the Spanish diplomat and the President of the Viet Nam Women's Union (VWU) Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa attended a ceremony to mark 15 years of the Viet Nam-Spain partnership for development. Hoa remarked that Viet Nam, in support of Spain's Agency for International Development Co-operation and non-governmental organisations, had implemented several poverty reduction projects and built healthcare service models for the local victims of human trafficking and those at a high risk of the illegal trade. The projects have helped improve the standard of living of the locals, especially women and children, as well as raised the position of women in various fields, claimed Hoa. The visiting Spanish minister laid emphasis on cooperation and development as an efficient and crucial means of promoting strategic partnership between the two sides, adding that his country would continue to support Viet Nam in the coming years, focusing on refining relevant institutional and legal frameworks to ensure gender equality. Since its deployment in 2007, the safe house project has helped 260 human trafficking victims back home and offered counselling to over 3,000 others. It has also provided those victims with medical check-up, psychological therapy, legal support, and vocational training to enable their successful reintegration into social life. PM Dung meets with Cuban NA President Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung yesterday, March 27, met with the President of Cuba's National Assembly Esteban Lazo Hernandez, as part of his official visit to the Caribbean country.   PM Nguyen Tan Dung (left) meets with First Deputy President of the Council of State of Cuba Miguel Diaz Canel Bermudez in Havana. PM Dung said he was impressed with the achievements of the Cuban Party, State and people in developing the country, particularly in the fields of health, education, science and technology. The Government leader also expressed appreciation for Cuba's valuable support throughout Viet Nam's past struggle for national liberation and it's current socio-economic development. Both sides agreed that the special relationship between the two countries had seen significant developments through agreements signed by their high-level leaders. They also said the establishment of the Cuba-Viet Nam Friendship Parliamentarians' Group in July 2013 was a further symbol of a close bilateral bond. The Cuban legislative leader said he hoped the two countries would expand co-operation in economics, trade and investment, adding that Cuba was eager for more experience sharing with Viet Nam regarding socio-economic development. Dung also extended an invitation on behalf of National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung to President Hernandez to attend the 132nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. The event will be held in Viet Nam in March 2015. Later in the day, the Prime Minister plans to visit a Cuban rice farm in Pinar del Rio province to inspect the progress and efficiency of a joint agricultural project. PM active in Cuba On March 26, PM Dung visited the Cuban Institute for Friendship with the Peoples and the Cuba-Viet Nam Friendship Association during his official visit to the Caribbean nation. In a meeting with the staff of both organisations, Dung stated that despite the geographical distance between the countries, Viet Nam closely followed news coming out of Cuba and was delighted at the country's socio-economic achievements. Viet Nam was also committed to everlasting friendship and solidarity with Cuba, he said, adding that he believed Cuba would overcome all difficulties to develop further. Earlier, the Government leader paid a floral tribute at President Ho Chi Minh's statue in Havana and visited the Vietnamese Embassy. US unveils five-year strategy The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced its 2014-18 Country Development Cooperation Strategy. Speaking at a press conference yesterday in HCM City, Joakim Parker, USAID mission director in Viet Nam, said the strategy was the next step in US-Viet Nam development co-operation and laid the foundation for planning, budget allocation, and USAID activities during the next five years. The assistance will be focused on collaborative efforts that support Viet Nam's continued transformation "into a responsible, more inclusive partner". The first of the strategy's three objectives is to enhance broader, sustainable growth with a budget of US$86 million for five years. Support activities will address trade and competitiveness, strengthen capacity and improve higher education. The second is to increase capacity to protect and improve health and well-being with a planned budget of $239 million. Activities will include control of avian influenza, HIV/AIDS, help for people with disabilities, women's empowerment, climate change and disaster mitigation. The third objective is the enhancement of the US-Viet Nam partnership by addressing legacies with a planned budget of $19 million. Activities include dioxin remediation at Da Nang airport as well as environmental assessment in Bien Hoa City. "These are shared objectives between the US and Viet Nam and to achieve them, we are largely and proudly building on past successes," said Rena Bitter, US Consul General in HCM City. For example, bilateral trade had grown 60-fold since 1995 to more than $29 billion last year, she said. "We believe the development plan will play a major role in fulfilling goals set by Presidents Obama and Truong Tan Sang when they outlined the US-Viet Nam Comprehensive Partnership last July." She added that Viet Nam was poised to become one of the US's leading economic partners in the region. The US and Viet Nam recently signed an agreement on USAID's $42 million Governance for Inclusive Growth programme, an investment in broad-based and sustainable growth that will help Viet Nam implement commitments under the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) while expanding opportunities for women and vulnerable groups. "Of course, there can be no sustainable economic growth if Viet Nam remains susceptible to the devastating effects of climate change. The two countries are co-operating with great urgency on this issue," Bitter added. Tran Vinh Nhung, deputy director of HCM City's Department of Industry and Trade, thanked USAID for launching the strategy and its support for Viet Nam, especially HCM City. MRC to focus on cross-border co-operation The second summit of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) will be held in HCM City on April 5. The information was released by Le Duc Trung, the Office Chief of the Viet Nam National Mekong Committee, at a press conference in Ha Noi yesterday, March 27. The Vietnamese delegation, led by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, will join others from Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and dialogue partners, China and Myanmar, at the event. The representatives from development partners, donors, and international organisations will also be attending the summit. Themed "Co-operation for Water, Energy and Food Security in Transboundary Basins under a Changing Climate", the summit aims to strengthen the commitment of cross-border cooperation in the sustainable development of the Mekong River Basin's water resources. This is a pressing demand along with the need for water, energy, and food resources. The summit will highlight the will and political commitment of leaders from the MRC member countries to enhance regional affiliation in overcoming all challenges for the sustainable development of the Mekong River Basins. The meeting will also outline priority areas for the MRC in the immediate future, especially in ensuring water, energy, and food security and reducing the impact of climate change. The leaders are expected to release a joint statement at the end of the event. According to Trung, on the threshold of the summit, an international seminar will be held from April 2-3 to discuss regional and global issues of common concern, such as water, energy, and food security, risk management and climate change adaptation in transboundary basins. The first MRC summit was held in Hua Hin, Thailand, in 2010, to mark the 15th anniversary of the Agreement on Cooperation in the Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin (1995 Mekong Agreement). Defence Minister bids farewell to US Ambassador Defence Minister General Phung Quang Thanh hosted a reception in Hanoi on March 27 for US Ambassador David B. Shear who came to say goodbye at the end of his tenure in Vietnam. Minister Thanh highlighted the extensive Vietnam-US ties and congratulated the ambassador on fulfilling his tasks in the country. He noted that both nations have set up a comprehensive partnership and bolstered bilateral defence ties through sharing experience on participating in the peacekeeping forces of the United Nations, working together in humanitarian aids, coping with natural calamities, and securing marine safety. The outcomes were contributed by the ambassador, Minister Thanh said, adding that he hopes the diplomat will continue his support to move the Vietnam-US relations forward. Ambassador B. Shear suggested both sides increase high-level delegation exchanges in the future and implement effectively the signed memorandum of understanding on bilateral defence ties as well as push ahead to surmount the war aftermaths in Vietnam. Vietnam and the US normalised their relations in 1995. The two countries set up a comprehensive partnership in July 2013. Their two-way trade hit 24 billion USD in 2012-2013. Deputy PM: Vietnam values ties with Slovakia Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh met Slovak Ambassador Igor Pacolak in Hanoi on March 27, during which he affirmed that Vietnam attaches much importance to the development of ties with Eastern European countries, including Slovakia. He expressed his delight at the positive progress in trade cooperation between the two sides over the past years, with an encouraging two-way trade value of 417 million USD in 2013, up 39 percent over the previous year. Deputy PM Minh also thanked the Slovak Government for the favourable conditions it has created for the Vietnamese community in the country. Pacolak pledged that during his office tenure, he will try his best to make the relations more practical and effective. Deputy PM Minh said the Foreign Ministry as well as other ministries of Vietnam will support the diplomat in his operation. Fatherland Front President begins Singapore visit President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan on March 27 began a four-day working visit to Singapore at the invitation of the People's Association (PA) of Singapore. During his stay, Nhan is scheduled to meet Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister; Amy Khor, Minister of State for Manpower; Sam Tan, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs and for Culture, Community and Youth; and Ang Hak Seng, PA’s Chief Executive Director. The VFF President will explore how Singapore attracts talented personnel into the public sector and manages manpower in general and migrant workers in particular. He will look at how the PA manages the operations of community clubs and grassroots programmes that promote community engagement. The delegation will call on the Vietnamese community in the city-state. Vietnam, Myanmar enjoy flourishing relations Vietnam and Myanmar have seen fast-growing development in their traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation, especially in business and investment, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh has said. At a March 27 reception for newly-accredited Myanmar Ambassador to Vietnam Uyn Lai, Deputy PM Minh expressed his belief that Myanmar will continue to maintain its stability and growth and successfully take over the role of the ASEAN chairmanship this year as well as contribute greatly to peace, cooperation and development in the region. He also discussed with the guest measures aimed to further promote bilateral cooperation between the two countries and their collaboration at regional and international forums for the common interest of the two peoples and the peace and stability of the region. For his part, Uyn Lai affirmed that he will do his utmost to help expand and deepen the friendship and cooperation between the two countries and the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs in particular. Vietnamese, Lao war veterans cement ties Colonel Nguyen Hong Ha is leading a Vietnamese war veteran delegation to visit their former battle fields in Laos from March 22-29. The officials met their peers from the Lao War Veterans’ Association on March 27, during which both sides shared experience in poverty alleviation, and improving health and living standards for ex-servicemen and women. Colonel Hong recalled the hard war years when the two countries’ veterans stood side by side to overcome difficulties. Major General Thongkhen Ondavong highlighted the special bilateral relationship and expressed his deep gratitude to the Vietnamese soldiers who sacrificed their lives to the cause of Lao national salvation. He said the Lao people and war veterans in particular will always remember their valuable assistance and vow to promote the bilateral long-standing ties among the younger generations. Vietnam and Laos share a 2,000km border, the longest land border that Vietnam shares with a neighbouring country. In addition to sound political relations, both sides have also enjoyed strong economic ties with two-way trade reaching US$817 million by October 2013. The two nations are striving to increase bilateral trade turnover to US$2 billion in 2015 and US$5 billion in 2020. Foundation set up for East Sea studies The Foundation for East Sea Studies (FESS) made its official debut in Hanoi on March 27. The FESS, which has been licensed since January 2014, is a non-profit social fund that provides financial assistance to those who wish to become involved in protecting Vietnam’s sea and island sovereignty, as well as promoting peace, stability and cooperation in the East Sea. The foundation is an effective channel through which to identify and utilize outstanding individuals in East Sea research. It also aims to boost information dissemination on the nation’s sea and island sovereignty, and Party and State policies and laws. At the launch ceremony of FESS, former Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan, who is also a senior advisor to the foundation, emphasised that sea and island studies have become a hot topic worldwide. He added that studies on the East Sea have recently drawn due attention from Vietnamese scholars and students. He said the FESS will encourage local people to engage in East Sea research and connect with global research on the same theme, with a view to helping Vietnam in its protection of national sea and island sovereignty. The FESS is co-founded by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV), former Deputy Foreign Minister Le Cong Phung, and former Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore and Canada Nguyen Duc Hung. At the launch, the organising board presented 13 awards to outstanding East Sea research works in 2013. VNN/VOV/VNS/VNA