Press digest – April 20-26
April 27, 2015 8:19 AM GMT+7
PM attends 26th ASEAN Summit
PM Nguyen Tan Dung arrived in Kuala Lumpur for the 26th ASEAN Summit in Malaysia at the invitation of his Malaysian counterpart Najib Tun Abdul Razak.
He was accompanied by Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, Minister-Chairman of the Government Office Nguyen Van Nen, and Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang, among others.
Viet Nam’s participation in the event is expected to boost ASEAN connectivity, strengthen solidarity and unity, thus making the group’s operation more effective and pushing the role of the bloc in ensuring peace, security, cooperation and development in the region.
VN, Belgium boost cooperation in legislation
A delegation from the Viet Nam National Assembly’s Law Committee, led by its head Phan Trung Ly, visited Belgium to seek experience and cooperation in making laws.
They had a working session with Belgian Senate Chairwoman Christine Defraigne who praised VietNam’s successful organisation of the 132th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly and it growing international reputation.
Ly expressed his hope for the Belgian Federal Parliament’s continual assistance to Vietnam in developing and completing laws.
Nepal, VN boost audit cooperation
At a meeting with the Nepalese high-ranking delegation led by Auditor General, Bhanu PrasalAcharya in Ha Noi, National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan hoped the two agencies will continue sharing experience in environmental and quality audits in order to further develop bilateral ties.
For his part, Nepalese Auditor General BhanuPrasad Acharya said the visit helps enhance mutual understanding and create a firm foundation for future cooperation, contributing to elevating friendship relations between the two countries.
Investment agreement between ASEAN, India ratified
The PM has approved an investment agreement in the framework of the Frame Agreement on comprehensive economic cooperation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Republic of India, which was signed on November 12, 2014 in Myanmar.
The Government asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to carry out diplomatic procedures as regulated and the Ministry of Planning and Investment to cooperate with relevant ministries and agencies to launch the agreement.
ASEAN Ministers meet in Kuala Lumpur
The ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) commenced in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, as the first event of the 26th ASEAN Summit.
Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh attended at the event together with his counterparts from nine other ASEAN member states of
Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.
The ministers will discuss the establishment of an ASEAN Community and its post-2015 vision and related documents together with the progress towards the formation of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
South Africa’s freedom day marked in VN
The South African Embassy in Viet Nam held a ceremony in Ha Noi to celebrate the 21st anniversary of its country’s Freedom Day (April 27, 1994 - April 27, 2015).
At the ceremony, South African Ambassador to Viet Nam, Kgomotso Ruth Magau emphasised South Africa had established close friendship with Viet Nam since the1950s and expressed her wish to cement the ties further for mutual economic growth and better living standards for both nations’ people.
Both sides expressed their belief that the two countries will gain greater achievements in their bilateral ties, in the basic interests of their peoples, and for peace and stability in the region and the world.
HCM City attracts US$1.2 bln in overseas remittances
The overseas remittances to Ho Chi Minh City in the first quarter of 2015 reached US$1.2 billion, US$200million higher than the same period last year.
As much as 74.2% of the figure was poured in manufacturing, 21.8% in the real estate sector and 4% going to senders' relatives.
The overseas remittances to Viet Nam witnessed continuous increases over the past four years from US$9 billion in 2011, US$10 billion in 2012, US$11billion in 2013 to US$12 billion in 2014.
By Ngoc Van
