Press digest – April 4
Two Kilo-class submarines put into service
The Viet Nam People’s Navy on Thursday organized the flag-raising ceremony to mark the first two Kilo-class submarines’ official entry into service in the central province of Khanh Hoa.
The event is of special importance as it marked the new development of the Viet Nam People’s Navy in particular and the Viet Nam People’s Army in general, said PM Nguyen Tan Dung.
PM Dung reaffirmed that Viet Nam’s defense policy is that of peace and self-defense. Viet Nam’s army modernization is only for self-defense and safeguard of its legitimate interests. It does not, in any way, target any other country.
State President welcomes RoK official
State President Truong Tan Sang received Hur Nam Sik, Mayor of the Republic of Korea(RoK)’s Busan city, who is leading a delegation of Busan’s business people and intellectuals on a working visit to Viet Nam.
Mr. Sang said relations between Viet Nam and the RoK have developed well in recent times, through visit exchanges of their high-ranking delegations, ministries, localities, business and people’s organizations.
He proposed the RoK government and the Busan council create conditions for Vietnamese residents in the RoK to integrate well into the local community.
The Vietnamese state will continue assisting RoK business people and residents to work and live in Viet Nam as their second home, Mr. Sang said.
DPM Vu Duc Dam heads national AIDS control committee
The PM has assigned Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam as Chairman of the National Committee for AIDS, Drugs and Prostitution Prevention and Control.
The post was previously held by Deputy PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
The National Committee is the interdisciplinary agency tasked to assist the PM in directing and coordinating AIDS, drugs and prostitution prevention and control.
VN demands fair treatment for businesses in US
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Hai Binh made the statement that Vietnamese businesses have not dumped tra and basa fish on the US market, and they must receive fair treatment as Americans do.
Trade issues between the two countries should be considered fairly and objectively in the spirit of trade liberalization, as well as in line with their fine economic and trade relations, he concluded.
Economic cooperation promoted in OIF
The forum on the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF)’s regional economic cooperation was held on April 3 in Ha Noi.
The OIF and its members will establish a new economic strategy to forge their economic cooperation.
Chinese ambassador receives VUFO insignia
The Viet Nam Union of Friendship Association (VUFO) presented the “For peace and friendship of nations” insignia to outgoing Chinese Ambassador Kong Xuanyou in recognition of his contributions to the friendship and cooperation between Viet Nam and China.
VUFO President Vu Xuan Hong praised the efforts of Ambassador Kong in activities to boost people-to-people contacts between the two nations.
The diplomat pledged that in the future, in any position that he serves, he will continue working hard to make further contributions to the development of bilateral ties between the two countries as well as the traditional relations between the two Parties, States and peoples.
HVBC established
The Hellenic-Vietnamese Business Council (HVBC) has been set up in Athens, Greece.
The establishment of the HVBC is meaningful to the economic ties, in particular and the multi-lateral relations between Ha Noi and Athens in general.
Viet Nam-Greece two-way trade in 2013 reached US$210 million, three times higher than the previous year. Viet Nam gained US$186 million from exporting to Greece.
VN-Brazil trade likely to hit US$3 bln this year
Two-way trade between Viet Nam and Brazil is expected to hit US$3 billion this year if they keep up the momentum.
Their January – February trade figure was over US$490 million, up 122% year-on-year. Nearly US$215.5 million of this came from Viet Nam’s exports, up 52.9%, while its imports also jumped 244%.
Investment in HCM City, Bac Ninh sharply increase in Q1
Ho Chi Minh City attracted a total investment of US$277.45 million in the first quarter of 2014, a year-on-year increase of 90%.
In the first quarter of this year, the northern province of Bac Ninh granted investment licenses to 32 new projects worth nearly US$200 million, fulfilling 64% of the year’s target.
By Thuy Dung
