Press digest – August 18
PM reaffirms close ties with Cambodia
Viet Nam always spares no effort to promote the relations with Cambodia for mutual interests and for peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region and ASEAN, PM Nguyen Tan Dung stated while meeting with top Cambodian legislator Heng Samrin.
He expected that the Cambodian Legislature will back the legal status of the Vietnamese community to help them integrate into the local society and contribute to the development of Cambodia.
Regarding the burning of Vietnamese flag and illegal demonstration by Khmer Kampuchea Krom extremists recently, PM Dung asked the National Assembly and Government of Cambodia to take proper measures to prevent the recurrence of the incidents in the future.
VN condemns terrorist activities in Iraq
FM Spokesman Le Hai Binh stated that Viet Nam supports all efforts of the Iraqi Government and the international community in stabilizing situations in Iraq when asked about Viet Nam’s reactions to terrorist activities against Iraqi citizens.
Regarding the Iraqi President's nomination of a new PM, opening fresh chances for the establishment of a new Government in Iraq, Mr. Binh said Viet Nam welcomes the nomination and hopes that the new Government will be soon established to stabilize and rebuild the country.
German partners help Mekong Delta tackle climate change
Representatives from the Mekong Delta German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and Siemens gathered at a meeting to discuss a project to enhance the region’s capacity to better cope with climate change.
Capital resources will be mobilised from GIZ’s sponsors such as the World Bank (WB), the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The project is expected to commence sometime in late 2014 and be completed in mid-2015.
Ten items make over US$58 billion in exports
Ten items earned US$58.34 billion from exports, accounting for 69.5% of the nation’s total export turnover over the past seven months of the year.
Phones and accessories ranked first with US$13.33 billion, a year-on-year increase of 15.41%, followed by garment with US$11.5 billion, up 19.54% and footwear with US$5.78 billion, up 22.46%.
Australian cattle export to VN up 9,000%
Australia’s export of live cattle to Viet Nam soared nearly 9,000% during the 2011-2012 financial year, according to the Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA).
The latest statistics by the MLA showed that the number of cattle shipped to Vietnam has risen from 1,500 to a staggering 131,000 head of cattle over the past three years.
Russian food import ban benefits VN
Russia’s recent decision to ban fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, milk and dairy imports from the US, the EU, Australia, Canada and Norway creates opportunities for Vietnamese businesses to expand exports to the Eurasian country.
Vietnamese Entrepreneurs’ Association Vice Chairman Duong Hai An in Russia and Director General of the Volga-Viet Company, said taxes on Russian agriculture is very low, even at zero, which benefits Vietnamese businesses.
Market analysts are saying that Russia offers huge opportunities for Vietnamese businesses, especially with negotiations for a free trade agreement between Vietnam and the Customs Union (Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus) coming to an end.
Central Highlands consolidates public healthcare system
The Central Highlands strives to set up medical stations in all communes by 2015 as part of effort to reinforce its public healthcare system, heard a workshop in Dak Lak province.
Participants suggested priority to personnel training in disadvantaged areas, and all possible perks for medical workers at the grassroots, including health insurance staff.
They also stressed the need to equip preventive medicine centers with necessary equipment and technologies, ensuring that they meet the national standard by 2015.
By Thuy Dung
