Press digest – August 19

VN prioritises stronger cooperation with Cambodia

Viet Nam always gives top priority to fostering and developing the sound neighborly relations, traditional friendship and multi-dimensional cooperation with Cambodia.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made the remarks while receiving President of the Cambodia’s National Assembly Heng Samrin in Ha Noi.

He hailed the fruitful cooperation between the two parliaments over the past few years, expressing his hopes that the pair will continue sharing information and law-making experience as well as implementing effectively the contents of signed agreements and treaties.

For his part, Heng Samrin asserted that his country will do its utmost along with Viet Nam to preserve and nurture the bilateral companionship and all-around connection to reach a new height.

VN expects to deepen ties with Mexico

The Vietnamese Government expects to strengthen friendship and cooperation in various fields with Mexico.

Deputy PM, FM Pham Binh Minh affirmed that during his reception for Chairman of the Mexican Senate’s Foreign Affairs Committee for Asia Pacific, Senator Teofilo Torres Corzo in Ha Noi.

Mr. Minh asked Senator Teofilo Torres Corzo to convey the invitation to Mexican President Peña Nieto to pay an official visit to Viet Nam to beef up the bilateral ties.

Both sides agreed to continue fostering consultation and coordination, supporting each other at international organizations and multilateral forums for mutual benefits and for peace, stability, cooperation and development on regional and global scales.

VN, Laos boost labor cooperation

Policy makers of Viet Nam and Laos met in the central province of Nghe An province to review progress in implementing an agreement aimed at bolstering labor cooperation.

Statistics of the Vietnamese Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) showed that approximately 13,500 Vietnamese, mostly skilled workers, are employed to work for cooperation investment projects between the two countries’ agencies or localities, and Vietnamese contractors in Laos.

Viet Nam will continue to assist Laos in training skilled laborers, thus improving the quality of its human resources.

VN cooperate with Germany in sustainable forest management

The Viet Nam-Germany Forestry Program has supported two Vietnamese enterprises in attaining the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)’s certificate.

They examined sustainable management of natural forests; processing, trading and marketing of main forestry products; and policy consultations.

The program will be connected with a new program on preserving and sustainably using Vietnamese forest biodiversity, which is scheduled to be implemented in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Laos Red Cross officials trained in VN

Lao officials are attending a course on natural disaster response and other humanitarian training held by Viet Nam Red Cross (VRC) in Ha Noi.

The training is part of a cooperation agreement between the two countries’ Red Cross (RC) societies signed last year.

This is the first time the course has been organised to share experience and policies and guidelines on humanitarian activities of the two Red Cross organisations.

Vinamilk wins Global Food Industry Award

Vinamilk’s dedication to food science and technology has been acknowledged by the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST).

The IUFoST has honoured Vinamilk with its prestigious Global Food Industry Award, which is given in recognition of the company’s efforts in advancing global food science and technology for the benefit of everyone.

All five dairy farms operated by Vinamilk in Viet Nam have received the distinguished French Bureau Veritas ISO 9001 Certification.

VN, Spain bilateral trade turnover rises

Trade turnover between Viet Nam and Spain reached $1.43 billion in the first half this year, a year-on-year rise of 26.3%.

Viet Nam’s exports to Spain were valued at $1.26 billion, up almost 26% compared to the same period last year, while import turnover from the market posted up 30% at $171.5 million.

Viet Nam’s major commodities to Spain were telecommunications products, seafood, cashew, coffee and rice.

JICA assists waste treatment in aquatic farming

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has pledged to provide $3.63 million in non-refundable aid for a project to produce electricity from waste in aquaculture in the Mekong Delta.

The project will focus on issues relating to treatment of water and organic waste. Accordingly, organic waste, which is sediment in ponds and can pollute the living environment of fish and other aquatic animals, will be pumped into a tank to produce biogas.

The project will be implemented in the Mekong Delta from April 2015 to March 2020.

Australian live cattle imports explode

The number of live cattle imported into Viet Nam from Australia over the past two years has increased nearly 90 fold since the 2011-2012 fiscal year.

The latest statistics released by the MLA show that the number of cattle shipped to Viet Nam has risen from just 1,500 to a staggering 131,000 head over the past three years.