Press digest – March 23
State President meets with top Lao leader
During their talks in Vientiane, State President Truong Tan Sang and Party General Secretary and State President of Laos Choummaly Sayasone agreed to facilitate all-level visits, effectively realize agreements reached at the 37th meeting of the Viet Nam – Laos Inter-governmental Committee and promptly issue policies conducive to bilateral trade and investment.
Vietnamese and Lao leaders have committed to fostering the traditional friendship and special solidarity, regarding it crucial to the victory of their revolutionary causes.
Both host and guest pledged to join coordinated efforts with other ASEAN nations to realise their common community by late 2015.
PM pays tribute to former Singaporean PM
PM Nguyen Tan Dung came to pay tribute to Mr. Lee Kuan Yew at the Singapore Embassy.
Vietnamese people always keep in mind the sentiments and valuable assistance offered by former Singaporean PM Lee Kuan Yew to Viet Nam, PM Nguyen Tan Dung has written down in the funeral register book dedicated to Mr. Lee Kuan Yew.
Earlier on the day, PM Dung cabled his condolences to his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong.
Deputy PM expresses sympathy over Lee Kuan Yew’s death
Deputy PM, FM Pham Binh Minh extended his heartfelt condolences to the Singaporean Government and people over the death of the country’s former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
Talking to Singaporean Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam over the phone, Minh said the deceased, who established and laid solid foundations for Singapore’s development, was a great friend of the Vietnamese people.
Thailand, VN bolster judicial cooperation
The Vietnamese and Thai Ministries of Justice have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation in legal and judicial affairs.
The two ministries will share experience in legal and judicial reform, support one another at regional and international forums, and coordinate in improving laws on the execution of civil verdicts, informing citizens of laws and regulations, addressing disputes outside the court system, and enhancing the capacity of judicial officials.
CPI slightly increases in HN, HCM City
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) of Ha Noi in March increased 0.38% compared to the previous month and up 0.65% against the same period last year.
The price of oil and gas still reduced, which led to the reduction in the transportation price of 0.03%.
The Ho Chi Minh City Statistics Office also reported a growth of 0.16% in the city’s CPI for March. The figure for the first three months also represented a 0.54% annual increase.
The office said that the increase was triggered by a sharp rise in demands of food and restaurant services (0.51%), garments, hats and shoes (0.05%), culture and entertainment (0.05%) and housing, electricity, water and building materials (0.02%).
Japan pushes eco-urban area growth partnership
The Japanese government will help Viet Nam develop and operate its eco-urban areas through the use of new technologies, credit and provision of training and sharing of experiences, according to Japanese experts in a recent meeting in Ha Noi.
Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Da Nang, and Can Tho are already targeted cities for eco-development. Other pipelines projects are mapped in other province such as Bac Ninh, Thai Nguyen, Dong Nai, Binh Duong, and Hoa Binh.
VN aids Cambodia to build military school
The Engineering High Command of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) inaugurated the Vietnamese-funded building for the management board of the Decho Sapper School in Kampong Cham province.
The school is being built at a total cost of about US$1 million funded by the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense, including US$300,000 provided for the initial phase.
Under a recently signed 2015 cooperation protocol, the Vietnam People’s Army will provide basic construction aid for the RCAF with an expected disbursement of around US$4 million.
(Source: VGP/VNA/VOV)
By Thuy Dung
