Press digests – April 17
VN withdraws from ASIAD hosting plan
PM Nguyen Tan Dung has assigned several ministries and Ha Noi capital to work with the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and relevant agencies to pull the plug on the hosting of the 2019 Asian Games (ASIAD 18).
PM Dung said the Party’s Political Bureau, Party Secretariat and government support the hosting of regional and international sporting events, including ASIAD, at an appropriate time to develop sports, as well as the economy.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Hanoi Municipal People’s Committee launched campaign and won the bid to host the 18th Asian Games in 2019 in Ha Noi.
VN, US look to new relationship
Viet Nam and the US need to work towards a new relationship for their long-term sake, National Assembly (NA) Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung has said.
The Chairman made the statement on April 17 during his Ha Noi talks with President pro tempore of the US Senate Patrick Leahy.
He suggested the two sides increases dialogues to serve the recognition of Viet Nam as a market economy and the negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
For his side, Mr. Patrik Leahy affirmed support for the cooperation between the two Governments in overcoming war consequences.
VN, Germany promote legislation relations
At a reception for Edelgard Bulmahn, Vice President of the German Bundestag (parliament), National Assembly (NA) Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung noted the two countries have maintained high-level visit exchanges, creating momentum for strengthening bilateral relations.
Hung hailed Germany’s selection of Ho Chi Minh City to host the 14th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Businesses in November 2014, saying the biennial event will help promote trade and investment between Germany and Asia-Pacific nations, including Viet Nam.
For her part, Edelgard spoke highly of the Vietnamese legislature’s recent adoption of the new Constitution to promote social progress and democracy. She proposed that the two countries’ parliaments support and foster bilateral relations in the future.
Ensuring legitimate rights of Vietnamese overseas
Vietnam is examining nationality registration procedures for Vietnamese expatriates to ensure their legitimate rights and interests, says Le Hai Binh, the Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson.
Binh was responding to reporters’ queries at a regular press briefing in Hanoi on April 17, amidst concerns about a small number of Vietnamese residents abroad having registered to retain their Vietnamese nationality.
Binh quoted Vietnam’s Constitution saying Vietnamese expatriates are an indispensable part of the Vietnamese nation.
VN, UK promote Strategic Partnership
Deputy PM Vu Van Ninh held talks with UK Foreign Secretary William Hague, met with Minister without Portfolio and Co-Chairman of the Conservative Party Grant Sharpps and representatives of UK large investors.
The two sides exchanged views on their socio-economic development and diplomatic policies as well as measures to promote the Strategic Partnership in the fields of politics, diplomacy, trade, investment, cooperation, education, training, national defense, security and international and regional issues of mutual concerns.
The UK will do its utmost to urge the EU to complete the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiation round with Viet Nam in 2014 and recognize Viet Nam as a market economy, stated the UK Foreign Secretary.
The same day, the Deputy PM Vu Van Ninh met with representatives of 10 investment funds.
VN, Russia intensify partnership in technology, environment
The Viet Nam National Assembly’s Committee for Science, Technology and Environment on April 17 held talks with a delegation from the Russian State Duma Committee for Energy, led by Vice Chairman of the Russian committee Levchenko Sergey Georgievich.
The two sides agreed to enhance supervision in the fields of technology, environment, oil and gas, nuclear power and national security and diversify methods to train human resources.
US - VN’s largest aquatic importer
The US spent US$1.61 billion on Vietnamese aquatic products in the first quarter of 2014.
It becomes the largest importer of the item, accounting for 26.36% of Viet Nam's export over the past three months.
In 2013, the country made an import value of US$1.518 billion, up 27.4%.
Two-way trade turnover with China, Brazil rockets in Q1
Viet Nam and China set the goal to raise their two-way trade to US$60 billion by 2015 and reduce the trade imbalances.
Over the past few years, two-way trade value grew nearly 30% per year.
Viet Nam-Brazil two-way trade turnover in the first quarter of 2014 is estimated at US$749.2 million, a year-on-year surge of 77.7%.
Viet Nam’s Commercial Affairs expected that the figure will be US$3 billion in 2014 and US$12 billion by 2020.
By Thuy Dung
