• An Giang
  • Binh Duong
  • Binh Phuoc
  • Binh Thuan
  • Binh Dinh
  • Bac Lieu
  • Bac Giang
  • Bac Kan
  • Bac Ninh
  • Ben Tre
  • Cao Bang
  • Ca Mau
  • Can Tho
  • Dien Bien
  • Da Nang
  • Da Lat
  • Dak Lak
  • Dak Nong
  • Dong Nai
  • Dong Thap
  • Gia Lai
  • Ha Noi
  • Ho Chi Minh
  • Ha Giang
  • Ha Nam
  • Ha Tinh
  • Hoa Binh
  • Hung Yen
  • Hai Duong
  • Hai Phong
  • Hau Giang
  • Khanh Hoa
  • Kien Giang
  • Kon Tum
  • Lai Chau
  • Long An
  • Lao Cai
  • Lam Dong
  • Lang Son
  • Nam Dinh
  • Nghe An
  • Ninh Binh
  • Ninh Thuan
  • Phu Tho
  • Phu Yen
  • Quang Binh
  • Quang Nam
  • Quang Ngai
  • Quang Ninh
  • Quang Tri
  • Soc Trang
  • Son La
  • Thanh Hoa
  • Thai Binh
  • Thai Nguyen
  • Thua Thien Hue
  • Tien Giang
  • Tra Vinh
  • Tuyen Quang
  • Tay Ninh
  • Vinh Long
  • Vinh Phuc
  • Vung Tau
  • Yen Bai

Weekly press digest – June 16-22

June 23, 2014 7:40 AM GMT+7

National Assembly adopts revised Law on Marriage and Family

National Assembly deputies at their ongoing seventh session on June 19 adopted the revised Law on Marriage and Family.

Comprising 10 chapters and 133 articles, the new Law on Marriage and Family regulates that men from the age of 20 and women from the age of 18 are eligible to get married.

Same sex marriage is not recognised by the law.

Meanwhile, surrogacy for humanitarian purposes is accepted when it is voluntarily agreed by the sides concerned and recorded in a written document, according to the law.

State President: No concession on territorial sovereignty

State President Truong Tan Sang declared that NO ONE, NO COUNTRY can force Viet Nam to make concessions on territorial sovereignty.

The Vietnamese leader once again reaffirmed that Viet Nam possesses full historical and legal evidence to assert its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos as well as the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in accordance with international law.

"We are determined to defend our land and sea as for all the Vietnamese people, the national territorial sovereignty is sacred and inviolable," State President Sang stressed.

VN, Netherlands set up strategic partnership on agriculture

PM Nguyen Tan Dung and his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte agreed to establish Strategic Partnership on agriculture and food security between the two countries during their talks in Ha Noi on June 16.

PM Dung highly valued the Dutch PM’s visit to Viet Nam as helping promote cooperative relations more effectively and practically.

PM Mark Rutte confirmed that the Netherlands will strengthen multi-lateral relations with Viet Nam.

The two leaders agreed to expand cooperation in defense, science and technology, education and training, cutural exchange to enhance understanding between the two nations.

VN, Netherlands join efforts to cope with climate change

PM Nguyen Tan Dung and his counterpart Mark Rutte co-chaired a high-level conference on collaborative support to development of the Mekong Delta in Ha Noi on June 17.

PM Dung appreciated the support of the Netherlands Government and development partners to Viet Nam and called for continued support to Viet Nam’s efforts in coping with climate change, particularly in the Mekong Delta region.

The Government has integrated activities responding to climate change to socio-economic development plans while improving and implementing national strategies on preventing and mitigating natural disasters, responding to climate change, encouraging green growth and enhancing natural resource management and environmental protection. A national steering committee on responding to climate change directly headed by the PM has been established, PM Dung added.

PM reiterates VN’s stance on East Sea issue

PM Nguyen Tan Dung reiterated Viet Nam’s stance of defending its sovereignty by peaceful measures in accordance with international law during his reception for Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi in Ha Noi on June 18.

PM Dung said that China’s installation of the oil rig deep inside Viet Nam’s waters seriously violates Viet Nam’s sovereignty, the two countries’ high-level agreements, international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea; threatens peace, stability, security and safety of navigation and aviation in the region.

He demanded China immediately withdraw the oil rig and escort ships from Viet Nam’s waters and work with Viet Nam to settle divergences between the two countries through peaceful measures in accordance with international law and their high-ranking leaders' common awareness.

China’s illegal oil rig placement negatively affects ties

Viet Nam always attaches importance to nurturing and enhancing the friendship and comprehensive cooperation with China but China’s illegally placement of the oil rig in Viet Nam’s waters negatively affects the bilateral ties.

Deputy PM, FM Pham Binh Minh made the statement during his talks with Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi in Ha Noi on June 18.

Deputy PM, FM Minh reiterated Viet Nam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa as well as the country’s sovereign right and jurisdiction over its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf prescribed by the UNCLOS to which both Viet Nam and China are the signatories. 

Yang affirmed that Chinese Party, State and people attach importance to developing the friendly relations with Viet Nam; agreed that both sides need to soon stabilize the situation in the East Sea, exercise restraint to avoid conflicts.

Both sides agreed to continue maintaining the cooperative mechanisms between ministries, agencies and localities and organize the 7th meeting of the steering committee for bilateral cooperation.

DPM asks for political security in northwest region

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked local authorities of four northwestern provinces of Cao Bang, Bac Kan, Tuyen Quang and Thai Nguyen to uphold their social order and political security to contribute to national socio-economic development.

The Deputy PM made the point on June 21 in Bac Kan while chairing a conference on ensuring order and security in the four provinces which was held by the Northwest Steering Committee.

He also asked local leaders to take care of the locals and their cultural and religious lives, to prevent hostile forces taking advantage of spiritual and religious activities to incite ethnic people to disorder in social and political situations.

National Press Awards honours 115 outstanding works

A ceremony was held in Hanoi on June 21 to honour 115 outstanding works by journalists across the nation which won the National Press Awards for 2013.

Many winning pieces of journalism focused on the national boundary and territorial sovereignty topic, with 11 works.

Addressing at the ceremony, which marked the 89th anniversary of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day, Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Education and Communications Dinh The Huynh asked journalists to continue fighting against corruption, wastefulness and other social evils with a constructive and responsible spirit, while rejecting enemy’s wrongful arguments and information.

UNHRC approves VN’s human rights report

The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has approved Viet Nam’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on human rights in the second cycle, acknowledging the country’s efforts in protecting and promoting fundamental human rights.

Addressing the June 20 session in Geneva, Ambassador Nguyen Trung Thanh, head of the Vietnamese delegation, announced the list of recommendations accepted by Viet Nam from the 18th session of the UPR Working Group in February this year.

“Among 227 recommendations, Vietnam has supported 182 recommendations, accounting for 80.17%. This high percentage of recommendations enjoyed our support has vividly demonstrated Vietnam´s serious forwardness, openness and determination in promotion and protection of human rights,” Trung said.

Two officers to join UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan

Two Vietnamese officers left on June 21 to join the United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan.

At a meeting with the two officers on June 19, Lieutenant General Nguyen Trong Nghia, Vice Chairman of the General Political Department of the Vietnam People’s Army, stressed that their participation in the UN peacekeeping force marks an important milestone in the country’s external relations, contributing to safeguarding world peace.

He noted that following the dispatch of the two officers, Vietnam plans to send a sapper company and a second-level field hospital to South Sudan next year.

VND officially devalued 1% against greenback

The State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) on late Wednesday evening announced the decision to adjust the exchange rate between the Vietnam dong and the US dollar.

Accordingly, in a statement announced by SBV, the new interbank average exchange rates between Vietnam dong and U.S. dollars applicable starting June 19 will be at VND 21,246 per dollar from VND 21,036 per dollar, a 1% adjustment.

With the new exchange rate, the ceiling and floor interbank exchange rates will be at VND 21,458 per dollar and VND 21,034 per dollar.

The decision came one week after State Bank Governor Nguyen Van Binh told the public that he thought it was not the time for any foreign exchange rate adjustment as the required conditions set for a devaluation had yet been met.

VN-Customs Union FTA talks progress

Viet Nam and the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan have made progress in a number of issues during their 6th round of free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations.

Meeting in Sochi, Russia, from June 16-20, working groups of Viet Nam and the Customs Union have set to solve pending issues to complete the content of the agreement by the end of 2014 as scheduled.

Eight groups worked very hard on Trade in Goods, Services, Investment and Movement of Natural Persons, Rules of Origin, Government procurement, safeguard Measures; Customs Cooperation, Trade Facilitation, Intellectual Property, and Institutional Provisions.

Da Nang launches summer tourism programme

Hundreds of thousands flocked to the central city of Danang on June 20 for the kick off its “Summer Rendezvous” festival in a hope of luring more local and foreign holiday-makers to the locality.

A wide array of cultural, sporting and tourism activities are taking place in the East Sea park area, along sun-drenched beaches and main streets of the city.

Hoang Sa, Truong Sa - inseparable parts of VN

The ‘Hoang Sa, Truong Sa – inseparable parts of VietNam’ exhibition is being held in central Da Nang city.

A number of maps, pictures, and documents in Han (classical Chinese used in Vietnam), Nom (Vietnamese ideographic script), Vietnamese and French languages issued by Vietnamese feudal states from the 17th to 19th centuries are now on display.

The exhibition is a part of international conference themed ‘Hoang Sa – Truong Sa: Historical Truth’./.

(Source: VGP/VNA/VOV/Nhandan Online)