Weekly press digest – March 24-30

PM delivers speech at nuclear security summit

PM Nguyen Tan Dung has stressed the main responsibility of each nation in ensuring nuclear security in his speech at the third Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague, the Netherlands, in the afternoon of March 25.

He was speaking to representatives of 53 countries and five international organizations, including nearly 40 senior officials and top leaders of the world’s nuclear powers.

He said Viet Nam has step by step completed the legal system on nuclear security, ensure its control over high-activity radioactivity sources in the country. It has started the implementation of measures to control the import and export of radioactivity sources at airports and seaports.

PM meets world leaders at nuclear summit

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has met several world leaders at the third Nuclear Security Summit which opened in the Netherlands on March 24 (local time).

In an exchange with Chinese President Xi Jinping, PM Dung said he had directed the Vietnamese Sub-Committee of the Steering Committee for Vietnam - China Cooperation (SCVCC) to make full preparations for its next meeting.

Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama pledged a flexible and favourable approach to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations with Vietnam, adding that the US will open the market to Vietnamese apparel, footwear, farm produce and seafood.

The government leader and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, during their conversation, promised to effectively realise the outcomes of President Truong Tan Sang’s recent visit to Japan.

President of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Park Geun-hye voiced hope that both nations will reach the free trade agreement as soon as possible, so as to fuel their trade and investment.

He later also had contacts with Czech Deputy Prime Minister Pavel Belobradek and Viet Nam’s Honorary Consular General to the Netherlands W.H Schuurman.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung held separate meetings with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and French President Francois Hollande on the sidelines of the ongoing Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) in the Netherlands on March 25.

VN-Cuba relations enter new stage

President of the Cuban Parliament Esteban Lazo Hermandez said that PM Nguyen Tan Dung’s visit to Cuba marks a turning point in the relations between Viet Nam and Cuba.

VIet Nam and Cuba reiterate fraternal solidarity, traditional friendship and close cooperation

Viet Nam and Cuba have issued a joint press release on the occasion of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s visit to Cuba at the invitation of President of the State Council and Council of Ministers, Raul Castro Ruz.

New impetus for VN-Haiti relations

PM Nguyen Tan Dung congratulated on the achievements that Haiti has scored in socio-political stabilization, economic integration, and overcoming the consequences of the earthquake which occurred in January 2010.

During the meeting with President Michel Martelly on Friday, PM Dung also spoke highly of the outcomes of the “Five E” Plan ((employment, état de droit (rule of law), education, environment and energy) initiated by President Michel Martelly since 2011.

PM Dung said that Vietnamese people would never forget the valuable support of Haiti for the Southeast Asian country’s past struggle for national independence and freedom.

New Zealand considers Viet Nam a key partner

The Kiwi Government continues to regard Viet Nam as one of its key partners in the Asia-Pacific region and supports the Southeast Asian country to run for a non-permanent seat of the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 tenure, said New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully.

FM Murray McCully made the point on March 26 in Ha Noi during talks with Vietnamese Deputy PM and FM Pham Binh Minh.

The two sides were delighted to witness rapid developments in the bilateral ties especially following the establishment of their strategic partnership in 2009. The two sides agreed to strive for US$ 1 billion in trade volume in 2015.

Gov’t looks to effectively tap ODA

Deputy PM Hoang Trung Hai asked that the wastefulness of ODA management and slow disbursement must be handled properly in the coming time.

The Government leader made the request on Saturday in Ha Noi while chairing a conference between the National Steering Committee for ODA and the six ODA development banks.

Gov’t asks for investigation of ODA project bribery

Deputy PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc has tasked competent agencies to investigate the bribery allegations in the Viet Nam Railways and asked for strict punishment against wrongdoers.

The move was made after Japanese media carried reports about a Tokyo-based company paying bribes to get ODA (official development assistance) project contract managed by the aforesaid company.

FDI reaches US$3.3 bln in first quarter

The total newly-registered and additional Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) reached US$3.334 billion in the first quarter of 2014, equal to 50.3% of the same period in 2013.

Economic indicators in Q1 revealed

Viet Nam’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was estimated to grow by 4.96% in the first quarter of this year- the highest level over the last three years, showing signs of “bottoming out,” according to the General Statistics Office.

Int’l arrivals up nearly 30% in first quarter

International guests in Viet Nam numbered 2.327 million in the first quarter of the year, a year-on-year increase of 29.3%, according to the General Statistics Office.

VN enjoys trade surplus in Q1

Viet Nam’s trade surplus in the first quarter of 2014 set a new record of US$1 billion (since 2010), according to the General Statistics Office.

In March, Viet Nam earned US$12 billion from export, US$2.46 billion more than the previous month .It brought total export value over the past three months to US$33.34 billion, expanded by 14.1%.

Seafood Festival 2014 opens in Phu Yen

Viet Nam Seafood Festival 2014 was opened on March 29 in the southern province of Phu Yen, targeting to boosting potential for economic development of marine economy.

As a coastal country, Viet Nam should convert maritime-based economy into a driving force for development, of which the fishery sector should gain confidence of customers worldwide, said Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam at the opening ceremony of the festival.

Phu Yen should take the lead and steer the country on the right course to fully exploit the marine industry to its fullest for the benefit of all Vietnamese people, said the Government leader./.

(Source: VGP/VNA/VOV/)​