Day: May 12, 2022

A national symposium on improving revolutionary morality and wiping out individualism in line with Ho Chi Minh’s thoughts, morality and style was held in Hanoi on May 12.

The event, jointly organised by the Party Committee of the Central Agencies’ Bloc, the Party Committee of the Central Enterprises Bloc, the Communist Review, and Nhan Dan (People) Newspaper, aimed to celebrate the 132nd birthday of President Ho Chi Minh (May 19, 1890-2022), and the 15th founding anniversary of the Party Organisation of the Central Agencies’ Bloc and the Party Organisation of the Central Enterprises Bloc.

In his speech at the symposium, Politburo member and standing member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Vo Van Thuong emphasised that the key to Party building on morality is practicing revolutionary morality and honest politics.

Implementing “political integrity” is a basic content of the practice of revolutionary morality in Ho CHi Minh’s thoughts, including the morality of a political party, a state and each cadre and party member, Thuong said.

For President Ho Chi Minh, without morality and integrity, the Party would no longer be a genuine revolutionary party, and would no longer be trusted by the people, he went on.

Therefore, in order to implement political integrity, it is necessary to use the law to punish those who are dishonest or violate integrity, along with education and training in revolutionary morality, Thuong said.

This is an issue that the Party is paying great attention to and is currently implementing strictly, he added.

Besides regulations on what Party members should not engage in, the regulations on Party members’ responsibility to set examples and the fight against corruption as well as negative phenomena without forbidden zones and exceptions are being strictly implemented, he stressed.

It is necessary to raise ideological awareness, cultivate good qualities, promote moral motivation and practice self-discipline, thus making good things grow, Thuong stressed.

He underlined the importance of upholding discipline in the Party, and stepping up inspections and supervision associated with innovative leadership methods.

Attention must be paid to effectively implementing the study of President Ho Chi Minh’s moral example, focusing on building ethical models and typical examples in Party building work, he said.

The symposium is expected to enhance the education of cadres and party members about communist ideals, Party guidelines, the duties and ethics of party members, and the need to resolutely wipe out individualism, as well as fostering and improving revolutionary morality as part of efforts to strengthen the Party, and improve the Party’s leadership capacity and fighting strength.

After the event, opinions from participants and relevant contents about Party building, especially experience in the process of implementing regulations of the Party in central and local agencies and units, will be collected and reported to the Politburo, the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat, and relevant agencies./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh delivered a presentation at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington D.C on May 11 (local time) as part of activities during his working visit to the US, spotlighting sincerity, trust and responsibility for a better world.

The Vietnamese Government leader’s speech was broadcast live on technology platforms by CSIS.

In his welcome speech, Dr. John Hamre, President and CEO of CSIS, said that PM’s arrival and presentation at the centre was a privilege for CSIS. This is also the third time CSIS has welcomed Vietnamese leaders.

In his presentation, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh recalled that 77 years ago, President Ho Chi Minh opened the Declaration of Independence with the immortal truth: “All men are created equal. They are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among them are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” This is also the spirit of the Declaration of Independence of the US in 1776, he noted.

Nearly three decades of normalising relations, the relationship between Vietnam and the US has borne fruit with sincerity, trust and responsibility as well as sympathy, sharing and mutual respect to achieve the goals of the two countries and their people. The two sides have overcome their differences and achieved fundamental principles for bilateral relations, as affirmed in the Vietnam-US Joint Vision Statement when General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong visited the US in 2015, which emphasises respect for each other’s political institutions, independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.

Vietnam appreciates the US’s continuous support for a strong and independent Vietnam over the past years. In 27 years since the two countries normalised relations, four consecutive US Presidents have visited Vietnam and left good impressions among the people of the two countries.

According to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, in the context of profound, rapid and unpredictable changes in the international situation, both the Governments and academics need to strengthen coordination, exchange and sharing of ideas to build a better world together.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasised that as an active and responsible member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the international community, Vietnam always strives to contribute to dialogue and cooperation, and is willing to play a proactive and active role in accordance with their potential and position.

Vietnam strives to be a modernity-oriented industrialised developing country and graduate from the lower-middle group by 2025. It aims to become a developing country with modern industry and upper-middle income by 2030, and a developed and high-income country by 2045.

The PM said that Vietnam’s development aspiration is associated with the aspiration for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

He expressed his hope that the US and its partners will cooperate and support Vietnam in realising that strategic vision, saying that this will open up great opportunities for more comprehensive and deeper cooperation between Vietnam and the US and other countries.

Chinh affirmed that Vietnam consistently pursues the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, diversification and multilateralisation of relations; being a good friend and a reliable partner with countries around the world, and a responsible member of the international community.

Vietnam has always shown sincerity, consistency and transparency in building and implementing this policy, he stressed.

The PM affirmed that, between independence and dependence, Vietnam always chooses independence with the spirit of “nothing is more valuable than independence and freedom” set by President Ho Chi Minh; between negotiation and confrontation, Vietnam chooses negotiation; between dialogue and conflict, Vietnam chooses dialogue; between peace and war, Vietnam chooses peace; between cooperation and competition, Vietnam chooses cooperation, and a healthy and equal competition that respects each other’s legitimate rights and interests.

Vietnam is ready for dialogue and cooperation to handle differences and disagreements, contributing to peace, stability and development in the world; and ensure the harmonisation of interests and satisfactorily address the concerns of partners, countries and the international community, he stated.

For that reason, in the process of resolving disputes and conflicts in the region and the world, including the East Sea – an important sea for countries inside and outside the region, Vietnam has always advocated maintaining peace and stability; ensuring security, safety, and freedom of navigation and aviation; protecting legitimate rights and interests; settling disputes by peaceful measures and through dialogue on the basis of respect for international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); effectively and fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and working actively towards the early conclusion of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), PM Chinh said.

To contribute responsibly to common international and regional issues, Vietnam has actively participated in and promoted its role in multilateral mechanisms, especially ASEAN, the UN and regional and inter-regional, and Mekong sub-region cooperation mechanisms in accordance with specific requirements, capabilities and conditions.

PM Chinh stated that Vietnam has been proactive, active and responsible in promoting its role as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2008-2009 and 2020-2021 tenures. It has directly participated in and contributed military personnel to the United Nations peacekeeping force since June 2014. The country was also the venue for the 2nd US-DPRK Summit in 2019.

Regarding the Ukraine issue, Vietnam supports and is willing to join efforts and initiatives of the international community to facilitate the parties’ dialogues to find long-term and sustainable solutions, Chinh said, adding the country has provided humanitarian aid of 500,000 USD for Ukraine.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, despite many difficulties, Vietnam has donated masks and medical supplies to 51 countries, including the US; and made financial contributions to the COVAX Programme.

Although it is a developing country with numerous difficulties in socio-economic conditions, Vietnam has showed its great responsibility and determination in efforts to respond to climate change and fulfill its commitments under the Paris Agreement and at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP 26) in the UK to bringing net emissions to zero by 2050.

Vietnam has been strongly promoting economic, trade and investment cooperation with almost all countries in the world. In particular, it has negotiated and signed 15 free trade agreements (FTAs), opening up a large free trade market with more than 60 countries and partners, including all major economies in the world, thus demonstrating its responsibility in the realisation of equality and free trade.

For the US, the Government leader said that Vietnam always wishes to strengthen cooperation with the US on a basis of sincerity, continue to reinforce trust and enhance the responsibilities of both sides, for the common interests of the two countries’ people as well as for peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

Vietnam and the US have come a long way in showing sincerity and building mutual trust. First of all, the two sides have focused on and showed their determination in overcoming the war consequences. Since the normalisation of relations in 1995, the bilateral relations have continuously developed in many aspects.

On the basis of their nearly three-decade relationship, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed the need for sincerity, trust, respect and continued responsibility in overcoming the war consequences, in order to heal the wounds of both peoples and foster the cooperation between the two countries to meet the aspirations and interests of their people, and contribute to peace and stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world, as confirmed by the two sides during the visit to the US by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong in 2015.

The head of the Vietnamese Government affirmed that as the US and many countries are looking to the Indo-Pacific region, while Vietnam is promoting the implementation of aspirational development goals, the two countries is facing new opportunities to develop their comprehensive partnership in a stable, long-term, substantive, effective and intensive manner, especially in terms of economy, trade, investment, science and technology, digital transformation, high-quality human resources training and climate change adaptation as well as in solving international and regional issues.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held that along with traditional cooperation areas, the two sides need to look forward to collaboration areas in the future, especially green growth, technological innovation, digital transformation and supply chain diversification.

He reiterated that sincerity, trust and responsibility are the keys for countries to resolve disagreements and differences in a changing world like today. Sincerity, trust and responsibility have also made important contributions to the strong development of Vietnam – US relations over the past 30 years.

He expressed his belief that these will also be key factors in guiding, promoting, and bringing the comprehensive partnership between Vietnam and the US to a new height in the coming years.

After the presentation, the PM answered many questions raised by CSIS scholars regarding Vietnam – US relations, the implementation of commitments at COP 26, and the Indo-Pacific initiative.

The presentation and answers of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the CSIS were warmly welcomed by participating scholars and experts./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnam supports humanitarian activities by countries, the United Nations and international partners to assist people affected by the Ukraine conflict, Vice Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Doan Khac Viet said at the ministry’s routine press meeting on May 12.

Fielding a question from Vietnam News Agency about the country’s provision of 500,000 USD in humanitarian aid for Ukraine, he said Vietnam shares the international community’s deep concern over the humanitarian situation caused by recent developments in Ukraine.

Vietnam perceives that it is necessary to immediately end the use of force, guarantee security and safety for civilians, protect essential infrastructure, respect and comply with international humanitarian law, and create conditions for humanitarian access and the evacuation of foreign communities, including Vietnamese people, in Ukraine, Viet noted.

Stressing Vietnam’s support for humanitarian activities to assist conflict-hit people, he said in response to the UN appeal, Vietnam decided to donate 500,000 USD, including 100,000 USD to the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), 100,000 USD to the World Health Organisation (WHO), another 100,000 USD to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and 200,000 USD to the Ukrainian Red Cross Society via the Vietnam Red Cross Society to help deliver humanitarian aid and assistance for people impacted by the Ukraine conflict./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Soldiers of Vietnam’s Engineering Unit Rotation 1 participating in peacekeeping mission at the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) have recently deployed field reconnaissance to prepare for the rainy season and build barracks.

After a meeting with the UNISFA’s Engineering Section on these works, the Vietnamese engineering unit sent out two field reconnaissance teams on May 10.

The first 28 members of Vietnam’s Engineering Unit Rotation 1 arrived at the UNISFA on May 5.

They have been assigned to take over barracks in the mission and equipment transported from Vietnam by sea, and make preparations to welcome the official unit of 156 people, to be deployed in mid-May.

This is the first time Vietnam has sent military engineers to join UN peacekeeping operations. It is the unit-level formation with the largest number of members ever participating in UN peacekeeping missions.

The staff members of Engineering Unit Rotation 1, which debuted on November 17, 2011, will help provide humanitarian assistance and support the UN delegations in keeping and re-establishing peace in the area.

They will also ensure transport, perform road maintenance, help reconstruct the UN base, and provide support for the local community by building community houses, schools, and other public facilities./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met President Pro Tempore Patrick Leahy and key senators of the US Senate in Washington D.C on May 11 (local time), as part of the Vietnamese leader’s trip to the US.

Chinh affirmed that Vietnam regards the US as a leading important partner, and stands ready to work with the country to promote the comprehensive partnership on the basis of respect for independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and political institutions of each other.

The PM spoke highly of enduring efforts by the US senators, especially Leahy’s leadership in consolidating the two-party consensus in the US in supporting relations with Vietnam, particularly cooperation in settling war consequences.

Chinh expressed his hope that Leahy will continue to encourage generations of US senators to continue with the settlement work, thus contributing to enhancing the bilateral ties, matching wishes and legitimate interests of each side, for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world at large. The Vietnamese leader also said he hopes that the two countries will foster their legislative ties, and conveyed National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue’s invitation to the President Pro Tempore to visit Vietnam this year. Leahy accepted the invitation with pleasure.

He suggested Leahy work to push ahead with the establishment of a group of US senators friendly with Vietnam and join efforts to step up all-level delegation exchanges as well as regular dialogue mechanisms between the two legislatures.

For his part, Leahy said the participating US senators have special sentiments with Vietnam, and highly valued the two countries’ efforts to overcome differences and the war-incited plight to build a better future.

The US Congress always has generations of senators that back the Vietnam-US relations, he affirmed.

The US senators pledged that they will continue Leahy’s efforts after his retirement to enhance the relations, effectively handle issues of shared concern, and promote the Vietnam-US comprehensive partnership.

They also expressed their interest in Vietnam’s prospects for digital economy, along with the US’s capacity for support to the Southeast Asian nation in its transition to clean energy.

The senators said they wish to visit Vietnam this year.

The two sides compared notes on regional and international issues of shared concern, including those regarding the East Sea, Myanmar and climate change.

Chinh lauded the senators’ support for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)’s centrality, as well as its viewpoints on regional matters, and reiterated Vietnam’s consistent stance of addressing disputes peacefully in accordance with international law, not using or threatening to use force, and ensuring freedom and safety of navigation and aviation in line with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS)./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV) and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Vietnam jointly held the 19th edition of the China Talk series, themed “US and China competition in Southeast Asia”, on May 11.

The hybrid event was co-chaired by DAV Vice President Dr. Nguyen Hung Son and KAS Vietnam Resident Representative Florian Constantin Feyerabend. It brought together more than 150 participants on the ground and online.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Nguyen Hung Son welcomed the world leading sinologist Prof. David Shambaugh who joined the event as the main speaker, stressing that Vietnam has been actively seeking for better cooperation with sinologists all over the world to have deeper and more comprehensive studies on China.

Prof. David Shambaugh is an internationally recognised authority and award-winning author on contemporary China and the international relations of Asia. He is the Gaston Sigur Professor of Asian Studies, Political Science and International Affairs, and the founding Director of the China Policy Program in the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University.

Echoing Son’s view, Feverabend emphasised the timeliness of this year’s event as it took place two days prior to the official launch of the ASEAN-US Special Summit in Washington D.C to be hosted by US President Joe Biden and attended by leaders from the 10 ASEAN member states.

During his one-hour lecture, Prof. David Shambaugh analysed the changing dynamics of US-China relations in Southeast Asia. Outlining the geopolitical and geostrategic significance of Southeast Asia in US and China policy, he shared perspectives and views on the competition between the two powers and the approaches of Southeast Asian countries.

According to Prof. Shambaugh, competition between major powers will continue to linger in the region; however, the level of the rivalry will be contained to competitive coexistence.

China Talk is a long-term cooperation project between the DAV and KAS Vietnam, held every two years. It helps expand the network of diplomats, sinologists and academics interested in Chinese studies both at home and overseas./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received Director General of the World Bank (WB) Axel Van Trotsenburg and leaders of some US corporations on May 11 (local time) during his working visit to the US.

Meeting with the WB leader, PM Chinh proposed that Vietnam and the WB focus their cooperation on energy transition and digital transformation; giant transport infrastructure projects such as expressways and coastal roads; projects coping with climate changes in the Mekong Delta and central regions; poverty reduction; and improving healthcare capacity.

He said Vietnam will soon work with the WB in the country to implement specific projects and Vietnam will support the WB to implement pilot policies to ensure the most efficiency of loans. The PM also suggested the two sides continue to simplify procedures and prevent corruption in the implementation of projects.

WB Director General Axel said the bank wants to enhance cooperation with Vietnam during the post-pandemic recovery and development process, particularly in the context that the global recovery is meeting difficulties due to tensions and conflicts in some areas, materials’ price hike and increasing inflation in many countries while national resources reduced during the pandemic prevention and control.

Stressing the viewpoint of multilateral cooperation to deal with challenges, he said Vietnam needs to balance between the huge energy demand for development and sustainable development requirements.

Agreeing with the PM on the fields of cooperation, he affirmed that the WB attaches great importance to supporting Vietnam in the process of becoming an upper-middle-income country and reaching higher steps in the production value.

Receiving Marc Allen, Chief Strategy Officer and Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Development of Boeing Company, PM Chinh said Vietnam will focus on strongly developing the aviation sector in the future and Boeing can participate in developing the aviation ecosystem of Vietnam.

The Government leader spoke highly of the cooperation and support from Boeing and voiced his support for the company’s plan to expand facilities in Vietnam to supply fuels and seek cooperation opportunities in technology.

He proposed the company to open maintenance centres in Vietnam, have long-term cooperation policies as well as provide specific preferential policies to help Vietnamese businesses overcome this difficult time, and make important contribution to promoting the cooperation between Vietnam and the US.

Later the same day, PM Chinh received leaders of the Asia Group, Blackstone, GenX and AES, who expressed their interest in energy transition projects in Vietnam and in investing to support Vietnam realise its COP26 goals in coping with climate change.

The PM applauded their energy transition proposals and briefed them on a number of issues relating to Vietnam’s energy development orientations and electricity planning. He asked them to focus research and investment on wind power, solar power and tidal energy which are energy sources of huge potential in Vietnam./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Politburo member, President of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics (HCMA) and Chairman of the Central Theory Council Nguyen Xuan Thang is paying a working visit to Israel, meeting many local leaders.

On May 11, his first day in the nation, Thang met Speaker of the Knesset Mickey Levy, during which the official expressed his delight at the growing friendship and cooperation between the nations in the past time.

Thang suggested measures to further boosting the ties such as increasing delegation exchanges at all levels and collaboration in potential sectors; improving the effectiveness of their inter-governmental committee and ministerial-level cooperation; and stepping up academic exchange to facilitate joint research and technological development.

He suggested Israel support and transfer technology for Vietnam in the fields of startups, digital transformation, renewable energy, IT, and AI; and asked for the acceleration of the signing of free trade and labour cooperation agreements between the countries. Thang’s schedule on May 11 also included meetings with Israeli Economy and Industry Minister Orna Barbivai, Chairwoman of the Israel-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group Michal Shir Segman; and Minister of Religious Services Matan Kahana; as well as a visit to the Vietnamese Embassy./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency