Day: June 15, 2023

Vietnam always considers Côte d’Ivoire one of its top trade partners in Africa, stated Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien when hosting President of Côte d’Ivoire’s National Assembly Adama Bictogo in Hanoi on June 15.

Vietnam can completely supply the African nation goods that it needs, Dien told his guest, suggesting the two nations accelerate their negotiations of a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) and a preferential trade agreement (PTA) as well as develop a better cooperation plan.

Côte d’Ivoire can serve as a bridge to help Vietnam and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) study the possibility of negotiating such agreements between the sides, the minister noted.

He went on recommending the two nations step up the exchange of all-level delegations and business delegations, encourage their firms to join trade expos in the other side, and consider promoting joint work in agricultural and food processing and mining.

In addition to rice, he suggested Côte d’Ivoire increase the import of goods of its demand and Vietnam’s strength such as textiles, footwear, household items, construction materials, machinery, and electrical equipment. In response, Bictogo said that Côte d'Ivoire always considers Vietnam an important partner in the Asia-Pacific region, and wishes to strengthen their bilateral cooperation in all fields, especially economy and trade.

Expressing his delight at positive progress made in the sides’ economic and trade ties with average annual bilateral trade reaching over 1 billion USD in the past five years, the top legislator lauded the Vietnamese ministry’s role in promoting the countries’ cooperation activities. He pledged tight collaboration with the ministry to carry out Dien’s proposals.

Bictogo said his nation is currently an important transit market, bringing goods to many countries in West Africa such as Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. This could facilitate Vietnam's strong products like farm produce, textiles, footwear, and household goods, to access many member markets of ECOWAS), the official added.

Côte d'Ivoire is one of the two leading rice export markets of Vietnam in Africa. In 2022, Vietnam exported 656,000 tonnes of rice worth nearly 295 million USD to the nation.

It is also one of the major suppliers of raw cashew nuts to Vietnam, with the latter’s spending on purchasing the product from the former usually accounting for 20-30% of its total raw cashew nut import value./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Border guards at Mong Cai International Border Gate on June 15 coordinated with competent forces of Mong Cai city in the northeastern province of Quang Ninh to return three Chinese nationals who illegally entered Vietnam.

Earlier, on June 9, a patrol team from the Tra Co Border Guard Station found the three men at an oyster farm of local household.

The men showed valid Chinese passports but did not have visas and they entered Vietnam without completing immigration procedures.

They said that an unknown Vietnamese man used a motorboat to pick them up from another Chinese motorboat in the waters bordering the two countries and brought them into Vietnam.

The patrol team took the three Chinese men to Tra Co Border Guard Station for investigation.

Tra Co Border Guard Station, in coordination with Mong Cai International Border Gate’s Border Guard Station, informed the border management branch in Fangchenggang, China’s Guangxi province on the men and asked the Chinese side to receive them back./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue attended a signing ceremony of coordination regulations between the NA Secretary General and permanent members of NA agencies in Hanoi on June 15.

The regulations aim to ensure the close and effective coordination between the NA Secretary General - Chairperson of the NA Office and permanent members of NA agencies and heads of agencies under the NA Standing Committee, and carry forward their leadership and management, thus helping raise operational efficiency of the legislature.

They will work together in law building, supervision, preparations for proposing important national issues to the legislature for consideration and approval, external affairs, and international cooperation.

They will also coordinate in the building and implementation of agendas for meetings of the NA and its Standing Committee, as well as quarterly and yearly work programmes, organising conferences and seminars of NA agencies, meetings with voters, and the information work./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

President Vo Van Thuong on June 15 sent a message of sympathy to his Nigerian counterpart Bola Tinubu over the recent boat accident in Kwara, Nigeria.

A boat carrying passengers travelling from a wedding ceremony in Kwara state capsized in the Niger River on June 12, causing the death of more than 100 people./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The northern province of Bac Giang organised a ceremony on June 15 to mark the first shipment of 56 tonnes of Luc Ngan fresh lychees to China from Kep railway station.

Addressing the event, La Van Nam, Chairman of Luc Ngan district People’s Committee, said if rail transport proves effective, it will create favourable conditions for the exports of goods from Bac Giang and other provinces in northern Vietnam in general and agricultural products from the district in particular by saving time and cost, thereby reducing pressure on transportation and export activities via border gates.

The international railway system will connect with most major seaports in the region, China and countries in Southeast, Central, South and West Asia and the Middle East in the future, thus facilitating the access of Luc Ngan lychees to the markets in China and other countries, he added.

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Phan The Tuan asked the customs agencies of industrial zones in Bac Giang province and the Region 7 Plant Quarantine Sub-department to facilitate the export of lychees, ensuring the products meet requirements on quality, food hygiene and safety for quick clearance.

The Luc Ngan district People's Committee was requested to closely cooperate with customs authorities, railway service providers and plant quarantine units to maximise support for enterprises engaging in exporting and distributing fresh lychees; and inform businesses about transporting fresh lychees by rail, he noted.

Bac Giang has about 28,7000 hectares under lychee cultivation with an estimated annual output of about 180-200,000 tonnes.

Luc Ngan lychees have been exported to nearly 40 countries and territories across the world.

The Kep railway station, located in Tan Thinh commune of Lang Giang district, launched its international freight transportation services in February 2023, with a capacity of handing 80 to 100 carriages or containers per day./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission convened its 29th meeting in Hanoi from June 12-15, during which it looked into disciplinary measures against some Party organisations and members.

Regarding wrongdoings by the Standing Board of the Party Committee of the central province of Thanh Hoa, the commission said the board has violated the principle of democratic centralism and working rules, and showed a lack of responsibility and lax leadership and supervision, thus letting the Party delegation to the provincial People’s Council, the Party Civil Affairs Committee of the provincial People’s Committee, many organisations and individuals seriously violate the Party’s regulations and the State’s laws in planning work, land handover, and the allocation, management and use of budget in connection with some projects, including those by FLC Group JSC and Advanced International Joint Stock Company (AIC).

A number of officials and Party members declared their personal assets dishonestly, violating the Anti-Corruption Law and rules set for Party members, the commission said, noting that some have been disciplined and criminally handled.

The Standing Board of the Thanh Hoa provincial Party Committee in the 2010-2015 and 2015-2020 tenures, the Party delegation to the People’s Council in the 2016-2021 term and the Party Civil Affairs Committee of the People’s People in the 2011-2016 and 2016-2021 terms must bear the responsibility for those wrongdoings, the commission concluded.

It also identified the role of individuals, including former key leaders of the locality, in the wrongdoings.

The commission stressed that such violations are so serious that disciplinary measures need to be taken.

It asked the Standing Board of the provincial Party Committee to quickly deal with the above-said wrongdoings and violations, punish concerned organisations and individuals, and report results to the commission.

As for the case relating to the Party delegation to the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance (VCA), the commission decided to issue warnings against Nguyen Ngoc Bao, Secretary of the Party delegation and VCA President; and Le Van Nghi and Nguyen Van Thinh, both members of the Party delegation and VCA Vice Presidents.

The Standing Board of the VCA’s Party Committee for the 2020-2025, and some other individuals were reprimanded.

The commission proposed the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat consider disciplinary measures against the Party delegation to the VCA in the 2015-2020 and 2020-2025 tenures.

It also gave a warning against Bui Hong Minh, member of the Party Civil Affairs Committee of the Ministry of Construction, Deputy Construction Minister, former member of the Standing Board of the Party Committee of the Central Enterprises Bloc, and former Secretary of the Party Committee, former Chairman of the Members’ Council and former General Director of Vietnam National Cement Corporation.

Nguyen Van Du, Secretary of the Party Committee and former director of the radio and television station of the southern province of Tay Ninh, also received a warning for his violations of the Party’s regulations and the State’s laws while performing his duty and implementing public investment projects.

The commission also proposed the Politburo consider disciplinary measures against Huynh Van Tam, member of the Party Committee of the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai, and former Secretary of the Party Committee and former Director of the provincial Department of Home Affairs; and Hoa Cong Hau, former member of the provincial Party Committee, and former Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and former Director of the provincial Department of Health for degradations in political ideology, morality and lifestyle, and violations of the Party’s regulations and the State’s laws while performing their tasks.

Besides, the commission issued a reprimand to Lam Minh Thanh, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the southern province of Kien Giang, and Secretary of the Party Civil Affairs Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, after investigations into denunciations against him found that he had violated working regulations and shown alack of responsibility and lax leadership, letting some organisations and individuals violate the Party’s regulations and the State’s laws in personnel work, and the purchase, management and use of biological products, chemicals and medical equipment in service of the COVID-19 fight.

It asked the Standing Board of the provincial Party Committee to punish organisations and individuals related to the violations, and make a report on the work.

Looking into supervision results over the Party Civil Affairs Committee of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the committee's Secretary and Minister, the commission said besides the prominent good work, they committed some violations and mistakes in the building, issuance and implementation of working regulations, as well as in leadership, instruction, and the personnel and emulation and reward work.

The commission asked the Party Civil Affairs Committee and the Minister to fix the mistakes and violations in a timely manner and report outcomes to the commission.

It also pointed out violations and mistakes of the Standing Board of the Party Committee of the northern province of Ha Giang, and the committee’s inspection board in leadership, direction, inspection and supervision, and asked them to deal with the wrongdoings.

Also at this meeting, the commission gave opinions on a scheme amending and supplementing the inspection procedures of the Politburo and the Secretariat, and considered and decided on other important matters./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency