Press digest – July 23

UK asked to support poverty reduction

Viet Nam expects the UK would continue supporting the Southeast Asian country’s efforts in poverty reduction, said PM Nguyen Tan Dung while meeting with former UK PM Tony Blair in Ha Noi on Wednesday.

The Vietnamese leader affirmed that Viet Nam also hopes to expand its strategic partnership with the UK.

Blair expressed his belief in Viet Nam’s long-term development potential and highly valued the country’s active international integration, economic and business environment reform.

Deputy PM Minh meets with Danish FM

Deputy PM, FM Pham Binh Minh on Wednesday met with Danish FM Martin Lidagaard on the sidelines of the ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting in Brussels, Belgium.

At the meeting, both sides agreed to actively deploy the action plan for 2014-2015 in a bid to realize the Viet Nam – Denmark comprehensive partnership reached last September.

The two countries reaffirmed their determination to lift up their two-way trade value to US$1 billion by 2016.

US Senate committee passes civil nuclear deal with VN

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has approved an agreement on civilian nuclear cooperation between the US and Viet Nam.

The agreement was signed in October, 2013 between US Secretary of State John Kerry and Vietnamese Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit (EAS) in Brunei.

WB Director vows loans to VN until 2017

The World Bank (WB) will continue providing preferential loans for Viet Nam between now and 2017, WB Country Director in Viet Nam Victoria Kwakwa told National Assembly (NA) Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan in Ha Noi on July 23.

The WB attaches importance to cooperation with Viet Nam, Kwakwa said, adding that its success in stabilising the macro economy will be a lesson for countries worldwide.

She hailed the NA for adopting several laws and resolutions, including a resolution on promoting sustainable poverty reduction by 2020, which she said reflects the Vietnamese government’s commitment in this regard.

PVEP asked to boost overseas investment in oil and gas exploration

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai has proposed that Petro Viet Nam Exploration Production Corporation (PVEP) focus on mapping out strategies to boost its oil and gas exploration and exploitation efforts overseas.

Hai made the request at a ceremony that PVEP held to receive the Labour Hero title in Ha Noi on July 23.

Deputy PM Hai praised the corporation for ensuring energy security and contributing to national development and defence.

Trade surplus touches US$ 1.39 bln

As of mid July, Viet Nam ran a trade surplus of nearly US$ 1.39 billion, according to the Viet Nam Customs.

In the first half of July, total trade turnover valued nearly US$ 11.91 billion, down 8.5% or US$ 1.11 billion lower than the second half of June.

As of mid July, exports touched US$ 76.75 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of 14.7%

HCMC: CPI drops to record low

Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) witnessed the lowest increase in consumer price index (CPI) in July which went up only 0.12% against the same period last year, according to the municipal Statistics Office.

Of the 11 groups of commodities, price hikes were recorded in six categories only, including foodstuffs (0.25%); garments and textiles (0.05%); household utensils and equipment (0.03%); transport (0.4%); postal and telecommunication services (0.01%) and others (0.25%).

Four categories saw a drop in prices namely beverage and tobacco (0.06%); housing, electricity, water and fuel (0.07%), education (0.12%) and culture and entertainment (0.34%).

HN to launch large-scale measles-rubella vaccination

Ha Noi will carry out a large-scale vaccination campaign against measles and rubella for children aged from one to 14 years old, Nguyen Nhat Cam, Director of the municipal Preventive Health Centre said on July 22.

The campaign will be divided into three phases with the first being launched in October for children in the age group of 1-5, the second in December for primary school students and the third in January, 2015.

In the meantime, the expanded immunization programme in the city is providing shots against BCG, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, Hepatitis B, Hemophylus Influenzae and measles for under-one infants.

VN to import coal for thermal power plants

Facing a lack of coal for power generation, Vietnamese state-owned enterprises are rushing to look for foreign coal suppliers.

Dinh Quang Tri, Deputy General Director of the Electricity of Viet Nam (EVN), noted that enterprises are importing coal themselves to run thermal power plants instead of relying on the Viet Nam Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin), the only domestic coal supplier.

VN-China border trade hits US$2.61bln in H1

Border trade value between the two countries jumped 13% to US$2.61 billion in the first six months of the year, according to the Viet Nam-China border trade steering board.

During the period, border trade, with a monthly growth averaging 4%, accounted for over 24% of the total bilateral trade turnover between the two countries and resulted in a surplus of US$800 million.

Major exports were agro-forestry and seafood products while major imports included input materials and fuels for the production of machinery and equipment, means of transport, electronic products, food, consumer products and electricity.

India shipped pharmaceuticals worth US$131 million to VietNam in the first half of 2014, a 13.54% rise year-on-year, making it the largest supplier of the products to the country.

The Viet Nam Industry and Trade Information Center (VITIC) reports that India made up 13.6% of the total US$963.3 million worth of pharmaceuticals Viet Nam imported in the past six months.

HN hosts “World Heritages of Japan” exhibition

Ha Noi will host an exhibition featuring a  collection of images of Japan’s UNESCO World Heritage pieces by Japanese world renowned photographer Kazuyoshi Miyoshi  from July 26 to August 9.

The photo collection will include images of the Shirakami-Sanchi Mountain Range, Yakushima Island, Himeji Castle, Buddhist monuments of the Horyu-ji Temple Area, Genbaku Dome, Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara, Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto, and Old Villages of Shirakawa and Gokayama.

Kazuyoshi Miyoshi, born in 1958, is a native of Tokushima Prefecture. He graduated from Tokai University in 1981. At age 27 he won the 11th Kimura Ihei Photography Award for a photo collection, “Rakuen” (“Paradise”), a series of images taken on tropical islands such as the Seychelles and Maldives.

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