Press digest – June 19

Amended Law on Marriage and Family passed

With 79.52% of votes, the National Assembly on June 19 passed the Law on Marriage and Family (amended) with ten chapters and 133 articles.

The fresh law will come into effect on January 1, 2015 with some adjustments.

Accordingly, the law reaffirms the marriage and family regime - voluntary  marriage between a man and a woman.

Conditions for getting married include the age of 20 or over for men and the age of 18 or over for women.Same sex marriage is not recognized. The new law also legalizes surrogacy for humanitarian and commercial purposes.

It also regulates private and general properties of husband and wife.  

NA approves draft revised Bankruptcy Law

Continuing the 7th session of the 13th National Assembly (NA) agenda, lawmakers voted to approve the Bankruptcy Law (amended) and discussed the Bill on Citizen Identification. 

The Bankruptcy Law (amended) got 86.75% of votes and will take effect from January 1 next year.

The bill, including nine chapters and 133 articles, is applicable to enterprises, co-operatives, and co-operative unions that establish and operate in accordance with current law.

Chinese ships continue illegal, perverse operations in East Sea

The Vietnamese Fisheries Surveillance Department said on Thursday that China still maintained some 115 ships of all kinds to guard the oil rig Haiyang Shiyou 981 illegally installed in Viet Nam’s exclusive economic zone.

China also deployed 35-38 fishing boats, supported by two coast guard ships, near the rig to prevent Vietnamese boats from normal operations.

Two officers to join UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan

Two Vietnamese officers will leave 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, Viet Nam plans to send a sapper company and a second-level field hospital to South Sudan next year.

Equitization brings back new opportunities

The Vietnamese Government committed to restructuring the economy, focusing on investment, State-owned enterprises, and banking-finance, which opens up new opportunities for local and foreign investors, official said.

Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung told delegates to the Viet Nam Investment Forum 2014 in Ho Chi Minh City on June 19.

Between 2014 and 2015, the Government planned to equitize 432 State-owned enterprises and investors can join the process.

Viet Nam AutoExpo 2014 opens in HN

The 11th Viet Nam International Automobile Supporting Industries Exhibition & Conference opened at the Vietnam Exhibition and Fair Centre in Ha Noi on June 19.

Hundreds of stands showcasing various modes of transport, such as tourism cars, buses, motorbikes, bikes and vehicles for special purposes are on display at the 10,000sq.m. event.

There are also exhibits of equipment and fuels for manufacturing, production and assembling automobiles, motorbikes and bikes, tools, components and spare parts as well as garage repairs, maintenance, banking, insurance services and consultancy.

Over 100 scholars attend East Sea seminar in DaNang

Escalating tensions and solutions to the territorial dispute over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos in the East Sea will come to the fore at a seminar in Danang on June 20-21.

More than 100 local and foreign scholars will shed light on the dispute over these two archipelagos, its impact on peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region, Vietnam’s sovereignty over Paracel and Spratly, and workable solutions.

Professor Carlyle Thayer from the Australia Defence Force Academy will present a report on geopolitical issues relating to Paracel islands and the role of international law in settling the dispute and promoting cooperation.

General Daniel Schaeffer, former French military attaché to China, Thailand and Vietnam, will examine China’s groundless ‘nine-dash line’ claim, while Professor Jerome Cohen from New York University School of Law, will look at the role of the arbitration court in settling disputes in Asia.

VN ranks second among foreign investors in Laos

Viet Nam has so far invested a total of US$4.7 billion in Laos, making it the second largest foreign investor in the country.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment of Laos reported that total foreign direct investment (FDI) in Laos has amounted to US$24 billion since 1986.

China tops the list, having injected US$5.2 billion, followed by Vietnam (US$4.7 billion) and Thailand (US$4.6 billion).

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