• An Giang
  • Binh Duong
  • Binh Phuoc
  • Binh Thuan
  • Binh Dinh
  • Bac Lieu
  • Bac Giang
  • Bac Kan
  • Bac Ninh
  • Ben Tre
  • Cao Bang
  • Ca Mau
  • Can Tho
  • Dien Bien
  • Da Nang
  • Da Lat
  • Dak Lak
  • Dak Nong
  • Dong Nai
  • Dong Thap
  • Gia Lai
  • Ha Noi
  • Ho Chi Minh
  • Ha Giang
  • Ha Nam
  • Ha Tinh
  • Hoa Binh
  • Hung Yen
  • Hai Duong
  • Hai Phong
  • Hau Giang
  • Khanh Hoa
  • Kien Giang
  • Kon Tum
  • Lai Chau
  • Long An
  • Lao Cai
  • Lam Dong
  • Lang Son
  • Nam Dinh
  • Nghe An
  • Ninh Binh
  • Ninh Thuan
  • Phu Tho
  • Phu Yen
  • Quang Binh
  • Quang Nam
  • Quang Ngai
  • Quang Ninh
  • Quang Tri
  • Soc Trang
  • Son La
  • Thanh Hoa
  • Thai Binh
  • Thai Nguyen
  • Thua Thien Hue
  • Tien Giang
  • Tra Vinh
  • Tuyen Quang
  • Tay Ninh
  • Vinh Long
  • Vinh Phuc
  • Vung Tau
  • Yen Bai

Weekly press digest – June 9-15

June 16, 2014 8:16 AM GMT+7

NA passes amended health insurance law

Lawmakers examined and passed amendments and supplements to the Law on Health Insurance at a plenary session of the National Assembly in the afternoon of June 13.

The deputies later continued to debate draft revisions to a resolution on conducting vote of confidence on those holding positions elected or approved by the NA and the People’s Councils.

They focused their discussion on issues related to the scope, time line, timing and consequences of the vote of confidence.

In the morning the same day, they discussed amendments to the Investment Law in groups.

PM Dung, Italian counterpart talk about East Sea situation

PM Nguyen Tan Dung on Monday noted that Italian PM Matteo Renzi’s official visit to Viet Nam marked a new stage in the development of the two countries’ relations.

This is the first visit of an Italian PM to Viet Nam since the two sides set up diplomatic ties in 1973.

During their talks on the same day, the two PMs agreed to lift up two-way trade value to US$5 billion from the current US$3.5 billion in the next two years and create more favorable conditions for their business communities to beef up their linkages.

The two countries agreed to establish an Intergovernmental Committee for economic cooperation and the first meeting of the Committee is scheduled to take place in November this year.

PM instructs composition of 2015 socio-economic plan

PM Nguyen Tan Dung has figured out major orientations for the inferior levels to design the national socio-economic development plan for 2015.

Accordingly, the Government targets to continue maintaining macro-economic stability, speeding up the implementation of the strategic breakthroughs, restructuring the economy and transforming the growth model, improving the efficiency of the economy, ensuring sustainable economic development and social welfare, expanding external relations and international integration, consolidating national security and defense, accelerating public administration reform and preventing corruption and wastefulness.

Conference reviews AIDS, drugs, prostitution prevention

A national teleconference was held on June 13 to review the country’s prevention of AIDS, drugs and prostitution in the first half of 2014.

Under the chair of Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, who also heads the National Committee for HIV/AIDS, Drugs and Prostitution Prevention and Control, the conference evaluated achievements and shortcomings and heard specific suggestions in the work from now to the end of the year.

According to the committee’s report, over the past six months, 3,133 new HIV infected cases have been recorded; 1,388 HIV carriers have developed full-blown AIDS and 462 have died from the disease. The number of new infections decreased by 26% and deaths fell by 48% from the same period a year before.

By the end of April, people living with HIV numbered 219,163 with 67.557 of them being full-blown AIDS and 69,449 deaths related to the disease.

Deputy PM offers comprehensive national update

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc delivered a report on the country’s situation in the first five months of the year at the ongoing seventh session of the 13th National Assembly (NA) on June 12.

According to Phuc, thanks to joint efforts by the political system, businesses and people nationwide, the country saw positive changes in socio-economic development.

In the time to come, Viet Nam ’s socio-economic situation is forecast to see fluctuations in some areas, depending on the developments of Viet Nam-China relations and Viet Nam ’s policies, he added.

Int’l lawyers support VN’s stance on East Sea

Jitendra Sharma, honorable President of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL) voiced support for Viet Nam’s efforts in defending its sovereignty while he was received by Deputy PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Tuesday.

Mr. Jitendra Sharma stressed that East Sea is important not only for the regional countries but also for the world as well.

IADL urged China to respect international law to cease and refrain from complicating the situation in the East Sea and escalating tension in the region for such doing would pose a threat to security and navigation safety in the East Sea.

Deputy PM Vu Van Ninh visits Fisheries Resources Surveillance Zone 2 and Coast Guard

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh visited and met with soldiers and staff of Unit 3 of the Fisheries Resources Surveillance Zone 2 and Marine Police Ship CSB 8001 in Da Nang City on Friday.

Deputy PM Ninh said: "The Party, State, and people nationwide acknowledge the soldiers and staff’s effort and bravery in fulfilling their duties to protect national maritime sovereignty despite enormous difficulties.

The 90 million people of Viet Nam always stand by your side to protect our country’s sacred sovereignty."

VN demands China withdraw oil rig at UNCLOS meeting

Viet Nam once again requested China to immediately withdraw its drilling rig and accompanying vessels from the maritime waters of Viet Nam, Ambassador Le Hoai Trung, Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to the United Nations has said.

Addressing the plenary session of the 24th meeting of States-Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in New York on June 13, Ambassador Trung also demanded China settle disputes through negotiations and other peaceful means in accordance with international law, including the UNCLOS.

As head of the Vietnamese delegation to the event, the diplomat also called for the continued attention by the international community, including UNCLOS States Parties, to the situation in the East Sea and their opposition against unilateral acts that create tensions.

He also called for the international community’s support for the non-use or threat of use of force and settlement of disputes in accordance with international law, including the UNCLOS 1982.

VN attends 27th ASEAN-US Dialogue

A Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh took part in the 27th ASEAN-US Dialogue in Yangon, Myanmar, on June 10.

The event created a chance for participants to exchange views on regional issues of mutual concern and review cooperation between ASEAN and the US , as well as discuss preparations for the ASEAN-US Ministers’ Meeting in August and the second ASEAN-US Summit later this year.

The US side affirmed its support for ASEAN’s viewpoint, as shown in the Statement of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers on May 10, expressing deep concern about escalating tensions that are directly affecting peace, stability, maritime security and safety in the region.

First storm strikes East Sea this year

According to the Central Hydro -meteorological Forecasting Centre , a tropical depression in the East Sea has strengthened becoming the first storm of the year.

Also, due to the influence of the southwest monsoon, coastal areas from Binh Thuan to Ca Mau , and the middle area and southern part of the East Sea including Hoang Sa (Paracel ) and Truong Sa (Spratly ) will see heavy showers and thunderstorms with winds gusting up to 7 and 8 category.

At 4 pm on June 15, the center of the storm was situated at 21.8 0 N latitude and 116.7 0 E longitude, 290 km southeast from Hong Kong (China). The strongest winds near the eye of the storm were 62-74 km per hour up to 10 category.

Northern province to get free wi-fi in public areas

People will get free wi-fi Internet access at governmental offices, public places and tourism destinations in the northern province of Bac Ninh from December 31.

This is part of a project passed by the provincial People's Committee on June 11 to have wi-fi in the province.

The Viet Nam Posts and Telecommunications (VNPT) will invest nearly VND 10 billion (over US$ 476,000) in building technological infrastructure and installing equipment as well as providing training courses for staff and managing the project in the province.

Experts share models to support disabled people

Representatives from 35 associations for people with disabilities, as well as authorised agencies, shared their experience in developing effective models to support disabled people during a conference in Ho Chi Minh City on June 13.

Hoang Chi Trung, head of the Department of International Organisations under the Foreign Ministry, held that most disabled people in Vietnam are facing many difficulties in their daily lives as they are dependent on their families and society for support.

The majority of them are unemployed and have poor access to social services, which makes it harder for them to integrate into the society, he said.

Binh Duong set to become economic hub by 2020

The southern province of Binh Duong is set to become a centrally-run city, acting as a core centre for socio-economic development in the southern key economic region by 2020.

Under a new master plan for the province’s socio-economic development by 2020, which was approved by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on June 11, Binh Duong will focus on promoting environmentally-friendly industry by applying high-tech and green technology.

At the same time it will also improve the modern infrastructure system for trade and services, while diversifying tourism products and developing agriculture in attachment with advancing biotechnology.

Five-month aquatic exports grow significantly

Viet Nam’s aquatic exports have been recovering in the first five months of 2014, with revenue of US$2.86 billion, up 21% from a year earlier, Vietnam Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) said on June 12.

Reports at a VASEP conference in HCM City said the shipment of shrimp had brought home US$1.4 billion, jumping a huge 63% from the same period last year and accounting for 49% of the total aquatic exports.

Notably, the value of shrimp destined for the US, the Republic of Korea and Switzerland soared by 120%, 108%, and 109% respectively./.

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