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Press digest - May 6

May 07, 2014 11:04 AM GMT+7

VN demands China withdraw from continental shelf

Deputy PM, FM Pham Binh Minh on Tuesday made a phone call to Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi after China illegally deployed a drilling rig and vessels in the oil and gas lot 143 belonging to Viet Nam’s continental shelf since May 1.

Deputy PM, FM Minh stressed that China’s unilateral deployment of the drilling rig Haiyang Shiyou 981 and a large number of vessels, even military ones, in this area is illegal, runs counter to the international law and practices, seriously violates Viet Nam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa archipelago and sovereign right and jurisdiction over Viet Nam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

This act negatively impacts mutual political trust and cooperation aspects between the two countries and hurts the Vietnamese people’s sentiment.

Viet Nam cannot accept and resolutely protests China’s act and demands it totally withdraw the drilling rig as well as escort vessels from this area, together with Viet Nam to join talks to handle the related differences.

Deputy PM, FM Minh affirmed that Viet Nam has full legal and historical grounds to prove its sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos as well as sovereign right and jurisdiction over its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in accordance with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Dien Bien Phu Victory Museum opens to public
 
The Dien Bien Phu Victory Museum, which salutes the 60th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory, officially opened to public on May 5 in the northern province of Dien Bien.
 
The 7,000 square meter museum displays models, materials and artifacts featuring the nine-year long campaign to the Dien Bien Phu victory that ended the French colonial rule in Biet Nam.

Over 1,000 artifacts are exhibited in five sections, including a summary on the campaign, Dien Bien Phu campaign, international support to the campaign, the victory’s influences and an honor room.

Addressing the launch ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam emphasized that the museum is significant to helping Vietnamese and international communities further understand the nation’s glorious period.

He reviewed heroic contributions and tradition which made a world-shaken victory.
 
VN honours foreign humanitarian activists

The Viet Nam Red Cross Society (VRC) on May 6 presented “For the humanitarian cause” insignia to foreigners who have made great contributions to humanitarian activities in Viet Nam.

The honourees are Marta Alejano, Chief Representative of the Spanish Red Cross in Viet Nam, and Giuseppe Ungaro and Paul Van Deer Lan, her counterparts from Italy and the Netherlands.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony in Ha Noi, VRC General Secretary Doan Van Thai thanked the laureates and their organisations for their support to charitable activities in Viet Nam, and requested more assistance to be given in the field in the future.

Alejano, who is leaving the country to take up another position, said she will apply Viet Nam ’s experience in order to help people in other countries where poverty and wars still linger.

Viet Nam enjoys trade surplus of $683 mln

Viet Nam enjoyed a trade surplus of $683 million in the first four months of the year, according to head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Planning Department Nguyen Tien Vy, who was speaking at a televised meeting in Ha Noi on May 5.

In April alone, the country fetched $12.2 billion from overseas shipments, down 0.6 percent from a month earlier. Of the figure, an estimated $7.5 billion was earned by foreign-invested firms, dropping 0.1 percent year-on-year. This generated a trade deficit of $400 million.

VN, US sign nuclear agreement

Viet Nam’s Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Quan and US ambassador to Viet Nam David Shear, on May 6 signed an official agreement on peaceful civilian nuclear energy cooperation (The 123 Agreement), authorised by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and US President Barack Obama.

The agreement was first initiated by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh and the US Secretary of State John Kerry in Brunei on October 10, 2013 under the framework of the 23rd ASEAN Summit.

It laid a foundation for Viet Nam to access advanced nuclear technologies originated from the US in order to implement Viet Nam’s nuclear power projects.

Minister Quan emphasised that the signing of the agreement marked an important milestone in the Viet Nam-US relations in using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

Dragon fruits to enter New Zealand market

New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has given the go ahead for the importation of Vietnamese dragon fruits into the country, opening up opportunities for other fruits, radio The Voice of Viet Nam (VOV) reported on May 6.

On May 1, the MPI also modified regulations concerning the importation of Vietnamese mango – another tropical fruit which has been a favourite with NZ consumers since December 2011.

Experts hope the two types of fruits will help VietNam get its foot in the door, opening opportunities for other Vietnamese fruits to be allowed into the market.

Viet Nam and New Zealand have signed a number of agreements aimed at creating a legal framework for increased trade and cooperation. They also established a joint committee in 2005 in hopes of spurring trade.

Brunei, VN bolster defence ties

Vice Admiral Pham Ngoc Minh, Deputy Commander of the Viet Nam People's Army welcomed Director of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces Defence Academy, Haij Hadi Saim, on a working visit to Viet Nam on May 6.

Minh affirmed that the Viet Nam People's Army always attaches importance to promoting the friendship, cooperation and solidarity with Brunei people and army.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) on bilateral defence cooperation signed by the two nations in 2005 has proved effective, he said.

Colonel Haij Hadi Saim expressed his hope that the two countries’ defence ministries will help boost cooperation of defence academies of Viet Nam and Brunei.

Dong Nai FDI enterprises build kindergartens for workers’ children

Five foreign-invested enterprises operating in the southern province of Dong Nai have funded the building of kindergartens for children of their workers, who number over 2,000.
 
Dong Phuong nursery school, which was invested by Phong Thai Group in the Song May Industrial Park in Trang Bom district, comprises of 20 classrooms and a playground for open-air physical activities. Built at a cost of 1$ million, the school is looking after more than 500 children between two and five years old.
 
Meanwhile the Green World kindergarten takes care of 400 children under the age of five. Invested by Pouchen Viet Nam Company, the 15 classroom-school covers an area of over 1 ha in Bien Hoa city.

Domestic market development plan ratified

The PM has approved the Domestic Market Development Plan which will be linked with the campaign “Vietnamese people use Vietnamese goods” in 2014-2020.

The plan aims to increase the market share of Vietnamese products in distribution networks to 80% by 2020.
 
Vietnamese cakes enter World celebration food list

The US travel magazine National Geographic has introduced Viet Nam’s savoury Chung (square) and Giay (round) cakes among the world’s top ten traditional dishes.

Roasted watermelon seeds and dried candied fruits are typical small bites, but rolls of sticky rice and meat or bean fillings (wrapped in leaves) are the ultimate Tet food.

These banh chung (square packets, which symbolize Earth) and banh day (round packets, which represent sky) are figurative and flavorful foundations of the feast./.
                                                                                                                            By Ngoc Van