Review on external affairs from April 24-30: NA Chairman’s successful visit to Cuba, Argentina, Uruguay; FM assigned task to new Ambassadors
WVR - Review on a number of news headlines on external affairs from April 24-30 by The World and Vietnam Report.
Latest
 |
| On April 29, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and a high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese National Assembly arrived at Noi Bai International Airport, successfully ending the official visits to Cuba, Argentina, Uruguay. (Photo: VNA) |
Leaders’ activities
On April 28, receiving British Ambassador to Vietnam Iain Frew, President Vo Van Thuong expressed his pleasure at the strong development of the Vietnam-UK strategic partnership in many fields, suggesting that the two sides should take advantage of the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) to step up trade and investment cooperation, contributing to speeding up post-pandemic economic recovery. Vietnam hopes that the UK will continue to help Vietnam improve its medical capacity, develop the pharmaceutical industry and build a resilient health system, the President said.
On April 27, President Vo Van Thuong sent a congratulatory message to the King of the Netherlands, Willem-Alexander, on the occasion of the King’s Day in Netherlands (April 27). Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also extended greetings to Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue offered congratulations to President of the Dutch Senate Jan Anthonie Bruijn and Speaker of the Dutch House of Representatives Vera Bergkamp. Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son sent greetings to his Dutch counterpart Wopke Hoekstra.
On April 25, in Hanoi, President Vo Van Thuong hosted a reception for President of the Lao Front for National Construction (LFNC) Central Committee Sinlavong Khoutphaythoune. President Thuong expressed his belief that the LFNC delegation's visit would contribute to further deepening great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos while promoting close and effective cooperation between the LFNC Central Committee and the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee.
On April 26, receiving Mr. Sinlavong Khoutphaythoune, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said he believed that the visit would contribute to fostering the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos. "Vietnam is always determined to stand side by side with and offer all possible support to Laos to overcome current challenges while constantly promoting the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries", the Prime Minister said.
On April 24, President Vo Van Thuong has sent a message of congratulations to the new President of Nepal, Ram Chandra Poudel, following the latter’s swearing-in ceremony. On the occasion, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son also congratulated his Nepalese counterpart Narayan Prasad Saud, who freshly assumed his post.
On April 25, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Independence of the State of Israel (1948-2023), President Vo Van Thuong sent greetings to President of the State of Israel Isaac Herzog. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent a congratulatory message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. On the same day, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son sent a congratulatory message to Israel's Foreign Minister Eli Cohen.
On April 26, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received the Minister of Internal Affairs of Belarus Ivan Vladimirovich Kubrakov who was visiting Vietnam. Appreciating the outcomes of the talks between Minister Ivan Vladimirovich Kubrakov and Minister of Public Security To Lam, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh was pleased that the two sides have signed important documents, and exchanged and agreed on specific and practical measures to further promote the Vietnam-Belarus cooperation in preventing and combating crime, and maintaining social order and safety in each country.
On April 26, receiving Mr. Indra Pradana Singawinata, Secretary General of the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh suggested APO choose Vietnam as a model for productivity improvement, starting from specific and key projects. The Prime Minister also proposed the APO to assist Vietnam in fine-tuning mechanisms, human resource training, administrative science, and stepping up international cooperation in the field of productivity. He hailed the Secretary-General for choosing Vietnam as the first destination after taking office, saying that it is the manifestation of the growing strategic partnership between Vietnam and the APO.
 |
| On April 24, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh receives agriculture ministries' leaders. (Photo: VNA) |
On April 24, in Hanoi, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosted a reception for a delegation of leaders of agriculture ministries attending the fourth Global Conference of the One Planet Network’s Sustainable Food System Programme (SFS Programme). The Prime Minister hailed the crucial role of the SFS programme in the common effort to achieve all 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in ensuring food security. He affirmed that the conference took place at a very appropriate time when the world is striving to recover from the serious consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health and social welfare of people, as well as the disruption of food supply chains, leading to food crises in many parts of the world.
On April 24, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received Director of the Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG) Christian Hofer, who was in Hanoi to attend the 4th global conference of the One Planet Network's Sustainable Food Systems Programme (SFS Programme) from April 24 to 27.
On April 29, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and a high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese National Assembly arrived at Noi Bai International Airport, successfully ending the official visits to Cuba, Argentina and Uruguay. The visits, from April 18-28, were made at the invitation of President of the National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba Esteban Lazo Hernandez, President of the Chamber of Deputies of Argentina Cecilia Moreau, and Speaker of the Senate of Uruguay Beatriz Argimon Cedeira.
The trip featured nearly 80 activities of the Vietnamese top legislator, some 40 of ministries, agencies and localities, and about 30 cooperation agreements, at both central and local levels, signed. It reaped practical, comprehensive results in all the channels of Party, legislature, government and people-to-people exchange, and all pillars of relations, helping open up new opportunities for Vietnam and its partners to foster effective, substantive and mutually beneficial cooperation.
 |
| NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, MERCOSUR Parliament's leaders hold talks. (Photo: VNA) |
From April 25-28, at the invitation of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Politburo member, permanent member of the CPV Central Committee’s Secretariat and Head of the Central Committee’s Organisation Commission Truong Thi Mai had a working visit to China’s Chongqing Municipality.
On April 26, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha received World Bank (WB) Country Director for Vietnam Carolyn Turk. The Deputy Prime Minister suggested the Bank to support and arrange loan sources for and share experience with Vietnam, help the country improve its capacity and complete related necessary legal framework, and offer it projects of economic and environmental significance for sustainable development.
On April 25, in Tay Ninh, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Samdech Krolahom Sar Kheng co-chaired the 12th meeting on cooperation and development between border provinces of Vietnam and Cambodia.
On April 24, the 4th Global Conference of the One Planet Network’s Sustainable Food System Programme (SFS Programme) opened in Hanoi, bringing together more than 300 delegates, of whom nearly 200 were foreigners. Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang briefed the participants on the national action plan on building a transparent, responsible and sustainable food and food stuff system by 2030, which is aimed at turning Vietnam into a transparent, responsible and sustainable food producer and supplier. Vietnam stands ready to share its experience and cooperate with other countries in agriculture and rural development, and wishes to receive more support from them in the time ahead, he said.
From 22-23/4, a delegation from the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) led by Nguyen Trong Nghia, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Head of the Committee’s Commission for Information and Education, paid a working visit to the Czech Republic. During the visit, the delegation had a meeting with Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech parliament and Vice President of the ruling Civic Democratic Party (ODS) Jan Skopecek, President of ANO Party Andrej Babis, and First Vice President of the Czech Communist Party Petr Simunek.
Activities of the Foreign Minister
On April 28, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son had a working session to assign task to new Ambassadors, Heads of Representative Missions for the 2023-2026 tenure.
 |
| On April 28, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son had a working session to assign task to new Ambassadors, Heads of Representative Missions for the 2023-2026 tenure. (Photo: WVR/Tuan Anh) |
Bilateral activities
On April 25, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan chaired a ceremony of gratitude and awarded medals to domestic and foreign forces participating in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief for the earthquake in Turkey. The President of Turkey recognized and highly appreciated the efforts and contributions of Turkish and international relief teams, including 2 rescue teams from Vietnam.
On April 25 (local time), Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc had a meeting with Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship of Argentina Pablo A. Tettamanti in the framework of the official visit to the South American nation by National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.
On April 24 (local time), Deputy Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc received Honourary Consul of Vietnam in Paraguay Maria Del Carmen Perez on the occasion of National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue’s official visit to Argentina. Deputy Foreign Minister Ngoc spoke highly of the Honourary Consul’s effective support for and close coordination with the Vietnamese Embassy in Argentina in recent times, significantly contributing to maintaining and stepping up the bilateral relations in the context that Vietnam has yet to set up a representative office in Paraguay.
Multilateral activities
On April 28, ASEAN countries and Russia held the 19th ASEAN-Russia Senior Officials Meeting in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Ambassador Vu Ho, Acting Head of SOM ASEAN Vietnam attended the meeting.
On April 27, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Vietnam, organised an international workshop on experiences in developing reports under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism named as “Experience in reporting under the UPR mechanism”.
Director General of the MoFA’s Department of International Organisations Pham Hai Anh noted that since joining the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism, Vietnam has shown its seriousness and responsibility, with more recommendations accepted by the country, reaching 83% of the UPR third cycle recommendations. For the fourth cycle, Vietnamplans to submit its report to the council in early 2024, and the UNHRC is scheduled to approve the review during its 57th session in September the same year, according to Anh.
 |
| Director General of the MoFA’s Department of International Organisations Pham Hai Anh speaks at the event. (Photo: WVR/Anh Son). |
On April 25-26, a delegation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs led by Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu had a working session with The Hague Academy of International Law and the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) to promote cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the two organizations mentioned above.
In two days, from April 25-26, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs organized the form of a direct online collaboration the APEC Conference on enhancing women's empowerment in political development for climate change adaptation. The event is part of the Working Group on Women and the Economy (PPWE) of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).
On April 26, the 11th Senior Officials Meeting of the OECD Southeast Asia Program (SEARP) took place in Paris, France under the chair of Assistant Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Hang and Ambassador, Head Australian Delegation to the OECD Brendan Pearson as Co-Chair of SEARP.
On April 25, speaking at an open discussion on the Middle East situation of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), including the Palestinian issue, with the participation of representatives of more than 50 countries and a number of organizations, Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the United Nations, expressed concern about the continued increase in violence, calling on all parties to exercise maximum restraint.
On April 24, in New York, the UN Security Council held an open ministerial-level discussion themed “Effective Multilateralism through the Defence of the Principles of the United Nations Charter and the 1970 Declaration on Principles of International Law”. Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Vietnam's Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) has stated that in order to promote effective multilateralism, all countries have a responsibility to observe the UN Charter and international law, especially the principle of respecting the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, not using and threatening to use forces, peacefully solving all disputes on the basis of legal and diplomatic processes. Multilateralism is only effective if there is goodwill, mutual respect and understanding in a spirit of openness, inclusiveness and equality, he said.
Previously, in the capacity of Vice President of the United Nations General Assembly Session 77, Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang chaired the meeting to celebrate International Mother Earth Day.
Other activities
On April 25, at the Hung Temple historic site, a delegation of overseas Vietnamese from 23 countries was led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Quang Hieu, Chairman of the State Committee on Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, offered incense in memory of the Hung Kings. The event was organized by the State Committee on Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the People's Committee of Phu Tho province and attracted great attention from the Vietnamese community.
