Review on external affairs from Jan. 1-7: Promote comprehensive cooperation with Laos; Bulgarian NA Speaker’s visit to Vietnam
WVR - Review on a number of news headlines on external affairs from Jan.1-7 by The World and Vietnam Report.
Latest
 |
| Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone review the guard of honour at the welcome ceremony in Hanoi on January 6 morning, 2024. (Photo: WVR) |
Leaders’ activities
On January 7, receiving Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Neth Savoeun President Vo Van Thuong emphasised that Vietnam always values the good traditional friendship and support of the Cambodian people to Vietnam's struggles to defend the nation as well as in the national construction and defense today. The President expressed his pleasure as Cambodian leaders wish to continue deepening the traditional friendship through recent visits to Vietnam by Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Moha Bovor Thipadei Hun Manet, President of the Cambodian National Assembly Samdech Khuon Sudary, and other high-ranking leaders of the State and Government of Cambodia.
On January 4, President Vo Van Thuong sent a message of condolences to President of Iran Ebrahim Raisi over the recent bombing in the southeastern city of Kerman that left over 100 dead and nearly 200 others injured. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh extended his condolences to First Vice-President Mohammad Mokhber, while Chairman of the National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue sent a message of condolences to Speaker of the Parliament of Iran Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf. The same day, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son cabled a massage of condolences to his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
From January 6-7, at the invitation of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, Spouse and a high-ranking delegation of the Lao Government paid an official visit to Vietnam and co-chaired the 46th session of the Vietnam-Laos Inter-Governmental Committee. During his visit to Vietnam, Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone met with President Vo Van Thuong and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue; lay a wreath at the Mausoleum of President Ho Chi Minh and the Memorial of Heroes and Martyrs.
At the talks and meetings, Vietnamese leaders spoke highly of the achievements recorded by the Lao Party, State, and people. Leaders of the two countries expressed their joy at the fine, comprehensive, extensive and intensive, and effective developments of the bilateral great friendship, special solidary, and comprehensive cooperation in all fields. On the cooperation orientations for the time to come, the two sides agreed to intensify the exchange of high-level visits and contacts, and to strengthen the connectivity between the two economies. The Vietnamese leaders affirmed their readiness to support Laos in successfully shouldering international responsibilities in 2024, including the ASEAN chairmanship.
On January 2, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent a message of sympathy to Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio over huge losses in human lives and property caused by a massive earthquake and tsunami that hit Ishikawa prefecture and adjacent areas in central Japan on January 1, 2024. The same day, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son also extended his condolences to Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko. https://en.baoquocte.vn/sympathy-offered-to-japan-over-major-earthquake-tsunami-in-ishikawa-prefecture-256016.html
On January 9, Speaker of the National Assembly of Bulgaria Rosen Dimitrov Jeliazkov and his entourage left Hanoi, concluding their five-day official trip to Vietnam at the invitation of National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue. This was the first visit by a Bulgarian NA Speaker in over a decade, and was a reciprocal visit following the official Bulgaria visit by the Vietnamese top legislator in September 2023. During January 6-7, National Assembly Chairman Rossen Dimitrov Jeliazkov paid a visit to Ninh Binh province; visit the World Cultural and Natural Heritage Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex; met with representatives of Vietnamese people who have studied and worked in Bulgaria. During his stay, Speaker Jeliazkov had extensive meetings with a host of Vietnamese leaders. Leaders of the two countries commented the positive development progress in the bilateral cooperation across various areas, and agreed to continue enhancing visits and contact at all levels via all channels as well as effectively roll out bilateral cooperation mechanisms and agreements.
On January 4, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue extended a warm welcome to Vice President of the Lao legislature Chaleun Yiapaoher, the first foreign guest to visit the Vietnamese NA in the new year of 2024. Chairman Hue congratulated the Lao National Assembly on successfully holding the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam (CLV) Parliamentary Summit in December 2023, saying the event's success marked the important role of the Lao legislature in the cooperation mechanism among the parliaments of the three countries as well as in the region. NA Chairman Hue affirmed the Vietnamese NA’s commitments to dedicating its utmost efforts to make legislative collaboration a crucial component of bilateral ties, including law-making matters and decisions on important national issues. National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue said Vietnam always supports and is ready to assist Laos in successfully assuming the role of ASEAN Chairman and AIPA Chairman in 2024.
On January 7, the 45th Anniversary of the Victory Day to protect the Southwestern border of the Fatherland and join the Cambodian army and people in defeating the genocidal regime (January 7, 1979 - 2024) was held at Hanoi Opera House. The meaningful event was hosted by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO), in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the City People's Committee, organized by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front.
Activities of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
On January 2, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son awarded the decision to appoint 5 Heads of Vietnamese Representative Missions abroad.
Bilateral activities
In an interview with World and Vietnam Report ahead of the visit of the Speaker of the Bulgarian National Assembly, Vietnamese Ambassador to Bulgaria Do Hoang Long affirmed that parliamentary cooperation is considered a bright spot in bilateral relations recently, contributing positively. in developing and expanding good relations between the two countries.
Talking to the World and Vietnam Report about the significance of Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone's visit to Vietnam, Lao Ambassador Khamphao Ernthavanh affirmed that the visit demonstrates the highest regard of the Lao Party and State as well as the Prime Minister personally to Vietnam. At the same time, he affirmed that the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos will continue to be stable. Chairman of the Laos - Vietnam Friendship Association, Lao Minister of Technology and Communications Boviengkham Vongdara said that the exchange of delegations between the two countries is clear evidence of the great friendship and special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation are increasingly deepening between the brotherly countries of Laos and Vietnam.
Multilateral activities
On January 5, Deputy Foreign Minister and Chairman of the Vietnam National Committee for UNESCO Ha Kim Ngoc received Mr. Jonathan Walance Baker, Chief Representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Hanoi. Vietnam.
Citizen protection
On the afternoon of January, immediately after a series of high-intensity earthquakes shook a large area along the coast of Japan, accompanied by a dangerous tsunami warning in the central province of Ishikawa and many neighboring provinces, the Embassy Vietnam in Japan has promptly implemented citizen protection work.
As of 9pm on January 2, there had been no casualties among Vietnamese citizens recorded due to a recent earthquake in Japan, according to the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan.
On January 6, the Embassy organized an online meeting with Vietnamese associations to discuss coordination to support Vietnamese people affected by the earthquake. On the same day, the delegation of the Vietnamese Consulate General in Osaka and representatives of Vietnamese associations and businesses in the Kansai area and neighboring provinces, encouraged the Vietnamese and Japanese people who are affected by the earthquake.
Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
On January 4, responding to a reporter's question for Vietnam's reaction to the bombing on January 3 in the city of Kerman, southeastern Iran, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang emphasized, Vietnam strongly condemns the bombing and extends its deep condolences to the Government, people of Iran, and the families of the victims, believing that those who staged for the attack must be punished properly.
Other activities
On January 3, the Party Central Committee's Commission for External Relations held a conference to review the people to people diplomacy work in 2023 and deploy tasks in 2024. Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and Head of its Commission for External Relations Le Hoai Trung affirmed that people-to-people diplomacy serves as an important pillar of Vietnam’s diplomatic sector while addressing the Conference. Pointing to opportunities, challenges and requirements for people-to-people diplomacy in the time ahead, Trung called for greater efforts to better the work. He asked the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF), and people’s organisations to continue implementing relevant policies and guidelines set at the 13th National Party Congress, as well as tasks assigned by the Secretariat.
