The event marks the first meeting between the ASEAN and a foreign partner after the official formation of the ASEAN Community. The summit discussed measures to implement the ASEAN – US strategic partnership in a more practical manner and shared views on international and regional issues of common concern./.
PM meets Indonesian and Thai leaders at ASEAN-US Summit
On the sidelines of the ASEAN-US Special Leaders’ Summit, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung held talk with Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Monday (US time). At the talk, the two leaders agreed to continue deepen their strategic partnership and boost cooperation in different fields. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung also had talk with his Thai counterpart Prayut Chan-ocha. The two sides pledged to boost strategic partnership and effective implementation of the agreements signed at the third joint cabinet meeting last year. The two side also agreed to enhance cooperation in various fields such as labour and security./.
Vietnam demands China end Hoang Sa sovereignty violations
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Le Hai Binh on Friday made remarks in reply to reporters’ queries on China’s construction of a military helicopter base on Quang Hoa Island and its deployment of HQ-9 surface-to-air missiles on Phu Lam Island of Vietnam’s Hoang Sa Archipelago. Accordingly, Vietnam demands China end its wrongful activities in the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Archipelago.
Regarding the issue, other countries including Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the US also expressed their concern.
NA Standing Committee opens 45th meeting
The 13th National Assembly Standing Committee convened its 45th session on Wednesday. The 5-day meeting discusses reports reviewing the performance of the government, the Prime Minister, and the President during the 2011-2016 period. The NA Standing Committee will consider a proposal to amend the 2016 Programme on Law Building and Ordinance Building, and draft reports on acquiring feedback on the revised Law on Journalism; Law on Child Protection, Care and Education; and Pharmacy Law./.
Stock markets reopen after lunar new year
Finance Minister Dinh Tien Dung opened the first trading session at the Hanoi Stock Exchange following the lunar new year. However the bourse ended the session in red, with the HNX-Index falling 0.74% while VN-Index up 1.14 points.
The Finance Minister said this would be a challenging year for the Vietnamese stock market, and said the securities market needed to implement the government’s policies on equitising state-owned enterprises.
Vietnam to take more measures to prevent Zika virus
The Ministry of Health held a conference on Tuesday to discuss the theories promoted by Argentine doctors that a chemical larvicide called Pyriproxyfen was the potential cause of microcephaly in newborns. The ministry confirmed that this chemical is being used under close control in Vietnam, and that the ministry will immediately stop using the chemical if the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention CDC and the World Health Organisation conclude that it has anything to do with microcephaly. In the coming time, the Ministry of Health will co-ordinate closely with relevant units, to detect if there is any sign of the Zika virus in Vietnam. No cases of Zika virus have been detected in Vietnam so far./.
Ngoa Van Spring Festival opens
The Ngoa Van spring festival in the northern province of Quang Ninh officially opened on Tuesday. The festival is an opportunity for Buddhist monks, nuns and followers across Vietnam to make a pilgrimage to Ngoa Van Pagoda, which is considered a key holy site for Vietnamese Truc Lam Zen Buddhism. Thousands of visitors and Buddhist followers flocked to Ngoa Van pagoda on the first day of the festival. The festival will run for about three months./.
Yen Tu Spring Festival 2016 opens
The 2016 Yen Tu Spring Festival officially opened on Wednesday in Uong Bi City in the northern province of Quang Ninh. Vice State President Nguyen Thi Doan attended the ceremony. Yen Tu, recognised as the country’s leading centre of Buddhism, is located 50km from Ha Long City. The route of the pilgrimage, which winds from the foot of Yen Tu Mountain to its highest peak, is almost 30km. Dong Pagoda, which sits atop the peak, is more than a kilometer above sea level. Local authorities are wrapping up an application to UNESCO for Truc Lam – Yen Tu to be recognized as a world cultural heritage.
