Vietnam attends 46th session of IFAD Governing Council. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam attends 46th session of IFAD Governing Council

Ambassador Duong Hai Hung, the nation’s permanent representative at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), attended the 46th session of the IFAD Governing Council in Rome from February 14 to February 15.

The session focused on “Accelerating Action for Food Security” amid the world facing the largest food crisis in modern history as progress stalls on achieving zero hunger.

The fund has therefore called for urgent investment to be made in transforming food systems. As the world’s fund for food and agriculture, it plays an innovative and vital role in accelerating action to ensure food security by supporting small-scale food producers.

Through effective co-operation over the past four decades, the IFDA has actively supported poverty reduction and rural development in the nation, especially in mountainous areas and those faced by extremely difficult circumstances, cited VOV.

It is in the process of carrying out numerous projects on smart agriculture and climate change response in the country.

In reply, the nation has also contributed to common activities of the fund through financial contributions, technical support, and three-party and south-south co-operation, as well as activities undertaken by the permanent representative.

Vietnam, Russia eye bolstering comprehensive strategic partnership

Secretary of the Party Central Committee and President of Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Do Van Chien on February 17 received a delegation of the Russian Federal Assembly’s Federation Council led by its First Deputy Speaker Andrey Yatskin.

Yatskin, who is also head of the council’s group for cooperation with the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA), is on a working visit to Vietnam.

During the meeting, Chien said Vietnam will forever remember the great support from Russia across different periods of time, especially the most difficult eras in Vietnam's history.

Vietnam hopes that the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries will be further promoted and achieve more good results, he added.

The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) strongly supports the close and friendly cooperation in many aspects between the two nations’ legislatures, and the party will create the most favorable conditions for the two sides to fulfill their commitments and cooperation agreements, Chien affirmed.

He expressed his belief that both nations will have effective solutions to solve difficulties and meet each side’s wishes.

Cooperation between Vietnamese and Russian localities is also a basis for the two sides to tap potential and strengths to achieve practical results, he noted.

Secretary of the Party Central Committee and President of Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Do Van Chien (R) receives First Deputy Speaker of Russian Federal Assembly’s Federation Council Andrey Yatskin (Photo: VNA)

For his part, Yatskin spoke highly of the political position and leadership role of the CPV for the country's development; and Vietnam's foreign policy, including enhancing relations with the former Soviet Union, and Russia today.

The well-developed relationship between the CPV and major Russian political parties shows that the Vietnamese party’s foreign policy, the relationship of the Vietnamese Party and State with Russia is widely supported by political parties in Russia, he stressed.

Yatskin said in his talks with Vietnamese NA Vice Chairman and President of the Vietnam-Russia Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group Nguyen Khac Dinh, the two sides discussed and agreed on measures to promote cooperation between the two legislative bodies and between the two friendship parliamentarians’ groups. They include promoting exchange of delegations, strengthening coordination in supervising and urging the effective implementation of cooperation agreements signed by the two governments.

He affirmed that the delegation’s visit to Vietnam shows the importance Russia places on the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership, and his country’s support for the central role of ASEAN in the region.

The guest thanked Vietnam for its contributions to promoting ASEAN - Russia relations in recent years.

He took the occasion to suggest the CPV continue to support and promote the comprehensive strategic partnership in general, and cooperation projects in various fields between the two countries in particular.

Vietnam ranks 12th among Asia’s most powerful countries

The 2023 Comprehensive Power Ranking. (Photo: Lowy Institute's 2023 Asia Power Index)

Vietnam has been ranked 12th out of 26 countries in terms of comprehensive power in Asia, achieving an overall score of 17.5 out of 100, Lowy Institute outlined in its recent report.

According to details in the report, Vietnam represents a middle power in Asia, whilst the country lost 0.8 points in terms of its overall power compared to 2021.

Lowy Institute noted that the country performed best in the diplomatic influence measure, ranking ninth, with this being a result of its proactive diplomatic outreach with a diverse set of partners.

Most notably, resilience remains the country’s weakest measure, with the nation ranking 19th, partially reflecting its contested maritime boundaries in the East Sea, Lowy stated.

Furthermore, institute commented that the country’s most significant declines in 2022 were in terms of the defence networks measure, where the country dropped down to 15th.

“Vietnam exerts more influence in the region than expected given its available resources, as indicated by the country’s positive power gap score, which improved in 2022,” it noted.

Vietnam does most of its trade with China, the United States, the Republic of Korea, the EU, and Japan. In addition, Laos, Cambodia, the Republic of Korea, China, and Thailand were deemed to be the five countries most reliant on trade with the nation.

Paris Peace Accords and its impacts on Vietnam - US ties

On February 16, a webinar was held by the US Institute of Peace (USIP) and the Vietnamese Embassy in the US to look into impacts of the Paris Peace Accords, signed 50 years ago, on the two countries’ relations today.

The event attracted nearly 200 guests who were scholars, historians, and representatives of some organizations and associations.

Addressing the webinar’s main session, Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Dung emphasized that the Paris Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam was a result of the sacrifice by millions of Vietnamese people, their strong desire for peace, independence, and national reunification, as well as the art of negotiation and the opportunity-seizing ability of many excellent diplomats from the parties concerned.

Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Dung speaks at the webinar. (Photo: WVR)

It was an important milestone and a turning point for Vietnam and Southeast Asia at large. To the Vietnam - US relations, it put an end to a sorrowful chapter and heralded a long process towards reconciliation, mutual understanding, normalisation of bilateral ties in 1995, and establishment of a comprehensive partnership in 2013, he said.

Dung went on to say that the 50th anniversary of the Paris Peace Accords signing is an occasion to contemplate the value of peace and the precious lessons that the agreement generated for peace, security, and international relations, reported WVR.

To maintain peace and prevent conflicts, countries, especially superpowers, should thoroughly understand the history of small countries’ aspirations and legitimate interests, while attaching importance to the key role of diplomacy in preventing and ending wars, according to the ambassador.

At the event, Ambassador Dung, Ambassador John D. Negroponte – former Assistant to then US National Security Advisor and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger at the Paris negotiations, Prof. Carolyn Eisenberg, Prof. Nguyen Thi Lien Hang, and guests shared their views on the deal signing and personal accounts during the agreement negotiation and enforcement processes.

According to USIP Vice President William Taylor, the 50th anniversary is an ideal chance for all parties to look back on the history, assess the successes and shortcomings of efforts to prevent conflicts in the past, and gain lessons for the future.

Vietnam’s search and rescue team hailed in Turkey

Search and rescue teams from countries supporting Turkey have hailed their counterparts from the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) in the effort following the devastating earthquake.

Talking with Vietnam News Agency in Turkey on February 17, Australia's representative of the search and rescue force and commander of the 10th rescue coordination centre Greg Rankin said countries have been working closely and effectively with the Turkish government and army.

With cooperation through the United Nations, teams were given specific tasks and strive together, thereby greatly contributing to disaster response coordination, he said.

He also lauded countries, including Vietnam, for sending search and rescue groups to Turkey as invaluable support.

Vietnamese team in Hatay (Photo: VNA)

With assistance from Vietnam’s team, search and rescue work will continue, he said, hoping that the effort will bring results.

The representative from Mexican search and rescue team gave his impression of the VPA’s activities in Turkey and underlined the importance of cooperation between Vietnamese, Mexican teams and Turkish government and people.

He hoped that both sides could work closely together in various areas, not only in search and rescue but also in economy and humanitarian causes.

Meanwhile, the head of the Italy’s search and rescue team and commander of the fifth rescue coordination centre in Hatay, said the VPA’s search and rescue team had ensured that the rescue work went as planned and such cooperation has been fruitful in seeking victims.

Col. Mustafa Ates from the Turkish army thanked the Vietnamese team for doing their best during the effort and always standing side by side with the Turkish people, cited VNA.

According to him, about 36 countries are joining in search and rescue in Hatay which is evidence for the close-knit and fraternal relationship among them.

The 76-strong rescue teams of the VPA, along with 35 tonnes of cargo, departed for Turkey on February 12 night to assist the country in recovery efforts following the devastating earthquake.

On February 16, Col. Nguyen Minh Khuong, deputy head of the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security’s Fire and Rescue Police Department, led a delegation to visit and present gifts to families of several Vietnamese living near Adiyaman city which was hard hit by the disaster on February 6.

He hoped that they will overcome existing difficulties soon and serve as a bridge fostering ties between the two nations.

The 24-member team of the ministry has engaged in search and rescue efforts in the Turkish southeastern city of Adiyaman, which is among the localities bearing the brunt of the earthquake, after they arrived at Istanbul International Airport on February 10.

According to the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority, more than 6,400 buildings in the country collapsed after the two earthquakes and more than 430 aftershocks. Some 8,300 international personnel have joined search and rescue operations in the country.

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