Monday

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung Said the Myanmar Election was fair and would do the same flat

LookAtVietnam - Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung paid a three-day visit to the Union of Myanmar from April 2-4 at the invitation of Prime Minister General Thein Sein. On the occasion, Vietnam and Myanmar released a joint statement on bilateral cooperation During his visit, PM Dung met with Senior General Than Shwe, Chairman of the Myanmar State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) and held talks with Prime Minister General Thein Sein. He also attended a conference on Vietnam investment promotion in Myanmar along with a trade fair for Vietnamese products in Yangon and several ceremonies to debut the Vietnamese Investors’ Association, to open a direct air route between Hanoi and Yangon and to inaugurate a representative office of the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV). A number of cooperation agreements and business contracts were signed by ministries, sectors and businesses from the two countries. Leaders updated each other on the political and economic situation in their respective countries and discussed ways to promote the time-honoured friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries. Both sides pledged to continue mutual support on issues of common concern at regional and international forums. Talks were held in an atmosphere of friendship, understanding and mutual trust. Myanmar congratulated Vietnam on its assumption of the ASEAN Chair in 2010. PM Thein Sein briefed his Vietnamese counterpart Dung on recent developments in implementing the seven-step roadmap for democratization and socio-economic development, including announcing election laws and establishing an electoral committee. The Vietnamese government leader expressed his understanding and sympathy for the complex situation in Myanmar and re-affirmed Vietnam’s support for the nation in carrying out the roadmap. The Vietnamese PM encouraged Myanmar to make a greater effort to ensure a free and just election in 2010. The two PMs noted with satisfaction the positive development of bilateral cooperation in politics, economics, trade, investment, telecommunications, civil aviation, banking and agriculture while praising the fine cooperation between the two countries at regional and international forums. They agreed to enhance all-round cooperation, particularly in economics by effectively tapping into the two countries’ growth potential. In that sprit, the two PMs consented to boost cooperation in the 12 key areas with the following specific orientations: Agriculture The two countries will focus on effectively implementing the Memorandum of Understanding on Agriculture between the Vietnam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Myanmar Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation. They will intensify efforts to create high-quality varieties of rice, maize, coffee and tea for commercial use and promote investment in the field. The two sides will accelerate their negotiations on the Memorandum of Understanding on investment in rubber growing in Myanmar between the Vietnam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Myanmar Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation. They will strive to reach a trade target for growing rubber and create favourable conditions for investment run by the Vietnam Rubber Group, the HCM City Young Volunteers and the Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group. They agreed to expand cooperation in growing other industrial crops. Aquaculture Vietnam and Myanmar agreed to encourage and facilitate the establishment of fishing and fish farming joint ventures, entailing the one between the A.S.V Holdings and suitable partners from Myanmar. Banking- Finance Both sides praised the opening of a representative office of the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) in Yangon and the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) and the Myanmar Central Bank which will create a basic legal framework for banking activities in the near future. Aviation Both sides highly valued the establishment of a direct air route between Hanoi – Yangon and the opening of a representative office of the Vietnam Aviation Corporation there. They agreed to consider an agreement on granting visa exemptions to the flight crews of their airlines and the possibility of forming partnerships to exploit Myanmar’s international flight routes. Vietnam also showed eagerness to partner with Myanmar in exploiting the latter’s domestic flight routes. Telecommunications The two PMs praised the Vietnam Military Telecommunications Group (Viettel) for its establishment of a representative office in Yangon. Myanmar pledged to considered investment projects submitted by Viettel and to create better conditions for the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) to run business in Myanmar. Oil and gas Myanmar vowed to create mutually-beneficial conditions for the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) to explore and produce oil and gas offshore Myanmar. Myanmar also agreed to consider the proposal by A.S.V. Holdings to explore and exploit oil and gas in Myanmar. Minerals Vietnam praised Myanmar for permitting the SIMCO Song Da joint stock company of Vietnam to mine white marble in the Patle-in area, Thabyaw Taung, in Mandalay while Myanmar agreed to offer suitable conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to conduct mineral exploration and exploitation there. Electrical equipment production Myanmar allowed Vietnamese businesses, including the Viet A Investment Commercial Industrial Group Holdings Company and the Hanaka Group, to cooperate with Myanmar firms to produce and supply electrical equipment in Myanmar. Automobile assembly Myanmar encouraged Vietnamese businesses, including Vinaxuki company, the Saigon Transportation Mechanical Corporation (SAMCO) and the Vietnam Motor Industry Corporation (Vinamotor), to invest in automobile assembly and production in Myanmar. Construction Myanmar allowed Vietnamese businesses, including the Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group and the SIMCO Song Da joint stock company, to invest in projects to build hotels and cultural and trade centres, as well as in other development projects in Myanmar. Investment and trade The two sides agreed to facilitate bilateral cooperation in commodities trade and services, encouraging trade promotion and exchanges between their businesses. Vietnam showed interest in wholesale and retail trade in Myanmar. The two countries also agreed to negotiate an agreement on mutual recognition of product quality. They pledged to boost trade promotion in each country in accordance with the MoU on Trade Promotion between the Vietnam Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Myanmar Ministry of Planning and Economic Development. They also praised the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) for its plan to establish the Myanmar Investment and Development Company (MIDC) in Myanmar. Cooperation in other fields In addition, the two PMs reached consensus on strengthening cooperation in other fields, such as culture, education, sports, tourism, transport, security and national defence, as well as promoting negotiations on the signing of the MoU on bilateral national defence. They discussed measures to enhance cooperation in forestry, including negotiations on the Agreement on Forestry Cooperation. Both sides were eager to see the early signing of an agreement on visa exemptions for ordinary passport holders in conformity with the ASEAN agreement on visa exemptions. A joint statement on the points above was made in Naypyidaw on April 2, 2010.