The Ministry of Transport (MOT) held a conference on May 17 to call for investment in a number of sections of the eastern North-South Expressway. The total costs for these 11 projects are estimated at VND118 trillion (US$5 billion) The conference drew the participation of around 100 domestic investors and 50 foreign investors from Japan, China and the Republic of Korea. MOT Deputy Minister Nguyen Nhat said, in the first stage until 2020, Vietnam plans to build 11 sections of the North-South Expressway with a total length of 654 kilometres traversing 13 provinces and cities. Three sections will be funded by the government budget while the other eight will be built under public-private partnerships (PPP). The total costs for these 11 projects are estimated at VND118 trillion (US$5 billion), of which the government will spend VND55 trillion (US$2.4 billion) on three public investment projects and site clearance for other projects. Deputy Minister Nhat said the MOT is working to … [Read more...] about Vietnam calls for investment in North South Expressway
Invest in north korea
Kim Jong-un visit to boost Vietnam-North Korea trade and investment ties – VnExpress International
Pham Tien Van, former Vietnamese Counselor in North Korea, and former Vietnamese Ambassador to South Korea, said Vietnam can promote export of consumer goods and food to North Korea if North Korea improves relations with the U.S. and opens its market. Pyongyang, in return, could export minerals to Hanoi and the two sides can also start barter exchanges, he told VnExpress. Vietnamese private enterprises can participate in infrastructure construction projects, real estate construction and tourism services, contribute capital to consumer goods factories, generating employment in North Korea. The two countries also have the prospect of developing tourism by establishing a train line running from Vietnam to China and North Korea, or even a direct flight route, he said. Speaking about the official visit to Vietnam by Kim Jong-un, Van said believes the North Korean leader will boost relations with Vietnam, and changes will take place in bilateral political and economic cooperation. … [Read more...] about Kim Jong-un visit to boost Vietnam-North Korea trade and investment ties – VnExpress International
North Korea seeks sweet smell of success ahead of summit
A customer enters a store attached to a cosmetics factory in Pyongyang. A modest amount of economic liberalisation has taken place in North Korea in recent years. (Photo: AFP/Ed Jones) Throughout the plant, masked workers in white overalls, gloves and hairnets operate machines producing shampoos, creams, cleansers and other products. Many are based on ginseng, a Korean root with a parsnip-like taste, with some packaging reminiscent of Western brands such as Pantene or Head and Shoulders. "Many people must prefer products that we make," Kim says. Ahead of his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, US President Donald Trump has claimed that if the isolated country gives up its nuclear weapons, it "could fast become one of the great economic powers anywhere in the world". The reality is both far more difficult and far more complicated than that - and the North is trying to get there on its own. At the ruling party's last congress Kim decried "the filthy wind of bourgeois … [Read more...] about North Korea seeks sweet smell of success ahead of summit
U.S. envoy raises prospect of U.S. compromise in North Korea talks
U.S. envoy raises prospect of U.S. compromise in North Korea talksThe Saigon Times Daily U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as he prepares to sign an Executive Order during a meeting with manufacturers in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S., January 31, 2019 – PHOTO: REUTERS WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - Washington is willing to discuss “many actions” to improve ties and entice Pyongyang to give up nuclear weapons, the U.S. special envoy for North Korea said on Thursday, but set out an extensive list of demands for the North, including a full disclosure of its weapons program. In a speech at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, envoy Stephen Biegun did not elaborate on what concessions the United States might make, but said the “corresponding measures” demanded by North Korea would be the subject of talks next week. Biegun will arrive in Seoul on Sunday for meetings with South Korean officials, before holding talks with North … [Read more...] about U.S. envoy raises prospect of U.S. compromise in North Korea talks
Trump says next summit with North Korea’s Kim to come after November U.S. elections
Trump says next summit with North Korea's Kim to come after November U.S. electionsThe Saigon Times Daily U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un meet at the start of their summit at the Capella Hotel on the resort island of Sentosa, Singapore June 12, 2018 – PHOTO: REUTERS WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would be held after U.S. congressional elections on Nov. 6. Speaking to reporters as he flew to Iowa for a political rally, Trump said: “It’ll be after the midterms. I just can’t leave now.” Earlier on Tuesday, Trump told reporters that plans were being made for his second summit with Kim and that he thought “incredible” progress had been made in U.S. talks with the long-isolated North Asian country. He said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had very good talks with Kim over the weekend and that three or four locations were … [Read more...] about Trump says next summit with North Korea’s Kim to come after November U.S. elections