A week after one of his wells in the Gulf of Mexico began spewing crude into the sea, BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward visited the Reuters office in London. A sea turtle covered in oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill swims off Grand Terre Island, Louisiana Photo: Reuters Initially anxious, the CEO relaxed and grew in confidence as he outlined his plans to halt the leak, peppering his conversation with industry slang like "mods," short for "modifications." His message over the lunch with senior journalists was clear: BP had one of the biggest engineering, logistical and financial problems the oil industry had ever faced, but the company was up to the challenge. What the CEO failed to mention was that BP also faced a massive political problem, perhaps the biggest such crisis for an oil company operating in the United States since Teddy Roosevelt broke up John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil. It was a telling omission. BP's failure to grasp the … [Read more...]

NA Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong has written an article for the media discussing the significance of the event and Vietnam’s role in the region’s inter-parliamentary cooperation. The 31st AIPA General Assembly will not only be the most important external event for the 12th NA of Vietnam in 2010, but also an opportunity for the Vietnamese NA to enhance its role and boost parliamentary cooperation in the region. The AIPA General Assembly will also help highlight Vietnam’s foreign policy of independence, peace, cooperation and development, diversification, and multilateralization. Thirty-three years ago, on September 2, 1977, the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization (AIPO) was set up to increase cooperation between the various governments in the region. While implementing its foreign policy, Vietnam’s National Assembly also joined the AIPO in 1995. In seeking solution to improve its efficiency and role in the region’s cooperation process, the name of AIPO … [Read more...]

Vietnam seeks stronger cooperation with Interpol As a member of the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol), Vietnam will do its utmost to strengthen cooperation with the organisation in combating crime, says Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. PM Dung made the statement while receiving Interpol President Khoo Boon Hui in Hanoi on October 29. Khoo Boon Hui has been in Hanoi for the 80th Interpol General Assembly meeting from October 31 to November 4. Mr Dung hailed the meeting’s practical theme with discussions focused on cooperation in crime prevention, especially hi-tech crime and pirates, as well as in improving capacity of crime prevention. He briefed his guest on Vietnam’s major socio-economic achievements and said although the country has control crime, the fight remains complicated. He expressed hope to cooperate closely with Interpol in this field. President Khoo Boon Hui spoke highly of effective cooperation between the Vietnamese Ministry of Public … [Read more...]

A steering committee will be established to stabilise and provide oversight on Vinashin's production and business. >> Government determined to punish and save Vinashin >> Vinashin's former leader arrested for deliberate violations >> Vinashin chairman faces criminal investigation >> Vietnam giant Vinashin to undergo Government review The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee has decided to set up a steering committee in charge of assisting the country's largest shipbuilder Vinashin to settle its operation and financial problems as soon as possible. This was part of the Political Bureau's conclusion on Vinashin on July 31 after hearing the Party Delegation of the Government reporting the group's situation and opinions from the Party Central Committee Office, the Party Central Committee's Inspection Commission, the National Assembly's Economics Committee, the Ministry of Public Security and other central ministries … [Read more...]

Deputy PM receives leader of Mainichi Newspaper Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has received a visiting delegation from the Japanese Mainichi Newspaper Company led by its Managing Director and Digital Media Division Executive Supervisor, Asahina Yutaka. At a reception in Hanoi on October 25, the Deputy PM praised the newspaper’s cooperation with Vietnamese agencies in co-organising the 16th World Police Music Festival in Hanoi. He talked about Japan’s assistance to Vietnam in constructing a nuclear power plant, exploiting natural resources, attracting investment from Japanese businesses, training high quality human resources and issuing solutions to settle disputes over territorial waters. Mr Phuc said Vietnam is a strategic partner of Japan and the effective cooperation between the two countries will serve as an important foundation for strengthening bilateral ties. He said the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster caused by the recent tsunami and earth quakes in … [Read more...]

These Politburo members include permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Truong Tan Sang, Minister of Public Security Le Hong Anh, and Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Pham Quang Nghi. Having heard the provincial leaders’ reports on their preparations for Party congresses, including draft political reports, operational reviews of the 2006-2010 term, personnel plans and congress resolutions, Mr Sang basically agreed on the presented contents. Mr Sang praised the achievements the provincial Party Committees have reaped during the 2006-2010 term, citing the gross domestic product (GDP) growth rates of 13.6 percent of Gia Lai; 15.1 percent of Dak Nong; 12.3 percent of Phu Yen; 12.8 percent of Quang Nam; 14.5 percent of Kon Tum; and 18.5 percent of Quang Ngai. The provinces have made progress in cultural and social affairs, improving the quality of human resources, reducing the number of poor households, mobilising investment sources, ensuring … [Read more...]

Military Political Academy urged to build strong Party The Military Political Academy should focus on building a strong, transparent and trustworthy Party, said Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. The Party leader made the request on his visit to the Military Political Academy under the Ministry of National Defence, marking its 60th anniversary (October 25). At the working session on October 22, General Secretary Trong highlighted the Academy's achievements over the past 60 years, declaring it has utilized its strong political will to overcome all difficulties and fulfill its mission. The Academy has trained tens of thousands of political and scientific cadres, contributing greatly to the glorious cause of the Party and building of the People’s Army in the new context, he said. General Secretary Trong also underlined the Academy's scientific research, saying it has provided scientific grounds for the Party’s policies and guidelines on defence and military … [Read more...]

PM calls for more Cuban investment in Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung requested Cuba to step up cooperation and investment in Vietnam while receiving Cuban Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment Rodrigo Malmierca Diaz in Hanoi on Friday. He asked Cuba to continue to create favorable conditions for Vietnamese firms to cooperate and invest in Cuba and encouraged the two sides to speed up trade activities, reaching a higher two-way trade in comparison with the modest figure of US$250 million in 2010. The PM highly valued outcomes of the 29th session of the Vietnam-Cuba Intergovernmental Committee in Hanoi the same day, as well as results reached at working sessions between the Cuban minister and leaders of relevant Vietnamese ministries and agencies. The two sides should accelerate economic, trade and investment cooperation, helping bilateral cooperation in these fields match political and diplomatic relations between the two countries, PM Dung said. In return, Minister … [Read more...]

NA leader hosts reception for NZ ambassador National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan received New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam Heather Mhairi Riddell in Hanoi on Friday. Ngan expressed her wish that the Vietnamese and New Zealand parliaments will enhance cooperation in training and improving capacity of NA deputies, especially full-time deputies. The NA leader also affirmed that Vietnam always creates favorable conditions for businesses of the two countries to promote trade and investment cooperation. For her part, Ambassador Heather Mhairi Riddell praised Vietnam’s efforts to control inflation, ensure social security and stable growth. The NZ diplomat pledged to do her utmost to promote all-round cooperation between the two countries and create favorable conditions for NZ and Vietnamese businesses to cooperate. New Zealand has granted 30 scholarships to Vietnamese students and is implementing an initiative for young Vietnamese entrepreneurs to study and … [Read more...]

For the past 80 years, the Party has led Vietnam to glorious historic victories which showed not only the spirit of national great unity but also the Party’s political strength. In the context of global integration, the political power should be strengthened as it is considered the key to every success. The draft political platform for the transitional period to socialism in Vietnam proposed at the 11th Party’s National Congress emphasized that defeating feudalism and imperialism, Vietnam became an independent country and decided to follow the path to socialism. Freed from colonist rules, the Vietnamese people became masters of their own country. From a poor and underdeveloped nation, Vietnam took giant steps toward building an industrialised and modern country, established diplomatic ties with many countries and continued to enhance its position in the region and the world, said the platform. According to researchers, during its 80-year history, the CPV has twice … [Read more...]