Why civilian government is better than military government

At the meeting, General Phan Van Giang affirmed that Vietnam and Russia are enjoying a long-standing traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership. He said that Vietnam always treasures and bears in mind the great and effective support of the Soviet Union in the past and Russia at present for its national liberation and construction cause. Within the framework of the beautiful political relationship, the defense cooperation ties between Vietnam and the Russian Federation have been effectively implemented in the spirit of “trust, practicality, efficiency and comprehensiveness.” The two sides have signed 18 treaties and international agreements at the Government and Ministry of Defense levels, effectively maintained eight cooperation mechanisms, and carried out 23 cooperation contents in various fields. The defense cooperation contents between Vietnam and Russia have been one of the two governments’ priorities. The Vietnamese defense minister emphasized that … [Read more...] about Defense minister receives VILAR Institute’s scientists and leaders

The European Union is working to boost its presence in the Pacific through economic ties and new security commitments as geostrategic competition in the region intensifies, the bloc's ambassador to Pacific Island nations said on Tuesday. Ambassador Sujiro Seam told Reuters in an interview during a visit to New Zealand the EU had long been seen as a development partner in the Pacific and that it wanted to be perceived as an economic and strategic partner as well. The EU's push comes as major powers are vying for influence in the region, with the United States and Australia ramping up engagement in the Pacific after China signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands this year. "The geostrategic importance of the Pacific is recognised by everyone, including the European Union," Seam said. The European Union has long had a presence in the Pacific, mostly via France's ties to French Polynesia. In 2021, the European Union set out a formal Indo-Pacific strategy and announced a … [Read more...] about European Union working to increase economic, security ties in Pacific

Leaders of the military-owned Viettel Group made the proposal at a Tuesday meeting with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. The proposal was made in the context of the recent global chip shortage, which has seriously affected many manufacturing sectors and business areas, prompting several countries to promote chip production as a national security measure. In this context, the group also asked to be assigned the tasks of ensuring national defense and security, promoting its strengths and demonstrating the pioneering role of state-owned companies in the fields of high-tech defense, construction and cyber security and safety. Viettel said it wanted to deploy a national digital conversion platform, and work as an intermediary for financial switching services and electronic clearing services to facilitate transfer of funds from one bank account to another. The group also wanted permission to research green energy technology and modernize important infrastructure in the field of … [Read more...] about Viettel to produce chips amidst global shortage