Asian, European parliamentarians meet in Vientiane - Vientiane Times

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6 Thursday October 4, 2012 Vientiane Times Region In brief from Asia News Network Indonesia can look to Brazil to develop agriculture INDONESIA (The Jakarta Post) -- Indonesia is blessed with tremendous resources for developing the agriculture and food sector and it can look to Brazil for best practices in order to unleash its full potential, says agribusiness lending giant Rabobank International. Indonesia had many similarities with Brazil, including suitable topography to plant agricultural crops and a large domestic market, which should provide enough incentives for both the government and business stakeholders to develop agribusiness in the country, said Carlos Ortiz, the head of the rural and retail division of the Brazilian branch of Rabobank International. Malaysia recognises need to combat corruption KUALA LUMPUR (The Star) -- The Malaysian government recognises the need for cooperation with the international community in pursuing anti-corruption efforts within the country, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. He pointed out that fighting corruption was now an integral part of the Government’s ambitious plans to transform itself and accelerate economic growth in Malaysia. He said the Malaysian government had made fighting corruption one of its priorities by including it as a National Key Result Area under the Government Transformation Programme. India seeks agricultural opportunities in Vietnam HANOI (VNS) -- Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on Tuesday said the nation always welcomed and facilitated Indian enterprises to co-operate and invest in agriculture in Vietnam. He made the statement while receiving Indian Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, who arrived for an official working visit to Vietnam on Tuesday. The Prime Minister said he highly valued the great results achieved in the meeting between Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat and India Minister of Agriculture Sharad Pawar, and affirmed that the country would work with India to boost bilateral relations. Dung said he wanted the two ministries to continue conducting effective implementation of their co-operative agreements, MANILA (Xinhua) -- The Philippines and Croatia on Monday conducted their second political consultation in Manila to enhance their cooperation, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced on Tuesday. The second Philippines- Croatia Political Consultation was held at the sub-ministerial level under the terms of the Protocol on Cooperation between the DFA and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia signed in 2005, the department said on Tuesday. “The delegations discussed recent developments in the Philippines and Croatia and especially in development of biological technology, post-harvesting technology, hybridisation and aquaculture and fisheries processing. Indian Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said India always supported the two countries’ co-operation and appreciated Vietnam’s role in the region and the world. He said that during his talks with Vietnamese Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Cao Duc Phat, the two sides agreed to improve their co-operation in the future, especially in planting of crops, livestock husbandry and aqua culture and fisheries processing. He expressed his hope that the Vietnamese Government would support and create favourable conditions for cooperative activities between Vietnam’s Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry and India’s Agriculture Ministry. Philippines, Croatia hold second consultation in Manila the current state of bilateral relations between the two countries. They identified ways to further enhance cooperation at the political level and also in defense, trade, investment, tourism and people-to-people exchange as well as to implement activities under the terms of existing bilateral agreements in the field of science and technology, culture and sports,” the DFA said. One possible area of cooperation identified during the consultation was shipbuilding where both countries can explore investments and exchange of technology, it added. FAO General Director Jose Graziano da Silva addresses a ceremony where he awards the FAO’s Agricola Medal to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. --Photo Xinhua China, FAO promote agriculture development BEIJING (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Tuesday pledged that China will seek the steady growth of agricultural products and enable Chinese farmers to share the achievements of the country’s economic development and social progress. Wen was speaking at a ceremony where he was awarded the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)’s Agricola Medal by FAO’s general director Jose Graziano da Silva at the Great Hall of the People. “Thank Director Jose Graziano da Silva for conferring the medal on me. This is more than a personal honor to me. It represents the international community’s full recognition of and high acclaim for what China has achieved in agriculture and rural development,” Wen said. China’s grain output has been increasing for nine consecutive years, with this year’s output about 150 million tonnes more than that of 2003, Wen said. “This has provided a guarantee for China’s economic and social development and the improvement of people’s life. It has also contributed to the global food security.” Wen attributed the achievements of China’s agricultural and rural development to the rural reform, the top priority given to agriculture and the principle of “industry supporting agriculture and cities supporting rural areas.” The achievements would also be impossible without the government’s commitment to safeguard farmers’ rights, respect farmers’ aspiration for better life, bring into play farmers’ initiatives to boost production and build new rural areas, Wen said. China will seek the steady growth of agricultural products and enable Chinese farmers to share the achievements of the country’s economic development and social progress, Wen said. China, with 1.3 billion people, feeds 21 percent of the world’s population on 9 percent of the world’s arable land and 6 percent of the world’s fresh water, Graziano said, adding the output of many of China’s agricultural products ranked first in the world. Graziano appreciated the Chinese government’s principle of giving top priority to agriculture, farmers and rural areas, saying he believed China, with reform and innovation, will embrace a better future.
Vientiane Times Thursday October 4, 2012 7 World Two Syrian women take a rest at a refugee camp on the border with Turkey, on Sunday. --Photo AP Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries triple in three months GENEVA (Xinhua) -- The number of Syrians registered or awaiting registration as refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq is up to 311,500, compared to around 100,000 in June, a spokesman with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said on Tuesday. Adrian Edwards said the continuing rapid growth of refugee numbers underscores the urgency of last week’s revised Syria Regional Response Plan, an appeal for US$487.9 million to help 710,000 Syrian refugees by the end of this year. UN and its NGO partners presented the first plan for Syrian refugees with an appeal for US$84.1 million to address the humanitarian needs of some 98,000 refugees over six months. It was revised in June to seek US$193.2 million for a planned population of 185,000 people. When the appeal, revised for the second time, was launched Thursday, the number of refugees registered or awaiting registration was already 294,000, according to the UNHCR. Edwards said the upcoming winter would the needs even more urgent. A winterization plan is being developed, but it requires support and funding, he said. French PM urges wide approval of EU treaty at parliament PARIS (Xinhua) -- French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault on Tuesday called on left parliamentary majority to help reshaping the eurozone through their green light to pave the way for official ratification of the European fiscal pact. Submitting the new EU budget discipline to the the National Aseembly, Ayrault asked deputies “to vote on the treaty’s ratification” as “through your vote is on the reorientation of Europe you will rule,” he addressed legislators. “Responsibility to which TUNIS (Xinhua) -- Tunisian Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali met with European Union (EU) and Belgian officials on Tuesday in Brussels on the cooperation between the two sides, Tunisian official TAP press agency reported. Jebali met separately with President of European Council Herman Van Rompuy and Belgian Prime Minister Elio di Rupo. During the meetings, Jebali discussed the human rights situation in Tunisia and the cooperation between his country and EU with the European officials, TAP said. Tunisia’s access to the “privileged partnership” with EU and the signing of a full, in-depth free exchange agreement were also reviewed in the meetings, it added. Jebali said Tunisia expected Belgian political, each of us needs to assume is that of keeping France in a consolidated eurozone because the consequence of a negative vote in our country, it would be, you know, a political crisis and the collapse of the monetary union,” he warned. Working hard to pass the controversial fiscal pact, the socialist government hoped to approve the treaty without the need of conservative voices after allies from Left and Greens said to block further prescribed austerity. On the streets, people and some political figures expressed their reservation, saying ansterity measures would hit further struggling economies. Last Sunday thousands of demonstarators headed by by Jean-Luc Melenchon, the leader of the Left Party, took the streets of Paris to protest against the new treaty. Agreed last March by former president Nicolas Sarkozy and 24 other European leaders, the EU fiscal pact requires eurozone countries to trim their budget gaps or face sanctions aimed at restoring faith in the future of the single currency. Tunisian PM discusses cooperation with EU officials in Brussels economic and social support during the country’s transition. On his part, the Belgian prime minister said it is essential for Tunisia to set up the rule of law, guarantee the equality between men and women, separate religion from politics, and establish freedom of speech and free press. Jebali’s visit is at the invitation of President of European commission Jose Manuel Barroso. UN chief calls for culture of nonviolence in tackling conflict UNITED NATIONS (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday reiterated the inspiration of Mahatma Gandhi to the global community in tackling “the roots of conflict and intolerance” in a non-violent way. “Prevention means more than separating warring parties and cooling tensions” because “it will take a culture of non-violence,” Ban said in a message commemorating the International Day of Non-Violence, which falls on October 2. According to him, prevention is “a key priority” outlined in the five-year action agenda of the United Nations MAPUTO (Xinhua) -- The government of Australia and the World Bank on Tuesday announced the provision of US$7 million for water supply in northernmost province of Cabo Delgado. The money is for the expansion and rehabilitation of water systems in Mocimboa da Praia district, one of the first regions where the struggle for Mozambique’s independence put forth in January of 2012, which specifically elaborates “early warning and early action on preventing violent conflict” under the topic of prevention. The International Day of Non-Violence is also the birth anniversary of the peace-minded humanitarian Gandhi, a person that had “vision and examples [showing] how one person can change the world,” said the secretary-general. This message is important because the international community is facing “global turmoil and transition, it is fitting that we take a moment to reflect on Gandhi’s message of understanding and peace,” he said. The UN chief said he has “been deeply moved by communities and people in every corner of the world who have been inspired by Gandhi’s example.” However, he added, “we must work even harder for understanding among and within religions and communities and between and within countries.” There still needs to be more advocates for change and the global community needs “the foundation for non-violence” to be built by “teachers and faith leaders, parents and community voices, business people and grass-roots groups,” he added. WB, Australia provide money for water supply in Mozambique started in 1964. According to a communique from the Mozambican government, the cash is for the rehabilitation of the water supply system and for the installation of two water tanks in the suburbs of the city. The money is also for the building of 1,800 wells around the urban area of Mocimboa da Praia. The region has been facing lack of clean drinking water for many years, and the people resort to traditional water wells and rivers. The World Bank is among Mozambique’s traditional partners in the water supply sector and the rehabilitation of infrastructure. It has been involved in the building and rehabilitation of roads and bridges in the country.
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Asian, European parliamentarians meet in Vientiane - Vientiane Times

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