VINACHEM

In November, Myanmar held its first general elections in 20 years. The event drew a great deal of attention from the international community. How do the people of Myanmar view it? What significance does it have for Myanmar's political situation?

November 7 was a turning point in the history of the Union of Myanmar. On that day, democratic, multiparty general elections took place on a grand scale in the Union of Myanmar. This was a milestone.

The election was made possible by the new State Constitution which the people overwhelmingly approved in 2008. It was clear for all to see that the election law and election rules were followed, thus ensuring a free and fair election as well as transparency and inclusiveness. There were also systematic arrangements for the media so that the people could observe election processes nationwide as they happened.

Ambassadors to Myanmar, charges d'affaires, resident representatives of UN agencies, members of the Myanmar Foreign Correspondents Club and local journalists and reporters observed the casting of votes at polling stations throughout the day.

Despite criticisms from countries in the West, many friendly nations have correctly reviewed events.

The people of Myanmar had the opportunity to decide their own fate at the ballot box. They chose candidates capable of promoting the prevailing peace and stability, and ensuring the unity and development of the State. All the people of Myanmar are fully satisfied with the elections. They enjoyed the right to cast their votes freely in accord with their own views, convictions and wishes. No one but the people of Myanmar can understand how the elections were free and fair and how systematically and transparently they were held.

We saw smooth and successful elections. They were a significant step in the implementation of the seven-step Road Map for Democracy. Only the sixth and seventh steps are left to be implemented. Now, plans are underway to implement the two remaining steps and hand over State Power to the public.

The Myanmar Government recently created more favourable conditions for Vietnamese enterprises wishing to invest in the country. Viet Nam has called business in Myanmar a ‘golden opportunity'. What is your advice for enterprises wishing to set up in your country?

Myanmar and Viet Nam have signed Memoranda of Understanding on 12 key sectors. In November, the Viet Nam-Myanmar Joint Commission for Bilateral Co-operation held its seventh sessions in Ha Noi to follow up on their implementation.

Myanmar offers co-operation opportunities in trade, economics, investment and tourism.The areas of most interest to Vietnamese businesses are electronics, building materials, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, footwear, garments, cosmetics, chemicals, food processing, plastics, fertilisers, tourism and import-export services.

Myanmar-Viet Nam bilateral trade was predicted to reach US$160 million last year, up 60 per cent from 2009. Of this figure, Myanmar's exports to Viet Nam were expected to total $108 million, while imports from Viet Nam were estimated at $47 million.

Viet Nam is currently the 14th largest exporter to Myanmar and is ranked 16th among the countries Myanmar exports to. This is mainly forestry products, agricultural produces, seafood and electrical goods and spare parts.

Now is a great time for Vietnamese enterprises to increase their market share in Myanmar because the Government of the Union of Myanmar has recently implemented numerous policies aimed at encouraging foreign trade and investment, including mandates for establishing wholly foreign-invested companies and streamlining application procedures for business visas.

In addition, just 20 per cent of demand for Myanmar's 58 million-strong market is met by domestic production. This leaves significant room for imports.

The Bank for Investment and Development of Viet Nam (BIDV), one of the four biggest commercial banks in Viet Nam, has opened a representative office in Myanmar and hopes it will soon be permitted to run banking services. Do you think the plan is feasible? If so, when do you think that will happen? If not, what is preventing the bank from operating in your country – a move that would benefit both Myanmar and Viet Nam?

Myanmar's banking authority initially allowed BIDV to open a representative office in Yangon and the country is now enthusiastically investigating how foreign banks could provide as well as looking at whether such a system would be compatible with Myanmar's National Banks.

The number of Vietnamese tourists increases every year. What more can be done to boost this promising sector?

Myanmar is willing to co-operate with Viet Nam to support tourism enterprises. The Ministry of Hotels and Tourism of the Union of Myanmar also emphasised the tourism promotion between two countries when it held the Viet Nam-Myanmar tourism promotion seminar in June last year in Yangon.

The discussion also centred on measures to diversify tours, lower prices, increase service quality and attract more visitors.

Moreover, the two countries need to organise tourism promotion activities and tourism companies in the two countries also need to co-operate closely.

Direct flights between Yangon and Ha Noi started up in April last year, and flights between Yangon and HCM City were introduced in November.

Myanmar attracted over 2,500 Vietnamese travellers in 2010, up from more than 1,800 in 2009.

How does your embassy plan to boost cultural exchanges between the two countries to promote mutual understanding among the two countries inhabitants?

The Embassy wants to establish stronger relations among countries, not just limiting those relations to politics and economics. Boosting curtural exchange bolsters understanding not only between governments but also inhabitants.

In July last year, Myanmar hosted the Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Viet Nam (CMLV) Cultural Ministerial Roundtable Meeting in Nay Pyi Taw. Participants looked at enhancing cultural co-operation among the four member countries and boosting tourism between them.

The meeting aimed to strengthen friendship among CLMV countries, improve neighbourly relations and ensure co-operation among member countries as well as holding culture exchanges, enhance cultural preservation and boosting the tourism sector through cultural co-operation.

Areas of co-operation include human resources development, protection, preservation and promotion of ASEAN cultural heritage, and development of small and medium cultural enterprises.

Also, as part of cultural exchange project, our Ministry of Culture sent a group of marionette artists to take part in the International Marionette Festival and some artists also take part in the Youth Culture Festival in Ha Noi. There are a lot of similarities between Myanmar and Viet Nam. Such exchanges highlight our shared cultural heritage and enhance the connection between the two peoples.

To boost cultural exchange between the two countries, we also need to improve transportation links in this region. We are currently planning to improve linkage between Yangon-Meikthila-Tarlay-Kenglap-Xingkok-Lungnamtha-Ha Noi-Hai Phong as a potential route for the economic and social development of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS).

There have also been high-level discussions on the Kenglap-Tarlay-Kyengton-Taunggyi-Pyawbaw-Magwe-Ann-Kyaukpyu route as a second East-West Economic Corridor in the GMS region.

We strongly believe that the two countries can promote a deeper understanding of the region's civilisation, arts and culture, and that they can contribute towards the emergence of an ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community by 2015. — VNS