Joint Circular No. 34/2011/TTLT/BTTTT-BNG dated November 24, 2011 of the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs guiding coordination in the implementation of the regulation on state management of external information promulgated together with the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 79/2010/QD-TTg of November 30, 2010

THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS - THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Joint Circular No. 34/2011/TTLT-BTTT-BNG of November 24, 2011, guiding coordination in the implementation of the Regulation on state management of external information promulgated together with the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 79/2010/QD-TTg of November 30, 2010;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 187/2007/ND-CP of December 25, 2007, defining the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Information and Communications;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 15/2008/ND-CP of February 4, 2008, defining the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;

Pursuant to the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 79/2010/QD-TTg of November 30, 2010, promulgating the Regulation on state management of external information,

The Ministry of Information and Communications and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs guide the implementation of a number of provisions of the Regulation on state management of external information promulgated together with the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 79/2010/QD-TTg of November 30, 2010, as follows:

Article 1. Scope of regulation and subjects of application

1. This Joint Circular guides the coordination in performing the tasks specified in Articles 7 and 8 of the Regulation on state management of external information promulgated together with the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 79/2010/QD-TTg of November 30, 2010.

2. Agencies and units of the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and agencies, organizations and persons managing or carrying out external information activities shall comply with this Joint Circular.

Article 2. Provision and guidance of external information for domestic news and press agencies

1. The Ministry of Information and Communications shall assume the prime responsibility for providing and guiding external information for domestic news and press agencies through:

a/ Regular press meetings;

b/ Press conferences;

c/ Direct provision;

d/ Website of the Ministry of Information and Communications; external information website;

e/ Training courses on external information operations;

f/ Plans and programs on external information activities;

g/ Other forms.

2. The Ministry of Information and Communications shall review, analyze and evaluate information on Vietnam in all domains, by specific theme or upon occurrence of important domestic or international events in order to provide and guide external information for domestic news and press agencies.

3. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall coordinate with related ministries, sectors and localities in guiding the local press in covering external activities of state leaders and reporting external-related international and domestic news.

4. Ministries, sectors and localities shall, within the ambit of their state management, promptly, fully and accurately provide information for the Ministry of Information and Communications for summarization, provision and guidance of external information for the press; send their representatives or spokespersons to regular press briefings held by the Ministry of Information and Communications to directly provide and guide external information for domestic news and press agencies as requested by the Ministry.

Article 3. Planning on the network of foreign-based representatives of Vietnamese news and press agencies

1. Based on actual external information activities and applicable laws, the Ministry of Information and Communications shall assume the prime responsibility for elaborating a master plan on the network of foreign-based representatives of Vietnamese news and press agencies and submit it to the Prime Minister for approval.

2. To obtain grounds for the planning, the Ministry of Information and Communications shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and related agencies in, conducting surveys and researches on the situation of and need for foreign-based representatives of Vietnamese news and press agencies, covering identification of key areas for collection and dissemination of external information; review of the current network of foreign-based representatives of Vietnamese news and press agencies; and assessment of the capacity of Vietnamese news and press agencies wishing to set up foreign-based representatives.

3. Vietnamese news and press agencies wishing to set up foreign-based representatives shall comply with the Prime Minister-promulgated master plan on the network of foreign-based representatives of Vietnamese news and press agencies and reporting regulations under the press law.

Article 4. External information activities overseas

1. External information activities overseas shall be carried out according to external information plans and programs of the Party, State and Government. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall assume the prime responsibility for carrying out external information activities overseas.

2. Ministries, sectors and localities shall report to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before organizing events overseas and notify the Ministry of Information and Communications for coordinated provision of external information.

3. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and foreign-based representative missions of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam shall closely coordinate with and create favorable conditions for ministries, sectors and localities to properly organize external information activities overseas; and shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with ministries, sectors and localities in,  providing information and publications for foreign-based representative missions of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to properly perform the external information task.

4. Vietnamese news and press agencies shall direct their foreign-based representative agencies in participating in external information activities overseas under the Ministry of Information and Communications’ orientations and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ guidance; and through foreign-based representative missions of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, grasp external activities for proactive participation to promote Vietnam’s image to the world and overseas Vietnamese communities.

Article 5. Organization of international press conferences, preparation of answers to foreign reporters’ interviews with state and government leaders

1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related agencies in, organizing, and preparing answers to, foreign reporters’ interviews with state and government leaders.

2. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related agencies in, holding international press conferences of high-ranking state and government officials at home and abroad.

3. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall hold regular press briefings of its spokesperson.

4. Ministries, sectors and localities shall promptly provide the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with information on issues related to their functions and tasks at the latter’s request for preparing answers to foreign reporters’ interviews and at international press conferences of high-ranking state and government officials.

Article 6. Management and licensing of press activities of foreign reporters in Vietnam

1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall assume the prime responsibility for managing and licensing press activities of foreign reporters in Vietnam under current regulations; and create favorable conditions for ministries, sectors and localities to invite foreign reporters to report on Vietnam.

2. Ministries, sectors and localities shall, within the ambit of their functions, coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in managing foreign reporters’ activities. Provincial-level People’s Committees shall regularly or irregularly send reports on press activities of foreign reporters in their localities to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for summarization and concurrently to the Ministry of Information and Communications for monitoring.

Article 7. Formulation and implementation of external information plans; summarization and evaluation of external information work

1. The Ministry of Information and Communications shall summarize external information plans of ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-attached agencies and provincial-level People’s Committees for advising the Government in promulgating five-year external information plans and programs attached to the Government’s five-year socio-economic development plans; and formulate and submit to the Prime Minister for approval annual external information plans for uniform implementation nationwide.

2. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-attached agencies and provincial-level People’s Committees shall, based on the Government’s long-term external information plans and programs, propose and register their annual external information activities and estimate costs for these activities for submission to the Ministry of Information and Communications for summarization. Cost estimate reports must be sent before July 1 every year for summarization and sending to the Ministry of Finance.

3. Based on allocated state budget funds, ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-attached agencies and provincial-level People’s Committees shall annually ensure funds for the state management and implementation of external information activities.

Article 8. Implementation responsibilities

1. The Ministry of Information and Communications assigns the Authority of Foreign Information Service to advise and assist the Minister in assuming the prime responsibility for, and coordinating with related agencies in, performing the state management of external information and guiding provincial-level Information and Communications Departments in organizing the implementation.

2. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs assigns the Press Information Department to advise and assist the Minister in coordinating external information work and guiding foreign-based representative missions of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and provincial-level Foreign Affairs Departments or the Offices of provincial-level People’s Committees (for localities having no provincial-level Foreign Affairs Department) in organizing the implementation.

3. Directors of provincial-level Information and Communications Departments shall assume the prime responsibility for, promptly exchange information and closely coordinate with directors of provincial-level Foreign Affairs Departments or chiefs of the Offices of provincial-level People’s Committees and leaders of provincial-level departments, divisions and sectors in, advising chairpersons of provincial-level People’s Committees in directing external information work in their localities; reviewing external information work in their localities and planning external information activities for subsequent years and proposing commendation of persons and organizations with outstanding performance in external information work.

Article 9. Effect

1. This Circular takes effect on January 9, 2012.

2. State management agencies, organizations and persons engaged in external information activities should promptly report any problems arising in the course of implementation to the Ministry of Information and Communications (through the Authority of Foreign Information Service).-

For the Minister of Information and Communications
Deputy Minister
DO QUY DOAN

For the Minister of Foreign Affairs
Deputy Minister
NGUYEN PHUONG NGA