Army praised for following Uncle Ho

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has praised the army's efforts in following President Ho Chi Minh's moral practice, which helps to promote the army's glorious tradition and contributes to national construction and defence.

Trong told a meeting held last Saturday to honour representatives of military role models in the campaign to learn from President Ho Chi Minh's moral example.

He said the army had been creative in its efforts to widen the movement and bring practical results.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Truong Tan Sang, Defence Minister General Phung Quang Thanh pose with the delegates at the event.

To improve the effectiveness of the campaign, Trong urged the armed forces to continue increasing information dissemination and education to further raise soldiers' awareness of the great value of President Ho Chi Minh's moral examples.

He stressed that each person, official and Party member, must train themselves to become a role model in following this campaign, particularly in revolutionary ethics training.

The Party leader visited General Vo Nguyen Giap on the occasion of his 102nd birthday (August 25).

Trong gave his best regards to General Giap, the first commander-in-chief of the Viet Nam People's Army, and an excellent student of President Ho Chi Minh.

On this occasion, Trong also praised doctors and medical staff at the Ha Noi-based Central Military Hospital 108 for providing good care of the general.

The same day, Defence Minister General Phung Quang Thanh and Secretary of the Ha Noi Municipal Party Committee Pham Quang Nghi also visited General Giap.

Vietnam, northern Australia territory enhance ties

The government of the northern Australia territory hopes for closer ties with Vietnam in the coming time, especially in construction, investment, oil and gas exploration, education-training and agriculture.

Northern territory Chief Minister Adam Giles expressed the wish during a meeting with Vietnamese General Consul in Perth Le Viet Duyet, who made a working trip to the region from August 19-23.

The Chief Minister also hopes for stronger ties between the twin localities of northern Australia territory and Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province of Vietnam, adding he wants to visit Vietnam in the near future.

During his visit to the territory to strengthen economic and trade cooperation and promote Vietnam’s culture during the year the two countries celebrate the 40th anniversary of their diplomatic ties, Duyet also met with a number of local officials and leaders of relevant branches and agencies. In all the meetings, the hosts expressed their desire to further boost cooperation with Vietnam as part of the territory’s strategy to deepen relations with Asia.

On the occasion of the annual traditional festival of Darwin City, the Vietnamese General Consulate organised several activities in response to the event, including a painting exhibition and film screening as well as a meeting to celebrate the Vietnamese National Day (Sept. 2) and the 40th anniversary of the Vietnam-Australia diplomatic ties.

Minister of Multicultural Affairs Peter Styles spoke highly of Vietnam’s contributions to the festival, saying he hopes that more Vietnamese cultural activities will take place in the northern territory in the future.

Meanwhile, Darwin City’s Lord Mayor Katrina Fong Lim said she will consider the establishment of twinning relations between Darwin and Vietnamese Vung Tau city, thus further tightening the twinning relationship between the northern Australia territory and Vietnam’s southern coastal province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, which was set up in 2007.

Vietnam, Uzbekistan strengthen people-to-people cooperation

Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Uong Chu Luu has expressed his hope that the Vietnam-Uzbekistan Friendship Association will diversify its people-to-people diplomatic activities to deepen cooperation between the two countries.

The top legislator made the remark at a get-together in Hanoi on August 25 to celebrate Vietnam’s National Day (Sept. 2), Uzbekistan’s Independence Day (Sept. 1) and the start of the association’s National Congress for the 2013-2018 period.

Luu spoke highly of the association’s activities, saying they had played an important role in fostering cooperation between the two peoples. He also took the opportunity to congratulate Uzbekistan on its Independence Day.

Speaking at the event, Chairman of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisation (VUFO) Vu Xuan Hong asked the association to seek more partners to increase its effectiveness.

He called for activities to be held promoting bilateral ties in economics, trade, culture and education.

Uzbekistan’s Honourary Consul to Vietnam Le Van Nghia said that the association will continue to enhance mutual understanding between the two nations.

Luong Van Cu, former Vice Chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee for Social Affairs, was re-elected Chairman of the association for the 2013-2018 period.

President backs science projects

President Truong Tan Sang has highlighted the importance of science-education to the nation and pledged that dedicated scientists will be given incentives to carry out groundbreaking projects.

The President made the statement on Saturday while receiving foreign scientists who attended Binh Dinh's "Meet Viet Nam" physics symposium from July 28-August 17.

He made it clear that for all its efforts to develop science-technology, Viet Nam still suffered significant shortcomings.

Prof. Tran Thanh Van, President of the France-based Rencontres (Meet Viet Nam) Association thanked ministries and departments for facilitating the 2013 event.

The foreign scientists said they never undervalued the importance of basic science and called on the country to invest more in this area so it could catch up with the rest of the world.

They also advised that five international science workshops should take place each year, while more advanced research centres should be built.

Within the framework of "Meet Viet Nam," international scientists including Nobel laureates joined exchanges with students in Ha Noi, Hue and HCM City.

They also presented scholarships to poor students with excellent exam results and attended the inauguration of the International Centre for Inter-disciplinary Science and Education in Binh Dinh's Quy Nhon City.

On the same day, 543 Vietnamese students and young researchers were awarded Odon Vallet scholarships.

The scholarships, each worth VND12 million (US$571), were presented by Prof. Odon Vallet (founder of the foundation), Prof. Van and American Nobel laureates for physics, Sheldon Glashow and David Gross.

Since 2000, Vallet and Van, the promoters of the Meet Viet Nam Programme, have presented thousands of scholarships to Vietnamese students. The scholarships help encourage and support beneficiaries to overcome difficulties in learning while promoting the importance of basic sciences.

Earlier this year, the Association Rencontres du Viet Nam (Meet Viet Nam) presented 1,645 grants to local pupils, totalling over VND18.8 billion ($895,000).

Prof. Vallet, a lecturer at France's Sorbonne University, inherited 100 million euros fortune from his father, which he uses to finance the scholarships for outstanding young students in France, Viet Nam, and several small African countries.

PM urges southern troops to remain ready for combat

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung urged the forces of Military Zone 9 to strictly maintain their combat readiness in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta region at his working session with the Party Committee of Zone 9 High Command in Can Tho City on Friday.

The working session, focusing on defence-security tasks and performance, was also attended by local leaders from the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta's surrounding provinces and cities.

The PM lauded the efforts and achievements of Military Zone 9 in consulting and coordinating with localities to ensure national defence and security as well as social order in the region.

The performance of the unit has facilitated socio-economic development in the localities and the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta region as a whole, PM Dung affirmed.

"Military Zone 9 should continue working closer with local governments and other agencies to actively promote synergy and meet all requirements in the new period," he said.

Further to his praise for the unit's performance, he asked them to stand ready to help in case of flooding and other disasters.

During the past years, the Party Committee of Military Zone 9 High Command has ensured that the region has fulfilled all assigned tasks of strengthening defence and security while contributing to the socio-economic development of the region.

The committee also guided the units to implement the campaign of studying and following late President Ho Chi Minh's moral examples as well as party building initiatives, drawing the active engagement of collectives and individuals.

PM Dung also worked with the Party Committee of Military Zone 7 High Command in HCM City earlier in the month, on August 22.

Deputy PM Nguyen Thien Nhan visits RoK

A high-ranking Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan began a three-day visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) on August 25 at the invitation of the RoK Government.

Nhan is accompanied by leaders of a number of ministries of Public Security, Foreign Affairs, Information and Communications, Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, and Science and Technology.

Discussions will focus on dealing with illegal Vietnamese guest workers and resuming sending Vietnamese workers to the RoK.

Both sides will also examine the building of the Vietnam Science and Technology Research Institute based on the Korean model and the e-Government Data Centre funded by the RoK.

NA Chair makes birthday visit to the State Treasury

National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung on Friday, Aug 23, visited the Viet Nam State Treasury on the occasion of the upcoming 68th anniversary of the financial sector on August 28.

During the visit, Hung urged the finance sector and the State Treasury in particular to constantly work to improve its staff's capacity and professional ethics to keep pace with the demand of the country's development.

While congratulating the achievements made by people working in the finance sector during the past 68 years, Hung also expressed his hope that the sector continued to make effort to reaffirm its key role in managing the national budget and to step up the mobilisation of funding.

He also asked the finance sector to consider applying reforms in operation and increase adoption of advanced technologies.

In response, the State Treasury asked the National Assembly to develop a mechanism for the separation of responsibilities among relevant units, especially between the Ministry of Finance and the State Bank in managing budgets and incorporate issues of the total State accounting into the revised State Budget Law.

Committee promotes VN at forums

President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) Vu Xuan Hong praised contributions made by the Committee for Solidarity and Cooperation with Asia, Africa and Latin America in promoting Viet Nam's image, position and role in regional and international forums.

Hong also lauded the committee's contributions to the world's sustainable development while speaking at the committee's sixth congress in Ha Noi on on Friday.

He urged the committee to expand the network of partners in order to enhance links with organisations and people worldwide, especially those in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

He said over the past five years, the committee, in its capacity as a member of the VUFO, has participated in a range of activities to promote people-to-people diplomacy at national, regional and international levels.

The congress elected a new 17-member executive board for the 2013-18 tenure with Pham Van Chuong re-elected as President.

Friendship group visits China

A delegation from the Viet Nam - China Friendship Association (VCFA) paid a working visit to China from August 17-23 to seek ways to strengthen people-to-people ties.

At a reception for the delegation, Vice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference's National Committee Su Rong spoke highly of the activities launched by the VCFA to intensify friendship and mutual understanding between the two peoples.

The delegation head, Nguyen Xuan Thang, who is VCFA President, affirmed that the association will collaborate with Chinese partners to continue promoting the role of people-to-people diplomacy.

It will also organise more exchanges between the two peoples to enhance their friendship, thus contributing to deepening the partnership between Viet Nam and China.

Earlier, the delegation held talks with the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the China – Viet Nam Friendship Association.

Asian-European Youth group pays ‘green' visit

The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union of Ha Noi on Friday held a meeting with an Asian-European Youth delegation which is on a tour of Viet Nam.

The delegation, which promotes environment friendly action, is made up of 33 youngsters from Lithuania, Germany, Spain, China and Viet Nam.

During the meeting, participants discussed ways to boost economic growth while also protecting the environment in a sustainable way.

They also talked about developing policies to encourage more youngsters to participate in voluntary "green" activities.

Earlier, the delegates made a tour to northern Quang Ninh Province, where they joined in building waste-water tanks with local farmers, harvesting crops, and guiding farmers to make full use of recycled products.

Members of the delegation said they enjoyed tasting Vietnamese life and exploring more of the country's culture, while learning how to work as a team.

ASEAN marks 46th anniversary

A formal ceremony was held at the ASEAN headquarters in the Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, yesterday to mark the 46th founding anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh was joined by Indonesian Deputy Foreign Minister Wardana and representatives of ASEAN members and partner countries at the event.

Opening the ceremony, the ASEAN Secretary General said the event marked a milestone on the bloc's path towards peace, security, stability, equality, democracy, development and prosperity.

Reviewing the association's 46-year journey, ASEAN Secretary General Minh emphasised that people are the centre in building and developing the ASEAN Community which, he said, has been made clear in the group's theme "Our People, Our Future Together" this year.

Apart from opportunities, ASEAN will have to face greater challenges when the deadline of forming the ASEAN Community by 2015 is nearing, Minh said.

Given this, he called on ASEAN member countries to increase intra-bloc solidarity and co-operation in order to cope with regional and global challenges, including those in food and energy security, climate change, maritime security, smuggling, and drug and trans-border crimes.

Addressing the event, Indonesian Deputy Foreign Minister Wardana said the 10-member group has shown off its enormous vitality through closer, more comprehensive and effective co-operation between the member countries.

The bloc's common voice has been raised significantly in the world arena, he said, stressing ASEAN's important and central role in ensuring peace, security and stability in the region.

President of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN Emaleen Abd Rahman Teo, who is also Brunei's Ambassador to ASEAN, said the bloc has proven itself as one of the most successful regional organisations in the world over the past 46 years.

She emphasised the need to encourage young generations to get involved in the group's integration process and the formation of the ASEAN Community as the youth makes up 60 per cent of the ASEAN population.

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