NA Standing Committee meets for 19th session

The National Assembly (NA) Committee opened its 19th session in Hanoi on July 10 to exchange views on some important issues and draft laws.

In his speech, NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung highlighted the success of the fifth meeting and called for greater efforts to prepare for the sixth meeting of the 13th legislature.

At the July 10-12 session, NA deputies will consider different opinions on the draft laws, including the Bidding Law (revised), the Law on Thrift Practice and Wastefulness Prevention (revised), draft amendments and supplements to some articles of the Law on Fire Prevention and Control.

Apart from approving amendments and supplements to some articles of the Ordinance on the Management and Use of Weapons, Explosives and Supporting Tools, they will also give opinions on the draft amendments to resolutions to receive and deal with citizens’ complaints and denunciations.

The Government Inspectorate hosted a seminar in Hanoi on July 9 to discuss the role of state agencies in detecting and dealing with corruption.

At the event, participants underlined the urgency to tackle corruption, saying that it is difficult work that needs to be strictly implemented over the long-term, with the participation of the public and the whole national political system.

They agreed that for effective preventing and fighting corruption, a key measure is to enhance State agencies’ role in detecting and dealing with such negative phenomena.

Many delegates proposed enhancing the supervisory role of the National Assembly and People’s Council at all levels over anti-corruption efforts.

Delivering a speech at the event, Government General Inspector Huynh Phong Tranh said the country has achieved initial outcomes in its anti-corruption efforts, thanks to the close collaboration of inspection and auditing agencies, procuracies and courts.

Additionally, awareness work and regulations have received due attention and become increasingly effective, with more cases of corruption discovered and strictly dealt with, he added.

The inspector stressed that the moves help find weaknesses in socio-economic management, therefore measures can be taken to prevent corruption and bribery in State agencies.

However, the battle still has several shortcomings as acts of corruption still grow in sophistication.

Delegates said it is necessary to improve investigations, inspections, audits, prosecutions and trials, as well as speed up the settlement of corruption cases, especially serious and complex ones.

Foreign Minister visits India for 15th JCM

Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh is scheduled to visit India from July 10-12 for the 15th Meeting of the India-Vietnam Joint Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation (JCM).

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in its July 9 press release that Minister Salman Khurshid will co-chair the meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart.

The JCM will undertake a comprehensive review of entire spectrum of India-Vietnam bilateral relations and cooperation on regional and multilateral issues, it said.

It will set targets for future cooperation and review cooperation and exchanges between the two sides, added the release.

Key aspects of our strategic partnership include close defence and security ties, growing trade and investment, science and technology and information technology, and enhanced capacity building, human resource development and cultural exchanges apart from interactions in regional and international fora.

The Vietnamese Foreign Minister is expected to call on Indian political leaders. He will also deliver an address on "India-Vietnam Relations and Regional Issues" at the New Delhi based India Council of World Affairs (ICWA).

VN, Cuba to boost co-operation

Viet Nam and Cuba are working together to step up co-operation in agriculture and information technology, two fields that Vietnam is strong in, said Deputy PM Nguyen Thien Nhan.

On receiving Cuba's visiting Deputy Communications Minister Wilfredo Gonzalez Vidal yesterday, Nhan said that Viet Nam has focused on modernising its information technology sector for the past 20 years, gradually earning its position in the international arena.

Information technology has been widely applied in many fields across the country, he said, adding that many Vietnamese companies operating in this field have continuously developed and expanded their investment to countries across the world such as the Viettel Military Telecommunications Group.

Nhan said he was delighted at the cooperation progress made between the Cuban Ministry of Communications and the Vietnamese Ministry of Information and Communications.

Cuba's Deputy Minister Wilfredo said that he had learned a lot from Viet Nam's experiences in developing information technology, particularly the Law on Information Technology, which was very useful to Cuba as it builds up it information technology sector in the future.

Italian Communist delegation visits

The friendship and co-operation that exists between Vietnamese and Italian communists and both peoples as well as the strategic partnership that both countries hold are expected to be strengthened further.

Le Hong Anh, Politburo member of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and a permanent member of the CPV's Central Committee's Secretariat, stated this yesterday, July 9, while receiving a visiting delegation from the Italian Communist Refoundation Party (PRC), led by its Secretary General Paolo Ferrero.

Secretary General Paolo Ferrero said the important and multifaceted achievements that the Vietnamese people made under the leadership of the Communist Party of Viet Nam served as a source of encouragement to Italian communists.

The PRC would do its best to foster fine friendship and co-operation between both parties, countries and peoples in the future, he said.

During their stay from July 9-14, the Italian delegation laid a wreath at the late President Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum.

Vietnam, Egypt cement diplomatic ties

Egyptian Ambassador to Vietnam Reda El Taify on July 8 hosted a reception for Vietnamese diplomatic officials and representatives from ministries, sectors and international organisations in Hanoi.

The reception was to mark the 61st anniversary of Egypt’s Revolution Day (July 23, 1952-2013) and 50 years of Vietnam-Egypt diplomatic ties.

At the event, Ambassador Reda El Taify and Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Phuong Nga spoke highly of the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Egypt over recent years.

They expressed their hope that the multifaceted cooperation between the two nations will be further strengthened and developed in the coming time.

VNN/VNS/VNA