Party leader Trong encourages intellectual development progress

Developing and creating favourable conditions for intellectuals to work and make contributions to the country is the responsibility of the political system and society as a whole, said Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

The Party leader made the statement during a working session yesterday, Aug 15, with Viet Nam's Communist Party Central Committee's Commission for Publicity and Education to review Resolution No 27, which aimed to develop a contingent of intellectuals in the national process of industrialisation and modernisation.

Earlier, he visited the Viet Nam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA) to find out the actual situation for intellectuals there.

During the session, Trong stressed the resolution's necessity in the context of the country increasingly integrating into the world economy and rapidly developing science and technology.

He said it was integral to assess the resolution after three years to find out what had been done and what had not, to know the reasons, and work out measures to continue bringing the resolution into life.

Trong said the resolution's implementation was very slow, despite the ministries, organisations, cities and provinces that had built programmes and action plans to bring it to life.

According to the Information and Education Department, only 12 out of 23 departments and ministries within 24 of the 63 total cities and provinces thoroughly grasped the resolution.

Similarly, merely six out of 23 departments and ministries, and 17 out of 63 cities and provinces have built action plans to implement the resolution.

Trong blamed the insufficient awareness of the resolution's importance on a lack of co-ordination between concerned offices and difficulties in management and finance.

He urged concerned offices at all levels to draw on the experience and lessons of the last three years to timely overcome limitations above.

The Party considers intellectuals an especially important, creative labour force to further the national process of industrialisation and modernisation.

Developing a strong contingent of intellectuals would raise the nation's brain power and strength, as well as increase the leadership ability of the Party and quality of the political system, said Trong.

He said he hoped that departments, ministries, cities and provinces would support the role of intellectuals and encourage them to contribute to the country.

Trong asked for a focus on education reform, a knowledge-based economy, stronger inspection and co-ordination between concerned offices from central to grassroots levels.

Participants at the working session were also told of the many ministries, cities and provinces with existing programmes and documents to attract intellectuals.

Intellectuals in those places have been given the opportunity to use their creativity to assess the value of many socio-economic development policies.

The quantity and quality of the intellectual environment has also increased in the last three years, said the Information and Education Department.

Yet chairman of the Viet Nam Literature Association, poet Huu Thinh, said despite great efforts in human training, the country was still short of great talent.

It was necessary to pay attention to what intellectuals think and really want, he said.

A representative from the Viet Nam Science and Sociology Institute recommended investing and creating a breakthrough in intellectual development and research on sensitive issues and important matters of the country.

Dinh The Huynh, head of the Party Central Committee's Publicity and Education Commission, and Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan also attended the meeting.

Leaders congratulated

Vietnamese leaders continue to receive messages of congratulations from many countries.

State President Truong Tan Sang received congratulatory messages from Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak; US President Barack Obama; Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev; Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov; Chilean President Sebastian Pinera Echenique; Crown Prince of Kuwait Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah; Hungarian President Schmitt Pal; Moroccan King Mohammed VI; Mexican President Felipe Calderon; Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj; Mozambican President Armando Emilio Guebuza; Palestinian President, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation PLO and President of the Palestinian National Authority Mahmoud Abbas; Czech President Vaclav Klaus; Spanish King Juan Carlos; Swiss President Micheline Calmy-Rey; and Slovene President Danilo Turk.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung was congratulated by US President Barack Obama; French Prime Minister Francois Fillon; Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia; Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyco Borissov; Mexican President Felipe Calderon; New Zealand Prime Minister John Key; Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas; Ukrainian Prime Minister Mycola Azarov; Slovene Prime Minister Borut Pahor.

National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung received congratulations from Chairman of the Russian State Duma B. Gryzlov and Vice Chairman of the Federation Council of Russia (Upper House) A. Torshin. In the messages, the Russian legislative leaders expressed their belief that the co-operation between the legislatures is an important part of the mutual understanding, friendship and strategic partnership between Russia and Viet Nam.

Hung was also congratulated by his Cuban counterpart, Ricardo Alarcon de Quesada, who wrote in his message that the existing friendship and fine co-operation between the National Assemblies of Cuba and Viet Nam would continue to grow.

Myanmar Senate Speaker Khin Aung Myint; Myanmar Lower House Speaker Shwe Mann; Chilean President Sebastian Pinera Echenique; Mongolian National Assembly Chairman Damdingiin Demberel; Turkish Grand Assembly Chairman Cemil Çiçek; Ukrainian National Assembly Chairman Volodymyr Lytvyl also sent their congratulations to National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung.

Bulgarian Vice President Angel Marin extended congratulations to Vice State President Nguyen Thi Doan.

Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh received greetings from his counterparts in Cuba, India, the US, the UK and Northern Ireland, France, Algeria, Bulgaria, Brazil, Chile, Mongolia, Romania, the Czech Republic, the Ukraine, Slovenia and Sudan.

EC Vice President cum High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton also sent a congratulatory message to Minh.

Army stands by Laos

The entire Party, people and army of Viet Nam would stand side by side with Lao People's Army in efforts to further boost friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive co-operation between the two countries, said Lieutenant General Do Ba Ty.

Ty who is member of the Party Central Committee and Chief of the General Staff of the Viet Nam People's Army made the statement during a meeting with Lao Prime Minister, Thongsinh Thammavong and Lao Deputy Prime Minister, Defence Minister Douangchay Phichit in Vientiane, Laos yesterday; Aug 15.

Ty is leading a high-ranking delegation of the Viet Nam People's Army on a working visit to Laos from August 15 to August 18.

Lao leaders hailed the visit by the Vietnamese high-ranking military delegation and praised the co-operation between the two armies' general staff in building clusters of hamlets in Laos, which helped improve living conditions of local people.

They stated that the Lao Party, State and people are grateful for the effective and fair-minded assistance from the Vietnamese Party, State, army and people during the past war and at present.

The two sides agreed to co-ordinate to build the Viet Nam-Laos border into one of peace, friendship and stability and boost the exchange of information, experiences and co-operation in training and developing.

HCM City, Vientiane boost cooperation

Ho Chi Minh City and the Lao capital city of Vientiane have agreed to further strengthen their comprehensive cooperation, especially in economics. 

The two cities reached the agreement during the August 15 meeting between Secretary of the HCM City Party Committee Le Thanh Hai and Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Le Hoang Quan and a visiting Vientiane delegation led by its Party Committee Secretary and Mayor Soukanh Mahalath.
Hai stressed that the visit is a vivid manifestation of the special friendship, close attachment and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos and between Ho Chi Minh City and Vientiane in particular.
HCM City always considers its cooperation with Vientiane and other Lao localities an example in international relations, he affirmed.
The Vientiane Mayor agreed that the fine bilateral cooperation has brought practical results to the people of the two countries and especially the two cities.
Soukanh Mahalath thanked HCM City for its assistance and cooperation with Vientiane , saying this help is an important resource for the development of the Lao capital city.
He highly valued the effective and practical cooperation between the two cities, especially in agriculture, education, human resource training, banking and sports.

Departments merged

The Telecommunications Department under the Ministry of Information and Communications made its debut following the Prime Minister's decision yesterday, Aug 15.

The department was founded by the merger between the Information Technology and Communications Quality Control Department and the Telecommunications Bureau under the Ministry of Information and Communications.

It aims to strengthen law execution, speed up the sustainable development of telecommunications market, and commit Viet Nam to international and regional organisations.

The department will also keep watch on the commitments of telecommunications companies, develop infrastructure facilities, telecommunications connection, allocate digital storage, implement regulations on freight, telecommunications quality and preside over the settlement of competition cases and disputes between telecommunications enterprises.

VNN/VOV/VNS/VNA