NA office staff asked to provide support in amending Constitution

National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung yesterday, Jan 17, called on staff of the NA Office to continue to fulfil their supervisory role and provide support for amendments to the 1992 Constitution.

Speaking at the meeting to assess the work of the NA Office in 2012 and planning for 2013, Hung instructed the NA Office to conduct research and provide constructive comments for the new Constitution.

Hung also stressed two important tasks in 2013 for the NA Office: supervising the implementation of the law on thrift practice and waste prevention in using Government bonds for basic construction 2006-12, and the implementation of legal documents related to medical insurance in 2009-12.

He also asked the NA Office to promote thrift practices, increase staff professionalism and apply information technology in day-to-day tasks.

Head of the NA Office Nguyen Hanh Phuc said in 2012, the NA Office had consulted and provided support for the NA to pass 22 laws and helped the NA Standing Committee to roll out the confidence voting process for positions appointed by the NA.

VFF urged to play greater role in mass mobilization

The Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) should play a greater role in promoting the people’s involvement in building a pure and strong Party and State as well as implementing democracy, supervision and social criticism in line with the Party’s orientations and the State’s law.

Politburo member Le Hong Anh speaks at the conference. (Source: VNA)

Le Hong Anh, Politburo member and standing member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (CPVCC), made the request at the fifth conference of the VFF Central Committee in Hanoi on January 17.

He suggested that VFF chapters at all levels needs to do better the collection of people’s comments and proposals to the Party and State and the monitoring of the operations of Party organisations and administrations. The front should also encourage the people to detect and fight degraded officials as well as phenomena of bureaucracy, corruption and wastefulness.

The front should supervise and push the punishment of violations in accordance with the discipline of the Party and the law while honouring and protecting those who dare to struggle against corruption and negative phenomena, Anh noted.

He particularly urged the VFF to diversify forms of communications and mobilisation to get people of all strata to contribute their opinions to the draft revisions to the 1992 Constitution.

The Politburo member spoke highly of the achievements the VFF and its member organisations have made over the past year. In 2012, campaigns and emulation movements launched by the front such as “All people unite to build the cultural life in residential areas”, “Day for the Poor”, and “Vietnamese people use Vietnamese goods” were successful in promoting the patriotism of people of all strata and grew into large-scale campaigns with great impacts on society.

The VFF’s participation in efforts to strengthen the Party and administrations also recorded positive results with better quality, he added.

These achievements made important contributions to the cause of national construction and defence as well as to the national great unity bloc in the new period, Anh affirmed.

He, however, pointed out shortcomings in the front’s work that need to be overcome such as the slow and inadequate grasping of people’s feelings, aspirations and concerns. The front has not done enough in monitoring and promoting the fight against corruption and waste, as well as administrative reforms.

VFF Central Committee President Huynh Dam said this year, the front will focus on several key tasks, one of which is to implement an action programme to strengthen the mobilisation of overseas Vietnamese.

It will actively coordinate with relevant agencies in making suitable mechanisms for supervision and social criticism activities of the VFF and socio-political organisations, he said.

VFF will work with its member organisations to organise the collection of public opinions on the draft revisions to the 1992 Consitution, he added.

Activities celebrate 1973 Paris Agreement anniversary

Around 50 international delegates will take part in activities to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Paris Agreement ending the war in Vietnam.

Nguyen Thi Hoang Van, Secretary General of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO), made the statement at a press conference in Hanoi on January 17.

Among the delegates will be 30 representatives from 14 countries and several international organisations that directly or indirectly contributed to the success of the agreement, and participated in international movements to support Vietnam’s struggle for national liberation and unification. They are those who are helping Agent Orange/dioxin (AO) victims in Vietnam today.

Delegates will attend a State-level meeting with Party and State leaders, plant trees at Hoa Binh Park and join the exchange programme “Paris Agreement and friends’ heart” in Hanoi.

In Ho Chi Minh City, they will take part in a meeting with historical witnesses, and visit the War Remnants Museum and AO victims.

Viet Nam, Cambodia, Laos boost transport co-operation

Transport Ministers of Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to accelerate road transport cooperation.

The MoU, inked during ministers' meeting in Laos' southern Pakse Champasak province on Jan. 16-17, will allow vehicles from the three countries to cross their borders.

It will facilitate the transportation of goods and passengers among the three countries, including via sea ports, and boost socio-economic development in each country, especially the development triangle region.

Indian Vice President concludes Vietnam visit

Indian Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari and his wife left Hanoi on January 17, wrapping up a four-day official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of Vietnamese Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan.

During the visit, Vice President Ansari held talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Thi Doan, and met with Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, State President Truong Tan Sang and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

He also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation between small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and attended a ceremony reviewing the Vietnam-India Friendship Year 2012.

At the meetings, Vietnamese Party and State highlighted the Indian Vice President’s visit as a contribution to the constant development of the time-honoured friendship and strategic partnership between the two countries over the years. They thanked India for its valuable support for Vietnam, affirming that Vietnam always attaches importance to the strategic partnership with India as well as its role and positive contributions to peace and cooperation in the region and the world.

Both sides expressed their satisfaction with the success of the Vietnam-India Friendship Year 2012 and the fine traditional friendship and effective cooperation between the two nations over the past 40 years since their strategic partnership was established in 2007.

They showed their resolve to improve the strategic partnership in a more substantial and effective manner and agreed to further strengthen political relations.

During his stay, Ansari visited the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, laid wreaths at the Heroic Martyrs’ Memorial in Hanoi and visited a number of localities and cultural and historical relic sites.

Vietnam, Angola boost NA cooperation

Vietnamese and Angolan National Assemblies (NA) should promote cooperation by exchanging delegations, sharing experience between NA committees and establishing a parliamentary friendship group.

President of the Angolan National Assembly (NA) Fernando da Piedade Dias Santos made the statement while receiving Vietnamese ambassador to Angola Do Ba Khoa on January 16.

The Angolan chief legislator said both nations share similarities in their struggles for national independence and reconstruction, shifting to a market economy and achieving numerous socio-economic goals.

The time-honoured friendship and solidarity and the historical and effective cooperation between the two countries have laid a solid foundation for increasing bilateral cooperation in politics, economics, science and technology and agriculture, said Fernando.

He also added that both sides need to tap their full potential and asked Vietnam to help Angola with rice and rubber production and the training of agricultural experts.

Japanese PM concludes visit

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe left Hanoi on January 17, wrapping up a two-day official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

During the visit, Shinzo Abe held talks with his counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung and paid courtesy visits to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Truong Tan Sang.

At all the talks and meetings, the two sides reached high unanimity on a number of major orientations and concrete measures to strengthen the Vietnam-Japan strategic partnership.

The two countries will maintain and increase the exchange of high-ranking delegations as well as dialogues at all levels, while closely coordinating for the effective implementation of signed agreements on economic cooperation, especially important infrastructure projects.

Vietnam highly appreciated Abe’s commitment to continue providing ODA to the country at a high level as well as his announcement to grant 500 million USD in ODA capital to three projects.

The Southeast Asian country also valued Japan’s assistance in building development strategies, especially the strategy on industrialisation development in the framework of the two sides’ cooperation toward 2020 and a vision to 2030.

The two sides agreed to beef up cooperation on a wide range of regional and international issues of mutual concerns, adding that all countries need to work closely to make practical and constructive contributions to maintaining peace, stability, cooperation and prosperity in the region, resolving any dispute and other arising issues by peaceful negotiations on the basis of international law.

On this occasion of the 40th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties, the two Prime Ministers announced the opening of the 2013 Vietnam-Japan Friendship Year.

VNN/VOV/VNS/VNA