Top lawmaker welcomes Indonesian delegation

The Vietnamese State and people have always treasured their tradition of friendship and multi-faceted cooperation with Indonesia, said National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong yesterday.

Speaking at a meeting with the chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) of Indonesia Taufik Kiemas, Trong said Viet Nam would always go to great lengths to foster the close relationship between the two countries.

Kiemas is on his first visit to Viet Nam, which takes place on the 55th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

"The visit will help strengthen the traditional friendship and excellent working relationship between Viet Nam and Indonesia," said Trong.

During their talks, the two leaders agreed upon increased coordination between the two countries within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) cooperation framework. They would also boost joint efforts to build the ASEAN Community.

The leaders also agreed to place even greater emphasis on the realisation of agreements they had already made. They also expressed a shared wish to further develop their traditional ties saying this would help the countries in their drive to development as well as promoting stability, peace, cooperation and development within the region.

Trong also used the meeting with his colleague to send heartfelt condolences to the Indonesian State and people for the huge losses of human life and property in recent natural disasters.

He also congratulated Indonesia's great achievements in its socioeconomic development cause and praised the country for increasing its role and position in the international arena.

Kiemas congratulated Viet Nam's successes in chairing ASEAN and AIPA (ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly).

"Viet Nam and Indonesia have a special relationship. People in the two countries always have warm feelings for each other," said Kiemas.

"The two countries share a lot of common in terms of history and culture, and greater bilateral cooperation could bring many advantages."

"Our sound political relationship has been the basis for improved cooperation in economics, trade and investment between Viet Nam and Indonesia."

"However, cooperation in these areas should be strengthened."

Despite progress, trade and investment between Indonesia and Viet Nam remains modest with two-way trade at just US$2 billion annually.

US words rejected on freedom of religion

A Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman last Saturday rejected a US resolution on religious freedom, saying it was not objective and did not reflect the current situation in Viet Nam.

Spokeswoman Nguyen Phuong Nga made the comment in response to a correspondent's query about Viet Nam's reaction to the US House of Representatives' approval of resolution H. Res. 20.

The resolution calls for Viet Nam to be reinstated as a "country of particular concern" (CPC) when it comes to religious freedom.

"Viet Nam is a multi-religious country, with 80 per cent of its population having some form of belief. And there are about 25,000 religious establishments and places of worship," Nga said.

According to the spokeswoman, most of the world's major religions such as Buddhism, Catholicism, Protestantism and Muslim have developed peacefully in Viet Nam.

Nga also affirmed the Vietnamese State's consistent policy of respecting and creating favourable conditions for all people to freely practise religion.

"The right to freedom of religion and belief, as well as freedom of non-religion and non-belief, are prescribed in Viet Nam's Constitution and legal documents, and guaranteed in reality," she said.

"Viet Nam is ready to continue holding dialogues with parties, including the US, to deal with these differences," the spokeswoman concluded.

Inspectors to share experiences with Laos

Lao Deputy Prime Minister Asang Laoly received a delegation from Viet Nam's Government Inspectorate led by Standing Deputy Chief Inspector Mai Quoc Binh in Vientiane last Saturday.

The Lao Deputy PM welcomed the delegation's visit, and praised co-operation between the two countries' inspection agencies. Binh also held talks with his Lao counterpart Thongsi Ualasi, during which they reviewed recent co-operation and exchanged experiences relating to inspections, complaints and denunciations.

National Assembly boosts ties with Thai Parliament

Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee for External Relations, Ngo Duc Manh, visited Thailand to boost inter-parliamentary relations.

The visit, which ended last Friday, aimed to increase ties between the Thai and Vietnamese legislative bodies, and exchange views on common issues in order to boost co-operation as part of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), Manh said before leaving Bangkok for Myanmar. The delegation headed to Singapore from December 19-22 after a visit to Myanmar from December 17-19 to discuss measures to boost inter-parliamentary co-operation.

Leader salutes southern revolutionary groups

The Party, State and people have consistently acknowledged the great contributions of the National Front for the Liberation of South Viet Nam, the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Viet Nam and the Alliance of National Democratic and Peace Forces, President Nguyen Minh Triet said yesterday.

Adressing about 200 former members of the National Front for the Liberation of Southern Viet Nam and agencies of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Viet Nam in HCM City, Triet expressed gratitude to fallen combatants, war invalids and people from all walks of life who had sacrificed for the Fatherland's independence and freedom.

Triet stressed that the National Front, Provisional Revolutionary Government and the alliance of nationalist, democratic and peace forces played an extremely important role in the struggle for liberation of the south.

The National Front was the voice and flag appealing to people from all social classes and walks of life and the southerners' strength to join in the resistance war against the US aggressors to regain national independence, he said, vowing to uphold the patriotic tradition in building the country.

Participants in yesterday's event were deeply moved by memories and stories of historic eyewitnesses, including Nguyen Thi Binh, who once held the position of Vice State President and foreign minister of the Provisional Government and was a member of the National Front Central Committee; Lt Gen Nguyen Thoi Bung, former deputy miniser of defence; Le Hieu Dang, former deputy secretary general of the Alliance of Nationalist, Democractic and Peace forces, and Buddhist nun Thich Nu Ngoat Lien.

The function was co-hosted by the Viet Nam Fatherland Front Central Committee and the front's HCM City chapter and aimed to celebrate the 50th founding anniversary of the National Front for the Liberation of South Viet Nam today.

Source: VNS