Party chief meets Hanoian voters, reports on progress

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and National Assembly deputies representing Ha Noi met with voters yesterday, Dec 1, in Ba Dinh, Hoan Kiem and Tay Ho districts to report on results of the second session of the 13th NA.

Voters had a lot to say, including making a recommendation for the NA to strengthen supervision socio-economic development project and programme implementation.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong meets with voters in Ba Dinh and Hoan Kiem districts, Ha Noi. (Photo: VNS)

They emphasised the need to closely oversee the protection of forest and maritime resources and agricultural land, practice thrift, ensure the prevention of corruption and waste, and respond to the campaign, "Studying and Following the Moral Example of President Ho Chi Minh".

The voters urged caution in price adjustments on essential goods as they were important for social security and the lives of the people.

They also spoke of many important issues such as the increasing gap between the rich and the poor, the settlement of complaints, the minimisation of traffic jams and accidents, the strengthening of urban management and environmental protection.

Acknowledging the wholehearted recommendations of the voters, General Secretary Trong stressed that together with maintaining economic growth, more attention should be paid to thoroughly addressing social issues, implementing social security policies and resulting social equity, and ensuring sustainable and long-term national development.

Other issues such as labour, employment, salary, infrastructure, environmental protection, security and order, and narrowing the rich-poor gap should also be addressed, he said.

The Party leader agreed that it was necessary to drastically and effectively implement anti-corruption work and improve law enforcement guidance in order to ensure that new laws soon came into practice.

Vietnam chairs 229th session of ASEAN Committee in Ottawa

Vietnamese Ambassador to Canada Le Sy Vuong Ha presided over the 229th session of the ASEAN Committee (ACO) held at “Vietnam House” in Ottawa on December 1.

Ambassadors from seven countries including Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Myanmar, Malaysia and Brunei compared notes on ASEAN’s activities in recent times. Worthy of note was the ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference (PMC) with Canada to consider the ASEAN-Canada action plan in response to the Joint Declaration on ASEAN-Canada Enhanced
Partnership in the 2010-2015 period and prospects for cooperation in line with the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity.

They also reviewed the activities of ASEAN’s diplomatic representative offices in Canada, especially preparations for the 35^th anniversary of the establishment of ASEAN-Canada ties next year and discussed ways to strengthen ASEAN diplomatic ties with related agencies in the country of residence.

Canada has regarded ASEAN an important partner and is considering the possibility of setting up a development fund to support the ASEAN community’s activities in Canada. The Government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper is closely monitoring ASEAN’s regional structure development.

Canada has signed the third revised protocol on the ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) and is putting the finishing touches to the ASEAN-Canada Joint Declaration on Trade and Investment.

Vietnamese ambassador Ha assumed ACO Presidency from July 1 to December 31, acting as a co-ordinator for ASEAN’s diplomatic representative offices in Canada in organizing friendship sports events and releasing ASEAN’s news bulletins.

At the session, he handed over the task of ACO Presidency from January 1 to June 30, 2012 to Philippines ambassador.

Vietnam, Austria prioritise trade, research cooperation

Vietnam and Austria will increase bilateral cooperation in such priority areas as economics, trade, investment, tertiary education and scientific research.

The agreement was reached at a meeting in Vienna on December 1 (local time) between Austrian President Heinz Fischer and visiting Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan.

The two leaders agreed that Vietnam and Austria will closely coordinate in organising various activities to mark the 40^th anniversary of their diplomatic ties in 2012, helping promote bilateral friendship and mutual understanding.  

President Fischer praised Vietnam’s socio-economic development achievements, especially its efforts in reducing poverty and maintaining relatively high economic growth despite the global economic downturn.

He noted with satisfaction the fruitful development of the friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries after a State-level visit to Austria in 2008 by the then President Nguyen Minh Triet.

For his part, Deputy PM Nhan confirmed that Vietnam attaches great importance to and will do its utmost to strengthen the friendly and cooperative relationship with Austria.

Vietnam will create the best possible conditions for Austrian businesses to invest and expand operations in the country, said Mr Nhan.

He expressed hope that both countries will effectively implement cooperative agreements on tertiary education and scientific research reached during his visit.

He thanked Austria for assisting Vietnam to establish scientific research centres specializing in transportation, energy, the environment, bio-, nano- and space technologies, and organic farming.

Mr Nhan conveyed State President Truong Tan Sang’s regards and invitation to visit Vietnam.    

President Fischer accepted the invitation and said he will visit Vietnam in the first half of 2012.

During earlier talks with Minister of Science and Research Karlheinz Tochterle, Mr Nhan expressed Vietnam’s desire to promote cooperation with Austria in human resource training and scientific and technological research in order to support its economic restructuring process.

He also witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on scientific and technological research between Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology and Austria’s Ministry of Science and Research.

The same day, Mr Nhan visited the Medical University of Vienna and the Vienna University of Technology.  

Deputy PM Nguyen Thien Nhan began an official visit to Austria on November 30.

VN leaders congratulate Laos on its National Day

Viet Nam's top leaders congratulated their Lao counterparts yesterday on the occasion of Laos's 36th National Day today.

A message of congratulations was sent by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Truong Tan Sang, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung to Lao Party General Secretary and State President Choummaly Sayasone, Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong, and National Assembly Chair Pany Yathotou.

"We are very glad that the friendship and comprehensive co-operation between the two parties, two states and peoples of Viet Nam and Laos... have been continuously strengthened and developed to become invaluable assets for future generations," read the message.

VN, China Party officials meet to up relationship

Senior Communist Party of China (CPC) and Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) officials met in Beijing yesterday to discuss the further development of bilateral ties.

Li Changchun, member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of the Chinese Central Committee's Political Bureau, hailed the Vietnamese delegation, headed by Dinh The Huynh, Politburo member, Chairman of the Theoretical Council and Head of the Commission for Popularisation and Education of the CPV Central Committee, for visiting the country and attending the 7th Theoretical Workshop between the two parties.

Li said that boosting relations between the two parties was very important amidst complex global changes, adding that the workshop was a practical activity to implement agreements between leaders of the two sides following Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's recent visit to China.

He affirmed that the Chinese Party, State and people would work together with Viet Nam to lift relations to a new height.

For his part, Huynh said that the Vietnamese Party, State and people attached great importance to boosting friendship and comprehensive cooperation with China.

He also praised China's organisation of the theoretical workshop.

Viet Nam funds headquarters for Lao National Assembly office

Lao President Choummaly Sayasone and Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong received a Vietnamese National Assembly delegation headed by NA Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong yesterday.

The Lao leaders spoke highly of the delegation's visit, saying that the two National Assemblies need to exchange experience and coordinate to promote economic cooperation, contributing to the Vietnam-Lao relationship.

Also yesterday, the new headquarters of the Lao National Assembly Office, which was built with a grant from Viet Nam, was inaugurated.

In her address at the hand-over ceremony, Vietnamese NA Vice Chairwoman Phong said the headquarters was a significant gift offered by the Vietnamese Party, State and people for the Lao people to reflect the close sentiments and solidarity between the two nations.

Construction of the new headquarters was one activity held to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries, 35 years of the signing of the Viet Nam-Laos Friendship and Co-operation Treaty, and the Viet Nam-Laos Friendship Year 2012, she said.

Lao NA Vice President Saysomphone Phomvihance said the new headquarters was a significant gift and a symbol of the Viet Nam-Laos friendship.

The VND170 billion (nearly US$8.1 million) project resulted in a six-storey building covering 5,200 sq.m.

VNN/VOV/VNS/VNA