Viet Nam offers to host IPU Assembly in 2015

Viet Nam has offered to host the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s assembly in 2015 in a bid to make a practical contribution to the union’s development.

NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung receives IPU Secretary General Anders B. Johnsson. (Photo: VNS)

National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung told his guest, Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Secretary General Anders B. Johnsson, in Ha Noi yesterday, Feb 20, that he hoped the IPU Executive Board would make assessments and an early approval of Viet Nam’s offer.

“Viet Nam is actively completing its preparation schemes to be submitted to the IPU Secretariat for approval and will do its best to make it a success,” he stressed.

Hung informed his guest of Viet Nam’s political stability and security, noting that the National Assembly has renewed its activities to better implement the task of representing voters’ will and desire, ensuring gender equality and protecting human rights.

Hung also highlighted the union’s role and achievements in promoting democracy around the world and its assistance to parliaments in overcoming development challenges.

In reply, Johnsson spoke of the Vietnamese National Assembly’s reforms and its increasing role and position in the State apparatus and active contributions to IPU activities.

He said he believed Viet Nam will successfully organise the international event, adding that he will complete his report shortly after he leaves Viet Nam to present it to the IPU Executive Board for consideration.

If the bid is successful, the IPU would send its experts to help Viet Nam in its preparations, he said.

Front comments on Constitution amendments

The Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee held a conference in Hanoi on February 19 to collect opinions from its staff and former officials on draft amendments to the 1992 Constitution.

Participants at the conference agreed that over the past two decades, the 1992 Constitution has proved its historical significance. However, it should be amended to suit the country’s new situation in the context of profound changes in the world.

They focused their comments on issues relating to human rights, the rights of citizens, the role and position of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), the VFF and the Constitutional Council as well as the national defence and the upholding of Ho Chi Minh thoughts.

According to Dr. Pham Xuan Hang, former head of the Hanoi chapter of the VFF, the front is defined by the Constitution as a political foundation of the people’s administration.

However, the institutionalisation of some aspects of the VFF’s operations has failed to match its position, he said.

Hang held that the social supervision and criticism should be further specified in the Constitution in the context that Vietnam’s political system is led by the only political organisation - the CPV.

Tran Dinh Phung, member of the Presidium of the VFF Central Committee, agreed on the need to further clarify the nature and leadership of the CPV as the vanguard of the Vietnamese working class, working people and the whole nation.

It is necessary to make the CPV’s leadership of the State and society clearer, he said, affirming that the leadership of the Party is the leading decisive factor to the success of the revolution.

The Party must raise its political stuff, virtues and organisation capacity to better tackle problems arising from the reality of the revolution while preventing the risk of degradation among its members and officials, Phung said.

He also stressed the need to institutionalise the leadership of the CPV in the amended Constitution.

Former Vice President of the VFF Central Committee Nguyen Van Hang focused on specifying the responsibility of Party leaders and members before the law.

Sharing views with Hang, Le Truyen, another former Vice President of the VFF Central Committee, further stated that there should be a law enabling the Party to operate in an open and transparent manner. 

Vietnam supports ASEAN – India strategic partnership

Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh has affirmed Vietnam’s support for the increased ASEAN – India strategic partnership in various fields at their fifth annual dialogue which concluded in New Delhi, India, on February 20.

Addressing the two-day event, Vinh said the dialogue takes place in the context that the region is facing opportunities and challenges.

He added that while the region is striving to maintain peace and stability as well as boost economic connectivity, it is also coping with increasingly complicated challenges, including non-traditional security challenges such as natural disasters, epidemics, climate change, energy and food security, and trans-national crime.

In such context, ASEAN’s role in Community building as well as in its contribution to building an environment for stability and development cooperation is crucial. For this reason, ASEAN highly values India’s role in such joint effort, Vinh said.

Vinh also stressed the need to grasp an overall picture of regional situation and existing strong foundation between ASEAN and India, as well as recognize challenges relating to regional peace and security, including traditional and non-traditional security, and economic opportunities and potentials.

The Deputy FM said he hopes ASEAN members and other nations, including India, will support the joint effort between ASEAN and related countries in ensuring peace, stability and maritime security and safety in the East Sea as well as the settlement of disputes by peaceful means on the basis of respecting international law and conventions on the law of the sea, including the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and the ASEAN’s Six-Point Principles.

Bulgarian President to visit Viet Nam

The Bulgarian President Rosen Asenov Plevneliev will pay an official visit to Viet Nam from February 24 - 28 at the invitation of President Truong Tan Sang.

Plevneliev will be accompanied by representatives from over 40 leading Bulgarian businesses, which operate in food processing, agricultural imports, health care and tourism among other sectors. The entrepreneurs will use the occasion to seek investment opportunities and business partners.

Deputy PM meets with WB Vice President

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai has hailed the cooperation given by the World Bank (WB) and its Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) in their efforts to attract and support foreign investors in Vietnam.

During a meeting in Hanoi on February 20, Hai and WB Vice President Michel Wormser discussed MIGA’s financial guarantee for infrastructure projects in Vietnam in the time to come.

Hai expressed the Vietnamese Government’s support for MIGA-guaranteed projects, which according to him, will strengthen investors’ confidence and economic development in the country.

The Government will instruct relevant agencies to speed up the approval of MIGA’s guarantee applications, Hai said.

Wormser pledged next steps will be taken to carry out financial guarantee for the 450 – 500 million USD Hanoi – Hai Phong Highway project and another project worth 250 million USD to expand National Highway No. 20 in Vietnam.

He said he hopes Vietnam’s ministries and departments will work closely with MIGA to complete the projects as scheduled.

President celebrates ethnic diversity in the New Year

President Truong Tan Sang yesterday, Feb 20, personally extended his New Year wishes to residents at the Culture-Tourism Village of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups in Ha Noi’s Son Tay District.

The village is home to more than 200 religious dignitaries, war heroes, artisans and elderly people representing 19 ethnic groups nationwide.

Speaking at the meeting, which was also attended by many overseas Vietnamese people staying in Viet Nam to celebrate the Lunar New Year, the President expressed his delight that the ethnic community had enjoyed a warm festival after a year of great efforts to overcome challenges.

Describing Sang’s visit as a big encouragement, representatives of the ethnic groups said their hope that the Party and State will support more cultural activities aiming to promote ethnic groups’ solidarity.

The President also visited the religious sites for Cham and Khmer communities in the village and took part in a ceremony to take down the Neu tree, which marks the end of the New Year festival and gets the people ready to return to work.

He declared that cultural identity is a spiritual foundation which has always motivated the country to overcome challenges and march forward.

Sang asked the ethnic communities to continue contributing to Viet Nam’s economic development and poverty reduction and education programmes while protecting and promoting their national identities.

VNN/VNS/VNA