China, VN party chiefs enhance partnership through phone talks

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping discussed ways to elevate the two countries' comprehensive strategic partnership over the phone yesterday, March 21.

Trong once again congratulated Xi Jinping on his recent election as the new State President of China.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong discusses ways to elevate the two countries' comprehensive strategic partnership over the phone with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

He expressed his wish that the Chinese people, under the leadership of the Chinese Party and State headed by Xi Jinping, would continue to make achievements in moving towards reform and building a well-off society governed by socialism deeply imbued with Chinese characteristics.

Party General Secretary and State President Xi thanked the Vietnamese Party chief for his congratulations. He affirmed that the Party, State and people of China attach extreme importance to their ties with Vietnam and are willing to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two Parties and nations.

Government delegation heads for China

A delegation from the Government Inspectorate of Viet Nam headed by Inspector General Huynh Phong Tranh set off on a four-day visit to China on Thursday.

The Vietnamese guests met with a delegation of the Chinese Ministry of Supervision led by Minister Huang Shuxian at the ministry's headquarters the same day.

Welcoming the visit by the Vietnamese inspectors, Huang said the Chinese side wished to boost high-level exchanges to strengthen the friendship and cooperative relations between the two countries.

Tranh – a member of the Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption – and the Chinese host exchanged experiences on inspections and other activities to fight corruption.

The same day, the delegation had talks with Zhao Hongzhu, Secretary of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of China's Central Committee and Deputy Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of China.

HCM City, Wales look to future linkages

Ho Chi Minh City and the UK’s Wales boast potential to intensify their cooperation in tourism, trade, and financial and banking services.

Besides, the two sides can also step up their linkage in education, in particular tertiary education, the field of the UK s strength, the UK's Secretary of State for Wales, David Jones, told Vice Chairwoman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thi Hong during their meeting in the city on March 21.

The Secretary said he was impressed by the strong development of Vietnam in general, and of HCM City in particular and saw many investment opportunities for his British businesses.

Hong, for her part, described the opening of a direct flight route connecting HCM City and London as the contribution to boosting the multifaceted cooperation and trade exchanges between the two sides.

In 2012, trade between the city and the UK saw an increase of 10 percent. The city greeted over 77,000 British visitors and the number is expected to rise in the coming time.

To connect the two sides’ businesses, Hong suggested organising business exchanges and fact-finding trips to seek cooperation and investment opportunities.

The Vice Chairwoman also briefed Jones on her city’s current socio-economic development, adding that there are 95 British invested projects capitalising at over 680 million EUR and 22

UK business representative offices in the city.

Viet Nam supports arms trade control

Viet Nam shares the world's concern about the illicit trade of conventional arms, said Ambassador Le Hoai Trung, Viet Nam's Permanent Representative to the UN, at the ongoing UN final conference on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) held in New York.

To be effective, the treaty should strike a balance between international peace and nations' legitimate right to self-defence, Trung said. In addition, it should be negotiated openly and transparently.

He affirmed that Viet Nam would participate in the conference in an active and constructive manner.

During the 10-day event, expected to wrap up on March 28, participants from 193 UN member states discussed arms trading conditions as well as the scope of adjustments and specific regulations for each state.

Unlike nuclear weapons trading, the conventional arms trade is not regulated by an international-level treaty.

Leaders send condolences     

President Truong Tan Sang and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung sent their condolences over the death of Bangladeshi President Mohammed Zillur Rahman to the country's interim President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday.

The same day, Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh extended his deep sympathies with his Bangladeshi counterpart Dipu Moni.

President Mohammed Zillur Rahman died on Wednesday in a Singapore hospital where he had been undergoing treatment for a respiratory infection. He was 84.

Military delegation travels to Germany

A high-level military delegation, led by Deputy Minister of National Defence Nguyen Chi Vinh, paid a three-day working visit to Germany this week.

Vinh held talks with Secretary of State for the German Defence Ministry Ruediger Wolf and paid a courtesy visit to Defence Minister Thomas de Maiziere.

The two sides expressed their wishes to enhance bilateral army co-operation, focusing on maintaining annual dialogue channels, exchanging delegations and providing officers with language training.

The two sides agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on defence co-operation in the near future.

ASEAN armed forces work to ensure regional security

Delegates at the 10th ASEAN Chiefs of Defence Forces Informal Meeting (ACDFIM-10) signed a joint statement in Brunei on March 20 highlighting the role of ASEAN member nations' armed forces in coping with regional security challenges.

The statement reviewed the outcomes of cooperation at the ACDFIM over the past years, outlined measures to enhance future cooperation among regional armed forces, and highly valued Brunei and Singaporean armed forces' initiatives on holding humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercises in June 2013.

It also highlighted future activities between the bloc and other countries within the framework of the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus, and established a report mechanism within the framework of the ACDFIM.

Participants discussed the outcomes of the 10th ASEAN Military Intelligence Informal Meeting and the 3rd ASEAN Military Operations Informal Meeting. They expressed wishes to bolster regional armed forces' strong and friendly cooperation in different areas towards building the ASEAN Community by 2015.

The meeting also adopted the 2013–2015 working plan.

On the occasion, the Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces and Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces transferred the chairmanship of the mechanism to the ACDFIM-11 in Myanmar.

This year, the Vietnamese delegation attending the meeting was led by Deputy Defence Minister and Chief of the General Staff Sen. Lieut. Gen. Do Ba Ty.

Greetings to Lao People’s Revolutionary Party

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) on March 21 sent greetings to the Central Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party on the occasion of the 58th anniversary of the Lao Party (March 22, 1955-2013).

The same day, Hoang Binh Quan, member of the CPV Central Committee cum head of its Commission for External Relations, sent his greetings to Lao Party Politburo member, Deputy Prime Minister, head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations, and Foreign Minister Thongloun Sisoulith.

Laos, Vietnam promote theory work

Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee Cheung Sombounkhan received Phung Huu Phu, Permanent Deputy Chairman of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee’s Theory Council, in Vientiane on March 20.

Phu informed the host of the meeting between the Theory Council and the Lao National Social Science Council. He stressed the need to regularly share experience in theory, Party leadership and building, social management and socialist-oriented economic development in each country.

Sombounkhan, who is also head of the LPRP Central Committee’s Commission for Propaganda and Training, highly valued the first theory conference between the CPV and LPRP, which he said will strengthen the Vietnam–Laos special solidarity.

The Lao Party, State and people will consistently preserve and bring into full play the Vietnam–Laos traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation, he said.

He expressed his hope that the two sides will work closely together in fields of mutual concern to bring revolutionary theory into life and contribute to fostering bilateral ties.

VNN/VOV/VNS/VNA