PM Hun Sen: VN helps Cambodia escape from genocide

Prime Minister Hun Sen thanked Vietnam for helping Cambodia escape from the Khmer Rouge genocidal regime while receiving President of the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association Vu Mao in Phnom Penh on Nov. 22.

PM Hun Sen added that the liberation revitalised Cambodian people and at present, Vietnam continues helping Cambodia in national construction and development.

PM Hun Sen said that Cambodia and Vietnam are continuing to strengthen cooperation in order to boost friendship and development of the two countries. He praised the effective contributions made by friendship associations of the two countries to the expansion of bilateral relations.

Vu Mao is leading a delegation of the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association on a visit to Cambodia from Nov. 20-26 at the invitation of the Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Association.

While in Cambodia , the Vietnamese guests were received by Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Say Chhum, and Deputy Prime Minister and President of the Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Association Men Samon.

The delegation is scheduled to have a working session with the Cambodian Development Council.

US Oregon National Guard delegation visits Vietnam

Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army Lieut. Gen. Tran Quang Khue received the visiting Chief of the Oregon National Guard (US) Major General Raymond F. Rees in Hanoi on November 22.

Lieut. Gen. Khue said that the visit took place as cooperation between Vietnam and the US saw active development.

Khue said over the years, defence relations between Vietnam and the US have been boosted through the exchange of high-ranking military delegations, along with personnel training and medical assistance.

The visit is an opportunity for both sides to promote mutual understanding and cooperation under the partnership programme on natural disaster control, and to cope with mining collapse, oil spills as well as chemical and radioactive accidents.

Major General Raymond F. Rees said that he will do his utmost to make the partnership programme become highly effective, contributing to strengthening relations between the two countries.

Party leader calls for strengthening Party personnel organization

The Party Central Committee (PCC) Commission for Organization needs to improve personnel organization by promoting the training and planning of personnel to deal with the limitations in this field.

Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong said this at the November 22 working session with the PCC Commission for Organization to review the work plan for 2011 and the key tasks set by the 11^th National Party Congress.

General Secretary Trong said promoting Party building and personnel organization is a key task to ensure the successful implementation of political guidelines and tasks for the different periods.

In the context of the developing market economy and international integration, finding ways to improve the quality of Party personnel organization, build a strong Party, prevent moral and political degradation among cadres, and consolidate people’s confidence is essential for the existence of the Party and the revolutionary cause, emphasized Party leader Trong.

He asked the Commission to continue renewing its personnel organization work and prepare plans for personnel, especially senior positions for the next term, and coordinate with relevant agencies for training personnel.

Secretary Trong also praised the Commission’s achievements, which have significantly contributed to building a strong contingent of Party members that have successfully carrying out all their assigned political tasks.

Regarding the working results in 2011, To Huy Rua, Politburo member, PCC Secretary and Head of the PCC Commission for Organization, said the Commission focused on renewing working practices and worked closely with relevant agencies to fulfill all its tasks and create major changes in Party building.

The Commission also coordinated with other agencies to develop target projects for personnel organization in the 2011-2012 period and devise key tasks for the following years, Mr Rua said.

Workshop discusses Arms Trade Treaty process

Representatives from Vietnamese agencies and foreign experts gathered in Hanoi on November 22 to share their views on the Arms Trade Treaty.

Themed “Arms Trade Treaty: national and international views”, the workshop is co-organised by the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry and the UK Embassy in Vietnam.

During the two-day event, participants discussed and shared information to clarify contents that Vietnam can contribute to the ATT process and such issues as the types of weapons to be covered by the ATT, and measures for members to fulfill their responsibility under the ATT.

Delegates from the UN Institute on Disarmament Research and the UK working group on ATT presented issues on UN mechanisms on arms transfer and transfer controls.

Addressing the opening session, Assistant to the Foreign Minister Nguyen Van Thao reiterated Vietnam’s consistent policy of supporting international efforts toward comprehensive and complete disarmament with high priority given to disarmament of mass destructive weapons.

Vietnam has participated in and seriously fulfilled its obligations under international arms conventions, including the UN Register of Conventional Arms and the Programme of Action on small arms and light weapons, he said.

He went on to say that ATT would be one legally binding instrument regulating state activities with regard to conventional arms.

Kate Harrison, Charge d’Affaires of the UK Embassy, affirmed the ATT is one of the UK Government’s top priorities. If the ATT is approved, it will contribute to binding member countries to strictly implement commitments favourable for the world security through controlling arms trade market and reducing illegal arms trade.

An UN Arms Trade Treaty negotiating conference is scheduled to take place in mid-2012. If approved, the treaty will be a binding document regulating activities of countries in the arms field.

Vietnam-Cambodia solidarity bears fruit

Cambodia’s achievements in all fields are attributed to valuable assistance from the Vietnamese government and people, said Sai Chhum, head of the Standing Board of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) Central Committee.

Mr Chhum, who is also second Vice President of the Cambodian National Assembly, made the statement on November 21 while receiving a delegation from the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association, led by its chairman Vu Mao.

He spoke highly of the two countries’ fine relationship, saying Vietnam and Cambodia are always good friends, good brothers, good neighbours and good partners.

The Cambodia Party official appreciated the association’s contributions to lifting bilateral ties to a higher level. He expressed his belief that the two countries’ friendship, cooperation and solidarity, which have been nurtured by generations of both sides’ leaders and peoples, will continue to grow and flourish in spite of difficulties in the new are.

Mr Chhum also highlighted the success of Vietnamese investors in Cambodia that has stimulated the two-way trade growth between the two countries. Vietnam is on the top of the list of foreign arrivals in Cambodia, he added.

While visiting Cambodia from November 20-26, the Vietnamese delegation held working sessions with Cambodian relevant agencies to learn about the prospects for economic, trade and investment cooperation in the country.

They also provided relief aid to Vietnamese nationals who have been affected by recent floods and storms in Cambodia, and handed over the donated money for a project to build a school for Vietnamese pupils in the country.

Quang Tri to host workshop on Road No9-Southern Laos campaign

The Ministry of National Defence and the central province of Quang Tri will jointly organise a workshop on November 29-30 to depict the victory of the Road No9-Southern Laos campaign 40 years ago.

Representatives of the Vietnamese and Lao people’s armies and relevant agencies will deliver about 70 speeches, highlighting the magnitude, significance and historic lessons learnt from the victory, said Col. Ho Khang, deputy director of the Vietnam Military History Museum, at a press briefing in Hanoi on November 22.

The speakers will make an in-depth analysis of Vietnam’s military tactics and solidarity of the special combat alliance between Vietnam and Laos during the campaign.

The workshop will honour heroes and martyrs who fought and sacrificed their lives for the cause of national liberation. New documents and evidence of the historic campaign will also be unveiled at the event.

In 1971, the Party Central Committee and the Political Bureau decided to launch the Road No9-Southern Laos campaign to safeguard the Ho Chi Minh Trail (running along the Truong Son Mountain Range) at any cost to transport necessities from the north to the south during the resistance war against the US.

With support from the Lao people and army, the campaign ended in victory, helping defeat the US’s war escalation scheme in Indochina. 

VNN/VOV/VNA