New Chief of Staff for Army

Lieutenant General Do Ba Ty, deputy defence minister, has been named the Chief of the General Staff of the Viet Nam People's Army.

General Phung Quang Thanh, politburo member of the Communist Party of Viet Nam and Defence Minister, yesterday formally handed over the President's decision on the appointment.

Hanoi bans gifts to leaders on New Year

The Hanoi People’s Committee has issued a ban against gift-giving and the use of foreign wine to celebrate the upcoming lunar New Years at state offices.

The Committee’s chairman Nguyen The Thao instructed state offices, unions and businesses in the city to economize and banned ban lavish New Year greetings, gifts to leaders or expensive wine for celebrations at state offices.

He called for boosting productivity to assure adequate supply of essential goods like fuels, foods and fruits and price stabilization in the Lunar New Year, falling in February next year.

The leader also requested an intensifying check for fake goods

PM congratulates his new Lao counterpart

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung cabled a message of congratulations to the new Prime Minister of Laos, Thongsing Thammavong, yesterday.

In his message, Dung said that his appointment to the post was a demonstration of the high esteem that the Laos' Party, State and people held him in.

It was also a sign of their trust in him.

The Prime Minister said he believed that under the leadership of Thongsing Thammavong and the Lao government, the Lao people would successfully implement the country's renewal process and further its development.

They would build a peaceful, independent, unified, democratic and prosperous country.

He also expressed his hope that the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties and States and between the people of Viet Nam and Laos would continue into the future.

Also yesterday, National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong extended congratulations to Pany Yathotu on her election as Lao National Assembly Chairwoman.

Chairman Trong expressed his hope that Chairwoman Pany Yathotu would lead the Lao National Assembly to greater achievements and spoke warmly of the special relationship between the two countries.

Inter-organisational Party branches meet

As many as 345 delegates representing about 56,000 members from 60 Party committees from central-level offices are attending a two- day congress which opened in the capital yesterday.

The inter-organisational Party committee acts as an advisory body to the Party and Government on socio-economic policies.

In his opening remarks, Hoang Xuan Cu, member of the Party Central Committee and secretary of the inter-organisational Party committee, said the congress was an occasion for the committee to draw experiences from the lessons learned during recent years, and preview activities for the 2010-15 period.

During the congress, the participants would spend time commenting on political documents to be presented at the 11th National Party Congress which is scheduled to open on January 11, and elect delegates to attend the Congress.

Speaking at the event, politburo member Truong Tan Sang was full of praise for achievements of the inter-organisational Party committee in past years.

"You have played an important role in implementing the political tasks assigned by the Party and in Party building. The success of the campaign to follow President Ho Chi Minh's example should be attributed to your hard work. So are the country's gains in the more than 20 years of renewal," said Sang.

In his speech, Sang also pointed to weaknesses and shortcomings that the Party Committee should focus efforts on in the next five years, in order to give better advice to the Party and Government to perfect their leadership and management role at the macro level.

He called on all Party members to show their responsibility and engage in criticism and self-criticism to ensure the continued strength and purity of the Party.

"You should work harder to improve the quality and speed of advice offered to the Party and Government during the implementation the nation's socio-economic development," said Sang.

Officials pay Christmas visits to Catholic community 

Archbishop of the Hanoi Archdiocese Pierre Nguyen Van Nhon vowed to continue encouraging Catholic dignitaries and believers to follow the Party and State’s guidelines, policies and the law.

The Archbishop made the pledge while meeting with President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Huynh Dam in Hanoi on December 24 as Dam paid a Christmas visit to him.

Wishing the Catholic dignitaries and the Hanoi archdiocese’s followers a merry and happy Christmas, Dam noted that Catholic followers have during the past years upheld the tradition of patriotism and enthusiastically taken part in national emulation movements launched by the Vietnam Fatherland Front.

He expressed his wishes that the Hanoi Archbishop and other Catholic dignitaries will make further contributions to the fatherland and the Church, helping strengthen and enhance the national great unity bloc to realise the goal of building a strong country with rich people and a just and civilized society.

In Ho Chi Minh City, Le Thanh Hai, a Party politburo member and secretary of the municipal party committee, paid Christmas visits to the Ho Chi Minh City Archdiocese, the Adventist Church, and outstanding Catholic followers in the city.

At the HCM City Archdiocese office, Hai spoke highly of Catholic and Protestant followers’ practical contributions as well as their joint efforts with the people to overcome difficulties, maintaining political security and promoting socio-economic development in the city.

Cardinal Pham Minh Man affirmed that the Vietnam Catholic Church is loyal to God and closely connected with the nation.

Pastor Tran Cong Tan of the Adventist Church expressed his gratitude to the Party and State’s care, considering it as a vivid manifestation of the Party and State’s policy on religious and belief freedom.

He affirmed that the Adventist Church will participate in socio-economic development and emulation campaigns in the city and in efforts to make the country more prosperous and civilised.

The same day, Hai and other municipal leaders visited an outstanding Catholic researcher Nguyen Dinh Dau and presented the State President’s National Great Unity Order and gifts to him in recognition of his immense contributions to the national construction and defence and the national great unity cause.

Previously, a delegation from the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee led by Vice President Tran Hoang Tham paid Christmas visits to the HCM City Archdiocese and the General Confederation of the Vietnamese Protestant Church in the Southern region.

On the day, Ha Thi Khiet, Party Central Committee Secretary and Head of the Central Commission for Mass Mobilisation made Christmas visits to dignitaries at the Hue Archdiocese and followers in the central city of Hue.

In the central highlands province of Dak Nong , the provincial authorities held a ceremony to present the State President’s National Great Unity Order to Priest Tran Xuan Cuong, Vice President of the Vietnam Committee for Catholic Solidarity and President of the provincial Committee for Catholic Solidarity.

Priest Cuong was honoured for making numerous contributions to promoting national unity and the relations between religious and non-religious people and for being one of the enthusiasts in the Catholic community’s social movements as well as charitable activities in the locality.

PV