Viet Nam strengthens wide-ranging ties with Qatar

Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh affirmed Viet Nam's wish to develop multi-faceted co-operation with Qatar at talks and meetings with Qatari leaders on Sunday.

During his stay in Qatar, which came at the invitation of Qatari Prime Minister cum Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani, the Vietnamese diplomat held talks with his Qatari counterpart, paid a courtesy visit to Crown Prince Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and met with Minister of Social Affairs and Acting Minister of Labour Nasser bin Abdulla al-Hamidi and Minister of Business and Trade Jassim bin Abdulaziz Al Thani – also Chairman of the Qatar-Viet Nam Intergovernmental Committee.

Qatari leaders expressed their delight at the remarkable development of the two countries' bilateral relationship, adding that the Qatari King and Government paid much attention to boosting ties with Viet Nam.

The two sides discussed measures to increase the effectiveness of bilateral cooperation. They agreed to strengthen delegation exchanges, work closely with and support each other at regional and international forums and intensify cooperation in the areas of economics, trade, investment and labour.

Both sides agreed to organise the first meeting of the Viet Nam-Qatar Intergovernmental Committee soon, with the aim of completing a legal framework and working out cooperation directions in various fields.

The Qatari side hoped to strengthen investment in projects in Viet Nam and affirmed its willingness to create favourable conditions to receive more Vietnamese labourers who want to work in the country.

They also suggested the two countries' businesses work harder to seek cooperation opportunities, contributing to boosting bilateral economic trade and investment ties.

Indian and Vietnamese Communist parties convene

The Communist Party of India will work its hardest to promote its traditional ties with the Vietnamese Party and people, thus helping further India and Viet Nam's strategic relationship, said M.A. Baby, a member of the Indian party, at a meeting with Dinh The Huynh, Head of the Communist Party's Commission for Publicity and Education and member of the Politburo.

Secretary of the CPV Central Committee Dinh The Huynh meets with head of the CPI -M delegation M.A. Baby. (Source: VNA)

Leading a delegation from the Indian party, Baby came to Viet Nam for a one-week working visit.

At the meeting, Huynh informed Baby of the resolutions of the Party's 11th national congress and major instances of development progress, as well as Viet Nam's poverty reduction work and major cultural, educational and technological developments.

He agreed with Baby that the two Communist Parties should strengthen ties by further exchanging lessons from their own countries' economic development.

Journalists give opinions to Constitution amendments

Members of the Vietnam Journalists’ Association gathered in Hanoi on March 26 to give opinions to the draft revised 1992 Constitution.

Participants at the event agreed with nine basic contents of the amendment of the 1992 Constitution. They also showed their interest in the freedom of speech and journalism.

After three months of gathering opinions, the association has received over 400 comments to the draft revised 1992 Constitution.

On the same day, the Communist Party of Vietnam ( CPV ) online newspaper held an online dialogue, aiming to strengthen the popularisation and communications on gathering citizen’s opinions to the draft amended Constitution.

Themed “Mobilising the intellect of the entire Party, people and army in building the Constitution,” the dialogue attracted the participation of numerous scholars and state officials.

Deputy Minister of Justice Hoang The Lien said the Committee on Drafting Amendments to the 1992 Constitution has so far received nearly 15 million opinions to all contents of the Constitution, mainly focusing on human rights, fundamental rights and duties of citizens, political regime, economics, society, culture, education, science, technology and environment.

Overseas Vietnamese have also paid attention to the draft amended Constitution and given opinions, especially those regarding the role of the overseas Vietnamese community, their contributions to the country’s construction and defence and conditions for their promotion of national tradition and cultural identity, said Le Minh Thong, Deputy Head of the National Assembly’s Law Committee.

The dialogue was applauded by readers with hundreds of questions focusing on basic contents of the draft revised Constitution and the way to collect opinions.

They highlighted the role the media plays in popularising the gathering of opinions and encouraging people to give their opinions, while combating attempt of hostile forces to distort policies and guidelines of the Party and State.

Also on March 26, the Ministry of Home Affairs held a conference to give comments on the draft revised 1992 Constitution.

Minister of Home Affairs Nguyen Thai Binh emphasised the necessity to amend the 1992 Constitution, which will meet the requirements in the period of national industrialisation and modernisation as well as international integration.

Participants at the conference agreed that preeminence can be seen in the draft amendments to the Constitution, dealing with matters arising in the real situation of the country after over 20 years of renewal, while strongly affirming and broadening human rights.

Vietnam journalist delegation welcomed in Laos

Laos’ Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Bosengkham Vongdala on March 25 received Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists’ Association Ma Dieu Cuong who is Laos for a working visit from March 24-30.

Cuong took the occasion to express his joy at seeing the rapid changes in Laos. He reported to the Lao minister the results of his talks with the Lao Journalists’ Association on their bilateral cooperation last year.

He said the two associations have stepped up their exchanges and sharing of experiences as well as worked together to cover activities during the Vietnam-Laos Friendship and Solidarity Year 2012, thus helping raise the masses’ awareness about the preservation and development of the special relationship between the two countries.

In the coming time, two sides will continue to strengthen their cooperation, particularly in professional activities from central to local levels.

For his part, the minister highly spoke of the effective help of the Vietnam Journalist Association.

He suggested that the two associations pay more attention to educating young people in the two countries’ special relations.

Congratulations to Bangladesh on National Day

President Truong Tan Sang on March 26 sent a messages of congratulations to Bangladeshi Acting President Abdul Hamid on the occasion of the 42nd National Day of Bangladesh (March 26).

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung extended his greetings to his Bangladeshi counterpart, Sheikh Hasina Wazed, on the same occasion.

The same day, Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh cabled a congratulatory message to Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Dipu Moni.

HCM City, Belgian province strengthen ties

Ho Chi Minh City will do its utmost to develop its relationship with Belgium’s Namur province, said Mayor Le Hoang Quan.

At the reception for Namur governor Denis Mathen on March 25, Quan expressed delight at the development of relationships between Vietnam and Belgium in general, and between Ho Chi Minh City and Namur in particular, adding that the Belgian ODA- funded projects in the city have gained effective results.

Ho Chi Minh City and Namur can cooperate in a wide range of areas including economics, science, culture, education and tourism, Quan noted.

The Namur governor said this is his first trip to Vietnam as part of activities to mark the 40th anniversary of the Vietnam - Belgium diplomatic ties.

The good results of the two countries’ cooperation projects, particularly those in Ho Chi Minh City, will contribute to fostering future cooperative relations between the city and Namur province, Mathen said.

VNN/VOV/VNS/VNA