Constitution open to all Vietnamese

Vietnamese people from all walks of life, both inside and outside the country, have been invited to provide feedback on amendments to the country's 1992 Constitution next year.

People will be able to give their opinions on the National Assembly website http://duthaoonline.quochoi.vn from January 2 to March 31, 2013.

They can also send printed feedback to the Committee on Drafting Amendments to the 1992 Constitution at No 37, Hung Vuong Str, Ba Dinh District, Ha Noi or via email at ubdtsdhp@qh.gov.vn.

Conferences, workshops and dialogues on the subject will also take place.

Organisations and agencies can collect their members' opinions and report them to the Committee for Drafting Amendments to the Constitution.

These efforts will create a chance for Vietnamese people to contribute to the amendment of the constitution, said Phan Trung Ly, a member of the Committee on Drafting Amendment to the Constitution.

People can provide feedback on all the drafted amendments to the constitution, from the political regime and State apparatus to human rights, culture, education and the environment as well as many other issues.

Sympathies to Kazakhstan President

President Truong Tan Sang on December 27 sent his sympathies to his Kazakh counterpart, Nursultan Nazarbayev, over the loss of 27 border service officers and guards of Kazakhstan's Committee for National Security that were killed in a plane crash.

The accident occurred near the city of Shymkent in Kazakhstan on December 25.

Lao Party leader visits HCM City

HCM City Party Committee Secretary Le Thanh Hai on December 28 received Choummaly Sayasone, Party General Secretary and President of Laos, who was visiting Vietnam.

Hai appreciated the outcome of Sayasone’s visit, marking the success of the Vietnam-Laos Friendship and Solidarity Year 2012.

He also congratulated Laos on its marked achievements in implementing Party resolutions on socio-economic development, its recent admission to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and the successful organization of the 9th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM).

He thanked Sayasone and other Lao leaders for facilitating cooperation between HCM City and Lao localities.
HCM City will do its utmost to increase cooperation with its Lao counterparts, contributing to strengthening comprehensive cooperation between the two countries, said Hai.

For his part, Sayasone acknowledged HCM City’s efforts in organizing activities during the Vietnam-Laos Friendship and Solidarity Year to help the two countries’ people better understand the Laos-Vietnam special friendship.

He highly valued the efficient cooperation between HCM City and Lao localities, especially in receiving and supporting Lao students in their studies in the city.

The Party and State of Laos will do their utmost to maintain and cement the close bond with the Party and State of Vietnam, Sayasone confirmed.

In the evening, Hai held a banquet in honour of Party leader Sayasone and his entourage.

Vietnam-Laos Friendship Year a success

The Vietnam-Laos Friendship and Solidarity Year 2012 is a success, affirmed Vietnamese and Lao top leaders at a press conference in Hanoi on December 26.

The conference was co-chaired by President Truong Tan Sang and visiting General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and President of Laos Choummaly Sayasone.

President Sang said that over the past year, Vietnam and Laos have closely coordinated in organising a wide range of activities that drew the participation of agencies at all levels and people from all strata in both countries.

Grand meetings were held in each country’s capital city to mark the 50 th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties and 35 years of the signing of their Friendship and Cooperation Treaty.

Vietnam hosted the third Vietnam-Laos People’s Friendship Festival while Laos ’ Savannakhet province also organised a meeting celebrating the Vietnam-Laos special relationship and combatant alliance.

Ministries, agencies and localities, especially those along the border, coordinated in organising many practical activities during the year.

The two countries’ people enthusiastically took part in a contest on the history of the Vietnam-Laos, Laos-Vietnam special relationship, reflecting their aspiration and determination to preserving and fostering the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two nations.

President Sang also highlighted bilateral economic cooperation in 2012, with two-way trade estimated at nearly 1 billion USD. At present, Vietnam has 440 projects in Laos with a total investment of 5.38 billion USD, becoming one of the largest among 58 investors in Laos .

In education and training, close to 6,500 Lao officials and students are studying in Vietnam while about 500 Vietnamese students are pursuing their study in Laos.

“2012 was a significant year in the social and political life of the two peoples as well as an important milestone in the Vietnam-Laos relation, helping young generations better understand the close and faithful attachment between the two countries,” the president said.

He stressed that the results and spirit of the year will be an important momentum for lifting the special relationship between the two Parties, States and peoples to a new height, in the interest of the two countries’ people as well as for peace and prosperous development in the region.

President Sayasone said that the Friendship and Solidarity Year has wrapped up but the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States and peoples will exist forever.

Despite any changes in regional and world situation, the Lao Party and State leaders and people will continue to join their Vietnamese counterparts to preserve that special relation, considering it an invaluable asset and a rule of existence and development of the two nations as well as an inexhaustible source of encouragement on their development paths, he stressed.

Lao leader visits Hoa Binh Province

General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and President of Laos Choummaly Sayasone paid a working visit, with his entourage, to the northern province of Hoa Binh on December 27.

Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, Hoang Viet Cuong, briefed the Lao guests on the province’s 2012 socio-economic performance as well as its friendship and cooperation with Lao localities, especially Luang Prabang province.

Sayasone congratulated Hoa Binh on its comprehensive socio-economic development achievements and expressed his wish that the province will harvest greater successes in the future.

He extended his special thanks to the provincial Party Committee, authorities and people for protecting and preserving a historic relic in Cham Mat, Hoa Binh town where the preparatory meeting for the 2 nd Congress of the Lao People’s Party (former name of LPRP) took place 40 years ago.

He also thanked war veterans and the families of those that fought in Laos for their sacrifice to the country during the resistance wars against France and the US.

On the occasion, the Lao leader presented a gift of 100,000 USD to the province.

Later that day, the Lao delegation visited the headquarters of the provincial Military Command where the preparatory meeting for the 2nd Congress of the Lao People’s Party took place.

Also on December 27, with authorisation from the Lao President and Prime Minister, Deputy Minister of Education and Sports, Songsy Sengmany, presented the Friendship Order to one department and three individuals of Hanoi University of Natural Resources and Environment, and the Friendship Medal to three other individuals at the school for their contributions to the construction of facilities and curricula at Vientiane University of Technology.

Activities strengthen Vietnam-India relations

A wide range of activities will be held in 2013 to further strengthen the strategic partnership between Vietnam and India, and between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and India in general.

The Indian Embassy in Vietnam released the information at a press conference on December 27.

Activities include performances by India’s renowned rock band SHWAAS in central Da Nang city on January 2, Ho Chi Minh City on January 4, Can Tho on January 6 and Hanoi on January 7 and 8. An investment and business seminar will also be organised by the Indian Embassy in conjunction with the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the India Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Calcutta and the Indian Business Chamber in Vietnam (INCHAM) on January 3 in Da Nang.

Participants at the seminar are expected to include ICC representatives, Indian businesses and 100 Vietnamese firms from Da Nang and surrounding areas.

Indian naval ship Sudarshini will visit Da Nang from December 31, 2012 to January 3, 2013, to mark the 40 th anniversary of diplomatic ties and the 5 th anniversary of the strategic partnership between Vietnam and India, as well as the 20-year India-ASEAN relationship.

The vessel is scheduled to visit 13 ports in nine ASEAN member countries, including Indonesia, Myanmar, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. The goodwill visit aims to foster friendship among countries.

VNN/VOV/VNS/VNA