Cambodia party delegation welcomed in Hanoi

Vietnam gives high priority to strengthening the good neighbourliness, traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation with Cambodia.

Both State President Truong Tan Sang and Politburo member cum standing member of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Secretariat Le Hong Anh, made the statement while receiving a delegation of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) headed by Senator Sim Kar, member of the CPP Standing Committee, in Hanoi on March 28.

Sang and Anh expressed pleasure at the intensive, practical and effective development in the relations between the two countries, particularly the success of the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Year in 2012.

They also valued the cooperation between the CPV and the CPP over the years and wished that the two sides will effectively implement their high-level agreements.

The Vietnamese leaders said they believe under the reign of King Sihamoni and the leadership of the Cambodian National Assembly, Senate and Government with the CPP playing the key role, the Cambodian people will continue reaping greater achievements during national construction and successfully organise the upcoming National Assembly elections.

Sim Kar expressed his gratitude to Vietnam for its timely, effective and precious assistance during Cambodia’s struggle for national liberation and current construction and defence. He said the CPP, the Cambodian State and people will do their utmost to elevate the traditional friendship between the two Parties and nations to a new height.

He affirmed that Cambodia will continue working closely with Vietnam to implement agreements and joint declarations between the two Parties and States.

The same day, Ngo Van Du, Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee held talks with the CPP officials, discussing measures to effectively implement agreements between the two Parties and nations.

They also signed a cooperation agreement between the two Parties for the 2013 - 2014 period.

Judicial Reform Committee meets in Hanoi

The Central Steering Committee on Judicial Reform held its 10th session in Hanoi to give opinions on the draft amendments to the 1992 Constitution.

Delegates agreed that the draft has concretised major Party guidelines concerning the political regime, the nature of the State and requirements for building a law-governed state.

They debated specific issues in the draft, including the political regime, human rights, citizens’ fundamental rights, socio-economic affairs, education, culture, as well as the parameters of institutions such as the National Assembly, State President, and Government among others.

They also put forward theoretical and practical arguments regarding a range of State agencies, including the people’s courts, people’s procuracies, the Constitution Council, and the National Election Commission.

The delegates proposed establishing the Constitution Council to control and restrict violations of the Constitution.

They also proposed adding the institution of a National Judicial Council to the draft amendments, stressing the need to establish an independent court system to assess cases in a fair and objective manner.

The council will help the people’s courts support grassroots-level courts and judges in operating independently from the proposed changes.

RoK, Vietnam sign anti-corruption pact

The Government Inspectorate of Vietnam (GIV) and the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission of Korea (ACRC) signed a memorandum of understanding in Seoul on March 27 to strengthen cooperation in combating corruption.

The MoU was signed by ACRC President Lee Sung-ho and Government Inspector General Huynh Phong Tranh, who visited the Republic of Korea from March 25-29.

Both sides agreed to share experience in formulating anti-corruption policies, developing human resources, receiving and settling citizens’ petitions, and holding joint inspections, research and workshops.

Vietnam wants to boost the all-round cooperation with the Republic of Korea, especially in fighting corruption, Tranh told Lee during their talks.

He said the GIV wants to learn from the ACRC experience in settling petitions, and to cooperate with the Korean counterpart in protecting the legitimate rights of the two countries’ nationals residing in each other’s territories.

ACRC President Lee expressed his organisation’s desire to promote high-level exchanges with Vietnam to further develop the strategic partnership between the two countries.

VGI and ACRC have participated in a number of multilateral forums on anti-corruption, including the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), the APEC Anti-Corruption and Transparency (APEC-ACT) Working Group, and the International Association on Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA).  

Vietnam, France moving towards strategic partnership

Both countries have agreed to lift their current relations to the level of strategic partnership.

Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh is on an official visit to France from March 26-28 at the invitation of his French counterpart Laurent Fabius.

During the visit, FM Binh Minh paid a courtesy visit to French Prime Minister Jean Marc Ayrault and held talks with Senate Speaker Jean-Pierre Bel, President of the National Assembly Claude Bartolone and French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Laurent Fabius.

At these meetings, the French leaders highlighted the significance of FM Minh’s visit, especially when the two sides are celebrating the 40th anniversary of their diplomatic ties in the Vietnam-France Year.

They affirmed that France always attaches great importance to strengthening its cooperation with Vietnam and is keen to upgrade bilateral relations to the level of strategic partnership.

They expressed their admiration for Vietnam’s recent socio-economic achievements which have raised its regional and international status.

FM Minh reiterated Vietnam’s consistent efforts to strengthen its partnership with France in political, economic, business, investment and development cooperation fields.

The two FMs discussed international and regional issues of common concern as well as measures to promote bilateral relations in the coming period.

They said they were pleased to see the Vietnam-France friendship and comprehensive cooperation growing steadily over the years on the basis of longstanding historical and cultural relationship. In this spirit, the two FMs agreed upon a roadmap for establishing the Vietnam-France strategic partnership through a regular exchange of high-level delegations in the near future.

The two diplomats underlined the need to increase the effectiveness of the existing cooperation mechanisms by maintaining strategic defence dialogues as well as meetings of the joint committee for defence cooperation and the high-level council for development and economic cooperation and holding economic-financial forums.

Both sides pledged to organize diverse activities in honour of the Vietnam Year in France and the France Year in Vietnam (2013-2014).

Host and guest said they were happy to witness the positive development of bilateral trade and investment cooperation even in the context of the global economic downturn.

They boasted great potential for cooperation in priority areas such as infrastructure development, transport, energy and aviation.

Minh and Laurent Fabius suggested the two foreign ministries should coordinate more closely at international and multilateral forums, especially at the UN, in the ASEM and within the ASEAN-EU frameworks and the International Organization of the Francophonie (IOF).

The French FM voiced support for Vietnam in boosting cooperative relations with the European Union (EU) and vowed to ask the EU to recognize Vietnam’s full market economy status.

He said France is ready to back Vietnam in the Vietnam-EU Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) and FTA-EU negotiations process.

The country also supports Vietnam’s stance on the East Sea issue with a view to ensuring peace, stability and maritime security, safety and freedom, settling disputes through peaceful means in line with international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) towards building a Code of Conduct (COC) on the East Sea, the French FM stressed.

On this occasion, the two foreign ministries issued a joint communiqué on upgrading bilateral ties to the level of strategic partnership.

During the visit, FM Binh Minh hosted a ceremony marking the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and France on March 27 in the presence of French politicians and international friends.

New Constitution must reflect Party, people’s aspiration

The amended Constitution must reflect the aspiration of the whole Party and people, President Truong Tan Sang said at a conference held by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front on March 27.

As the Constitution is a fundamental law demonstrating the will and interests of the whole nation, gathering opinions on its amendments is very important, Sang told participants, who are intellectuals, lawyers, religious dignitaries and representatives of ethnic minorities nationwide.

He praised the front for having collected 8 million opinions on the draft in recent times and said the work should be hastened in the coming time.

Commenting on the amendments participants proposed overseas Vietnamese should be allowed to take part in votes in Vietnam.

They also proposed that the role of the Fatherland Front should be confirmed and clarified in the new constitution so that the front could bring into full play its role in mobilizing the aggregate strength of the entire nation.

The same day National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung had a working session with the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCM CYU) on the union’s gathering of opinions on the draft revised 1992 Constitution.

Nguyen Dac Vinh, First Secretary of the HCM CYU Central Committee, said that the campaign has been launched at all branches of the union and more than 1.18 million opinions have been collected.

They all focus on increasing the union’s role in educating Vietnamese young people, teenagers and children.

Australia, Vietnam mark 40 years of diplomatic ties

The 40th anniversary of Vietnam–Australia diplomatic ties was celebrated by the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee and the city’s Union of Friendship Organizations on March 27.

Addressing the ceremony, Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Vice Chairman Hua Ngoc Thuan said that since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties in 1973, relations between Vietnam and Australia have seen a long period of stable and comprehensive development.

Two-way trade grew over 20 percent annually, hitting above US$5 billion in 2012.

He also affirmed that Vietnam considers Australia an important partner given the country always gives priority to Vietnam in terms of support for infrastructure development and poverty reduction. The successful completion of the My Thuan and Cao Lanh bridges are regarded as a vivid symbol of fruitful bilateral ties.

As of late February, Australia had 111 valid investment projects in Ho Chi Minh City with a total capitalisation of US$157.2 million.

The country has also provided master and doctorate degree programs for 500 civil servants.

Australian Consul-General in Ho Chi Minh City, John McAnulty, said that bilateral ties are growing comprehensively in education, development assistance, trade, investment, border security, defence, and combating trans-national crime.

Australia also pledged support of almost AUD168 million for the construction of the Cao Lanh Bridge, the largest Australian-funded project in Vietnam to date.

Indian party delegation visits HCM City

Vice Secretary of Ho Chi Minh City’s Party Committee Nguyen Van Dua gave a reception to a delegation of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) ( CPI – M) led by its Politburo member M.A Baby, in Ho Chi Minh City on March 28.

The HCM City official affirmed the gratitude of Vietnamese people in general and people of the city in particular for the support of India , especially the CPI -M, in their struggling for national liberation, building and development.

Dua expressed his confidence that the working visit of the CPI –M will help further the relations between Ho Chi Minh City and India in fields of trade, education, and science and technology.

In reply, Baby stressed the traditional deep ties between the two countries, adding that the CPI -M and the Communist Party of Vietnam should continue to foster this comprehensive cooperation tie.

He expressed hope that bilateral trade will be given a boost by the East – West highway connecting five countries including Vietnam and India , as well as the opening of a direct flight route between the two countries. Vietnam and India are aiming for 7 billion USD in two way trade by 2015.-

Vietnam supports youth cooperation with Laos

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc received a high-ranking delegation of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Youth Union (LPRYU) led by the union’s Central Committee Secretary Vilayvong Bouddakham on March 28 in Hanoi.

Deputy PM Phuc highly valued the bilateral cooperation and exchanges between the two countries’ youth unions, especially their volunteer movement and cultural exchanges. He said the youth unions and the young people play an important role in fostering the Vietnam-Laos special relations.

In addition, he hopes the two unions will do their utmost to enhance the effectiveness of their joint programme s, whilst expanding cooperation to new areas.

For his part, the Lao youth union leader stressed that the working visit is an opportunity for both sides to review the traditional relationship established by two national leaders.

In addition, he asked that the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCMCYU) will constantly help and support the LPRYU in training human resources, particularly its officials at all levels.

On the same day, First Secretary of the HCMCYU Central Committee Nguyen Dac Vinh held a talk with Vilayvong Bouddakham and his delegation.

Party chief praises progress made by Dong Nai Province

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has hailed southern Dong Nai Province's performance in socio-economic development and the implementation of the Resolution on Party building.

At a working session with the provincial senior officials yesterday, Trong said Dong Nai had taken the right track, with suitable methods and a good dose of creativity.

He noted that the province had achieved well-balanced and continuous development in all aspects, consistently marching towards the goal of becoming an industrialised province by 2015.

He expressed his hope that the province would further strengthen its crucially important role and position in the southern key economic area by fully making use of its advantages in land, geographical location and infrastructure.

He also asked the province to keep implementing the Party Central Committee's Resolution on Party building. He said the initial outcomes of criticism and self-criticism in Dong Nai were an example for other localities.

A report from the local authorities said last year the province's GDP rose by 12.1 per cent from 2011, with per capita GDP reaching VND41.5 million (US$2,000). In the first quarter of this year, the growth rate was 10.6 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Regarding the implementation of the Party Resolution on Party building, the report cited the results of a public poll among 1,000 workers, farmers, intellectuals, businesses and religious and ethnic sectors which showed that 86 per cent of respondents trusted the Party committees at all levels and 78 per cent claimed that the Party's prestige has picked up. In addition, 89.1 per cent of respondents noted improvement in the working attitude among public servants.

On the same day, Trong visited the Dong Nai Food Industry Corporation, a State-owned holding company. Eight years after its establishment, the State group now has 32 subsidiaries working in agriculture, industry, trade, service and tourism, generating jobs for nearly 10,000 workers with an average monthly income of VND6 million ($300).

In his talks with the workers, he stressed the State economic sector should play the guiding role, while State-run businesses had the key role in the economy. He said the State and collective economic sectors were the foundation of the national economy, while being equal to all other economic sectors in development.

VNA/VOV/VNS