PM set to attend economic forum on East Asia

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung will attend the 2012 World Economic Forum (WEF) on East Asia in Bangkok on May 31 at the invitation of Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and the WEF President, Klause Schwab.

Themed " Shaping the Region's Future through Connectivity", the forum will focus on the roles played by the ASEAN economies with high economic growth to help rebalance overall global and regional economic outlook.

Quang Tri links with Laos provinces

The Quang Tri provincial People’s Committee held a conference on May 29 to sum up the implementation of sister relations between the central province and two Lao provinces of Savannakhet and Salavan.

Attending the conference were representatives from the two Ministries of National Defence, the High Command of Border Guard and the National Border Committee, leaders of the three provinces, together with representatives from 23 pairs of sister villages between Quang Tri and Savannakhet and Salavan.

Chairman of the Quang Tri provincial People’s Committee, Nguyen Duc Cuong, said that the sister relationship is a sound policy of the two Governments, which affirms the position and important role of people in the cause of constructing and defending the sovereignty and security along the national border of Vietnam and Laos.

Quang Tri province shares 206 kilometres of borderline with Savannakhet and Salavan. The border line runs through Quang Tri’s Huong Hoa and Dakrong districts and Savannakhet’s Sepon, Muong Nong districts and Samuoi district of Salavan.

In April, 2005, Huong Hoa district’s Ka Tang village and Densavan village of Sepon district became the first sister villages of the three provinces. To date, there are 23 pairs of sister villages. After more than five years of implementation, the policy has brought practical effects, contributing to political stability in border areas, strengthening the two countries’ relations. The policy also helped boost socio-economic development and improve living conditions for local people.

Deputy Political Commissar of the High Command of Border Guard, Maj. Gen. Vu Hiep Binh, said that in future the model of sister villages will be established in all border areas between Vietnam and other countries.

Seminar discusses constitutional amendments

Representatives from ministries and northern localities gathered at a seminar in the northeastern province of Quang Ninh on May 28-29 to discuss amendments to the 1992 Constitution.

According to Deputy Minister of Justice Hoang The Lien, the seminar, jointly held by the Ministry of Justice and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), is part of a cooperative project between the Vietnamese Government and the UN to strengthen access to justice and the protection of rights in Vietnam.

Participants focused on discussing Government institutions, local authority, human rights and citizens’ rights, putting forth proposals on amendments to the 1992 Constitution as well as measures to perfect Vietnam’s legal system in the 2011-2020 period and in following years.

In addition to the amendment of regulations ensuring that all State power belongs to the people, the legal experts emphasised the need to perfect the principles of united State power with assignment, coordination and joint control between State agencies in exercising legislative, executive and judicial rights.

VNN/VNS/VNA