President works with Military Zone 2

Military Zone 2 occupies an important strategic position in terms of socio-economic development, national defense, security and external affairs.  

This statement was made by President Truong Tan Sang at a working session with its command on June 3.

The President praised efforts made by its armed forces in boosting socio-economic development in the northern provinces of Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Son La, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, Phu Tho and Vinh Phuc.

He also hailed their help for local people in fighting natural disaster, flood, and building socio-economic areas in the border region.

Military Zone 2 has a population of more than seven million of 34 ethnic groups, and shares a borderline of 1,375 km with China and Laos.

The officers and soldiers should work closely with local authorities to improve the living conditions of local people, maintain political stability and social order, defend sovereignty and territorial integrity, prevent all sabotage schemes of hostile forces timely, and build a borderline of peace and friendship, the President said.

Deputy PM pushes for closer Vietnam-Yunnan ties

Vietnamese border provinces and the Chinese province of Yunnan need to increase the exchange of visits and discuss measures to fully exploit their potential for stronger cooperation.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan made the proposal at a reception given by Yunnan governor Li Jiheng on June 2.
Nhan, who has been in Yunnan for a working visit, told his host that both sides need to increase cooperation in economics, trade, investment, science-technology, education-training, sports, culture and tourism.

Priority should be given to building transport infrastructure to connect their localities, facilitating trade exchanges as well as travel between the two sides, said the Vietnamese Deputy PM.

Vietnam has four provinces bordering Yunnan, namely Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Ha Giang and Lao Cai.

According to Nhan, the four Vietnamese localities and Yunnan should work close together to realise Vietnam-China documents on land border and combat cross-border crimes to maintain order and security along the common borderline.

He said the strategic comprehensive cooperation partnership between Vietnam and China has developed well, especially after a China visit by Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (in October 2011) and a Vietnam visit by Vice President Xi Jinping (in December 2011).

Such a good relationship has created favourable conditions for trade exchange between the two countries’ localities to grow and flourish, said Nhan, adding that Vietnam-Yunnan trade alone hit US$12.1 billion, up 27.7 percent from 2010.

For his part, Governor Li noted that both Yunnan and Vietnamese localities have great potential for stronger cooperation in economics, trade, education-training, culture, sports, and mining.

He expressed his hope that both sides should coordinate closely to promote cooperation and investment effectively and substantially.

The Yunnan administration will do its utmost to strengthen cooperation between Yunnan and Vietnamese localities, Li assured his guest.

Nhan is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech at the fourth conference of the working groups of the four border Vietnamese and Yunnan province on June 3.

President honours city of Viet Tri

President Truong Tan Sang presented the Independence Order, first class, to Viet Tri City of the northern province of Phu Tho, at a ceremony on Saturday to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the city's establishment.

Viet Tri City is the cradle of the Vietnamese nation. It is where the first kings of the country – the Hung Kings – established their capital and has since witnessed many battles in the country's long history of fighting invaders.

Viet Tri first became a city on June 4, 1962 under a Government decision, which also designated it to be the first industrial town in the cause of socialist construction in the North.

On this occasion, President Truong Tan Sang paid tribute to the nation's ancestors at the Hung Kings Temple. The Hung Kings are worshipped throughout Viet Nam as the founders of the nation.

Their symbolic death anniversary on March 10 of the lunar calendar is a national commemoration, with masses of pilgrims flocking to the temple in Viet Tri City.

Vietnam actively integrates into the world

Vietnam’s participation in the World Economic Forum (WEF) on East Asia in Bangkok affirmed the country’s policy of accelerating its international integration.

Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh, who accompanied Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to the forum, emphasized this at a recent interview with the media on the results of the conference.

Deputy FM Vinh spoke highly of the conference, saying it has become a prestigious international forum, during which initiatives are proposed to boost socio-economic development in the region and the world as a whole.

The conference offers a good chance for East Asian nations and the international community to discuss ways to strengthen regional cooperation and connectivity to deal with emerging challenges, he said.

The forum is also an opportunity for East Asian countries to promote their image to more than 1,000 world's leading businesses, which are also members of the WEF.

Speaking about Vietnam’s contributions to this year’s forum, Vinh noted that the Vietnamese delegation actively took part in discussions on boosting cooperation and connectivity in East Asia, especially in the country's major fields of concern such as economic and trade links, with the aim of maintaining a peaceful environment in the region.

He said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung made some important proposals, which contributed greatly to the forum's success and to maintaining peace, stability, and development in the region.

Vietnam condemns Houla massacre in Syria

Vietnam calls on all parties concerned to conduct a full investigation on the recent massacre of civilians in the Syrian village of Houla and follow international humanitarian norms and respect human rights.

Addressing an emergency session of the UN Security Council (UNSC) on June 1, representative of the Vietnamese mission to the United Nations, the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other international organizations in Geneva strongly criticized the mass killing of more than 100 people in the Syrian village of Houla and expressed condolences to the victims’ families.

The Vietnamese official stressed the need to settle the situation in Syria through negotiations and conciliations, while respecting the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The diplomat also asked all parties involved to strictly implement the UN’s six-point peace plan to end the violence in Syria and help the country stabilize the current situation through peaceful and political solutions.

Vietnamese political academy bolsters ties with Lao counterpart

Politburo member and Secretary of the Party Central Committee To Huy Rua said he hopes the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and Public Administration and Lao National Academy of Politics and Public Administration (NAPPA) will continue to strengthen cooperation.

Rua made the comment on June 1 while receiving an NAPPA delegation led by director Kikeo Khaykhamphithoune.

He said the delegation's working visit is valued highly and contributed to raising the special relationship between the two countries to a higher level.

Kikeo Khaykhamphithoune affirmed that the two academies will tighten their co-operative activities in implementing their entrusted political tasks.

He also informed Rua about the achievements made by the academy during the recent time.

VNN/VOV/VNS/VNA