President Sang meets Cao Dai

President Truong Tan Sang hosted a reception yesterday, Jan 4, for Cao Dai dignitaries on the occasion of New Year 2012.

Cardinal Tran Duc Tang and other Cao Dai dignitaries thanked the Party and State for creating favourable conditions for Cao Dai followers to practise their faith. They also briefed their host on the achievements Caodaism has made in recent years.

In the tradition of patriotism, many Cao Dai believers joined the resistance wars against foreign invaders. Nearly 5,000 laid down their lives and 267 women of the Cao Dai sects were awarded the title "Vietnamese Heroic Mother".

Cao Dai now has nearly three million followers, 15,000 dignitaries and over 1,000 places of worship. Believers always promote religious unity, abide by State laws and policies and participate in charitable and social activities.

Wishing Cao Dai dignitaries and followers best wishes in the new year, President Sang praised their contributions to national construction and defence, and expressed his hope that the dignitaries would continue to encourage followers to boost unity among religions and actively join in social activities.

Son La urged to become a leader

National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung yesterday, Jan 4, urged authorities in northern mountainous Son La Province to strive to fulfil the 2012 socio-economic development plan to become a leading locality.

During a working visit to Son La, Hung said the province should pay special attention to developing poor districts in the province, improving the capacity of their officials as well as boosting investment, vocational training and labour exports for local people.

For their part, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai and leaders of relevant ministries and agencies proposed Son La actively review small- and medium-sized hydro-power plant development projects as well as mineral resources exploitation projects to ensure the harmony of the environment and inhabitants.

Son La was also asked to boost investment in developing the growth of industrial cotton to help local people escape poverty and promote the establishment of industrial zones to improve the efficiency of its socio-economic development.

The province recorded a GDP growth rate of 12.4 per cent in 2011. Per capita income reached US$820, up 28 per cent in comparison with 2010.The province has 57 hydro-power projects with a total capacity of 3,800MW.

President praises army cadets

President Truong Tan Sang highlighted the contributions of generations of Vietnamese junior army cadets to national defence and construction at a meeting yesterday.

History had proved the sound decision and strategic vision of late president Ho Chi Minh and the Party to establish junior army cadet schools, he said.

Sang also expressed his respect for the lecturers who had devoted their lives to teaching generations of cadets, mostly teenagers, over the past 60 years and said he hoped they would uphold their traditions to make further contributions.

The State leader also asked the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and relevant agencies to co-operate with each other to expand this training model to meet the demands of national development. The first junior army cadet group was set up in May 1946.

Yesterday, Sang also received more than 60 representatives of young army people who were honoured for volunteering for movements such as natural disaster relief.

India, Vietnam strengthen strategic partnership

Shri E. Ahamed, Indian Minister of State for External Affairs and Human Resource Development, is paying an official visit to Vietnam from January 4-7.  

The visit marks the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and India (January 7) and five years since the two countries established their strategic partnership.

During his visit, Mr Ahamed will meet with Vietnamese leaders and deliver messages of congratulation from Indian leaders.

He will hold talks with Ho Chi Minh City leaders and meet with Indian business community representatives in the city.

The Minister of State will attend activities celebrating the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties and the ceremony to announce the ‘Vietnam-India friendship year’ which will be followed by a series of trade promotion activities and workshops. An Indian Year will also be launched in Vietnam with various cultural programmes, culinary festivals and arts exhibitions in a number of cities and provinces across the country.

He will join a ceremony to introduce the Institute of Indian and Southwest Asian Studies (IISAS) held by the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS). The Institute will help strengthen scholar exchange between the two nations in history, languages, literature, politics, economics and social studies.

India and Vietnam have developed good relations in economy and trade. Total trade turnover between the two countries hit US$3.5 billon in 2011. India and Vietnam have agreed to raise the figure to US$7 billion by 2015.

Greetings to Myanmar on Independence Day

President Truong Tan Sang and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung of Vietnam sent a message of greeting on Jan. 3 to Myanmar President Thein Sein on the occasion of Myanmar’s 64 th anniversary of Independence Day (Jan. 1).

The same day, Vietnam’s Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh also extended congratulations to his Myanmar counterpart U Wunna Maung Lwin.

VNN/VOV/VNS/VNA