Vietnamese officers awarded Australia Police’s top medal

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) awarded the Commissioner’s Medal for Excellence to Major-General Tran Gia Cuong and Major-General Vu Hung Vuong of the Ministry of Public Security for their important contributions to cooperative ties between the police services of both countries.

At the awards ceremony in Hanoi on April 3, the AFP’s Deputy Commander Andrew Colvin said that both officers deserved the medal for “their outstanding devotion to duty, with the utmost integrity and for displaying leadership and commitment of the highest standard and influencing international policing to benefit the people of Australia and Vietnam”.

Major-General Tran Gia Cuong is currently Director-General of the International Cooperation Department and Major-General Vu Hung Vuong is the Deputy Director-General of General Police Department for Crime Prevention and Combat.

The Commissioner’s Medal for Excellence is the highest award the AFP can bestow. The medal has only been awarded 29 times in the history of the AFP and never before to foreign law enforcement officers.

President appoints new prosecuting staff

Photo: TTXVN

Speaking at the ceremony, Sang congratulated the recipients for being appointed to their new posts. The president stressed that the new appointments reaffirmed the Party and Government's commitments to provide preferable policies for the sector's development, especially in the country's strategy to reform the judicial sector to 2020.

Deputy PM receives French business delegation

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc yesterday, April 4, met with Frederic Sanchez, French President of the Vietnamese sub-committee of the French Business Confederation (MEDEF) and 30 French businesses currently on a working visit in Viet Nam.

Deputy PM Phuc said he considered France as one of Viet Nam's most important economic partners, who enjoyed bilateral trade worth US$2.8 billion in 2011.

Sanchez said Viet Nam, as a destination for investment, was a priority for French businesses, adding that he hoped the government would continue providing preferable policies for French investors.

Vietnamese, Russian legislative bodies boost ties

National Assembly Vice Chairman Uong Chu Luu said that he hoped that the Vietnamese and Russian parliaments will work together more closely to enable their respective governments to build a legal foundation for bilateral cooperation.

At a reception for the Chairman of the Committee on Science and High Technology of Russia’s State Duma, Chereshnhev Valeriy Alexandrovich, in Hanoi on April 3, Luu expressed wishes that the two law-making bodies hold regular consultations on drawing up legislation

He believes that the delegation’s visit will be successful and will open up new opportunities for closer cooperation between the Vietnamese NA and the State Duma.

Vietnam and Russia’s traditional friendship, strategic partnership and comprehensive ties have been constantly developing, he said.

In reply Alexandrovich confirmed that Russia highly regards its strategic partnership with Vietnam and will help Vietnam in science, technology and legal fields.

Vietnam, India celebrate 40 years of friendship

Vietnam and India will organise a number of socio-cultural and economic events during their 2012 Year of Friendship to mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnamese-Indian diplomatic ties, said the Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Ranjit Rae.

The Indian diplomat stated this at a press briefing in Hanoi on April 3.

The Chairman of the India-ASEAN Business Promotion Council Shantanu Srivastava, said that he has received a lot of feedback from the two countries’ business communities and many contracts have been signed, as well as several strategic ventures have been set up since the 2011 Vietnam Expo.

In the near future, India will sign more agreements with several of its strategic partners, including Vietnam. Both governments will take key steps to boost two-way trade, which stood at almost 4 billion USD last year and is expected to hit 7 billion USD by 2015, he said.

India sees Vietnam as the main destination for investors in Southeast Asia and the country has an interest in agriculture, food processing, plastics, paper, minerals, oil and steel, he added.

It is eager to take part in Vietnam Expo 2012 to enhance its strategic partnership, raise the two countries’ trade relations to a new level and consolidate their long lasting friendship and solidarity.

Vietnam, Cambodia extend hand of friendship

The Chairman of the Government Office, Minister Vu Duc Dam met with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An on April 3, during meeting on the sidelines of the 20 th ASEAN Summit in Cambodia.

During the meeting, Deputy PM Sok An, who is also Senior Minister in charge of the Council of Ministers, and Minister Vu Duc Dam said they were delighted that the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Cambodia was thriving and that cooperative relations were constantly improving.

They confirmed that both offices will work with all relevant ministries, sectors and localities to put into action previous agreements made by the Prime Ministers of both countries.

They also discussed ways of stepping up joint cooperation in every field, to further their special relationship as well as planning events to celebrate the 45 years since Vietnam and Cambodia first established diplomatic relations.

VNN/VNS/VNA