Party, State leader welcomes Australian Senate President

Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong (R) and President of the Senate of Australia Scott Ryan 

Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong said he hopes Vietnam and Australia will continue their sound Party ties and create firm political connectivity as a basis to step up their strategic partnership, at his reception in Hanoi on January 22 for President of the Senate of Australia Scott Ryan.

Senate President Scott Ryan, who is on an official visit to Vietnam, informed his host of the good results of his talks with Chairwoman of the Vietnam National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, affirming that the Senate of Australia will continue promoting its role in enhancing cooperation with the Vietnam NA and supporting the strategic partnership between the two countries.

Australia will work closely with Vietnam in maintaining peace, stability, and cooperation in the region as well as in implementing efficiently agreements they joined, like the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), he said.

He expressed his hope to further comprehensive cooperation across the Party, Government, and National Assembly channels and people-to-people relations, especially the exchange of high-level visits, and visits between mass organizations, in the coming time.

Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong described the visit by Senate President Scott Ryan as significant in the context that the bilateral relations have entered a new phase of deeper and more comprehensive development following the establishment of the strategic partnership.

He hailed the outcomes of the talks between the Senate President and the NA Chairwoman and suggested the two countries’ law-making bodies continue working together in supervising the implementation of inked agreements and action plans with a view to speeding up cooperation across the board and within ASEAN and regional and global forums.

He asserted that Vietnam will coordinate closely with Australia in implementing CPTPP, seeing it as an important mechanism for the two countries to step up their partnership in economics and trade.

Vietnam, Singapore step up criminal justice assistance

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh (right) and Singaporean Attorney-General Lucien Wong

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh has asked the Supreme People’s Procuracy of Vietnam and Singapore’s Office of Attorney-General to step up coordination in criminal justice assistance and criminal asset recovery. 

At a reception for Singaporean Attorney-General Lucien Wong in Hanoi on January 22, Binh spoke highly of the cooperation between the two agencies over the past time, especially in crime combat through criminal justice support. 

The official expressed his hope that Vietnam would learn from Singapore’s judicial experience, covering procuracy, judgment and e-justice building, explaining that during the implementation of cooperation agreements of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the joining of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), there are many issues related to the judicial sector. 

Highlighting the Vietnam-Singapore strategic partnership which was established in 2013, Binh said the bilateral friendship and comprehensive cooperation have seen progress in all channels and sectors, from politics to economy, security-national defence, health care, education, people-to-people exchange and justice. 

The relationship has been consolidated through regular visits by leaders of the two countries as well as meetings at multilateral forums, he said, stressing that the Attorney-General’s visit has marked new legal and judicial cooperation between the two sides, contributing to elevating the bilateral ties to a new height. 

Vietnam and Singapore have participated in judicial assistance within ASEAN and reaped achievements in coordination in criminal justice mandate, he said. 

Singapore is Vietnam’s third largest foreign investor and biggest ASEAN investor with more than 1,800 projects. The Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIPs) have been seen as a symbol of the bilateral economic relations. 

Binh said he believes that the strategic partnership between the two countries will step into a new development period and urged the Attorney-General to contribute to promoting the bilateral collaboration across fields, including the judicial sector.

In reply, Lucien Wong briefed his host on outcomes of his talks with Prosecutor General of the Supreme People’s Procuracy of Vietnam Le Minh Tri, saying the two sides reached a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation, creating a legal framework for stronger partnership in the time ahead. 

Over the past time, the Office of Singapore’s Attorney-General has assisted the Vietnamese agency in personnel training, he said.   

The Singaporean office will closely cooperate with the Supreme People’s Procuracy and other Vietnamese agencies to promptly address common cases based on local laws, he said.

Italian President asserts treasuring ties with Vietnam

Italian President Sergio Mattarella (right) and Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Nguyen Thi Bich Hue 

Italy attaches importance to developing the strategic partnership with Vietnam – its leading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Italian President Sergio Mattarella has said. 

The Italian leader made the affirmation at a reception for Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Nguyen Thi Bich Hue who came to present her credentials on January 21. 

Mattarella recalled his fruitful visit to Vietnam in 2015 and congratulated the country on its great achievements on socio-economic development and international integration. 

The host asked Hue to convey his regards and greetings to General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President Nguyen Phu Trong. 

In reply, Hue expressed her honour to work as Vietnam’s ambassador to Italy, which, she said, holds important role and position in Europe and the world at large. 

She congratulated Italy on its successful Chairmanship of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2018 as well as Matera city selected as the European capital of culture in 2019. 

The diplomat stressed Vietnam’s policy of prioritising the development of comprehensive cooperation with Italy, and pledged to make all-out efforts to fulfill her tasks in the country, contributing to forging the bilateral strategic partnership. 

On this occasion, Hue extended Party General Secretary and President Trong’s invitation to President Mattarella to visit Vietnam.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc leaves Hanoi for WEF Davos 2019

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc left Hanoi on January 22 night for Davos, Switzerland to attend the annual conference of the World Economic Forum (WEF), at the invitation of WEF Founder and Executive Chairman Prof. Klaus Schwab.

The PM is accompanied by Minister-head of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung, Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha, and Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung, among others.

With the theme “Globalization 4.0: Shaping a Global Architecture in the Age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” WEF Davos 2019 is expected to attract around 3,000 delegates, including heads of State and Government leaders of 50 countries.

The working agenda covers more than 400 working sessions of leaders of Governments, international organisations and enterprises and leading experts in numerous fields and young people from around the world.

Delegates are expected to exchange views on how to intensify cooperation and dialogue to address geopolitical issues, boost the reform of global institutional frameworks to get adapted to new political, and socio-economic situations, and form new institutional frameworks and regulations to foster global collaboration in different aspects.

They will also assess impact of the fourth Industrial Revolution on industries and labour and employment-related changes, and encourage the systems thinking to improve the management of the ecosystem.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s presence at WEF Davos 2019 from January 22-25 will be a chance to propagate the country’s socio-economic development and international integration achievements in 2018.

His attendance at this important event will also deliver Vietnam’s major policies, orientation and measures on socio-economic development in 2019, thus encouraging leading partners and groups to continue intensifying cooperation with Vietnam, and consolidating a favourable international environment for the implementation of the country’s socio-economic development targets this year.

Within the framework of the event, Vietnam and WEF plan to sign a cooperation agreement on building an Industry 4.0 Centre in Vietnam and a letter of intent on collaboration in plastic waste treatment.

The WEF was established in 1971 as a not-for-profit foundation and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. It now engages the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. Vietnam joined the forum in 1989.

Hanoi wants twinning ties with Bangkok

Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung (R) and Thai Ambassador to Vietnam Tanee Sangrat 

Hanoi wants to form twinning ties with Thailand’s Bangkok, Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung said during a reception in Hanoi on January 21 for Thai Ambassador to Vietnam Tanee Sangrat.

Chung expressed his belief that the twinning relationship will open up new cooperation opportunities in diverse areas, especially in culture, urban development, tourism and services. 

He committed support to cultural exchanges, investment promotion and fairs introducing Thai goods in the capital city, and wished that the ambassador would effectively uphold his role as a bridge connecting the two countries, capital cities, and Hanoi with Thai localities. 

Ambassador Tanee Sangrat, for his part, informed the host about a plan to hold several activities in Hanoi in 2019 and wished for further support from local authorities in the regard, notably the Thai cultural festival in Ly Thai To garden and the Thai film festival at Hanoi Opera House. 

As Hanoi and Bangkok lie in important locations in the region, the diplomat wished that both sides will form closer ties in the near future.

Vietnam, UK seek stronger educational cooperation

Vietnamese Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha (R) presents a gift to Minister of State at the UK Department for Education Nick Gibb 

Vietnamese Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha and Minister of State at the UK Department for Education Nick Gibb discussed the two countries’ educational cooperation during their recent talks in London.

The talks were part of the Vietnamese delegation’s visit to the UK from January 20 to 26.

At this event, the two sides looked into cooperation in tertiary education, including training educational managers and lecturers, using hi-tech solutions in higher education governance and boosting joint training between their tertiary establishments.

Gibb said he was impressed by Vietnam’s results in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), and the British side wants to learn from the country’s experience in this field.

For his part, Minister Nha said Vietnam highly values British education and hopes the UK will help it improve not only higher education but also primary and secondary education. It also wants to learn the UK’s experience in developing STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and English training programmes.

During the visit, Nha also met with Chief Executive of the British Council Ciaran Devane.

They discussed tertiary cooperation, focusing on policy dialogue, university governance and autonomy, quality of joint training, university-business connection, innovation research, lecturer and student exchange and social entrepreneurship. They also mentioned the teaching of English, assessments of English training quality and future activities of the British Council.

The Vietnamese officials also had working sessions with local auditing and accounting officials, visited the Department for International Trade, and attended a meeting between Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Education Nadhim Zahawi and education ministers of four ASEAN countries, namely Cambodia, Myanmar, Malaysia and Thailand.

Programme celebrates 70 years of Vietnam-Laos combat alliance

Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Tong Thi Phong offers incense at the Vietnam-Laos international cemetery in Anh Son district, Nghe An province, on January 21 

An arts programme was held at the Vietnam-Laos international cemetery in Anh Son district, central Nghe An province, on January 21 to mark 70 years of the two countries’ combat alliance.

The event was organised by Nghe An authorities, the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association, Radio the Voice of Vietnam and VTC television.

Addressing the event, Politburo member and Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Tong Thi Phong said the cemetery is home to more than 10,000 graves of Vietnam’s soldiers who sacrificed their lives on Lao battlefields, especially the Plain of Jars in Xieng Khouang province, during wartime.

Solidarity has become a priceless asset and created the miraculous strength of the two nations, she noted.

The official added that to uphold this valuable tradition, over the years, the Vietnamese and Lao Parties, States and people have worked to bring bilateral relations to a new height, thus developing their ties in all spheres.

Nghe An is a major contributor to Vietnam-Laos relations. Its special working group has coordinated with Lao provinces’ counterparts to search for and repatriate more than 12,000 sets of martyrs’ remains.

Meanwhile, people-to-people exchange, defence-security diplomacy and partnerships in economy, culture and education have been expanded. More than 90 businesses of Nghe An have operated in Laos with total capital of 200 million USD. More than 1,800 Lao students have also come to study at universities and colleges in the province.

Party internal affairs commission contributes greatly to anti-corruption work

Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong (centre) and officials pose for a photo at the meeting of the Commission for Internal Affairs on January 22 

The Commission for Internal Affairs of the Party Central Committee has made significant contributions to the fight against corruption, it was affirmed at the commission’s meeting on January 22. 

Addressing the meeting, head of the commission Phan Dinh Trac said the Party internal affair sector had well performed its role in researching, proposing and advising the Party in defining the main viewpoint and major orientations and policies on internal affairs, corruption prevention and judicial reform, contributing to perfecting the institutions and legal frameworks in those fields.  

The Party Central Committee’s Commission for Internal Affairs has assisted the Party Central Committee’s Politburo and Secretariat in accelerating the building and strengthening socio-economic and anti-corruption institutions, gradually forming a mechanism to prevent and stop corruption practices. Internal affairs commissions at provincial and municipal levels have counseled provincial and municipal Party Committees in issuing documents on the implementation of the Party and State’s regulations on internal affairs, corruption control and judicial reform in their localities. 

The Party internal affair sector has provided effective counseling to the Party in timely detecting and handling corruption cases and economic crimes in a strict and lawful manner.

The Commission for Internal Affairs has coordinated effectively with inspection and auditing agencies, the police, inspectorates and courts in the investigation and handling of many serious corruption cases and economic crimes, winning public support. 

Since the beginning of the 12th tenure, the Party has disciplined more than 53,100 cadres and Party members, including more than 60 senior officials under the Party Central Committee’s management. 

Since its re-establishment five years ago, the Commission for Internal Affairs has advised the Central Steering Committee for Corruption Prevention and Control to put 87 economic crimes and 78 corruption cases under its direct supervision, among which 47 cases with 634 defendants had been tried. 

In 2018 alone, 23 cases with 304 defendants were brought to court, including 10 serious cases that attracted public interest.

Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong applauded the efforts and achievements of the Party internal affair sector. 

He stressed that as the strategic advisory agency of the Party on internal affairs, prevention control and judicial reform, serving as the Party’s “ear and eye” in those fields, the Party internal affair sector has a heavy task in helping the Party complete institutions and laws, intensify the fight against corruption and wastefulness, and tighten Party discipline and order. 

The Party leader required the sector to propose major policies and directions for the Party regarding law building and enforcement, with a focus on projects related to internal affairs, corruption prevention and fight, and judicial reform. 

He urged the sector to work harder in researching and advising the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat, and Party Committees at provincial levels in perfecting the Party’s rules and the State’s institutions, policies and laws, leaving neither gaps nor loopholes for corruption. The sector should propose major viewpoints and orientations in the fields to serve the drafting of documents for the 13th National Party Congress and congresses of party organisations at all levels, 

The Party General Secretary also reminded the sector to pay attention to enhancing the supervision and inspection of the implementation of Party policies and resolutions and the State’s policies and laws in the fields under its charge.

He noted that the Commission for Internal Affairs of the Party Central Committee, as the standing agency of the Central Steering Committee for Corruption Prevention and Control, must continue to push the investigation and settlement of serious corruption case and economic crimes, and improving the efficiency of recovering assets in corruption cases.

The leader further instructed that the sector coordinates and advises relevant agencies in the implementation of viewpoints, targets, tasks and measures to ensure national defence, security, social order and safety.

Training course on civilian protection in peacekeeping operations opens in Hanoi

Representatives of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations and attendees of the course pose for a group photo. (Source: qdnd.vn) 

The Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations on January 21 opened a training course on civilian protection for 16 Vietnamese officers and 10 others from foreign countries.

The five-day course is supported by the US Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI), with the participation of four international lecturers.

During the course, attendees will be equipped with necessary knowledge and skills in civilian protection during UN peacekeeping operations.

Following the programme, Vietnam is expected to organise further international training courses on UN peacekeeping operations. 

The Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations has been upgraded from the Vietnam Peacekeeping Centre under the Ministry of National Defence after its establishment in December 2013. 

Vietnam began joining UN peacekeeping operations in 2014. Initially, the country sent staff and liaison officers and observers to several African nations, including South Sudan and the Central African Republic.

In October 2018, Vietnam’s first level-2 field hospital, the first-ever independent unit of Vietnam to join the UN peacekeeping mission, deployed two groups of 63 personnel to South Sudan.

Dak Nong, Cambodia’s Mondulkiri province enhance collaboration

Scene at the conference

The Central Highlands province of Dak Nong and its neighbouring Cambodian province Mondulkiri signed a memorandum of understanding on socio-economic cooperation for 2019 in Gia Nghia town on January 22.

The signing took place as part of a conference to review their joint work over the last two years.

According to the freshly inked pact, the sides will continue following their governments’ guidance on upgrading the Dak Peur (Dak Nong) – Nam Lyr (Mondulkiri) from a major border gate pair to an international one and on building the Dak Dang bridge linking Vietnam and Cambodia. 

They will coordinate for the Dak Nong – Mondulkiri trade fair and facilitate their businesses and people to form partnerships, and carry out import-export-investment activities in line with the law in their nations and with international regulations.

Agricultural training courses, experience sharing sessions and field trips to Dak Nong for public personnel and farmers in Mondulkiri will continue. Dak Nong will also transfer farming materials and equipment to the Cambodian province.

The sides will maintain the status quo of their shared areas that are yet to be demarcated until agreements are reached between their governments. Joint border patrols and join work to build a border of peace, friendship and cooperation are also necessary. 

They will collaborate to handle violations of the two countries’ 1983 treaty on border issues principles, as well as to implement the two provinces’ principles for search and rescue cooperation and agreement on management of citizens’ travel in their shared border area.

Cooperation in culture, social affairs, education and health is also important. It covers joint exhibitions and art performances, cultural-musical exchanges, free check-ups and medicine for disadvantaged residents in Mondulkiri, and teaching of their mother tongue for Vietnamese students in the Cambodian province.

As heard at the conference, in 2016 – 2018, trade between the two provinces reached 341.65 million USD. They sent delegations to learn from each other’s agro-forestry production models, organised cultural and sport exchanges, and held several free medical treatment events in Mondulkiri. Meanwhile, border security as well as border demarcation and marker planting ran smoothly.

Deputy PM pays pre-Tet visit to Nam Dinh province

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh presents gifts to workers at the Nam Duoc Ltd., Co., in Nam Dinh city’s Hoa Xa industrial park 

A government delegation, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, visited and extended New Year greetings to poor families and workers in the Red River Delta province of Nam Dinh on January 22.

Visiting families of policy beneficiaries in My Loc district, Minh expressed his gratitude for their contributions to the cause of national protection.

He expected them to continue following the Party and State’s laws and policies as a role model for the proceeding generations.

The delegation also attended a Tet (Lunar New Year) gathering and met workers at the Nam Duoc Ltd., Co., in Nam Dinh city’s Hoa Xa industrial park.

At the meeting, the Deputy PM stated that the Party and State will continue to create favourable conditions for workers.

He asked Nam Dinh authorities to be more attentive to the living standards of local residents, particularly policy beneficiaries and poor families, adding that trade unions at all levels should work to take care of labourers’ needs, especially as Tet approaches.

Minh requested that businesses create favorable working conditions for their employees, ensuring they receive the appropriate wages, bonuses, and social and health insurance in line with regulations.

Workers, meanwhile, need to be creative and help companies increase their productivity, thus making contributions to the social-economic growth of the locality and the nation, he said.    

As part of their trip, the delegation presented nearly 200 gifts to local poor households, policy beneficiaries, Agent Orange/dioxin victims, and disadvantaged workers.

Quang Tri records economic growth of 7.12 percent in 2018

Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh (standing) speaks at the working session with Quang Tri authorities

The central province of Quang Tri fulfilled all of its set socio-economic targets in 2018 and posted an annual economic growth of 7.12 percent, Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh was reported at a working session with local authorities on January 22.

The per capita gross regional domestic product (GRDP) was estimated at 43.6 million VND (1,878 USD), a year-on-year rise of 8.1 percent. 

More than 29,000 national revolutionary contributors in the province have received gifts worth over 6 billion VND (258,567 USD) from the President on the occasion of the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival 2019.

The province also spent over 1.3 billion VND (56,012 USD) to visit and present gift packages to social welfare families.

A programme was also held to raise more than 9.3 billion VND (400,704 USD) to support people from disadvantaged backgrounds. 

Local socio-political organisations mobilised 4.2 billion VND (180,963 USD) to help poor people enjoy a warm Tet holiday.

Vice President Thinh recognised the achievements that the province gained in 2018 and hoped that it would overcome difficulties and challenges to fulfil tasks in 2019.

She asked the province to continue promoting patriotic emulation movements launched by the Government, as well as push further in implementing poverty reduction policies. 

More specifically, the locality should create the best conditions for businesses to develop in the private economy, State economy, and foreign investment, she said, so as to obtain rapid and sustainable development in the future.