Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong received the new Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam Lianys Torres Rivera in Hanoi on January 26.

Thanking Vietnam for its solidarity with and support for Cuba, the diplomat pledged to do her best to effectively contribute to strengthening the special relations between Vietnamese and Cuban parties, governments and people.

Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong congratulated Lianys Torres Rivera on her new post in Vietnam, saying he believes she will make significant contributions to Vietnam – Cuba traditional relations and comprehensive cooperation.

Trong stressed 2018 marks 45 years since Cuba’s revolutionary leader Fidel Castro first visited Vietnam. 

He suggested this could be a good occasion to educate people from both sides on the special ties share between their countries.

Trong took the occasion to send his greetings to First Secretary of the Cuban Communist Party Raul Castro and other Cuban Party and State leaders.

Cambodian delegation visits Vinh Long ahead of Tet

A delegation from the Cambodian province of Kampong Speu visited and extended wishes to officials and people in the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long on January 26 ahead of the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival. 

Governor of Kampong Speu province Vy Som Nang expressed his profound thanks to the Party, Government and people of Vietnam for saving Cambodia from the genocide regime in the past. He also thanked Vinh Long authorities for providing Kampong Speu with material and spiritual support over the past years. 

Vy Som Nang wished that solidarity and friendship between the two countries and the two provinces in particular will be further tightened in the coming time. 

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Van Quang affirmed that Vinh Long and Kampong Speu have formed a twinning relationship with a number of friendly and cooperative activities. 

Quang informed the guests that Vinh Long posted a economic growth rate of 5.62 percent and earned a record 420 million USD from exports last year

Up to 33 communes have been recognised as new-style rural areas while social welfares, especially for the poor and policy beneficiaries, have been ensured, he said. 

Quang also expressed wish to further reinforce Vinh Long – Kampong Speu friendship for the development of the two countries.

Deputy FM lauds Vietnam’s role in ASEAN-India ties

Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung has said since Vietnam undertook the role of coordinator in August 2015, the ASEAN-India ties have thrived. 

He made the statement in an interview recently granted to the media on the occasion of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s visit to India to attend the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit and the 69th anniversary of Republic Day of India from January 24-26.

Dung said the most important outcome of the Summit is the adoption of the Delhi Declaration that outlines the vision, orientations and measures to lift ASEAN-India strategic partnership to a new height, adding that both sides will further enhance their comprehensive cooperation across politics-security, socio-economy-culture, connectivity and development gap narrowing. 

He expressed his belief that the growing ASEAN-India ties will make practical contributions to the ASEAN Community building. 

According to the deputy minister, since Vietnam took over the role of coordinator for ASEAN-India ties in August 2015, bilateral political ties have unceasingly been strengthened through dialogue and cooperative mechanisms at all levels. The implementation of the ASEAN-India action plan for 2016-2020 made good progress, with 67 out of 130 lines of action carried out. At Vietnam’s proposal, the two sides worked out of a list of 26 priorities for 2016-2018, helping define focus for the action plan, hence greater effectiveness.

ASEAN-India cooperation has also expanded to new fields, especially the sea-based economy.  

Vietnam has helped accelerate the completion of a Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of the ASEAN-India Centre in New Delhi, thereby laying a legal foundation for the centre’s operations and raising public awareness of ASEAN and promoting bilateral exchanges. 

Commemorative Summit, Dung said the delegation proposed a list of commemorative events and co-chaired the drafting of the Delhi Declaration. 

Speaking at the summit, PM Phuc said ASEAN and India need to see trade and investment as a key driving force of their strategic partnership, accelerate negotiations for the early signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, and increase connectivity to ensure inter-regional sustainability. 

He called for efforts to build trustworthy collaboration in the spirit of compliance with international law, equality, mutual respect for the sake of peace and stability; promote trade liberalisation, and expand comprehensive cooperation and prosperity in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific, Dung said. 

The Deputy FM commented that achievements during Vietnam’s tenure as coordinator will create momentum for bilateral ties in the coming years.-VNA

Japan ready to support HCM City in development projects

Japan is willing to support Vietnam’s southern economic hub of Ho Chi Minh City in carrying out development projects, especially those on water environment, urban railway and natural disaster prevention.

Acting Secretary General of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan Motoo Hayashi made the statement at a meeting with Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong in HCM City on January 26.

He is in Vietnam to attend the fifth Vietnam-Japan friendship festival, scheduled to kick off in HCM City on January 26 evening with a number of special art and culture performances and workshops on trade promotion and sport exchanges.

The festival is the first in a string of events in celebration of the 45th anniversary of the Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties in 2018, he said, adding that its success will help reinforce the bilateral friendship and cooperation.

The Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians Union will organise numerous cooperation programmes with Vietnamese National Assembly deputies to promote the sound collaboration and amity between the two countries, he noted.

For his part, Phong said Vietnam, particularly HCM City, is keen to step up collaboration with Japan within the framework of the bilateral extensive strategic partnership, for the sake of their people as well as for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region.

He expressed his belief that HCM City will continue to be a reliable and attractive investment destination for Japanese businesses in the coming time.

He proposed the LDP leaders launch more initiatives to strengthen the relations between Vietnam and Japan in general and Japan and HCM City in particular, especially in the fields of climate change adaptation, urban infrastructure building and people-to-people exchange.

Party leader stresses need to win people’s support

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Nguyen Phu Trong has emphasised the need to consolidate public trust, under the people’s aspirations, rely on the people and win their support in order to bring the country forward. 

In an exclusive interview with the Vietnam News Agency on the threshold of the the Year of the Dog, the Party leader underlined the country’s outstanding achievements in 2017 and outlined major tasks for 2018. 

He said the fight against corruption has made marked progress thanks to drastic, synchronous, methodical and firm measures, in the spirit of “words matching up with actions.”

In 2017, many serious cases of corruption and economic crimes involving incumbent and former senior officials were discovered and brought to court in a timely manner, he said. 

In the first days of 2018, several major corruption cases have also been brought to trial, demonstrating the drastic actions and the determination to carry the combat through and leave no “prohibited zone” in the prevention and fight against the evil, the Party chief stressed. 

Regarding the personnel work in 2017, General Secretary Trong said the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat and the Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission imposed disciplinary measures on many Party Committees and Party organisations of different levels, as well as officials and Party members, including those holding high positions, for their violation of the law. 

However, he said, it is even more important to prevent the root cause of such wrongdoings by regulations, laws and policies.

“Power must be kept within mechanisms,” the Party chief stressed. 

General Secretary Trong highlighted the joyful atmosphere across the country as Vietnam has fulfilled and overfulfilled all the 13 socio-economic targets for the first time in the context of multiple challenges. 

The Party leader also recalled outstanding outcomes in external affairs, as reflected through the country’s successful hosting of APEC Year 2017, the 18 high-level visits by Vietnamese leaders to 19 countries and the country’s attendance at eight international events. In the year, Vietnam also welcomed 36 heads of states and Prime Ministers of foreign countries. 

Talking about key tasks in 2018, he underlined the need to create stronger changes in economic restructuring in tandem with growth model reform; improve productivity and competitiveness of the national economy; and mobilise, allocate and use resources effectively. 

Along with economic development, more attention should be paid to cultural and social development, the improvement of people’s living standards, General Secretary Trong said. He also called for more efforts to strengthen the Party and political system, stop and prevent the degradation of political ideology, morality and lifestyle as well as signs of “self-evolution,” and “self-transformation”.

At the same time, the reform and streamlining of the apparatus must continue, with more heed paid to the personnel work, he said.

Vietnam seeks stronger cooperation with Chinese province

Head of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee’s Organisation Commission Pham Minh Chinh met with Secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Li Xi on January 26 to discuss orientations to enhance the bilateral cooperation in the figure.

The Vietnamese official congratulated Guangdong on its achievements in reform and socio-economic development over the past four decades.

He urged Guangdong to increase collaboration with Vietnamese localities in economics-trade, tourism, culture, personnel training, and experience exchanges in Party building.

He called on local major businesses to boost investment in hi-tech projects in Vietnam.

During the visit to Guangdong, the CPV delegation visited the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone and the Vietnam Youth Revolutionary League’s headquarters in Guangzhou city.

Top Lao legislator lauds construction progress of NA House

Chairwoman of the Lao National Assembly (NA) Pany Yathotou has praised the construction progress of the Lao National Assembly House, a gift the Vietnamese Party, State and people presented to their Lao counterparts, and pledged support for the project so that it is carried out smoothly.

At a reception in Vientiane on January 26 for a delegation from the Vietnamese Ministry of Construction, led by Minister Pham Hong Ha, she expressed her belief that with highly skilled experts and workers, Vietnam will complete the project with good quality and the building will become a symbol of friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos.

For his part, Ha informed the Lao leader of his earlier working session with the management board for the Lao National Assembly (NA) House construction project on January 25, in which an agreement on coordination mechanism and scope of work between the Vietnamese Ministry of Construction and the management board was inked.

Both sides committed to ensuring equality, construction techniques, aesthetic appearance and safety of the building as well as completing the project by the end of 2020, he noted.

The Vietnamese Ministry of Construction will do its best with the highest political determination together with Laos to build the NA House imbued with the Lao culture and make it a vivid illustration for bilateral special relations, he said.

The minister also asked for support from the Lao authorities, especially the NA Chairwoman, to accomplish the construction on schedule.

Work on the 100-million-USD project began in Thatluang village in Vientiane’s Saysettha district on November 2017.

HCM City’s leader continues visit to Cambodia

Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City’s Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan has lauded staff of the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP) - the oldest and largest university in Cambodia - for their contributions to human resources training in Cambodia, Vietnam and countries. 

During a working session with the university on January 27, Nhan, who is a Politburo member of the Communist Party of Vietnam, said HCM City will offer 10 scholarships to the university’s lecturers per year to pursue master and doctorate degrees in the city. 

Reopened in 1986 after merging with several universities, RUPP has 6 subordinate universities with nearly 1,000 lecturers and 20,000 students. It is linking with eight Vietnamese universities and receives around 150 Vietnamese students each year. 

During a working session with leaders of Cho Ray – Phnom Penh Hospital, Nhan asked them to propose measures to tackle difficulties, continuing to be a vivid symbol of neighborliness between the two countries, providing health care services for people in Cambodia and Phnom Penh in particular. 

Earlier, in a meeting with Cambodia’s Acting Prime Minister Sar Kheng on January 26, Nhan said HCM City and Phnom Penh will continue strengthening cooperative ties, focusing on education, tourism, agriculture and promoting the efficiency of Cho Ray-Phnom Penh Hospital.

Sar Kheng said he was delighted at the results of cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia in general and between HCM City and Phnom Penh in particular, which he said helped nurture the bilateral friendship.

In a reception hosted by President of the Cambodian Senate Say Chhum, Nhan affirmed that HCM City always treasures and does its best to foster Vietnam – Cambodia ties, as well as relations between the city and Cambodian localities. 

Nhan wished that the Cambodian government would offer support in terms of mechanism and policy to facilitate immigration of medical staff and materials import for use in the Cho Ray-Phnom Penh Hospital. 

The same day, Nhan paid courtesy calls on Secretary of the Phnom Penh Party Committee Pa Socheatvong and Governor of Phnom Penh Khuong Sreng. 

On January 27 afternoon, the Vietnamese delegation concluded two-day visit to Cambodia.

HCM City vows to foster cooperative ties with Japan

Ho Chi Minh City pledges to work with Japan to deploy cooperation programmes to foster economic, cultural and educational ties and people-to-people exchanges this year, said Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong.

Phong made the statement when meeting with Japanese State Minister for Foreign Affairs Kazuyuki Nakane in the city on January 26.

He thanked the Japanese Government and people for providing official development assistance (ODA) to aid Vietnam’s economic development and poverty reduction for many years. 

The chairman also hoped Nakane to continue encouraging Japanese localities to strengthen partnerships with HCM City, particularly in implementing cooperation activities marking of the 45th founding anniversary of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic relations.

The potential for cooperation between HCM City and Japan remains great, notably in terms of tourism, trade, infrastructure development, climate change response, urban management and people-to-people exchanges, Phong said. 

The city will coordinate with Japanese partners to boost ties in all fields as a way to promote cooperation and friendship between the two countries, he added.

Nakane, for his part, said Japan is ready to support Vietnam, including HCM City, in implementing international-standard infrastructure development projects and projects in areas of Japan’s strength.

Japan is willing to share experience with Vietnam in urban management and addressing urban issues like traffic congestion or pollution, he noted, suggesting the two sides focus on stepping up collaboration in transport infrastructure, education, healthcare and exchanges of trainees and nurses.

Japan now ranks sixth among 93 countries and territories investing in HCM City with more than 110 FDI projects, worth about 4 billion USD in total. The country has the fifth largest number of tourist to HCM City and has become one of the city’s key trade partners.

Cambodian delegation visits Vinh Long ahead of Tet

A delegation from the Cambodian province of Kampong Speu visited and extended wishes to officials and people in the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long on January 26 ahead of the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival. 

Governor of Kampong Speu province Vy Som Nang expressed his profound thanks to the Party, Government and people of Vietnam for saving Cambodia from the genocide regime in the past. He also thanked Vinh Long authorities for providing Kampong Speu with material and spiritual support over the past years. 

Vy Som Nang wished that solidarity and friendship between the two countries and the two provinces in particular will be further tightened in the coming time. 

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Van Quang affirmed that Vinh Long and Kampong Speu have formed a twinning relationship with a number of friendly and cooperative activities. 

Quang informed the guests that Vinh Long posted a economic growth rate of 5.62 percent and earned a record 420 million USD from exports last year

Up to 33 communes have been recognised as new-style rural areas while social welfares, especially for the poor and policy beneficiaries, have been ensured, he said. 

Quang also expressed wish to further reinforce Vinh Long – Kampong Speu friendship for the development of the two countries.