President visits Thai Nguyen, Military Zone No1



On May 20, State President Truong Tan Sang worked with the judiciary sector of the northern province of Thai Nguyen on judiciary reform under the Politburo’s Resolution No 49.

After six years of implementing the resolution on judiciary reform through 2020, the operational efficiency of Thai Nguyen’s judiciary sector has improved remarkably with 90 percent of cases being dealt with strictly and according to the law. The local police force has also been successful in raiding a number of criminal organizations.

However, limitations still remain such as poor coordination between the judiciary sector and State agencies and a lack of uniform legal documents and qualified judicial staff.

In his speech, President Sang praised the sector’s efforts to overcome difficulties as well as its contributions to ensuring security in the province. He asked leaders from the police, the procuracy and the courts to work out specific solutions related to standards for investigators, procurators and judges in order to create synchronous training of staff for the sector.

The same day, President Sang and his delegation visited Military Zone No1 located in six northeastern provinces.

Lieutenant General Be Xuan Truong briefed Mr Sang on his command's activities regarding national security and military exercises. The President spoke highly of the efforts the Military Zone soldiers have made to perform their tasks in defending national sovereignty and maintaining political and social stability to boost socio-economic development.

Earlier on May 19, President Sang and other Party and State leaders attended a ceremony to mark the 65th year since President Ho Chi Minh arrived in the Dinh Hoa safety zone in Thai Nguyen province to lead the resistance war against the French colonialists. The event also celebrated Ho Chi Minh's 122nd birthday anniversary.  

Thai Nguyen was one of the three northern mountainous provinces selected by President Ho to establish revolutionary bases in the war against the French.

On May 20, 1947, the President arrived at the Dinh Hoa district safety zone, which was subsequently set up as the Party and Government headquarters.

Many important policies and decisions were made in this “top secret" place including decisions to launch the autumn-winter campaign of 1947 and the border campaign in 1950, as well as the famous Dien Bien Phu battle in 1954.

Sixty three communes in Thai Nguyen were recognized as safety zones during the war. The Dinh Hoa safety zone alone has 128 historical revolutionary relic sites that witnessed major changes during the period.

On the occasion, the Dinh Hoa safety zone was honoured as a special national relic site, once again affirming the unique position and role of Dinh Hoa during the resistance war for national liberation.

The celebration offered a chance to review the nation’s revolutionary history and raise national pride in the glorious tradition of the Party, the provincial Party Committee and people nationwide, while consolidating confidence and resolve to uphold and develop that tradition in the new period, Mr Sang said

Over the past 30 years, Thai Nguyen has recorded tremendous achievements in socio-economic development to become one of the main economic, cultural, educational and training centres in the northern mountainous region.

The State leader said he hopes the province will continue to overcome all difficulties and challenges to successfully meet the set targets for national development.

Health deputy minister faces warning for wrongdoings

Health Deputy Minister Cao Minh Quang is facing an administrative warning for his shortcomings at work, according to the vote of the ministry’s Party Committee.

Yesterday, the 8-member committee held a meeting to discuss a possible disciplinary action against Quang for his wrongdoings, including giving wrong comments and assessments related to his inferiors, self-seeking in his relationship with businesses managed by the ministry, and giving incorrect and imprudent opinions about several affairs of the ministry.

The meeting was also attended by the representatives from the Interior Ministry, the Party Central Committee’s Commissions for Organization and Inspection, the Central Party Committee’s Office, and the Vietnam National Union of Health Workers.

Eight members of the committee voted to determine the disciplinary level that should be applied to Quang. According to the vote result, 5 members demanded that he be given a warning, 2 others requested a reprimand for him, and 1 member gave a blank vote.

In February 2012, Quang, 59, was given a Party warning by the ministry’s Party Committee for the same wrongdoings.

Quang was once the head of the Pharmaceutical Management Department before being appointed to the current post in February 2008.

Besides the above shortcomings, he had previously been accused of claiming to hold a PhD degree from Uppsala University in Sweden. Verifications later found that the accusation was true.

In fact, Quang just obtained a certificate of Licentiate of Pharmaceutical Sciences, which is merely a certificate required of candidates who want to continue pursuing a PhD program at the university.

Ceremony honours Ho Chi Minh and State Awards winners

A ceremony was held in Hanoi on May 19 to present the Ho Chi Minh and State Awards for Literature and the Arts and announce the winners of the People’s Artist title.

Addressing the ceremony, State President Truong Tan Sang called on artists to continue inheriting and upholding the nation’s cultural tradition of creating art and literary works with a profound cultural value, featuring the national characteristics.

This is the fourth time the Ho Chi Minh Award for Literature and the Arts has been held to honour writers and artists. The first time the prize was awarded was in 1996.

This year, the Council of State Awards went to 12 works of literature and arts and recognised 74 nominees for the People’s Artist title.

In addition, 128 art works and groups of art work were presented with the State Award for literature and the arts and 356 nominees received the Meritorious artist title.

The Ho Chi Minh Award, the State Award for Literature and the Arts and the title of People’s Artist and Meritorious Artist are noble prizes, recognizing the writers and artists’ important contributions to the country’s cultural development.

Japan, Viet Nam to remain important strategic partners

Viet Nam considers Japan an important strategic partner from whom it could gain experience and technology in the process of national development.

To Huy Rua, Politburo member and head of the Party Central Committee's Commission for Organisation, made the affirmation while meeting with Japanese leaders during his visit to the country from May 16-20.

During time spent with Vice Speaker of the House of Representatives Eto Seishiro and Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura, Rua highly valued Japan's assistance to Viet Nam in developing its economy.

He thanked the Japanese Government and people for their ODA despite their own difficulties derived from natural disasters.

He affirmed Viet Nam's determination to use ODA effectively and speed up the implementation of projects agreed by the two sides.

On their part, the Japanese leaders affirmed that parliamentarians, be they from any political party, wanted to boost friendship with Viet Nam. They expressed their belief that the country's stable growth would contribute to the development of Mekong River countries.

Fujimura said the Japanese Government would consider measures to help Viet Nam implement ODA-funded projects.

At a working session with leaders of the Japan Federation of Economic Organisations (Nippon Keidanren), Rua called for participation in infrastructure construction projects in Viet Nam with suitable cooperation forms, including public-private partnerships (PPP).

Toshiaki Egashira, co-chairman of Keidanren's Asian and Oceania Committee, expressed his wish to strengthen economic, trade and investment co-operation with Viet Nam, thus promoting the implementation of infrastructure construction projects.

He asked that the Vietnamese Government create more favourable conditions for Japanese investors through perfecting its legal system, investment policy and environment.

After the working session, the two sides witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the M&C Group of Viet Nam and Toshiba of Japan on a project to develop an intelligent community in Viet Nam.

Rua also visited the headquarters of the Japanese Communist Party (JCP) and held talks with JCP chairman Kazuo Shii.

He met with former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, who is now President of the Japan-Viet Nam Friendship Parliamentary Alliance of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), and the President of the Japan-Viet Nam Friendship Parliamentary Alliance of the Liberal Democratic Party, Tsutomu Takebe.

The Vietnamese delegation held talks with Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Tatsuo Kawabata and National Personnel Authority Commissioner Hara Tsuneo on co-operation in personnel organisation and management as well as in human resource development.

Viet Nam-RoK diplomatic ties celebrated in central province

A number of activities took place in the central province of Quang Tri last Saturday to mark the 20th anniversary of Viet Nam-South Korea diplomatic ties.

The Quang Tri People's Committee, the foreign ministry and the South Korean embassy in Viet Nam jointly held a ceremony to mark the beginning of work on the upgrade of Quang Tri Vocational School in Dong Ha City.

The project has an investment capital of VND110 billion (US$5.2 million), of which $4.7 million has come from the South Korean government in the form of non-refundable aid.

The provincial People's Committee and the Korea International Co-operation Agency have signed an agreement to support community-based economic development in Quang Tri Province.

The 2012-15 programme will focus on four areas – human resource development, health, poverty reduction and green growth.

The RoK embassy in Viet Nam also presented gifts that included television sets, fans, cooking utensils and toys to the War Invalids Care and Social Welfare Centre.

It also handed over medical equipment worth $230,000 to Vinh Linh District General Hospital.

Vietnamese people association opens office in South Korea

The Vietnamese People's Association in South Korea yesterday officially opened its headquarters in Incheon City, about 50km east of Seoul.

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador Tran Trong Toan praised the association's provisional executive board and its branches for helping expat Vietnamese integrate into the local community.

He highlighted the association's contributions to friendship and co-operation between the two countries, even though it was only established on December 22, 2010.

The ambassador expressed the hope that the association would launch more activities to consolidate relations and exchanges between the two countries' people.

Prime Minister visits Hau Giang province

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung met with the authorities in the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang on May 19 to discuss the province’s socio-economic development tasks over the first four months of this year.

After eight years, Hau Giang has made many achievements in several areas, particularly in infrastructure investment, and in improving local standards of living.

Although it has a lot of potential, the province’s poverty rate is still too high in comparison to the country’s average, he said.

He asked the province to apply advanced science and technology to agricultural production and the cultivation and processing of aquatic products, saying it is an effective way of developing quickly and in a sustainable manner.

The PM stressed on the need for administrative reforms and developing human resources, to help attract domestic and foreign investors to the province, as well as creating the best possible conditions for businesses and people to access capital.

With its advantages in agriculture, particularly rice production, Hau Giang should needs to grow more high-quality varieties of rice and purchase rice directly from farmers.

He also suggested the that province develops its transport infrastructure, electricity supplies, schools and health centres.

Earlier, PM Dung attended the inaugural ceremony of the road that links Vi Thanh district in Hau Giang province and Can Tho City.

The 47km long road begins at the crossroads on National Highway 1A and the access road to Can Tho bridge, and ends at National Highway 61 in Hau Giang province, helping shorten the journey by 15 kilometres.

Indian naval ships visit Haiphong

Two Indian naval ships, the INS Shivalik and INS Karmuk, commanded by Rear Admiral Ajit Kumar P, who is also the Eastern Naval Commander, docked in Haiphong port city on May 19.    

This is the fifth visit to Haiphong by the Indian ships, aiming to reinforce the friendship and cooperation between India and Vietnam, as well as between the two navies.

The Indian delegation is scheduled to pay a courtesy visit to leaders of the Haiphong municipal People’s Committee, the High Command of Military Zone 3 and the Navy High Command. They will also conduct an exchange with students from the Vietnam Maritime University, and offer gifts to children in the Hoa Phuong orphanage.

The Indian navy leaders will visit Hanoi and pay tribute to late President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum, in addition to doing some sightseeing in Haiphong and Halong Bay.

The ships will conclude their visit to Vietnam on May 23.