Party founding anniversary celebrated overseas

Participants sing Vietnam's national anthem at a ceremony marked the 86th Party founding anniversary in Russia on February 3. (Photo: VNA)

The Vietnam Embassy in Algeria organised a meeting to mark the 86th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) on February 3.

Opening the ceremony, Ambassador Vu The Hiep said that under more than eight decades of the CPV leadership, Vietnam has gradually overcome poverty and undeveloped conditions to consolidate a more significant position regionally and internationally.

The diplomat summarised the 12th National Party Congress, with Nguyen Phu Trong re-elected as General Secretary.

The same day, meetings and celebrations also took place in Russia, the Czech Republic and Germany.

The birth of the CPV on February 3, 1930, was an important historical event and a significant turning point in the history of the Vietnamese revolution, marking a milestone in the country’s development.

Under the Party’s leadership, the Vietnamese people successfully carried out the August Revolution in 1945 and the 1975 Spring Offensive, entering a new chapter of development.

Vietnam, Czech communist parties step up relations

Officials from the Czech Republic expressed their hope that the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) will share its theoretical and practical experience with the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM).

In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), KSCM Chairman Vojtech Filip, who is also Vice Chairman of the Czech Parliament’s Chamber of Deputies, congratulated the CPV on the success of the 12th National Party Congress and Nguyen Phu Trong on his re-election as Party General Secretary. The CPV set a bright example for the KSCM , he noted.

The KSCM will organise an international workshop on theories of communist parties next September, he informed, calling for the attendance of the CPV.

Filip stressed that Vietnam has developed dynamically to gear towards the position of an economic locomotive in the region.

Vietnam and the Czech Republic have a traditional friendship, he said, affirming his country’s support for the Southeast Asian nation during its past struggle for national liberation and the present cause of socialism building.

Filip stressed the need for the two countries to utilise their substantial potential for cooperation and extended his wish that the bilateral ties will thrive in years to come.

Talking with a VNA correspondent, Pavel Kovacik, a member of the Parliament of the Czech Republic and Head of the KSCM group of deputies, said the KSCM has organised many theoretical workshops on the CPV’s leadership.

Pavel, who is President of the Czech-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Group , said the Southeast Asian nation has seen major achievements, with a high, stable economic growth rate.

In his capacity as Vice Chairman of the Agricultural Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, Pavel pinned hope on outcomes of the visit to Vietnam by a committee delegation scheduled for next September.-

Hungary to boost cooperation with ASEAN

Hungary on February 5 expressed its strong interest to forge closer ties with the Southeast Asian region and said it recognised the immense potential of the ASEAN Community.

The remarks were made by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who paid an official visit to the ASEAN Secretariat, during a meeting with the Secretary-General of ASEAN Le Luong Minh.

Orbán said Hungary would like to deepen cooperation with ASEAN in culture and education, adding that Hungary would offer scholarship programmes for students from ASEAN member states to study in Hungary.

Currently, ASEAN and Hungary are working on signing an agreement on education that would provide scholarships to students from ASEAN member states.

He added that the sides should work together to promote people-to-people exchanges to bolster mutual understanding of culture and diversity.

Noting the economic potential of ASEAN, Orban said that Hungary supports stronger trade and investment ties under the ASEAN-EU framework of cooperation.

For his part, Secretary-General Minh said that the realisation of the ASEAN Community is significant, as it signals to the rest of the world how much ASEAN member states have achieved in coming together as one community.

He said it is a historic milestone for the region and a culmination of ASEAN’s resilience and dynamism throughout a journey that spans nearly half a century.

According to the ASEAN Secretary-General, ASEAN’s strong economic growth would provide excellent opportunities for the expansion of trade and investment with Hungary and the EU.

He said the region is the seventh largest economy in the world and is on track to become the fourth largest economy by 2050. ASEAN had a combined GDP of US$2.6 trillion in 2014.

Established in 1967, ASEAN comprises 10 nations – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Advisory role of Party Central Committee’s office hailed

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong praised the Party Central Committee’s Office for its outstanding performance as an advisor of the Party Central Committee, the Political Bureau and the Secretariat.

At a meeting with the office’s staff ahead of the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday in Hanoi on February 4, the Party chief highlighted their contributions to the success of the 12 th National Party Congress which took place last month.

2016 is the first year of actualising the 12th National Party Congress’s Resolution and the Socio-Economic Development Plan for 2016-2020.

The election of deputies to the 14th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2016-2021 tenure will also take place this year, he said.

Besides these, the challenges and opportunities afforded by the domestic and global situations impose new requirements for the Party Central Committee, the Political Bureau and the Secretariat, the General Secretary added.

Given this, he urged the office to carry forward their experience and tighten their solidarity in order to fulfill their assigned tasks well, while closely joining hands with relevant agencies to bring the Resolution into reality.

Tran Quoc Vuong, Chairman of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Inspection and head of the office, pledged that the office’s staff will exert greater efforts to fulfill all the tasks, so as to contribute to the country’s common achievements and deserve the trust of the Party and State leaders.-VNA

Top legislator pays tribute to late President

National Assembly (NA) Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung offered incense to commemorate late President Ho Chi Minh at House No. 67 in Hanoi on February 4 on the occasion of the upcoming traditional Lunar New Year (Tet).

Built in 1967 in what is now the President Ho Chi Minh relic site, House No. 67 was the place where the late President worked and passed away. It was also a meeting venue for the Politburo during wartime.

Talking with staff and officials of the relic site, Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung recommended that they should continue helping locals and international friends to better understand President Ho Chi Minh and his revolutionary career.

The same day, the top legislator offered incense in tribute to late General Vo Nguyen Giap – an outstanding disciple of President Ho Chi Minh, the eldest brother of the People’s Army of Vietnam, and the world-renowned military strategist.

General Vo Nguyen Giap was born in the central province of Quang Binh in 1911 and passed away in Hanoi in 2013. He devoted his whole life to the cause of national liberation, construction, and defence.

The NA leader later visited and extended his New Year greetings to former Party General Secretaries Do Muoi and Nong Duc Manh, and ex-Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Van An.

He noted that the priority of the parliament and the whole Party and people in 2016 is successfully organising the elections of deputies to the 14 th National Assembly and all-level People’s Councils in the 2016-2021 period.

Former Party and State leaders expressed their hope that the NA will continue to push ahead with legislative reform that will re-confirm the trust of deputies and constituents across the country.

Congratulations sent to House Speakers of Myanmar

National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung on February 4 conveyed his congratulations to Mann Win Khaing Than and Win Myint on their election as Speakers of the Upper House and Lower House of Myanmar.

Myanmar’s new Parliament elected Mann Win Khaing Than from the National League for Democracy (NLD) as Speaker of the House of Nationalities (upper house) on February 3.

Meanwhile, Win Myint of the NLD was chosen as Speaker of the House of Representatives (lower house) at the parliament’s first session on February 1.