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In HCM City, President Sang praised the municipal authorities for promptly implementing social welfare policies to assist poor people, social beneficiaries and workers in weathering impacts of rising inflation.
During his meeting with officials of the Long An Party’s Committee, President Sang expressed his delight at the fulfillment of the provincial socio-economic development, particularly in practising thrift, investment development and attracting capital from various sources for investment.
Long An province spent almost VND11 billion to help 21,000 poor families welcome Tet.
In Dong Thap province, President Sang urged the local authorities to adopt policies to care for poor people in the long term.
The same day, President Sang paid a Tet visit to officers and soldiers of the Military Zone 7.
Party General Secretary meets senior leaders on threshold of Tet
On January 19, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong hosted a pre-Tet get-together with Party and State leaders and revolutionary war veterans.
Among those present at the meeting were former Party General Secretaries Le Kha Phieu and Nong Duc Manh, State President Truong Tan Sang, former State President Tran Duc Luong, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, National Assembly (NA) Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung along with other senior leaders and representatives from centrally-run ministries and sectors.
In his speech, Mr Trong highlighted Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements in the past year owing to the clear-sighted leadership of the Party and great support and assistance from the international community.
Regarding the situation in 2012, Mr Trong said the country will be confronted with difficulties and challenges, especially in the fields of economics and finance.
Top priority will be given to controlling inflation, stabilizing the macroeconomy, ensuring social welfare, maintaining a reasonable economic growth rate, promoting Party building and rectification along with the “Studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s moral example” campaign, and improving the efficiency of foreign affairs activities for the cause of national construction and defence.
The Party chief extended his best New Year wishes to all State and Party leaders, revolutionary war veterans, heroic mothers, compatriots, soldiers and overseas Vietnamese that they will join efforts to fulfill all the tasks set for 2012.
The same day, Party leader Trong offered incense to the late President Ho Chi Minh at his Relics Site in inside the Presidential Palace.
Mr Trong expressed his deep gratitude to President Ho Chi Minh for his great contributions to the cause of national liberation and construction.
According to the Director of the Relics Site, Bui Kim Hong, the number of Vietnamese and foreign visitors rose to 2.3 million in 2011.
Vietnam, Italy exempt diplomatic visas
The agreement to allow visa exemptions for Vietnamese and Italian diplomatic passport holders took effect on January 20, 2012, according to the Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Under the agreement, citizens from both countries who hold valid diplomatic passports are exempt from needing visas to enter, exit and transit in each other's territory for a stay of less than 90 days within any six-month period from the first day of entry into each country or, in the case of Vietnamese citizens, from the first day of entry into the Schengen Area.
Bring Party resolution to life: Party leader
The Party leader expressed his wish that people and soldiers nationwide will have good health, new faith and new enthusiasm to fulfil all tasks set by the Resolution of the 11 th National Party Congress, helping bring the resolution to life.
Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong expressed the wish in a recent interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the Lunar New Year Festival 2012, highlighting outstanding achievements that the entire Party, army and people have made over the past year, as well as future requirements and tasks.
He said that Vietnam went through the Year of the Cat 2011, the first year of implementing the Resolution of the 11 th National Party Congress, with a full agenda of events, difficulties and challenges as well as many significant initial results.
Right after the 11 th National Party Congress concluded, many important policies of the congress have been incorporated into socio-economic development plans for the 2011-2015 period, said Trong.
Vietnam has implemented a major policy on economic restructuring in combination with modernising the growth model, focusing on the restructuring of investment, State-owned businesses and financial markets, he said.
The country has carried out the Resolution of the 11 th National Party Congress on Party building through a resolution of the fourth meeting of the 11 th Party Central Committee on several urgent issues on Party building and the continuous implementation of the campaign, “Studying and Following the Moral Example of President Ho Chi Minh”.
“These are very important issues that lay a foundation for the next five years,” he said, adding that the Party Central Committee should do the task immediately to prevent the degradation of ideology, ethics and lifestyle in a number of cadres and Party members.
The task requires careful preparations and close instruction as it relates to human resource work, according to the Party chief.
On the occasion of the 82 nd anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam, General Secretary Trong expressed his wish that the entire Party, army and people at home and abroad will elevate their patriotism and strengthen solidarity to successfully implement the Resolution of the 11 th National Party Congress./.
Prime Minister visits public security forces
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on Thursday paid a Tet visit to the Ministry of Public Security and extended his New Year greetings to public security forces nationwide.
Minister of Public Security Senior Lieut. Gen. Tran Dai Quang said that last year public security forces took the initiative in advising party committees, authorities at all level and organizations to effectively implement relevant tasks.
PM Dung said achievements recorded by the public security forces in all fields have contributed to the country’s socio-economic performance in 2011.
The Government leader urged the sector to adopt drastic measures to deal with emerging difficulties and challenges in 2012.
He also asked the sector to pay attention to ensuring security and social order on the occasion of the Lunar New Year.
The Chinese agriculture ministry on January 12 issued a notice about this year’s non-fishing season under which China bans fishing activities on the East Sea from May 16 to August 1, 2012.
Vietnam protests China over fishing ban on East Sea
The Chinese agriculture ministry on January 12 issued a notice about this year’s non-fishing season under which China bans fishing activities on the East Sea from May 16 to August 1, 2012.
Today morning (Friday), spokesman for the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Luong Thanh Nghi asserted that the fact that China unilaterally banned fishing activities on the East Sea was an act violating Vietnamese sovereignty over the Paracel (Hoang Sa) islands, sovereignty rights, jurisdictional rights of Vietnam over exclusive economic zones and continental shelf.
It violated the Declaration of Conducts (DOC) and complicated the situation in the East Sea, he added.
Mr. Nghi said the Vietnamese foreign ministry has met with the Chinese side to show its protests.
“Vietnam has indisputable rights over Spratly and Paracel islands, has sovereignty rights, jurisdictional rights over exclusive economic zones and continental shelf under the 1982 United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea”, Nghi affirmed.
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Vietnamese Embassy in Japan hosts Tet reception
More than 300 guests from Japanese political circles, organizations and businesses, along with members of the overseas Vietnamese community in Japan, gathered at the Vietnamese embassy in Tokyo on January 20 for a reception to celebrate Vietnam’s Lunar New Year Festival.
Among the guests at the function were former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku, President of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Alliance (JVFPA) Takebe Tsutomu, and Secretary General of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Alliance Toshiaki Koizumi.
In his speech, Vietnamese ambassador to Japan, Doan Xuan Hung, said he was delighted with the presence of Japanese friends and overseas Vietnamese who, in turn, praised the comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Japan.
Vietnam and Japan have become important partners and close friends with each other, thanks to great efforts from the people in both countries including the Japanese and Vietnamese guests at the reception, said ambassador Hung.
The ambassador said he hopes bilateral cooperation will continue making great strides with exchanges in the lead up to the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two nations in 2013.
Vietnamese embassy staff will do their best to develop the relationship between the two sides. Vietnam also hopes to receive more cooperation and assistance from its Japanese friends, he added.
Former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku said he hopes the Japan-Vietnam relationship will continue to grown and flourish based on the experience and good feeling over the past 40 years.
President praises navy forces’ efforts
President Truong Tan Sang applauded the navy forces’ resolve in national defence and maintaining a peaceful environment during his Tet visit to the Navy High Command on January 20.
The State leader said through activities to raise public awareness of sea and island sovereignty, relations between the public and the navy forces have been tightened and Vietnamese navy forces’ prestige in regional forums has been heightened.
He called on the forces to increase training, boost external affairs in national defence and raise their responsibility in protecting the country’s sovereignty over its sea and islands.
Navy Commander Admiral Nguyen Van Hien said in 2011, the Vietnamese navy forces effectively performed their tasks of protecting the country’s sea and island sovereignty and rescue at sea.
The Navy High Command also carried out activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Ho Chi Minh Trail at Sea, he said.
Pre Tet get-together with diplomatic corps
A pre Tet get-together with diplomatic corps and international representatives was held in Hanoi on January 19 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Hanoi municipal People’s Committee.
Among those present at the function were Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh and Chairman of the Hanoi municipal People’s Committee Nguyen The Thao.
In his speech, FM Binh Minh highlighted Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements in the past year owing to the great efforts of the Government and people to overcome difficulties and challenges.
The country succeeded in maintaining an economic growth rate of 5.8 percent, controlling inflation and ensuring social welfare and national security. Noteworthy, donors’ commitment of US$7.9 billion in ODA for Vietnam in 2012 demonstrated the international community’s greater confidence in the country.
Mr Minh thanked ambassadors and chief representatives from international organizations in Vietnam for their valuable support and effective cooperation over the past year and hoped that they will continue cooperation with Vietnam in the future for the sake of peace, stability, stability and prosperity in the region and the world.
Moroccan ambassador El Houcine Fardani, Head of the Diplomatic Corps in Vietnam, praised Vietnam’s significant achievements in the context of global economic downturn and pledged to support and cooperate with Vietnam in the following years. He also extended his best New-Year wishes to the Vietnamese Government and people
Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh expressed his thanks to international organizations for their great support and assistance for Vietnam over the year which contributed to the development of culture and tourism industry.
Vietnam, Bhutan establish diplomatic ties
On January 19, Vietnam and Bhutan officially set up diplomatic relations at the New York-based headquarters of Vietnam’s permanent mission to the United Nations.
Ambassador Le Hoai Trung, Vietnamese Permanent Representative to the UN and his Bhutan counterpart Latu Wangchuck signed a joint communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Bhutan.
Both countries agreed to exchange diplomatic representatives at ambassadorial level based on the 1962 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.
After the signing ceremony, the related documents will be submitted to the UN, and copies will be distributed to all UN members.
In his speech, Bhutan ambassador Wangchuck praised Vietnam’s tremendous achievements in the past cause of national liberation and the current process of national construction and development.
Mr Wangchuck said the Bhutan Government will do its best to consolidate and develop fine relations with Vietnam in all fields, adding that the newly established diplomatic ties mark a new step of development in line with the two nations’ wish for a mutually beneficially relationship.
The Kingdom of Bhutan is a small country in Asia with an area of 46,000 km2 and a population of more than 2 million of which 75 percent follow Buddhism. Its National Day is December 12.
Bhutan’s political system has developed from an absolute monarchy into a constitutional monarchy headed by King Jigme Khesar Namyet Wangchuck. The Bhutan Government is headed by Prime Minister Jigme Y.Thinlen
The new political system comprises an upper and lower house, the latter based on political party affiliations.
In 2007, Bhutan’s GDP reached US$3.359 billion with per capita income of US$5,200. However, due to the mountainous terrain, its economy is primarily based on hydro-electric power development, tourism, agriculture and afforestation.
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