Viet Nam, Poland look to boost ties

The National Assembly of Viet Nam values its traditional relationship and co-operation with Poland, and sees Poland as a priority partner in Central Eastern Europe.

National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung made these comments when receiving visiting Polish Parliament Deputy Speaker Jerzy Wenderlich in Ha Noi yesterday, Dec 18.

National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung meets visiting Polish Parliament Deputy Speaker Jerzy Wenderlich in Ha Noi yesterday.

While praising the political and diplomatic relations between the two countries and their two assemblies, Hung urged more delegation exchanges be conducted at all levels in the near future.

The two assemblies should also share experiences in law making in the context of international integration, and coordinate in supervising the implementation of agreements signed between the two Governments so that these agreements could see actual results.

In response, Jerzy Wenderlich said he highly valued the reforms put in place by the Vietnamese National Assembly, especially last month's approval of the amended 1992 Constitution.

He also confirmed that Poland was ready to support the Vietnamese National Assembly in human resource training, in law making and in administration reforms.

Also yesterday, the visiting Polish leader met with Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan, during which they noted that both countries' businesses should be assisted to explore business opportunities to increase bilateral trade, which has seen a gradual rise in past years.

On the same day, during a meeting with Wenderlich in HCM City, Chairwoman of the city People's Council Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam said she hoped to learn from Poland's experiences in urban management as the city was facing many challenges, especially in traffic.

Wenderlich said he was impressed by the development of the city and pledged to create favourable conditions for Polish businesses to explore investment opportunities here.

Vietnam, Japan party officials meet

A delegation from the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) had a meeting with Executive Committee Chairman of the Japanese Communist Party (JCP) Shii Kazuo in Tokyo on December 18 as part of its visit to the country.

At the meeting, Dinh The Huynh, head of the CPV Central Committee's Commission for Education and Popularisation and Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council, informed the host of the outcomes of the fifth theory talks between the two Parties.

He congratulated the Japanese party on its success and progress in recent elections in the country, saying that he believes the JPC will successfully implement the resolution adopted during its 25 th congress.

For his part, Shii Kazuo said he is delighted at the increasing development of the traditional friendship between the two parties.

He noted with pleasure that the effective cooperation between the two parties over the past time, especially theoretical exchanges on issues of common concerns, is a vivid manifestation of their practical cooperation in the new period.

The same day, the delegation visited the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan before wrapping up its trip to Japan.

Party leader applauds public security work

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has praised the public security force for its achievements in 2013.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong attends the 69th National Public Security Conference that opened in Ha Noi yesterday.

Addressing the 69th National Public Security Conference that opened in Ha Noi yesterday, Dec 18, the Party chief said the force had successfully ensured the nation's security, as well as social order and safety.

The public security force has also made important contributions to ensuring territorial sovereignty, creating a favourable environment for economic development and strengthening external relations, along with helping to realise the country's socio-economic development goals, he said.

Trong emphasised that the force's operations should focus on its core tasks of protecting national security and social order and safety, in all circumstances.

He also urged the force to remain active in updating, analysing and foreseeing all situations, and provide useful advice to the Party and State.

The force should also work with the government at all levels in bettering the political, cultural, ideological, economic and financial security, along with ensuring that the execution of the newly amended Constitution is carried out smoothly, he said.

He also asked the force to exert more efforts in controlling and reducing crime, and avoiding sudden developments in social security and safety.

A report presented by Standing Deputy Minister of Public Security Dang Van Hieu at the event indicated that in 2013, the force has uncovered 44,033 criminal cases, arresting 88,259 of those involved.

During the year, the force also brought to light many serious economic and corruption cases. It started legal proceedings against, and investigated, more than 1,730 economic and corruption cases, involving 3,068 persons.

During the two-day conference, the most important annual event of the security sector, participants also outlined key tasks for next year.

The event saw the attendance of Deputy Prime Ministers Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Pham Binh Minh, Chief Judge of the Supreme People's Court Truong Hoa Binh, and head of the Supreme People's Procuracy Nguyen Hoa Binh, among others.

President meets members of outstanding cultural families

President Truong Tan Sang has stressed that in building today's cultural families, it is necessary to promote traditional cultural values of Vietnamese people, along with society's inevitable changes.

He said so yesterday at a meeting with 70 delegates, who are in Ha Noi to attend a conference to honour outstanding cultural families.

The President praised the positive activities of cultural families, noting that they are important components of society.

He also asked people to nurture the country's good customs and moral values through more community work.

The delegates expressed their belief in the Party and State's policy of great national unity, affirming that they would make efforts to reduce poverty and build civilised environment in residential areas.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Viet Nam now has 16.4 million cultural families, along with 71,900 villages and residential areas of a cultural standard.

Diplomatic sector asked to speed up int’l integration

Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Sinh Hung has asked the diplomatic sector to take advantage of support from international friends to speed up the process of international integration.

The NA Chairman made the request while meeting with ambassadors and heads of Vietnam’s representative agencies abroad, who are attending the 28th Diplomatic Conference in Hanoi.

He said Vietnam’s representative agencies should play the role as a destination for Vietnamese citizens abroad, creating favourable conditions for them to settle their lives and make contributions to the host countries.

The diplomatic sector should thoroughly grasp the Party’s policies and resolutions on external relations, while actively reforming itself and exerting more efforts to foster cooperation between Vietnam and other countries across the world in all fields, especially politics and economics, he said.

The NA leader urged the sector to focus more on introducing the newly-amended Constitution to international friends, especially overseas Vietnamese.

More efforts should be made to further deepen cooperative ties between Vietnam’s NA and other countries’ parliaments, he said.

He also expressed his hope that the ambassadors and agencies’ heads to actively engage in preparations for the 132 nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union that Vietnam will host in 2015.

During the meeting, the diplomats lauded the NA’s external relations activities, which, they said, have significantly contributed to the enhancement of cooperation between Vietnam and other countries.

They proposed that the NA Committee for External Relations promote coordination with Vietnamese diplomatic agencies abroad in implementing exchanges of delegations and legislative experience, thus improving the efficiency of the parliamentary diplomacy.

Report on government draft vision to 2020 released

The Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) and the Government Office on December 18 held a seminar to release a report on a project to build a roadmap for implementation of Government draft vision to 2020.

The 2012-2013 project was funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), with the support of numerous international experts.

It aims to build a Government vision that caters the demands for reform and renewal, improve the state management efficiency in the context of global integration and market economic development in Vietnam.

The 16-chapter research covers issues related to the economic restructuring process in Vietnam, macroeconomic management, public administrative reform and governmental modernisation vision until 2020.

Researchers also brought forth a roadmap for the 2014-2016 and 2018-2020 periods, with focuses on forming a basic system for human resources, developing a national training management and public servant performance evaluation system, as well as setting up a central recruitment agency.

Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Assoc. holds congress

The Vietnam - Cuba Friendship Association organised its fourth congress in Hanoi on December 18.

President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations Vu Xuan Hong and Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam Herminio Lopez Diaz attended the event.

The congress approved a 45-member executive board, with National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan being re-elected as the association’s Chairperson.

Addressing the event, Ngan said, during the last tenure, the association paid heed to popularising Cuba and its key socio-political events, joining in international solidarity campaigns and fighting the embargo against Cuba.

She said the participation of Party and State agencies in diplomatic activities plays a significant role in upholding solidarity with Cuba.

President Hong stressed the need to further reform the association’s operation, especially in external relations which, he said, helps improve mutual understanding and court the Cuban people’s support for Vietnam’s development cause.

He made recommendations on the establishment of the association’s chapters at localities and the launch of a campaign to write memoirs on Cuba that aims to help younger generations get an insight into the two countries’ close relationship.

Cuban Ambassador Herminio Lopez Diaz pledged to do his utmost for better performance in the two countries’ ties.

He expressed hope to see more activities in the time ahead to help bolster mutual understanding between the two people.

Thai ambassador honoured with peace insignia

Thai ambassador to Vietnam Anuson Chivanno was awarded “For peace and friendship” insignia for his positive contributions to consolidating the ties of friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Thailand.

During his three-year working term in Vietnam, the Thai diplomat has greatly contributed to developing effective economic, trade and investment cooperation which has brought two-way trade to double-digit growth in recent years.

Many Thai investors have chosen Vietnam as a business and investment destination and Thailand has become one of Vietnam’s biggest investors.

The Vietnam-Thailand strategic partnership is the first relationship that Thailand has signed with an ASEAN member country.

Relations between the two friendship associations have made remarkable progress especially after they hold a joint session in Thailand in 2010.

The two associations also gained common perceptions on the implementation of cooperation programmes for next years and the following years.

Addressing the ceremony, President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) Vu Xuan Hong praised Ambassador Anuson Chivanno’s great efforts to intensifying the activities launched by the Vietnam-Thailand Friendship Association and the VUFO.

For his part, Chivanno said no matter his future position, he will do all he can to continue working for Thailand-Vietnam friendship.

VNN/VOV/VNS/VNA