Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh

Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh joined leaders and representatives from 120 member states of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), observer countries and international organisations at the opening of the 18th NAM Summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, on October 25.

In his opening speech, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev highlighted that for more than half a century, the NAM has promoted the values of humanity.

As one of the biggest organizations of the world, the NAM plays an important role in stability, security and peace in the world and is strongly committed to international law norms, principles of territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of all its members, said the host President.

Vice President Thinh is scheduled to make a speech at the summit.

Earlier on October 24, the Vietnamese Vice President chaired a ceremony marking 60 years since President Ho Chi Minh visited Azerbaijan (July 23, 1959-2019).

Addressing the ceremony, Vice President Thinh said following the historic visit, Baku has become a model for Vietnam to develop its oil and gas industry. She thanked Azerbaijan for sending experts and engineers to Vietnam to help it build this key industry.

She also expressed happiness at the development of bilateral ties over the past year, and affirmed that Vietnam will never forget the great assistance that the Azerbaijani people has given to Vietnam in the latter’s past struggle for national liberation and current national construction and defence./.

Vietnam hopes for effective measures for Vietnamese in Hong Kong: official

The Foreign Ministry’s Spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang

Vietnam hopes and believes that the Chinese government and the Hong Kong administration will have effective measures to ensure the safety and legal interest of Vietnamese citizens and businesses in Hong Kong, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang on October 22.

The diplomat made her statement in response to a question from Xinhua reporters on Vietnam’s comment on the situation in Hong Kong.

Vietnam supports China’s “One country, two systems” policy and worries that recent developments in Hong Kong have negatively impacted the local socio-economic life, said Hang.

She added that there is a need to restore orders and stabilize the situation./.

Military officers promoted to Senior Lieutenant General rank

Deputy Directors of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) Tran Quang Phuong and Do Can have been promoted from the rank of Lieutenant General to Senior Lieutenant General.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and President Nguyen Phu Trong handed over the promotion decisions to the military officers during a ceremony in Hanoi on October 26. Trong is also Secretary of the Central Military Commission, Chairman of the National Defence and Security Council and head of the armed forces.

He congratulated Phuong and Can, saying the promotion recognises significant contributions by the two officers to the building and development of Vietnam’s armed forces and the cause of national construction and defence. It also shows the trust of the Party, State and people to the people’s armed forces, Trong said.

The leader believed that the two officers will continue promoting the VPA’s glorious tradition, upholding the revolutonary virtue and loyalty to the Party, Fatherland and people, and exerting every effort to serve the Fatherland and people.

On behalf of the two promoted officers, Phuong said it was an honour for them to be promoted to the rank of Senior Lieutenant General and pledged to work harder to safeguard and sacrifice for national independence, socialism and the people’s happiness./.

General Department of Military Intelligence awarded hero title

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (third, left) presents the title Hero of the People’s Armed Forces to the General Department of Military Intelligence at the ceremony in Hanoi on October 25

Politburo member and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan presented the title Hero of the People’s Armed Forces to the General Department of Military Intelligence under the Defence Ministry at a ceremony in Hanoi on October 25.

The NA Chairwoman said the conferment of the title is a great honour for the General Department, also known as General Department II, which at the same time comes with heavy responsibility.

She urged the general department to uphold the glorious tradition of the unit, stay absolutely loyal to the Party, the Fatherland and the people, and stand ready to receive and fulfill all tasks assigned by the Party, State, Army and people.

Director of the General Department Lt. Gen. Pham Ngoc Hung addressed the ceremony, summing up the magnanimous traditions and glorious feats of the defence intelligence sector during its 74-year history.

He said the hero title is the recognition of the feat of arms and sacrifice of generations of officers, soldiers and workers in the sector./.

RoK, ASEAN enhance ties for peace, development

Officials and scholars from the Republic of Korea (RoK) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on October 25 called for greater cooperation between the two sides in spurring ongoing efforts for a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The call was made at a Seoul forum on the future of RoK-ASEAN relations, where a range of issues were discussed, such as the 10-member bloc's role in facilitating the dialogue process with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the RoK's current policy that attaches importance to the ASEAN.

The RoK Foreign Ministry's Ambassador for Public Diplomacy Chang Jae-bok said both the RoK and ASEAN have diplomatic ties with the DPRK, as seen through the two summits held in Singapore and Vietnam.

Chang referred to ASEAN's crucial logistical support for hosting the summits between US President Donald Trump and DPRK leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore in June last year and in Hanoi in February this year.

The RoK government has long been pursuing closer cooperation with ASEAN countries in its efforts to persuade Pyongyang to engage in dialogue and keep the regime on the denuclearisation track.

In particular, Seoul has used the annual ASEAN Regional Forum, a multilateral diplomatic event that top DPRK diplomats attend, to find dialogue opportunities with Pyongyang.

Chief of the Korean National Diplomatic Academy (KNDA) Kim Joon-hyung also stressed the importance of greater collaboration with ASEAN on DPRK issues.

Participants at the event discussed ways to further advance RoK President Moon Jae-in's New Southern Policy aimed at deepening ties with ASEAN, an increasingly crucial partner for the RoK because of its growth potential, rich resources and geopolitical strengths.

ASEAN is now the RoK's second largest trade partner./.