Caodaists’ contributions to nation praised

Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong has affirmed that the Party and State will always value the contributions made by Caodaist followers to the causes of national liberation and construction.

Deputy PM Trong made this remark while receiving a delegation from the Cao Dai Tay Ninh Church , led by Monsignor Thuong Tam Thanh, Head of the Church’s Executive Council, in Hanoi on Nov. 19.

He also expressed his wish that the dignitaries and followers would continue to uphold their spirit of solidarity to actively participate in activities to stimulate socio-economic development.
Monsignor Thuong Tam Thanh, on behalf of the 3 million Caodaist followers, expressed gratitude to the Party and State for their support in the religion’s development.

He highlighted the assistance of authorised agencies in repatriating the remains of the religion’s founder, Pham Cong Tac, from Cambodia in 2006 in accordance with the wishes of the grand dignitary and his followers.

Monsignor Thuong Tam Thanh said that Caodaist followers would increase their contributions to furthering the nation’s unity, construction and development.-

Japanese experts tackle Hanoi’s chaotic traffic

Hanoi (VNA) – Experts from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) helped to train journalists from the Hanoi Traffic Culture Communication Club on Nov. 19, as part of a project promoting traffic safety in the city.

The club, the first of its kind in Vietnam , has been established in order to improve awareness of traffic safety among the city’s residents and authorities, said Takagi Michimasa, JICA’s chief consultant in Vietnam .

In October of this year, a JICA team visited the Hoan Kiem district of Hanoi city, and conducted an experiment in which volunteers, with the help of the police and traffic officers, instructed passengers with regard to road safety and gave them information on how to conform to the nation’s traffic laws, thus increasing their awareness of these issues when travelling on the city’s roads.-

VFFCC praises Cao Dai Tay Ninh Church’s efforts

Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee (VFFCC) has acknowledged the efforts made by the Cao Dai Tay Ninh Church in maintaining solidarity and stability, and actively participating in social charity activities.

VFFCC Standing Member Nguyen Van Vinh made these remarks while receiving a Cao Dai Tay Ninh Church delegation led by Bishop Thuong Minh Thanh, Head of the church’s representative board in Ho Chi Minh City , in Hanoi on November 18.

Vinh expressed his wish that the church would make further contributions to national development.

Bishop Thuong Minh Thanh said he was happy to visit the VFF on the occasion of the 78th anniversary of its establishment and affirmed that the VFF is a common roof for all religions, professions and circles.

The Cao Dai Tay Ninh Church has raised nearly 2 billion VND for charity so far this year.-

Vietnamese official honoured with Laos’ Issara Order

Hanoi (VNA) – The head of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (CPVCC)’s Organisation Commission Tran Dinh Hoan was conferred with Laos ’ Issara (Freedom) Order, first class, at a ceremony held in Vientiane on Nov. 18.

Attendees at the event included the Lao Vice President Bounnhang Volachith and the Vietnamese ambassador to Laos , Nguyen Huy Quang.

Addressing the ceremony, the Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee and head of the LPRP’s Organisation Commission, Bouthong Chitmaly appreciated the Vietnamese official’s contributions to maintaining and developing the two countries’ friendship and comprehensive cooperation.

Hoan, who is also director of the Ho Chi Minh National Politics and Administration Academy , has assisted in the training the staff of Laos ’ party and state and in developing the cooperation of the two organisations commissions, said Bouthong Chitmaly.

Hoan thanked the Lao state for bestowing this great honour upon him and expressed his belief that the Vietnam-Lao friendship and comprehensive cooperation will be maintained and developed in the future.-

Government resolved to reducing poverty, fighting corruption

Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung confirmed that the Government is to adopt resolutions to intensify efforts to reduce the number of poor households and to step up the fight against corruption.
He made this confirmation at a meeting with government ministers in Hanoi on Nov. 18, which saw the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) present a plan outlining mechanisms, policies and supportive solutions for poverty-stricken districts until 2015 with further orientations until 2020.

According to the MoLISA, there are 61 districts in 20 provinces possessing more than 50 percent of households suffering from poverty while the national rate is 18 percent. Of those districts, with a total of approximately 480,000 households, 16 districts have more than 70 percent of households living in poverty.

The plan aims to reduce the number of poor households in those districts to less than 40 percent, in line with current standards, by 2010.

The Government’s Chief Inspector, Tran Van Truyen introduced a draft national strategy on the prevention and control of corruption until 2020, with the aim of creating a clean, strong state apparatus and a contingent of incorruptible civil servants.

The strategy maps out five groups of solutions to increase transparency in public works, monitor the exercise of the State’s power, complete an economic management mechanism for a just and transparent business environment, increasing the efficiency of inspections, surveillance, auditing, investigations, prosecutions, and trial work, and raising public awareness across the board of the fight against corruption.-

Vietnam heads for 16th APEC meeting

– State President Nguyen Minh Triet will lead a Vietnamese delegation visiting Lima , Peru , for the 16 th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting, slated to take place on Nov. 22-23.

Prior to the meeting, the APEC Ministerial Meeting, the Concluding Senior Officials Meeting and the APEC CEO Summit will take place.

Under the heading of “A new commitment to Asia-Pacific development”, the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting will focus on seven major issues, including the global financial crisis, food and commodity price increases, Doha negotiations, regional economic integration, social dimensions and businesses, climate change and human security.

Whilst attending the event, Vietnam , as well as cooperating in addressing these emerging issues, will focus the spotlight on cooperation in ensuring food security, health care and coping with emergencies and disasters.

APEC, established in Nov. 1989 with 12 founding members, has developed into a group of 21 members. APEC has become an important regional economic forum for a large and potential market, including the world’s largest and most dynamic economies. Its members represent 52 percent of the world’s total area, 59 percent of the global population and 70 percent of the world’s natural resources, contributing 57 percent of the global GDP and 50 percent of the world’s trade volume.

Since joining APEC in Nov. 1998, Vietnam has actively participated in its programmes focusing on the liberalisation and facilitation of trade and investment and economic-technological cooperation.

APEC is seen as a potential market for Vietnamese businesses as it represents 80 percent of the country’s trade value, 75 percent of FDI capital and 50 percent of ODA sources.

Vietnam is an active member of a number of APEC working groups and has participated in many APEC action programmes. In 2006, Vietnam successfully hosted the 14 th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, with its initiative on APEC reform applauded by the other members.

Over the past ten years, Vietnam has put forward numerous ideas for cooperation, including initiatives on organising seminars and training courses with the aim of sharing experiences and improving the performance of member economies.

The country’s level of APEC participation has been appreciated by the other members and has also had a positive impact on its development. Vietnam ’s cooperation commitments have helped to boost its trade and investment ties with other regional economies.

In 2008, Vietnam proposed a number of initiatives relating to trade facilitation, intellectual property rights, anti-corruption measures and epidemic prevention.-

Ambassador to RoK receives academic honour

Hanoi (VNA) - Ambassador Pham Tien Van to the Republic of Korea has been awarded the honourable doctorate degree in administration by the University of Dongshin , becoming the first Vietnamese ambassador to receive this honour in the RoK.

Addressing the awards ceremony on November 18, Dongshin university rector Song Mun-kap praised the Vietnamese Ambassador for his intensive research over the past 40 years in foreign administrative systems, focusing in the RoK, his analysis on the political situation in the Korean peninsula and the RoK political developments.

Statistics released by the Univesity of Dongshin showed that Van has given over 120 lectures in various fields at numerous universities, agencies, social organizations and enterprises in the RoK, contributing to mutual understanding between the two peoples and promoting bilateral relations towards more effective and practical trend.

For his part, Van expressed deep emotion in receiving the award, saying that he strongly believed in further development of relations between the two countries.–

Belarus military chief welcomed to Vietnam

Hanoi (VNA) – The Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Belarus, Lieut. Gen. Gurulev Sergei Petrovich, held a double-session meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart, Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Khac Nghien, in Hanoi on November 19, culminating in an official welcoming ceremony, held in his honour.

The first session of the day took the form of a cordial meeting where Nguyen Khac Nghien warmly welcomed Petrovich’s high-ranking military delegation, marking it as a significant contribution to boosting mutual understanding and bilateral relations between the two armies and peoples.

They then got down to the day’s business, with regional and global security high on the agenda during their discussions. Both host and guest focused on measures to promote traditional relations between the two armies and peoples.

Later in the day, Petrovich and his entourage paid a courtesy visit to Minister of Defence Gen. Phung Quang Thanh.

The Belarus military staff chief arrived in Hanoi on November 18 to begin an official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Senior. Lieut. Gen. Nghien who, later in the day hosted a banquet in honour of the Belarus military delegation.-

State President arrives in Venezuela

State President Nguyen Minh Triet arrived in Caracas on November 18 (local time), beginning a two-day official visit to Venezuela at the invitation of his counterpart Hugo Chavez Frias.

This is the first visit to Venezuela by a Vietnamese State leader.

The Vietnam-Venezuela relationship has enjoyed positive developments over the past years, which were marked by a Vietnam visit by Venezuelan Hugo Chavez from July 31-August 1, 2006 and Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh’s trip to Venezuela from May 30-June 1, 2007. During the latter’s visit, the two countries issued a high-level declaration affirming their intention to establish a comprehensive partnership.

The two countries held the first session of their Joint Governmental Commission in August this year to launch the implementation of agreements between the two countries. The session has defined their areas of cooperation and a series of practical projects, particularly in the fields of energy, industry and agriculture.-

Vietnam, Russia to train union representatives

Hanoi (VNA) – Closer cooperation between the Vietnam Trade Union University and the Russian Academy of Labour and Social Relations will help to increase the mutual understanding, cooperation, solidarity and friendship between the two countries’ people and trade unions.

The Vice President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour, Mai Duc Chinh, made the remark while receiving Grishina Tatiana Vasilieavna, Director of the academy’s Institute of International Training and Research, in Hanoi on Nov. 19.

Vasilieavna said the ongoing visit aims to gain information regarding the Vietnamese trade union’s workers’ movements, operational experiences and personnel training.

The academy and the university will cooperate in personnel training, scientific research, and document translation and publishing to serve teaching and study in the years to come, she noted, adding that the university plans to send its staff members to Russia to study trade unions, the market economy, auditing and sociology.

Vasilieavna added that the academy plans to open a representative office and a Russian language teaching centre at the Vietnam Trade Union University .

Chinh spoke highly of the results of cooperation between the two establishments and voiced his support for the plan to establish a Russian language centre, which is expected to enable local students to study Russian and receive certificates granted by the academy.-