Viet Nam
attaches importance to its ties with Japan and wants to boost the strategic
partnership between the two countries to a new height, said a Vietnamese senior
government official.

Deputy
Prime Minister cum Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem made the remark during a
meeting yesterday, Feb 14, with Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Yutaka Banno,
who is on a working visit to Viet Nam.

During
the meeting, Khiem briefed his guest on the outcomes of the 11th National Party
Congress, which was held last month, saying Viet Nam would continue its foreign
policy of independence and self-reliance, while actively pursuing international
integration.

“Viet
Nam is willing to befriend and become trustworthy partners of the international
community,” he said.

He also
spoke highly of recent progress in bilateral ties, especially achievements
recorded during the official visit to Viet Nam by Japanese Prime Minister Naoto
Kan in October last year.

Khiem
thanked and praised the Japanese government for their commitment to provide a
record US$1.76 billion in Official Development Assistance for Viet Nam in fiscal
2010.

For his
part, Banno said Japan wished to further bolster strategic relations with Viet
Nam on the basis of mutual trust.

Both
sides pledged to continue boosting the exchange of high-ranking visits and work
together to raise the role of the Viet Nam-Japan Cooperation Committee in the
implementation of agreements reached between the two countries’ leaders. They
also reached consensus to strengthen co-operation between the two foreign
ministries.

On the
same day, the Japanese diplomat met with Minister and chairman of the Government
Office Nguyen Xuan Phuc and deputy head of the Communist Party of Viet Nam
Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Nguyen Manh Hung and held
talks with Deputy Foreign Minister Ho Xuan Son.

* VFF strives to improve operation

The Presidium of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF)
Central Committee held its fifth meeting on February 14 to review VFF’s work in
2010 and deploy its plan for 2011 under the chairmanship of VFF Central
Committee Chairman Huynh Dam.

The meeting was attended by Party
Politburo member Dinh The Huynh and member of the Party secretariat Ha Thi Khiet.

According to VFF’s plan for 2011, it
will strengthen its communication work about the Party and State’s policies and
laws, as well as the Ho Chi Minh Thought about the great national unity.

VFF at all levels and its members
will also take the initiative to people of all classes to learn and implement
the 11th Party National Congress’s Resolution and local Party’s Congress
resolutions.

In addition, VFF will gradually
improve its operation, especially its supervision and social criticism
activities, said participants at the congress, adding that VFF play an important
role in the nation’s construction and defence.

Also at the meeting, Mr. Huynh, who
is also head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Information and Education, informed participants of the outcomes of the 11th National Party
Congress.

VNN/VOV/VNS