Opinions sought on NA candidates

The Government Office held a meeting to collect voters’
opinions on the candidates for the 13th National Assembly yesterday, March 14.

The 117 voters working at

the office were present at the meeting with Prime Minister
Nguyen Tan Dung, Deputy Prime Ministers Nguyen Sinh Hung, Hoang Trung Hai,
Nguyen Thien Nhan and Truong Vinh Trong and Government Office Chairman Nguyen
Xuan Phuc.

Voters were told about the requirements to
become NA deputies in accordance with the Election Law. They also heard the
biographies and employment history of five of the candidates.

All voters agreed to endorse these five
candidates for the NA after voting.

Eighty voters at the Party Central
Committee Office also endorsed two other candidates.

Present at the meeting were Party General
Secretary and National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong as well as Politburo
member and CPVCC Permanent Secretary Truong Tan Sang.

On the same day, 240 voters from the NA
offices, were also present at another meeting to hear the backgrounds of 61
candidates to be elected to the 13th National Assembly.

Besides the nine candidates introduced by
the Politburo, 33 were introduced by the Secretariat of the CPV Central
Committee and 19 were from the NA’s delegation. Voters also agreed to endorse
these 61 candidates.

Viet Nam offers aid, sympathy to Japan

Viet Nam is prepared to help and support Japan through
whatever means necessary, foreign ministry spokesperson Nguyen Phuong Nga said
yesterday, March 14, in response to a reporter’s query on Viet Nam’s reaction to the
disaster on March 11.

“Vietnam shares with Japan and the Japanese
people the agonies and losses they are suffering from the earthquake and
tsunami,” Nga said.

She said she believed Japan would be able
to overcome the catastrophic consequences and continue to grow.

She also said the Vietnamese Government
would provide Japan with US$200,000 in emergency aid and would send a medical
team if requested by the Japanese government.

“We are working with the Japanese on what
they need so we can supply them with it promptly,” Nga concluded.

Foreign Deputy Minister Ho Xuan Son
yesterday, March 14, also told Japanese Ambassador to Viet Nam Yasuaki Tanizaki that he
deeply sympathised with Japan’s losses, while affirming the solidarity of
Vietnamese to Japanese people under these difficult circumstances.

Ambassador Tanizaki told the host that
Japan was working with Vietnamese representative offices to protect Vietnamese
living in the country.

USCIS to close Vietnam field office

The US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS)
will close its field office in the southern city of Ho Chi Minh on March 31.

The information was given in an
official announcement from the US Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City on March
14.

According to the announcement, the move will not influence services provided by
the US Consulate General.

The US Consulate General in HCM City
will be authorised to assume responsibility for certain cases previously
processed by the field office.

Apart from the US Consulate General, citizens can access
to ask about USCIS-
related matters in Ho Chi Minh City.

The US Consulate General will provide US citizenship, as well as visa services
including tourism, working and migration visa applications.

VNN/VOV/VNS