Government to bolster science, technology sector

The Government would create favourable conditions for science and technology experts to use the sector as a driving force for socio-economic development and national protection and construction.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung made the statement while working with members of the Viet Nam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA).

VUSTA president Dang Vu Minh briefed Dung on the union’s operations and achievements as a political and social organisation, which included providing advice, researching and developing technology, protecting the environment, encouraging the creation of new technology and co-operating with domestic and foreign organisations.

Since the union was established, 800,000 scientists from 25 member unions across the country have participated in various activities.

The Prime Minister said he highly appreciated the contributions the union had made to the country’s achievements, and affirmed that its operation played an increasingly important role in helping the Party, State and Government to make policies and improve its management efficiency.

He asked the union to focus on gathering intellectuals, especially young people and those in foreign countries, and protecting the rights of its members.

VUSTA should be more active in disseminating knowledge of science and technology to the public, and take part in community development, hunger elimination and poverty reduction, he said.

In the future, the Government Office would work with VUSTA to build a mechanism for co-operation, Dung said.

He also asked related ministries and agencies to assist VUSTA with its structural consolidation plans and ensure its efficient operation.

Irish Ambassador receives medal for peace and friendship

The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) on April 15 presented the Insignia for Peace and Friendship among Nations to the Irish Ambassador to Vietnam, Maeve Collins over her contributions to Vietnam and Ireland’s relations.

Chairman of the VUFO, Vu Xuan Hong hailed Ambassador Maeve Collins for her activities to help boost the two countries’ relations in the fields of diplomacy, culture, education, health care and especially assistance for humanitarian activities and poverty eradication.

With her prestige, the Ambassador helped persuade Irish Aid to provide non-refundable aid worth 87.5 million EUR for the Vietnam National Support Programme in the 2007-2010 period.

Ireland is now the biggest bilateral sponsor for Programme 135- a governmental programme on poverty reduction and socio-economic development in very poor areas, providing it with 7.5 million EUR in non-refundable aid per year.

Ambassador Maeve Collins has been awarded certificates of merit of the Committee for Ethnic Minorities Affairs and the Prime Minister for her contributions to poverty eradication and the fight against drug, HIV and prostitution.

President lauds veterans of unmarked ships

The Party, State and people are ever grateful to heroes and soldiers who directly participated in and served on the legendary Ho Chi Minh shipping line during the war against the US, said President Nguyen Minh Triet.

He made the comment while in Hanoi on April 15 receiving veterans and relatives of soldiers who opened the sea route for unmarked and unnumbered ships to transport weapons and medicine from the North to the southern battlefield.

The soldiers on these unmarked ships are outstanding examples of the bravery and resilience of the Vietnamese army and people, he said, adding they were also the embodiment of revolutionary heroism and the pride of generations of Vietnamese people, and left valuable lessons about building forces and comradeship.

The president asked the association of veterans of the Ho Chi Minh sea route to work closely with sectors and localities to improve living conditions for veterans who have difficult lives, especially war invalids.

Fifty years ago, Mission 759, the precursor of the unmarked ship fleet (Brigade 125 of the Vietnam People’s Navy) was established and tasked with shipping weapons, equipment and goods to the southern battlefield.

Over 14 years, the forces made almost 2,000 journeys, carrying around 80,000 people, more than 150,000 tonnes of weapons, and tens of thousands of other goods.

These operations helped maintain and develop the revolutionary war and contributed to the nation’s ultimate victory in 1975, which liberated the South and facilitated national reunification.

The Party and State conferred the title “Hero of the People’s Armed Forces” on Brigade 125 – the unmarked ship fleet – and also presented the title to five ships and eight individuals.

Vice Chairman of CPC Central Military Commission wraps up Vietnam visit

On April 15, Senior Lieutenant General Guo Boxiong, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China, and his entourage left Hanoi, concluding their successful official visit to Vietnam.

During the visit, Senior Lieutenant General Boxiong paid a courtesy visit to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. He also held talks with the senior delegation of the Vietnam People’s Army led by General and Defence Minister Phung Quang Thanh who is also Politburo member and the Vice Secretary of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and visited the Vietnam National Defence Academy.

Vietnam-France Legal Home holds its 18th session

The 18th session of the Orientation Committee of the Vietnam-France Legal Home was held in Paris on April 14-15 in the presence of the French Minister of Justice Michel Mercier and his Vietnamese counterpart, Ha Hung Cuong.

At this session, both sides signed a number of important documents related to the Vietnam-France Legal Home’s activities over the next ten years.

Accordingly, the Legal Home will launch a series of programmes this year on sharing information and experience in law making; providing legal and judiciary training, teaching the French language for legal activities and boosting regional cooperation under the auspices of the International Organisation of La Francophonie.

During his stay in France, Mr Cuong exchanged views with Minister Mercier on the results of Vietnam-France cooperation in judicial and legal affairs and spoke highly of France’s attention to judicial cooperation with Vietnam.

At the meetings with French authorities, the Vietnamese side underlined the need to focus on priority areas in the 10-year strategy, particularly training human resources for the legal sector.

VN Union of Friendship Organisations celebrates Giron Victory anniversary

The Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organisations held a meeting to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Cuba’s victory over the Bay of Pigs invasion.

Also known as the Giron Victory, the event in April 1961 saw Cuban leader Fidel Castro’s forces successfully repel an invasion by US-backed Cuban exiles.

Attending the celebration to mark the event in Ha Noi yesterday, Lieutenant General Nguyen Tuan Dung, deputy director of the General Department of Politics, congratulated and expressed his admiration to Cuba’s Party, State, Army and People.

“Viet Nam appreciates and wants to boost the firm relationship between the two countries,” he said.

Cuban Ambassador to Viet Nam Fredesman Turro Gonzalez thanked Viet Nam for supporting Cuba in the past and said the country would make efforts to further improve bilateral ties.

Irish ambassador presented with medal for boosting bilateral ties

The Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) yesterday presented the Insignia for Peace and Friendship Among Nations to the Irish Ambassador to Viet Nam, Maeve Collins, for her contributions to boosting relations between Viet Nam and Ireland.

The chairman of VUFO, Vu Xuan Hong, hailed Ambassador Collins for her activities to help boost the two countries’ relations in the fields of diplomacy, culture, education and healthcare, and especially for her assistance in humanitarian activities and poverty eradication.

The Ambassador helped persuade Irish Aid to provide non-refundable aid worth 87.5 million euros (over US$126million) for the Viet Nam National Support Programme in the 2007-10 period.

Ambassador Collins has also been awarded certificates of merit by the Committee for Ethnic Minorities Affairs and the Prime Minister for her contributions to poverty eradication and the fight against drugs, HIV and prostitution in Viet Nam.

VN, Romania boosts multifaceted cooperation

National Assembly Vice Chairman Tong Thi Phong received a delegation from the Romanian House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Relations, headed by its Chairman Korodi Attila in Hanoi on Friday.

NA Vice Chairman Phong expressed her delight at the fruitful development in the two countries’ friendship and cooperation in the past, affirming that strengthening the friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Romania as well as other traditional fraternal countries was a priority in Vietnam’s foreign policy.

She put stress on the need for the two countries to further tap their strengths, especially in economy, trade and investment in order to boost the bilateral cooperation in such fields.

She expressed her wish that the two nations’ legislative bodies would further increase the exchange of visits and the sharing of information and experience in law-making while enhancing their coordination and mutual support at inter-parliamentary forums in the region and the world.

For his part, Korodi Attila affirmed his hope and resolve to beef up cooperation between the two sides, highlighting education and trade as significant sectors for cooperation.

During its stay in Vietnam from April 14-17, the Romanian delegation paid a courtesy visit to Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem and met with Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Le Danh Vinh, who is President of the Vietnam-Romania Joint Committee.

They held talks with a Vietnamese NA delegation led by Dang Vu Minh, member of the NA Standing Committee and Chairman of NA Committee for Science, Technology and Environment and made a tour of several scenic sites in Vietnam.

Party leader says Dak Lak should flexibly apply policies to meet needs

The Central Highland province of Dak Lak yesterday was asked to flexibly apply the Party and State’s policies so that they could best serve the province’s development.

Party General Secretary cum National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong made the request in a meeting with provincial authorities to conclude his two-day working visit to the locality.

In the meeting, provincial Party Committee Secretary Nie Thuat said in the first quarter of the year, the province’s GDP rose by 11 per cent over the same period last year and its export value reached US$150 million, equivalent to 23 per cent of its annual target.

The province also contributed more than VND1 trillion ($47.6 million) to the State budget, he said.

In implementing Government Resolution 11 on cutting public spending, the province had reduced investments in 50 projects and would transfer VND62 billion ($3 million) to other projects which would be completed this year.

State-owned enterprises located in the province also delayed one project and temporarily halted five others.

Trong highly valued the efforts made by Dak Lak’s people, authorities and Party Committee to curb inflation, stabilise the macro-economy and ensure social security.

However, he said that management efficiency in sectors such as land usage, forestries, irrigation and hydropower plants needed to be improved.

Trong asked the provincial Party Committee, agencies and people to focus on implementing the Party Resolution of the 11th National Party Congress.

The province was also told to practise thrift and fight against waste.

In the meeting, central-level officials discussed with provincial authorities the implementation of the Party Resolution, Government Resolution 11, and preparation works for the election of the 13th National Assembly and People’s Councils for the 2011-16 term in the province. It was noted that preparations for the provincial National Assembly deputies election had been carried out as regulated.

Dak Lak covers an area of 13,000sq.km with a population of 1.7 million. Minority ethnic people make up 33.4 per cent of the population.

President Triet praises shipping line veterans

The Party, State and people were always grateful to the heroes and soldiers who once served on the legendary Ho Chi Minh shipping line during the war against the US, said President Nguyen Minh Triet.

Triet made the comment yesterday in Ha Noi while receiving veterans and relatives of soldiers who opened the sea route for unmarked and unnumbered ships to transport weapons and medicines from the north to the southern battlefield.

The soldiers that operated on unmarked ships were outstanding examples of the bravery and resilience of the Vietnamese army and people, he said, adding that they were also the embodiment of revolutionary heroism and the pride of generations of Vietnamese people who had taught us valuable lessons about the building of forces and comradeship.

The President asked the veterans to work closely with sectors and localities to improve living conditions for veterans who had difficult lives, especially war invalids.

Fifty years ago, Mission 759, the precursor of the unmarked shipping fleet (Brigade 125 of the Viet Nam People’s Navy), was set up and tasked with shipping weapons, equipment and goods to the southern battlefield.

In 14 years, they conducted almost 2,000 trips, carrying around 80,000 people, more than 150,000 tonnes of weapons, and tens of thousands tonnes of goods.

These operations helped maintain and develop the revolutionary war and contributed to the nation’s victory in 1975, gaining liberation for the South and national reunification.

The Party and State twice conferred the title “Hero of the People’s Armed Forces” on Brigade 125 – the unmarked shipping fleet – and bestowed the title on five ships and eight individuals.