Congratulations to Cuba’s Raul Castro on election

Party
General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong yesterday, April 20, sent a message of
congratulations to Raul Castro Ruz on his election as First Secretary of the
Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee.

“We
warmly congratulate the sixth Congress of your Party on its success and firmly
believe that in the light of the Congress’ Resolution and under the leadership
of the Communist Party of Cuba headed by you, the Cuban fraternal people will
overcome all difficulties and challenges, harvesting greater victories in the
national construction and development for the benefit and happiness of the
people,” Trong said in his message.

He took
the opportunity to reaffirm the desire and resolve of the Party and people of
Viet Nam to further promote, strengthen and consolidate friendship, solidarity
and comprehensive co-operation between the two Parties, States and people of
Viet Nam and Cuba.

Party
leader welcomes Czech communist party delegation

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong receives Chairman of the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia Vojtech Filip yesterday in Ha Noi. (Photo: VNS)

The Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV)
always attaches importance to strengthening relations with the Communist Party
of Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM).

Party
General Secretary and National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong made the
statement while receiving a delegation from the KSCM led by Chairman Vojtech
Filip, who is also chairman of the Supervisory Committee of the Czech Chamber of
Deputies, in Ha Noi yesterday, April 20.

Trong
said he hoped relations between the two parties and legislative bodies would
actively contribute to bolstering ties between the two countries.

The
Vietnamese Party leader expressed his gratitude for the valuable support the
KSCM and people of former Czechoslovakia had given to Viet Nam during its
national liberation and reunification.

For his
part, Vojtech Filip extended his congratulations on the success of the 11th
National Congress of the Communist Party of Viet Nam and NA Chairman Trong’s
election as Party General Secretary.

The
Vietnamese Party’s success was a great source of encouragement to KSCM staff and
members in the current situation, he said.

He took
the occasion to brief his host on his country and Party’s situation, saying he
would make every effort to bolster ties between the two nations.

Earlier,
the KSCM delegation held talks with a CPV delegation headed by Hoang Binh Quan,
CPV Central Committee member and head of its Commission for External Relations.

The
delegation also worked with a number of NA Committees and the Ministry of
Industry and Trade.

PM to
visit neighbour

Prime
Minister Nguyen Tan Dung will pay a two-day visit to Cambodia beginning on
Saturday, the Foreign Ministry announced yesterday, April 20.

During
the visit, at the invitation of Cambodian counterpart, Hun Sen, Dung will
co-chair the second Viet Nam-Cambodia investment promotion forum.

Officials study Resolution

More than
400 northern Party leaders and senior officials started a three-day conference
in Ha Noi yesterday to study the Resolution adopted at the 11th National Party
Congress.

Communist Party of Viet Nam General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said the document
reflected the Party’s political platform.

Trong
asked participants to do their best to turn the resolution into a reality with
strong support from the Party, the people and the armed forces.

A
similar conference will be held in HCM City and in the central city of Da Nang
after the Ha Noi conference.

HCM City woman honoured

President Nguyen Minh Triet attended yesterday, April 20, the final sitting of
the seventh HCM City People’s Council when he conferred the Labour Medal, First
Class, on the house and its chairwoman, Pham Phuong Thao.

Speaking
at the awards ceremony, Thao said the most impressive achievement during the
council’s seven-year tenure was the strengthening of the democratic process in
the city.

The city
Party Committee Secretary, Le Thanh Hai, praised the council’s contribution to
the city’s social and economic development. “[It] has completed many tasks and
left an outstanding impression on city residents,” he said.

Hai
urged city agencies and citizens to prepare for the eighth People’s Council that
would be formed next month.

Since
people’s councils were being scrapped at the district and ward levels, the new
council would have to handle a huge responsibility, he said.

President reaffirms
ties with Laos, Cambodia

President Nguyen Minh Triet applauded the
strong ties enjoyed by Indochina on the sidelines of the Viet Nam-Laos-Cambodia
security ministerial meeting in HCM City yesterday, April 20.

The State leader made
the statement while meeting Vietnamese Minister of Public Security Le Hong Anh,
Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Sar Khenh, and Lao
Minister of Security Thongbanh Sengaphone.

Triet pointed out
that the three nations would encounter many difficulties in the future but that
the solidarity shared by the Indochinese countries would stand them in good
stead.

“The three nations
have to unite and cultivate genuine trust in each other in order to strengthen
co-operation and mutual assistance in national defence, thus meeting the three
peoples’ common aspirations for peace and stability for development,” Triet
said.

He reaffirmed Viet
Nam’s unswerving desire to expand relations with its best friends – Laos and
Cambodia - as an important part of its foreign policy and pledged to stand by
their side in national development.

On behalf of the
three ministers, Kheng briefed Triet on the security meeting, which culminated
in the signing of a joint statement calling for stronger co-operation in the
fight against crime to ensure security and social order in the region and the
development of Cambodia, Laos, Viet Nam and the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations.

Border
security

Yesterday, the first
ever conference on trans-border security between the three neighbouring
countries reviewed past co-operation for border security and ways to enhance
security.

It was chaired by
Viet Nam’s Minister of Public Security Le Hong Anh, and attended by Cambodian
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Sar Kheng, and Lao Public
Security Minister Thongbanh Sengaphone,

Anh said co-operation
has been gradually strengthened, contributing to the three nations’ political
stability, social order, and socio-economic development.

“The co-operation is
highly appreciated by the three countries’ leaders,” he said.

They joined hands to
fight trans-border crimes and human and drug trafficking and shared information,
he said.

The countries were
committed to further intensifying the exchange of information and border
co-ordination, he added.

Kheng said the
co-operation between the three countries played an important role in ensuring
security, social order, and economic growth.

“The security
co-operation is becoming more and more effective,” he added.

Sengaphone praised
the border provinces in the three countries for effectively carrying out the
tasks of sharing information and preventing trans-border crimes.

The delegates agreed
to take turns to host the conference every two years, with Cambodia next holding
it in 2013.

Kheng and Sengaphone
were also received by President Nguyen Minh Triet, who was on a visit to HCM
City.

PM appoints new VTV chief

Prime
Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has promoted Tran Binh Minh to the position of general
director of Viet Nam Television (VTV). The decision will take effect on May 1.

He will
replace Vu Van Hien, who is retiring.

Minh, 53, is currently VTV’s deputy general director.

VNN/VOV/VNS