GOVERNMENT IN BRIEF 24/6 President to visit Indonesia President Truong Tan Sang will pay a State-level visit to Indonesia from June 27-28. The visit will be made at the invitation of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Party chief’s visit to lift Vietnam-Thailand ties Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s upcoming official visit to Thailand is expected to raise the Vietnam-Thailand relationship to a new height and boost the fine friendship as well as mutual trust and understanding between the two countries. Hoang Binh Quan, head of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations, made the remark in his interview granted to the press on the threshold of the visit. The June 25-27 visit, which is made at the invitation of Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, is the second to Thailand by a Vietnamese Party General Secretary, Quan said, adding that the first one was made by then General Secretary Do Muoi in 1993. He said the visit takes place in the context of the fruitful development of the Vietnam-Thailand relationship, noting that the two neighbouring countries have nurtured their traditional friendship and diplomatic ties for 37 years. In recent years, the two sides have regularly exchanged high-ranking delegations and resumed the second Thailand-Vietnam Joint Cabinet Retreat in October last year. Their economic and trade links have been expanded and deepened while bilateral cooperation in other areas such as security, national defence, culture, tourism, education and training has also seen significant developments, he added. According to Hoang Binh Quan, the visit is made at a time when the Asia-Pacific region, including Southeast Asia, is becoming the world’s political-economic centre. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is increasing intra-bloc connectivity with a determination to accelerate the Roadmap for an ASEAN Community by 2015, consolidate and maintain its central role in the region while Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) cooperation is becoming more active with the expansion of relations with partners and new contents of cooperation. He noted that as ASEAN is facing a lot of difficulties and challenges, it needs to exert itself to promote its important role in the regional architecture in order to realise its set community objectives effectively and on schedule as well as ensure regional peace and security. Quan described the visit as an opportunity for Vietnam and Thailand to review achievements in their relationship as well as discuss major orientations and measures to foster the bilateral ties in the coming time. The visit is an important milestone and impetus to boost the two countries’ relationship, he said, adding that it is also expected to exert positive impacts on accelerating the formation of the ASEAN Community that is politically cohesive, economically integrated and socially responsible as well as promoting ASEAN’s central role in the regional architecture for peace, cooperation and development in the region. The official went on to say that the Party leader’s visit is to continue implementing the Vietnamese Party and State’s foreign policy of active and proactive international integration in a synchronous and comprehensive manner. It affirms Vietnam’s policy of attaching importance to strengthening the friendship and cooperation with regional countries as well as its responsibility in joining hands with other member states to build a strong ASEAN Community, he said. This is also a chance for the Vietnamese Party to consolidate and strengthen its relations with political parties in Thailand, creating a firm political foundation for the bilateral ties, he added. According to Hoang Binh Quan, during his visit, Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong is scheduled to hold talks with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and meet with the Thai King, the Speaker of the House of Representative and the President of the Senate of Thailand. He will also host receptions for leaders of Thai political parties and visit Nakhon Phanom province, a memorial area dedicated to late President Ho Chi Minh, the Thailand-Vietnam friendship village and a number of economic and cultural facilities in the country. The two sides are expected to issue a joint statement on the official establishment of the strategic partnership, opening up a new chapter in their bilateral ties, he said. Co-operative ties with Cuba cemented Top leaders on Friday received First Vice President of the Council of State and Council of Ministers of Cuba Miguel Diaz Canel, who is now on a first visit to Viet Nam. Meeting with Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Canel expressed his thanks for Viet Nam's support for Cuba. He emphasised his wish to consolidate the time-honoured Viet Nam-Cuba friendship and solidarity as well as to increase the efficiency in co-operation between the two Parties, States and peoples. Trong said the visit was a good opportunity for the two sides to discuss and exchange experiences. He agreed with the measures to beef up the two nations' friendship and comprehensive co-operation. Trong expressed his strong belief that under the leadership of the Cuban Communist Party, headed by President Raul Castro Ruz and its leader Fidel Castro, the Cuban people would overcome all challenges for further achievements in their revolutionary cause. He also affirmed Viet Nam's strong support for Cuba's just cause. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung also met with Canel on Friday, during which he reaffirmed Viet Nam's commitment to work with Cuba to further deepen the traditional friendship and comprehensive co-operation in every field for the benefits of the two countries. Dung said that the relevant ministries in Viet Nam would expand co-operation with Cuba in fishery, food production, biotechnology and pharmaceutical manufacturing. He asked Cuba to support Vietnamese tech firms and oil companies which had investment in Cuba while Canel affirmed to provide wholehearted support for Vietnamese businesses, not only in these fields but in other fields also, citing education and tourism. Canel also said Cuba was committed to acting as a bridge between Viet Nam and Latin American countries. The Cuban official also met with National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung who said Viet Nam and Cuba needed to continue maintaining, preserving and promoting their long-lasting relationship. Hung spoke highly of the visit, describing it as a vivid manifestation of the traditional friendship and comprehensive co-operation between Viet Nam and Cuba. He said the two sides should increase their exchange of delegations, especially high-level ones, to discuss orientations for developing bilateral ties. The top legislator highly valued the outcomes of the talks between Canel and Vietnamese Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan, affirming that the Vietnamese National Assembly and people always supported the national renewal and development of the Cuban people. Expressing delight at Viet Nam's socio-economic development achievements, Canel thanked the country for its great support for Cuba in the past and at present. He said he believed the co-operation between the two nations would continue to harvest new achievements in all aspects. Vietnam, China conduct joint naval patrol Two Vietnamese naval ships departed from the central city of Da Nang on June 22 to join the 15th joint patrol with Chinese naval forces. During the joint patrol, they will conduct a joint training search and rescue exercise with Chinese naval ships and exchange experiences in this field. The two Vietnamese ships with more than 200 officers and sailors aboard will also sail to Zhan Jiang, in the southern Chinese coastal province of Guangdong, for a visit, where the Vietnamese seamen will pay a courtesy visit to the city authorities and the High Command of the Nanhai Fleet. They will also visit the fleet’s joint-patrol ships, exchange experiences in sea patrols and take part in sports and cultural exchanges with the fleet’s units, in addition to sightseeing in and around the city. The joint patrol aims to promote the friendly relations as well as mutual understanding and trust between the Vietnamese and Chinese armies and navies. It is also designed to enhance coordination in implementing the agreement on joint patrols with the Chinese navy to help maintain order and security in the Tonkin Gulf and Vietnam’s territorial waters. VN honours outstanding journalistic achievements Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung last night attended the 2012 National Press Awards ceremony to recognise the country's most outstanding, journalistic works of last year. The event was organised to mark the 88th Vietnamese Revolutionary Journalism Day. The awards consisted of five first prizes, 28 second prizes, 45 third prizes and 39 encouragement prizes from 1,450 entries reporting on a wide range of topics. In the opening speech, Chairman of the Viet Nam Journalists' Association Thuan Huu said the prize winning works reflected Viet Nam's socio-economic and cultural development, as well as its national politics and security. They also highlighted exemplary role models who have helped reduce poverty in remote areas, promote national construction and defence, overcome natural disasters and fight corruption, he said. One of the top prizes went to the investigative reportage by a group of journalists from Cong An Nhan dan (People's Public Security) newspaper on the situation of State-owned enterprises. Addressing the ceremony, Dung spoke highly of the crucial role played by the media in building an open and democratic environment, hailing it as an important channel through which the public could have their say. He also praised the press as a valuable tool for helping the Government to do its job. Dung urged journalists to keep up their good work, particularly in the fight against corruption and social ills. This was the seventh national press awards ceremony and the first time there was a category to recognise excellence in online journalism. Viet Nam Revolutionary Journalism Day commemorates the occasion 88 years ago when late President Ho Chi Minh founded the nation's first newspaper, Thanh Nien (Young People). President sends condolences to India’s flood victims President Truong Tan Sang on June 21 sent a message of condolence to Indian President Pranab Mukherjee over the great loss of lives and damage to property caused by the recent floods in India’s Uttarakhand state. On the same day, Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh extended his condolences to Indian Minister of External Affairs Salman Khurshid. The floods in Uttarakhand have reportedly killed hundreds of people and forced tens of thousands of others to abandon their homes. Official figures of the losses have yet to be released. Defence co-operation with the US lifted The chiefs of staff of Vietnamese and US armies reached on Tuesday a consensus on activities to elevate the two countries' defence co-operation. This came from talks at the headquarters of the US Department of Defence in Washington DC between Viet Nam's Senior Lieutenant General Do Ba Ty and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US Army General Martin E Dempsey. Ty suggested the two sides continue implementing activities based on the signed agreement on defence co-operation, including delegation exchanges, experience sharing, US assistance in dealing with unexploded ordnance left over from the war, searching for the remains of US servicemen missing in Viet Nam and dioxin detoxification. Dempsey agreed with the co-operation contents and praised Viet Nam's initiative to establish the Experts' Working Group on Humanitarian Mine Action (ADMM+). He affirmed that the US would back relevant parties to solve disputes by peaceful means, abiding by international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. He also expressed his hope that ASEAN and China would promptly build a Code of Conduct (COC) of Parties in the East Sea. Lao PM visit helps elevate bilateral ties Viet Nam and Laos should promote economic co-operation, especially in trade and investment, in the coming time, said Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc while receiving Lao Deputy Prime Minister Somsavat Lengsavad in Ha Noi on Friday on the occasion of his working visit to Viet Nam. Phuc said the two sides should accelerate the construction of roads connecting the two countries. He asked the Lao Government to continue facilitating Vietnamese business investment in the country. The Lao guest thanked the Vietnamese Party, Government and people for assistance to his country in the cause of national construction and development. CPV delegation wraps up Ukraine visit A delegation of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) left the Ukrainian capital of Kiev for Hanoi on June 21, successfully concluding its five-day visit to the country. On June 20, the delegation, led by Le Hong Anh, Politburo member and standing member of the CPV Central Committee’s Secretariat, had a working session with leaders of Ukraine’s Kharkov province. Le Hong Anh affirmed that the Vietnamese Party and State always welcome and encourage cooperation between Kharkov and Vietnam’s localities. He asked the province’s leaders to continue creating favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community here. The Kharkov leaders said that the province, a centre for industries, science and technology and education in Ukraine, can cooperate with Vietnam in the fields of machinery, aircraft manufacturing, oil and gas exploration and exploitation, mining, transport and railway. Kharkov has set up ties with Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City and central Khanh Hoa Province, they added. They also appreciated the Vietnamese community in the country, saying it is a well-organised, united and dynamic community which strictly follows Ukraine’s laws and actively contributes to both the Ukrainian and Vietnamese economies. On this occasion, the delegation also visited Vietnamese living in Kharkov. VNN/VOV/VNS/VNA