Political News Headlines 26/2 Vietnamese, Chinese armies to set up security hotline  Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army (VPA) Lieut. Gen. Vo Van Tuan, said a direct telephone hotline between the Defence Ministries of Viet Nam and China would strengthen co-operation between the two peoples and armies. While meeting Miao Hongbo, head of the Zhong Nanhai telegraph office, on February 25 in Ha Noi, Lieut. Gen. Tuan said the hotline would help the two armies share information on issues of mutual concern in a timely manner. Miao Hongbo briefed his host on the result of his working session with the VPA's Information and Communication Arm, which focused on preparations for the establishment of the hotline. He said the Chinese side would trial necessary equipment and design measures to handle any problems. The two nations are working to put the hotline into operation in 2014. Vietnam, France agree to bolster justice cooperation The Vietnamese Justice Minister has discussed the possibility of cooperating with the French side in the joining of international conventions related to civil and economic rights as well as the implementation of the Hague Convention on international justice. The discussion came up from Justice Minister Ha Hung Cuong’s talks with his French counterpart Christiane Taubira on February 25 in Paris during his working visit from February 22-25. The Vietnamese Minister was briefed that France is drafting a plan to help Vietnam develop legal support professions like lawyer, notary services and court secretary. The officials shared their regret that the Vietnam-France Legal House was shut down after 19 years of operation, pledging to work together to set up a similar institution that would connect their professionals and with regional colleagues. Taking with the Paris-based Vietnam News Agency correspondents after the talks, Taubira said the discussion reached agreements to further foster partnership and future specific joint projects. She also revealed that she accepted Minister Cuong’s invitation to visit Vietnam to review the outcomes of bilateral legal and judiciary cooperation. The same day, Minister Cuong met with Jean-Marc Sauve, Vice President of Council of State of France and President of the French Institute of Administrative Sciences, during which they signed an agreement on cooperation in building and issuing law and legal documents related to administration. The agreement will allow Vietnam to study France ’s experience in building laws to standardise State decisions in a time when it is preparing to draft a law on administrative decisions, he said. At a later meeting with Chief of France’s Court of Cassation Vincent Lamanda, the Minister was introduced to the experience in setting and applying legal precedent in judging, which is helpful for Vietnam in undertaking its legal and judicial reforms. Minister Cuong and his entourage left France the same day for a working visit to Algeria. Education reform a top priority: PM Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has said education and training policy must be the nation's top priority and undergo comprehensive reform to align with the country's industrialisation process. Dung made the statement yesterday (Feb 25) at a meeting of the National Committee on Education and Human Resources Development, held to discuss a draft Government plan to implement sweeping reforms of the education sector, which was adopted by the Communist Party of Viet Nam's Central Committee last year. The action plan focuses on defining specific tasks of implementation for Government ministries to meet targets set under the Resolution. Dung has instructed the Ministry of Education and Training to conduct consultations on the action programme, expected to be issued next month. Participants also discussed the programme to revise high school textbooks after 2015 and the establishment of the National Committee on Education and Training Reform which will be launched next month. The PM also asked the National Committee on Education and Human Resources Development to continue its consulting role and call for greater participation among experts and educators in the assessment of the project. Graduation exams altered The Ministry of Education and Training on Monday announced this year's national high school graduation exams which will have four subjects, including two compulsory and two electives. A foreign language is not a compulsory subject in the exam. Currently, students have to sit for six subjects, all of them are compulsory.      Honorary Consul General to RoK welcomed Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc received Park Soo-kwan, Honorary Consul General of Vietnam to the Republic of Korea (RoK), in Hanoi on February 25. Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) receives Park Soo-kwan, Honorary Consul General of Vietnam to the Republic of Korea. (Photo: VNA) Deputy PM Phuc described Park’s visit as a significant event for the two countries’ strategic partnership. He spoke highly of Park’s efforts in connecting and fostering the friendship and cooperation between the two nations, especially in socio-economics, investment, culture and education. He expressed his wish that in the coming time, the Honorary Consul General will continue making active and effective contributions to the development of the Vietnam-RoK ties as well as granting valuable assistance to the Vietnamese community in his country. For his part, Park said he hopes that Vietnam will continue to create favourable conditions for RoK companies to do business in Vietnam. He vowed that he will try his best to contribute to strengthening the friendship and cooperation between the two peoples. HCM City beefs up co-operation with Australian region Ho Chi Minh City and Australia's Northern Territory yesterday, Feb 25, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to deepen their trade and investment links. The document was signed by Chairman of the municipal People's Committee Le Hoang Quan and Chief Minister of the Northern Territory Adam Giles in Ho Chi Minh City, following a working visit from Giles to the region The two sides have pledged to ramp up co-operation in a wide range of areas, including education and training, agriculture, tourism and environmental protection. Both sides also agreed to increase trade promotion activities and aid their respective governments to streamline decision making on joint projects. The agreement is a significant milestone in the relationship between the two regions, which has fostered significant economic and strategic links. Viet Nam, Laos National Assembly committees enhance links Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly (NA) Tong Thi Phong yesterday urged the NA committees for social affairs in Viet Nam and Laos to further enhance co-operation. Speaking at a reception for Laos' NA Committee for Cultural and Social Affairs delegation, led by its head Phonethep Pholsena, Phong said efforts were needed to consolidate links between the two legislative bodies and meet bilateral obligations. The Vice Chairwoman praised the outcomes of the working session, urging the two committees to continue strengthening information exchange and sharing experience. Phonethep Pholsena said the two sides had focused on studying history on reviewing and drafting laws and NA resolutions on social policy. NA Chairman extols Bach Mai hospital staff National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung commended the dedicated efforts of the medical sector and Bach Mai hospital in particular while visiting the Hanoi-based hospital on February 25, with the 59th anniversary of Vietnamese Doctors’ Day (February 27) approaching. He urged them to keep improving their professional skills and sense of responsibility while acquiring the latest medical advances both at home and abroad, worthy of being a mainstay of patients. The top legislator took the occasion to call for giving priority to preventive medicine. According to him, the quality of health check-ups and treatment should get better on the back of all possible social resources, especially at grassroots medical stations. At the same time, overloading in hospitals must be addressed and medical insurance should be mandatory for all citizens, he noted. Reviewing what the sector has reaped over the past time, Hung said Vietnam has eliminated dangerous outbreaks such as polio, tetanus, whooping cough and diphtheria thanks to the application of advanced medical technologies. The average life expectancy is 73, and the country is realising the United Nations millennium development goals on healthcare, which are proud-worthy achievements, he added. F ounded in 1911, the Bach Mai general hospital examines and treats over one million patients each year, offering 1,400 beds, spacious facilities, modern equipment and a 2,000-strong staff. In early 2004, it successfully treated patients with SARS and controlled pneumonia cases caused by avian flu viruses. As a prestigious training centre for graduates, post-graduates, nurses and newly-recruited doctors, it annually works on at least 100 highly-practical theses and welcomes hundreds of foreign delegations coming to learn from its experience and seek cooperation. Fostering Vietnam-Israel security cooperation Vietnamese and Israeli talks on police security cooperation have been gaining in momentum and the two expect an agreement to be signed soon. Lieutenant general Yitzhak Abaronovitch, who is leading an Israeli delegation on a visit to Vietnam, made the statement at a meeting with Minister of Puclic Security General Tran Dai Quang in Hanoi on February 24. Abaronovitch noted the future signing of the agreement will create a legal framework for realizing a memorandum of understanding on security and police cooperation Israel and Vietnam have already signed earlier. He took the opportunity to praise Vietnam’s across-the-board accomplishments in the fields of economics, culture, society, national defence, security and external relations. For his part, Minister Quang said the visit of the Israel public security delegation contributes to advancing friendly relations between the two countries and their ministries in particular. He thanked the Israeli agencies for effectively negotiating with Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security for cooperation in areas including security, police, crime prevention, and judiciary. The two ministries agreed to quickly dispense with the necessary legal requirements and expeditiously proceed to sign a cooperation agreement related to police and security cooperation. VNN/VOV/VNS/VNA