Political News Headlines 25/5 Vietnam hopes Thailand will stabilise situation soon Vietnam expects Thailand will stabilise the situation soon to build and develop the nation, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Hai Binh said on May 24. Answering reporters’ questions, Binh said a close neighbour and ASEAN member, Vietnam has kept a close watch on the recent developments in Thailand, especially the May 22 coup, and that its national stability will contribute to regional peace, stability and cooperation. The same day, the Consular Department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned Vietnamese citizens should not travel to Thailand if not necessary until the situation there returns to normal.  It asked Vietnamese expatriates to fully abide by Thailand’s legal regulations and make regular contact with representative Vietnamese agencies in Thailand for immediate assistance. Prime Minister inspects NA building project progress Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has ordered contractors, investors and consultancy providers to ensure the deadline for the completion of the National Assembly building as well as absolute safety and top quality of the project. Inspecting the progress of the project in Hanoi on May 24, the government leader also stressed the special and important political significance of the building, adding only a short time is left from now to the hand-over of the construction slated for the first half of October this year. He was told that there are a number of problems to be settled for the project, including those on archaeology and test-run of imported mechanical and electrical systems which will take much time to fix if any failure occurs. It was reported to him that the project is proceeding basically as scheduled. Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai instructed contractors to work out back-up plans for packages facing the possibility of delay. Meanwhile, Construction Minister Trinh Dinh Dung asked relevant companies to import equipment as planned and test the machines as soon as they are available. Vietnam, Armenia enhance friendship and cooperation Vietnam and Armenia have established a traditional friendship along with increased political dialogues and effective cooperation at international forums over the years, said Armenian ambassador to Vietnam Raisa Gareginovna Vardanyan. The ambassador made the statement at a congress in Hanoi on May 24 to establish the Vietnam-Armenia Friendship Association in the 2014-2019 tenure. She expressed belief that the association will make a substantial contribution to developing human resources, trade and economic cooperation between the two nations. She also affirmed that the Armenian embassy in Vietnam will create favourable conditions for the association to meet its objectives, so as to strengthen bilateral friendship and exchange. Addressing the congress, Vice President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations Nguyen Thi Hoang Van noted the  establishment of the association has marked an important milestone in the relationship between the two peoples, helping realize people-to-people diplomacy of the Party and State. Van said that one of the association’s major tasks in the new term is to set up a network of partnerships, and actively seek and expand relations with Armenian businesses, training and research centres and universities. She urged the organization to expand operations in many fields such as economics, trade, culture, education, arts, health, environment and tourism. The association should pay particular attention to disseminating information to help international friends learn more about Vietnam in order to strengthen cooperation, solidarity and support for the country. China’s ships prevent Vietnamese vessels from performing duties Vietnamese law enforcement vessels on May 23 were chased by numerous large Chinese ships when they were about 8.5 nautical miles from China’s drilling rig Haiyang Shiyou-981, which is illegaly standing in Vietnam’s waters. Vietnam News Agency reporters present at the site said that while performing its mission in the morning of May 23, Vietnam’s coast guard ship 8003 detected a large number of Chinese ships surrounding the rig. They included 30 ships, six cargo vessels, 32 fishing boats and three tugs. Since the beginning of May, China illegally dispatched the rig, as well as a large fleet of armed vessels, military ships and aircraft, to Vietnamese waters and positioned the rig at a location 80 miles deep inside Vietnam’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone prescribed by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982). Chinese ships have repeatedly rammed and fired water cannons into Vietnamese coast guard and fisheries surveillance ships which are carrying out their law enforcement missions in the country’s waters, leaving many Vietnamese ships damaged and officers injured. NA discusses draft laws on public investment, construction Deputies at the 13th National Assembly’s 7th session on May 24 discussed and gave opinions to the draft law on public investment and amendments to the construction law. They focused their ideas on the management and use of public investment capital, and the creation of a synchronous legal framework to regulate public investment activities along with other laws. They raised their voice on norms for classification of investment projects and gave comments to public-private partnership (PPP) and who decide investment in programmes, projects and the community’s supervision in public investment. Earlier, they heard the Government’s report on the draft amended law on real estate business. At the morning session, the deputies deliberated a report on the draft amendment to the housing law and on those to the construction law. They commented on construction licensing, contractors’ selection and operating conditions for foreign contractors, inspection, complaints and violation settlement.- Source: VNN/VNA/VOV