Political News Headlines 25/6 National Assembly’s work wins public praise The National Assembly (NA) has received public praise for its work during the first-ended seventh session, Vice Chairman of the NA Office Nguyen Sy Dung told the media in Hanoi on June 24, shortly after the NA session wrapped up earlier the same day. The session was held in the complexity in the region and all over the world, especially in the context of China’s illegal placement of its rig Haiyang Shiyou – 981 deep inside Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, Dung noted. Chairman of the NA Office Nguyen Hanh Phuc informed reporters that on May 21, lawmakers issued Communiqué No. 2 expressing their concern and objection to China’s illegal acts. In his closing speech, NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung mentioned this issue again in a strong tone, he said, adding that deputies advocate peacefully settlement of the issue in line with international law. Answering a question whether Vietnam is much reliant on China, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Truong Minh Tuan made it clear that Vietnam is not dependent on any country in every aspect, including economics. “Vietnam is always self-reliant. China is not the only economic partner of Vietnam”, he said. National Assembly’s seventh session concludes The seventh session of the 13th National Assembly wrapped up on June 24 after more than one month of sitting, during which 11 laws and two resolutions were adopted and 16 draft laws and one resolution were debated. Addressing the closing ceremony, NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung said the session took place at a time when regional and international situation was undergoing dangerous, unpredictable and complicated developments, with China illegal placing its oil rig deep inside Vietnam ’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. The national independence, sovereignty as well as peace, stability and maritime security and safety and freedom of navigation in the East Sea are being seriously threatened, he said. The NA leader affirmed that China ’s move gravely violated Vietnam’s sovereignty, sovereign right and jurisdiction, infringing international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC). It also went against high-level agreements reached between Vietnam and China on the basic principles guiding the settlement of maritime issues and deeply hurt the friendship, solidarity and neighbourliness between the two people, he said. The NA also issued a statement clarifying its stance on the issue, protesting China ’s illegal acts and demanding it remove immediately its rig out of Vietnam’s waters and not to repeat actions violating Vietnamese sovereignty, Chairman Hung stated. Regarding other key issues, the NA Chairman urged the Government, ministries and localities to continue promoting inner strengths to maintain macro-economic stability, speeding up economic restructuring and growth model renovation and improve social welfares. He also underscored the need to ensure social security and safety, and expand external relations activities and international integration. The NA leader also assigned the NA Standing Committee, the Government and other state agencies to conduct comprehensive measures to ensure the effective implementation of the new Constitution. During the session, deputies discussed a resolution on confidence voting and agreed on the need to mull over before adopting it. Meanwhile, votes of confidence will continue to be conducted on people holding positions elected or approved by the NA and the People’s Councils. With 96.18 percent of votes, deputies also passed a resolution on question-and-answer results at this session. Agencies of the National Assembly, the Government, the Supreme People’s Court, and the Supreme People’s Procuracy deal with 2,268 questions sent to the previous session by voters nationwide. The NA also tasked the Government, ministries and relevant agencies to promptly give answers to 2,216 questions sent to the NA at the seventh session and report to the NA at the next session. As much as 96.99 percent of deputies approved a resolution on stepping up the implementation of sustainable poverty reduction by 2020. The resolution sets a target of reducing the ratio of the country’s poor households to below 5 percent and that of poor districts to less than 30 percent by 2015. It also comes up with measures to fulfil all poverty reduction goals and avoid relapse in the 2016-2020 period. Especially, the resolution targets that at least 90 percent of poor households have access to social health insurance and 70 percent of local health care stations in communes will be upgraded to provide sufficient social healthcare insurance services. President Sang receives Panama outgoing ambassador President Truong Tan Sang received in Hanoi on June 24 outgoing ambassador of Panama Eduardo Antonio Young Virzi. The diplomat thanked the President and Vietnamese authorities for facilitating his work in Vietnam, and spoke highly of the achievements in diplomatic activities between the two countries. Informing the President that Panama is actively discussing with Vietnam on an agreement to avoid double taxation, the ambassador pledged to do all he can to help nurture the friendship between the two countries. Panama always supports Vietnam at the international forums, especially through the recognition of Vietnam’s market economy, the diplomat said, adding that his country’s firms will further strive to approach Vietnam. For his part, President Sang said with its strength in navigation, fishing grounds and fisheries workforce, Vietnam is ready to cooperate with Panama in the fields. He also asked the two sides to review their cooperation mechanisms and raise their current trade value to match their potential. Congratulating Panama on its recent socio-economic achievement, the President spoke highly of the cooperation between the two countries and availed himself of the chance to extend his regards to the current President of Panama. Some 80,000 articles criticise China’s illegal oil rig placement Nearly 80,000 articles covering China’s illegal placement of the drilling rig Haiyang Shiyou 981 in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf have been posted on the Internet since May 2, the Vietnam Government Portal reported. These articles produced by the international community have shown concerns about the dangerous activities that China has conducted in the East Sea. Through these articles, Vietnam’s just cause has gone worldwide, awakening the conscience of the international community. Large press agencies such as CNN, Reuters and AP have sent reporters to join Vietnamese peers in trips to the site where the oil rig is illegally standing. CNN and other press agencies have released articles analyzing and describing Chinese preserve actions. Other press agencies such as Washington Post, New York Times, Reuters, AP, Bloomberg and AFP published writings to find faults with Chinese fishing vessel ramming and sinking a Vietnamese fishing boat near the Chinese deep-water oil rig. World Bank’s support, assistance to poverty fight praised Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Nguyen Thien Nhan has spoken highly of the World Bank’s support and assistance to Vietnam in the fight against poverty. Receiving WB Vietnam country director Victoria Kwakwa in Hanoi on June 24, Nhan further said the front valued consultations and assistance from the bank to Vietnam , especially its very effective projects and programmes. He expressed his hope that the bank will continue financing Vietnam to invest in essential infrastructure projects for locals in mountainous areas and the poor households, as well as the programme on building the new-style rural areas. For her part, Kwakwa praised the close coordination between the bank and the Vietnamese government, especially in poverty eradication in Vietnam. She also said she hopes for further cooperation between the two sides in the fields of mutual interest in the time to come. Vietnam, South Africa seek to boost defence ties Lt. Gen. Pham Xuan Hung, member of the Party Central Committee and deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army, held talks in Hanoi on June 24 with Lt. Gen. Derrick Mgwebi, Chief Joint Operations at South African National Defence, who is now on a working visit to Vietnam until June 27. The two expressed their joy at the fine development of the bilateral relations in general and their defence ties in particular over the past time. They also exchanged views on the situation in the region and the bilateral defence ties, as well as on a number of issues of mutual concern. They agreed that in the time to come, the two defence ministries will boost up their coordination, establish cooperation and friendship mechanisms, and implement the agreements reached during the talks, thus contributing to the maintenance of peace, stability and development in the region and the world over. During their stay, the South African guests will visit the High Command of the Navy and a number of army units. Lao Government’s special working group visits Vietnam A special working group of the Lao government led by Lt. Gen. Chansamone Channhalath, member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Defence Minister and head of the group, is paying a working visit to Vietnam from June 24-28. While in Vietnam , the group will work with its Vietnamese counterpart on the assessment of the outcomes of the bilateral coordination in the search for and repatriation of remains of Vietnamese voluntary soldiers and experts who died in Laos , sign cooperation documents, and visit a number of army and navy units. On this occasion, the Vietnamese government will hand over to the Lao government the funding for the rehabilitation of the monument complex in Pak Soong district, Laos’s Champasak province. NA’s seventh session fruitful: deputies National Assembly deputies have agreed that the seventh session of the 13th NA, which concluded on June 24, was a success. According to Deputy Le Nhu Tien from Quang Tri province, the session finished all contents in the planned agenda, debating major socio-economic and defence-security issues of the country, while adopting resolutions, including one on the question-and-answer results. He commented that the answers were basically clear, satisfying almost all voters. However, he held that more firm and specific commitments should be given by leaders of ministries and sectors, and effective measures designed along with fixed timetable for their implementation. Meanwhile, Ho Chi Minh City ’s Deputy Tran Du Lich said this was a special session as it took place in a time of tension in the East Sea , together with issues related to public debts and newly arising matters. At the beginning of May 2014, China illegally dispatched its oil rig as well as a large fleet of armed vessels, military ships and aircraft to Vietnam’s waters and positioned the rig at 15 degrees 29 minutes 58 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 12 minutes 06 seconds east longitude, 80 miles deep into Vietnam’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone. Despite Vietnam ’s protest, China expanded its scale of operation and moved the rig to 15 degrees 33 minutes 36 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 34 minutes 11 seconds east longitude, 60 nautical miles deep inside Vietnam ’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone. Deputy Do Van Ve from Thai Binh province said the session gave much time to discussion of the East Sea issue, especially China ’s illegal placement of its drilling rig deep inside Vietnam ’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. The deputies strongly condemned China ’s act and demanded China to immediately remove the rig out of Vietnam ’s waters. During the sitting which lasted for more than one month, 11 laws and two resolutions were adopted and 16 draft laws and one resolution debated. Vietnam shares strategy building experience with Laos Vietnamese specialists and economists have shared with their Lao counterparts experience in building long-term socio-economic strategies and plans. During a conference in Vientiane on June 24, the Vietnamese speakers, including former Minister and former Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Vo Hong Phuc and Cao Viet Sinh, introduced Vietnam’s long-term development visions and orientations. They presented several major features of the country’s long-term socio-economic development strategy to 2020 with a view to 2030. The Vietnamese specialists also gave comments on the building of Laos ’ development strategy to 2025 and 2030. The event aimed to help Lao authorities draft their socio-economic strategy for the 2016-2025 period as well as the 2016-2020 five-year plan. The documents are scheduled to be submitted to the 10th Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, slated for early 2016. The conference was held by the Lao Ministry of Planning and Investment. VNA boosts ties with Indonesian counterpart The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and the Antara News Agency of Indonesia agreed to strengthen their cooperation efficiency in the coming time at talks between their top officials in Hanoi on June 24. The Antara President and Managing Director, Saiful Hadi, is currently on a visit to seek stronger information connection between the two news agencies. During the talks, VNA General Director Nguyen Duc Loi and Saiful Hadi compared notes on their common concerns, while emphasising the role played by news agencies in enhancing information exchange and friendship between countries, especially among ASEAN member nations. Host and guest discussed the establishment of a federation of ASEAN news agencies. They also proposed measures boosting their coordination at multilateral forums, thus heightening the role of communications in solving regional and international issues. After the talks, a cooperation agreement on exchanging information, with a number of the contents adjusted, was signed. The two news agencies came to terms in the field for the first time in 2001. The new agreement will enable the two agencies to continue exchanging English news and pictures, which will be provided freely for their countries’ press agencies. They also pledged to work closely in exchanging visits, press correspondents and copy editors in the future. Antara will support VNA correspondents in operating in Indonesia. On the occasion, the Indonesian guests toured several key editorial boards and information units of VNA. Vietnam, Cambodia intensify military intelligence cooperation Vietnam and Cambodia have agreed to enhance cooperation in military intelligence for peace and stability in the respective country. The consensus was reached at a working session between Director the Vietnamese General Department of Military Intelligence under the Ministry of National Defence Luu Duc Huy and Director of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) Research and Intelligence Bureau Chea Tara, in Phnom Penh on June 24. As part of the three-day visit by the Vietnamese delegation, which started on June 23, the session highlighted the friendship and solidarity between the two governments, armies and peoples, especially the flourishing cooperation in military intelligence. Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Tia Banh also emphasised the need to increase coordination in the field while meeting with Lieut. Gen. Huy on June 23.- Defence officer receives Cambodian guest Lieutenant General Mai Quang Phan, Deputy Director of the Vietnam People’s Army General Department of Politics, received Lieutenant General Khieu Saphat, Deputy Director of the Personnel Department of the Cambodian Ministry of National Defence in Hanoi on June 24. The host stressed that hostile and reactionary forces are seeking to undermine the Vietnam-Cambodia-Laos traditional friendship, adding that he hopes armies and peoples of the three countries will continue stranding side-by-side to shatter the scheme. Phan thanked the Cambodian side for raising its voice in protest against China’s illegal placement of its Haiyang Shiyou-981 inside Vietnam’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone. He also called on Cambodian leaders to continue supporting Vietnam in the issue in the coming time. For his part, Khieu Saphat expressed his support for Vietnam in objecting China’s unlawful actions in the East Sea. Vietnam’s stance on East Sea tension supported Chairwoman of Canada’s Senate Committee for Foreign Affairs and International Trade Raynell Andreychuck has voiced her support for Vietnam’s self restraint and stance on easing the ongoing tension in the East Sea at a recent meeting with Vietnamese Ambassador to Canada To Anh Dung. She expressed her deep concern about the mounting tension there after China illegally placed its drilling rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 deep in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in early May. She said she hopes the two sides will solve the issue through peaceful means. Ambassador Dung briefed the host of the latest developments in the East Sea, confirming China’s illegal acts have seriously infringed international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The move also poses a threat to the regional peace as well as security and safety of navigation in the East Sea, he added. Vietnam has exercised her utmost restraint and persistently pursued peaceful means by demanding for China’s immediate withdrawal of its oil rig from Vietnam’s waters, in an effort to safeguard the nation’s territorial sovereignty, Dung said. The diplomat also handed over the letter of head of the National Assembly’s Committee for External Affairs Tran Van Hang to the Canadian official, which highlights China’s violation of Vietnam’s sovereign right and jurisdiction and international law. Since early May, China has illegally operated the rig and a large fleet of armed vessels, military ships and aircraft in Vietnam’s waters. Despite Vietnam’s protests, China has expanded its scale of operation and recently moved the rig to 15 degrees 33 minutes 36 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 34 minutes 11 seconds east longitude, which is 60 nautical miles deep inside Vietnam’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone. According to the Vietnam Fisheries Resources Surveillance Department, on June 24, China sent 102 – 108 vessels, including six military ships, to protect the oil rig that is illegally stationed in Vietnam’s waters, continuing aggressive acts to harass Vietnamese ships. Source: VNA/VOV/VNN