Political News 4/8 Vietnam eager to spur cooperation with Zimbabwe Vietnam Ambassador in Zimbabwe Le Huy Hoang has expressed the nation’s resolve to constantly boost the close ties of friendship and cooperation in all aspects with the Government and people of Zimbabwe. At a recent ceremony to present his credentials, Hoang extended an invitation to visit Vietnam from President Truong Tan Sang to President Robert Mugabe. The Vietnamese diplomat briefed his host on the situation in the country, international integration and recent developments in the East Sea, and discussed measures to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in trade, economics, health and agriculture. Hoang asked the Zimbabwe Government to recognize Vietnam’s market economy and support Vietnam’s bid to run for a seat at the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. For his part, President Mugabe expressed his admiration for the courageous spirit of the Vietnamese people in the past struggle for national liberation, independence freedom and unification as well as the current tremendous achievements in national construction and defence Vietnam has recorded under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam. President Mugabe said he hopes both nations will continue bolstering good political relations  and economic and trade cooperation by intensifying goods exchange and implementing tripartite agricultural and  health cooperation projects in Zimbabwe as Vietnam is successfully carrying out in many other African countries. Mugabe voiced support for Vietnam's policy of promoting international integration and its stance of solving all problems through peaceful means in accordance with international law and the UN Charter. Earlier, Zimbabwe's Foreign Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi and ambassador Hoang examined ways to enhance political and diplomatic relations between the two countries. Minister Mumbengegwi said he wants the two countries to further enhance coordination at international and regional forums including the Non-Aligned Movement and the United Nations. He promised to work with relevant agencies to consider Vietnam’s proposals in a positive manner so that his nation can recognise Vietnam’s market economy status and its participation for election to important international organizations in the future. On the occasion, ambassador Hoang had working sessions with a number of Zimbabwe officials and entrepreneurs to exchange market information on rice and Tra fish products from Vietnam. Vietnam urges respect for ceasefire agreement in Gaza Vietnam calls on all parties concerned to respect the newly-reached ceasefire agreement in Gaza Strip, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Le Hai Binh has said. Binh made the statement while answering reporters’ questions regarding Vietnam’s reaction after Israel and Hamas accepted the US and the United Nation’s proposal on a humanitarian ceasefire within 72 hours in Gaza. “We support all current efforts of the international community to early bring about a comprehensive ceasefire for peace and stability in the region,” he stated. Party leader visits Ha Nam province Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on August 2 had a working visit to the northern province of Ha Nam to inspect socio-economic development, new-style rural area building and Party-building work in the locality. Working with the provincial leaders, the Party leader said Ha Nam should work hard to fulfill set targets as it remains a poor province with low per-capital income. As a southern gateway to the capital city of Hanoi , the province needs to developing agriculture in combination with processing industry and export while focusing all resources on human resources development, he said. Party leader Trong asked Ha Nam to enhance connections with other regions in the country to further develop in the future. He also urged the local authorities to well prepare for Party congresses at all levels towards the 12 th National Party Congress in early 2016. The province should continue to well implement the Party and political system building work as well as creating a strong and united apparatus that can be resilient to negative phenomena, particularly corruption, the Party chief noted. According to the local authorities, Ha Nam has enjoyed an annual GDP growth rate of 13%. The economic structure has changed in a right direction with the proportion of industry and construction rising to 53% and that of agro-forestry-fisheries dropping to 15.6%. The living standards of locals have much improved while the new rural building programme has seen remarkable developments with three communes fulfilling all targets and 11 communes meeting 15 criteria. Earlier, the Party leader visited Binh Luc district’s Vu Ban commune, where 85.5 percent of population live on agriculture, and the Number 1 Ha Nam –Tan Hiep Phat Co. Ltd in the Kien Khe 1 Industrial Complex in Thanh Liem district. Lawyers’ role should be enhanced to avoid unjust rulings President Truong Tan Sang on August 1 emphasized the need to improve the operational efficiency of lawyers’ organizations at a working session with the Vietnam Bar Federation (VBF) in Hanoi. Leaders from the Central Steering Committee for Judicial Reform, the National Assembly Justice Committee, the Ministry of Public Security, the People's Procuracy, the Supreme People's Court and the Ministry of Justice were also in attendance at the working session. VBF Chairman Le Thuc Anh said that since its inception in May 2009, the number of lawyers has increased by nearly 40% to 8,675 and 63 provinces and cities nationwide have established Bar Associations. Over the past five years, lawyers have become involved in defending and protecting the rights and legitimate interests of organizations and individuals and have dealt with nearly 67,500 criminal cases, over 54,000 civil cases, nearly 5,500 economic cases, and 4,423 administrative cases. In addition, the VBF has provided free legal aid to 31,271 poor and social policy beneficiaries. Lawyers have participated in 100% of cases required by legal agencies and the quality of defending counsel in the cases has been enhanced, Anh said. Along with its active participation in law-making work, the BAF has expanded cooperation with international bar organizations from Canada, the US, Denmark, Germany, China, Japan and engaged in the Asia Pacific Bar Association. In his speech, President Sang commended lawyers’ contributions to reducing unfair rulings and protecting justice, promoting judicial reform and improving the quality of litigation. He underlined the need for the BAF to work more closely with local agencies to well perform lawyers’ role in protecting the legitimate rights of the people, revamping the legal system and increasing wider international cooperation to become involved in resolving international disputes when the country is boosting deeper global integration. Party leader hails progress in Thanh Hoa Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has lauded the progress the central province of Thanh Hoa has made in socio-economic development, defence, security and Party building. At a meeting yesterday with key officials from the province as part of his working visit, the Party chief noted that after four years of implementing the 11th Party Congress's resolution, Thanh Hoa had maintained a high economic growth rate at 11.3 per cent per year. As a result, the province's economy has expanded by 54 per cent compared to 2010, with the industry-construction sector accounting for 42 per cent, services - 39.6 per cent and agriculture - 18.4 per cent. Per capita GDP is estimated at US$1,320 per year. Last year, Thanh Hoa ranked eighth among 63 cities and provinces nationwide in FDI attraction and stood in sixth position in the provincial economic integration index and eighth in the provincial competitiveness index. By 2013, 19 communes in the province met all the standards of the new-style rural areas, while 10 others met a large proportion of the criteria. However, Trong also pointed out that the ratio of poor households in Thanh Hoa was still high, urging the province to work harder to fulfill its targets. The province should also get itself well-prepared for the 12th Party Congress, he added, stressing that Party building and personnel work were key to effectively implementing other tasks. Also yesterday, the Party leader toured the Nghi Son Economic Zone where he held a working session with the zone's management board, inspected the progress of the Nghi Son Refinery and visited the Nghi Son Port. Ceremony honours first victory of Vietnam People’s Navy A ceremony commemorating revolutionary martyrs and people who sacrificed their life in a sea battle in the Gulf of Tonkin 50 years ago was held in Ha Long city, the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh, on August 3. The fight against destroyer USS Maddox and aircraft of the United States on August 2 and 5, 1964, was the first victory of the Vietnam People’s Navy and the army and people in the north during the America’s war in Vietnam. Speaking at the ceremony, Rear Admiral Dinh Gia That, Commissar of the Vietnam People’s Naval Armed Service underlined the historical value of and lesson learned from the incident, saying that the sacrifice of naval officers and soldiers is always a good example for Vietnamese generations at present and in the future. He also affirmed that the Naval Armed Service will continue strengthening its force as well as improving its capacity in managing and safeguarding the national sea and island sovereignty, while maintaining peaceful and stable environment in the country’s waters. The same day, a get-together to mark the 50 th anniversary of the first victory of the Vietnam People’s Navy was also organised in Vinh city, the central province of Nghe An. Participants at the event looked back on the triumph, which is considered as the traditional day of the Navy over the last five decades. On the occasion, representatives from the Navy High Command presented insignia to a number of naval ex-soldiers and gifts to people, who participated in the fight. Source: VNA/VOV/VNN