Government News 22/3 VFF leader meets with Indian high-ranking officials President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan had meetings with a number of Indian officials on March 20 a s part of his on-going official friendly visit to India. During his reception for VFF President Nhan, Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari highlighted the development of the traditional friendship and the strategic partnership between the two nations, especially in politics, economics, trade investment and security-defence. However, he noted that there is still great potential for boosting trade cooperation between the two countries, saying that the two sides should focus on removing trade barriers to make their trade links stronger in the future. Vietnam and India became the important trade partner of each other, with two-way trade hitting 5.7 billion USD in 2014, Nhan said, adding that bilateral trade is expected to reach 7 billion USD this year. According to Nhan, the two sides seek opportunities for cooperation through a meeting with Vietnamese and Indian businesses in New Delhi on March 21, aiming to step up bilateral economic and trade cooperation in the time ahead. While briefing the host on the VFF’s function, Vietnam’s recent socio-economic development as well as the country’s role in ASEAN, the VFF leader affirmed that Vietnam is willing to act as a bridge to link India and other ASEAN member states. In his meeting with Indian Speaker of the Lok Sabha (Lower House) Sumitra Mahajan, Nhan expressed his hope that in her position, Mahajan will continue supporting and doing her utmost to enhance the Vietnam-India Strategic Partnership as well as the ties between the two legislatures in particular. He said the two countries’ legislative bodies will boost ties by increasing all-level visit exchanges and sharing experience in law-making as well as exchanges between parliamentarian groups, contributing to fostering the bilateral relations. Mahajan spoke highly of the growing relations between Vietnam and India, and their legislatures, while expressing her joy of her upcoming visit to Vietnam to attend the 132nd Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-132) Assembly. While meeting with Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, VFF President Nhan asserted that Vietnam always attaches importance to strengthening relations with India, and supports India’s Act East Policy as well as the country’s greater role in the region and the world. In reply, the Indian minister said that Vietnam is one of his country’s crucial partners, adding that India is willing to back Vietnam’s development cause and continue promoting ties with Vietnam in all fields. Francophone Day marked in Hanoi A ceremony was held in Hanoi on March 20 to mark the International Francophone Day held by the Foreign Ministry and the International Organisation of Francophone (OIF).   Deputy Foreign Minister Ngoc presented the Friendship Order from the State President to the OIF’s regional office and the Francophone University Agency (Source: VNA) Addressing the event, Deputy Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc affirmed Vietnam values its cooperative relations with the Francophone community, considering it a priority partner and an effective international community in helping Vietnam implement its foreign policy of independence, autonomy, multilateralisation of ties and active international integration. He hailed the Francophone community’s constant efforts to boost solidarity and cooperation for peace and development among its member countries during the past 45 years, adding that Vietnam’s diplomatic relations with Francophone nations have been continuously strengthened and expanded. Anissa Barrak, Asia-Pacific Regional Director of the OIF, highlighted the linguistic diversity and the role of the Francophone community, affirming that the community always participates in joint efforts to address global challenges such as terrorism and climate change. She emphasised on the highlights in cooperation between Vietnam and the OIF, while hailing the country’s important role and position in the Francophone community. Vietnam helps create a firm support for Francophonie in the Asia-Pacific region, she added. On the occasion, Deputy Foreign Minister Ngoc presented the Friendship Order from the State President to the OIF’s regional office and the Francophone University Agency (AUF) in recognition of the offices’ valuable contributions to promoting the Vietnam-OIF ties over the past 20 years. At the ceremony, Ambassador and Professor Duong Van Quang, former head of the Vietnamese Mission to UNESCO, and Ta Thi Minh Ngoc, a lecturer of Nha Trang University, were presented with awards from the group of Francophone embassies, missions and institutions in Hanoi. Party leader urges equitable verdicts Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has urged the Supreme People's Court to improve the quality of its judgments and ensure verdicts are equitable and lawful. Trong said the court must increase its protection of the legal rights and interests of the State and people. He was speaking at a working session with key court officials in Ha Noi on Friday. He asked the court to increase co-ordination with relevant agencies to combat and prevent corruption, especially in reclaiming assets from major anti-corruption cases. He said the court needed to improve law and ordinance by proposing amendments or supplements or proposing new laws in the spirit of judicial and institutional reform. Trong requested the courts at all levels to enhance collaboration with judicial agencies to create high levels of consensus and democracy. He said they should also concentrate on building the Party and political system in State management agencies as well as improving personnel training. According to the Chief Judge of the Supreme People's Court, Truong Hoa Binh, the courts addressed 1,382,352 of the 1,411,185 cases accepted between 2011 and 2014, or 92.8 per cent, including a number of serious economic and corruption cases. The Supreme People's Court submitted four laws to the National Assembly for approval, including the revised Law on the organisation of the People's Courts, to institutionalise new regulations stipulated in the Constitution and the Party's viewpoints on judicial reform. Judicial officials proposed increasing the court workforce and prioritising expenses for information technology for the staff. Ambassador meets with Ukrainian parliamentarians Vietnamese Ambassador to Ukraine Nguyen Minh Tri on March 20 met with members of parliament of Ukraine Andrei A. Gordeev and Oksana Yurinets, who affirmed their support to activities promoting the two countries’ ties in the future. During the reception for Andrei A. Gordeev and Oksana Yurinets, who are co-chairmen of the Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group with Vietnam, Ambassador Tri hailed the recent positive role and efforts of the Ukrainian parliamentarians in increasing relations between their countries and Vietnam. He welcomed the Ukrainian Parliament’s decision to set up the Group, saying that this is a vivid manifestation of the multi-faceted cooperation between the two countries. The Ambassador said he hopes the Group will work closely with the two countries’ parliaments and relevant agencies to foster mutual understanding and cooperate for mutual benefit. He suggested the Group work with the Embassy to arrange trade and investment workshops, helping boost ties between the two countries. The two MPs thanked the Vietnamese community in Ukraine for their opportune assistance for Ukrainian people in recent time, and affirmed their support for activities aiming to promote the bilateral relations in the time ahead. They proposed that Vietnam consider cooperation projects with Ukraine in rice farming, aquaculture and industry in Kherson, Lvov and in other localities. The Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group with Vietnam has been formed with 25 members. The Ukrainian Parliament has decided to send four MPs to attend the 132nd Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly (IPU-132) taking place in Hanoi later this month. RoK’s National Assembly Speaker wraps up Vietnam visit Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Chung Ui-hwa left Ho Chi Minh City on March 21, successfully concluding his five-day official visit to Vietnam. During his stay, Speaker Chung Ui-hwa held talks with National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung. The guest was welcomed by Party Secretary General Nguyen Phu Trong and President Truong Tan Sang. At the meetings, leaders of the Party, State and NA of Vietnam applauded the RoK Speaker’s visit to the country, which was made in the context of the bilateral relations’ growing development. The Speaker and Vietnamese leaders spoke of the two countries’ official announcement to finalise the negotiations of the Vietnam-RoK free trade agreement late last year, which is expected to bring two-way trade to 70 billion USD by 2020. The two sides committed to further enhancing links between the two legislative bodies by sharing experience in law-making and supervising the implementation of agreements signed between the two nations, contributing to deepening the bilateral strategic partnership. On the occasion, Chung Ui-hwa paid tribute to late President Ho Chi Minh at his Mausoleum, met with Korean people living and working in Vietnam, visited the World Natural Heritage Ha Long Bay and toured RoK enterprises operating in Vietnam. He also had a working session with the Ho Chi Minh City’s leaders and met with students from the Ho Chi Minh University of Social Sciences and Humanities (HCM-USSH). Vietnamese Ambassador extends greetings on Lao Party founding anniversary Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos Nguyen Manh Hung has visited several agencies of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) over the past three days to extend Vietnam’s congratulations on the LPRP’s 60th founding anniversary (March 22, 1955). At a March 20 meeting with Thongsavan Phomvihan, Vice Director of the LPRP Central Committee’s External Relations Commission, the ambassador presented a greeting message from the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and flowers from CPV General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Hung hailed the significant achievements of the LPRP in national building and development over the past 60 years, which have been a great source of encouragement to the CPV, and contributed to fortifying Vietnam-Lao traditional ties as well as securing regional stability and peace. The diplomat spoke of the great help that the Lao Party, State and people have given his homeland with gratitude. Thongsavan Phomvihan stated that his nation will continue to stand by Vietnamese Party, State and people. RoK legislative leader welcomed in HCM City Le Thanh Hai, Politburo member and Secretary of Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee hosted a reception for Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Chung Ui-hwa on March 20. Ho Chi Minh City has long cemented a close relationship with a number of localities in the RoK, particularly the 20-year ties with Busan city, Hai said. He noted that the RoK is one of the biggest foreign investors in his city and more opportunities for cooperation are to open up as the two countries have concluded negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, paving the way for official signing. For his part, Chung Ui-hwa shared his impression on the rapid growth of Vietnam’s southern economic hub in recent years and agreed on enhancing cooperation between the RoK with HCM City, especially in sectors of common interest. The same day, Chung met with students from the Ho Chi Minh University of Social Sciences and Humanities, the top provider of training courses in Korean in Vietnam, graduating over 2,000 students in the past two decades.     VNA/VNS