Government News 24/12 Property ownership rights on the table at legal forum Lawmakers discussed the draft amendment to the Civil Code yesterday morning at a National Assembly Standing Committee meeting. Discussion centred around two ways to categorise property ownership. The first recognises ownership by the entire people as a legal form of ownership, in addition to collective ownership and private ownership. This option is based on the 2013 Constitution's articles 32, 51 and 53 in which ownership by the entire people is recognised as an independent form of ownership. In addition, the 2013 Constitution designates the State as vested with the right of possession and management for properties owned by the entire people. Under the second option, ownership by the entire people would be part of collective ownership under the State's possession and management. This would require lawmakers to create a separate category for this form of ownership under the general category of collective ownership. Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Sinh Hung said citizens must be informed about the two options, the legal purposes of each option and the difference between forms of ownership and modes of ownership. The committee also discussed the process of polling citizens about their opinions on the amended Civil Code. In light of the upcoming Tet holiday, lawmakers suggested the polling period be extended. Accordingly, Deputy Chairman Uong Chu Luu concluded that the polling period would be January 5 to April 5, replacing the previous period of January 1 to March 31. After this period, citizens may still voice their opinions by sending them to the Ministry of Justice. The ministry will be responsible for the task of gathering them and transferring them to the Government. The committee also approved a decree on Environmental Police, which was prepared and submitted by the National Defence and Security Committee in the afternoon session. The decree strengthens the country's legal framework to fight environmental crimes and environment-related food safety violations.  Hai Duong, Vientiane mark 30-year cooperation Senior officials from Hai Duong province are in Vientiane to attend a ceremony marking 30th anniversary of the twinning relationship between the Vietnamese northern locality and the Lao capital city. During the visit from December 21 – 25, the Vietnamese delegation, led by Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Manh Hien, has engaged in a number of talks with Vientiane’s authorities. Both sides took note of their comprehensive cooperation, particularly in agro-forestry, service and industry sectors with best results seen in farming, wood processing and sugarcane processing. Besides, the two have established official cooperation centres in their areas. In the coming time, they agreed to increase mutual visits to foster their partnership. Hai Duong pledged to continue supporting Vientiane in human resources training and encourage local enterprises to invest in Vientiane. United Russia Party delegation visits Vietnam Strengthened friendship and collaboration will actively contribute to the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russia. The statement was made by Head of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Hoang Binh Quan at a reception for the United Russia (ER) Party delegation headed by Senator Andrey Klimov, a member of ER faction, in Hanoi on December 23. The two sides shared views on international and regional issues of mutual interest, and exchanged measures to promote the implementation of agreements reached between leaders of the two Parties and the two countries during the official visit to Russia by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in November. The pair discussed preparations for the visit of the President of "United Russia" Party, Prime Minister of the Russian Federation D. Medvedev in 2015. While in Vietnam, the Russian delegation worked with officials from the National Assembly’s Committee for External Relations and leaders of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee. Party chief congratulates Japanese PM over lower house election Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has sent his congratulations to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe over the victory of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in the recent Lower House election. The PM was re-elected as President of the LDP as his ruling party and its junior partner Komeito swept the ballot on December 14 with a two-thirds majority in the lower house of parliament. The coalition won a combined 326 of the 475 seats, crushing the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan. Vietnam People’s Army founding anniversary marked abroad The 70th founding anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) and the 25th anniversary of the All-People’s Defense Festive Day were celebrated in Cuba, Mozambique, and the Czech Republic on December 22. Vietnamese Ambassador to Cuba Duong Minh highlighted the remarkable contributions of the VPA during the cause of the national independence, reunification, and development. The army has expanded its friendship and cooperation with global partners on the grounds of respecting the respective independence and sovereignty for peace, stability, and development. Meanwhile, the Vietnamese Embassy to Mozambique launched a programme to raise money for the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) Fund. Vietnamese veterans gathered at the first congress in Prague, the Czech Republic, to celebrate the events. Vietnam has established defence ties with nearly 70 countries across the world and opened defence attaché offices in 31 countries. Association works to boost Vietnam-Venezuela ties The Vietnam - Venezuela Friendship Association held the second congress in Hanoi on December 23, electing a 36-member executive board for the 2014-2019 tenure. Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and Public Administration Nguyen Viet Thao was elected as new President of the association. Since its inception in 2007, the association has made active contributions to the growing ties between Vietnam and Venezuela in politics and economics, former President Vu Van Hien said. The two countries have signed over 50 cooperation agreements in various fields from energy, oil and gas, agriculture and forestry to communication information, culture, education, sports and tourism. The pair also witnessed regular people-to-people exchanges to strengthen solidarity and traditional friendship, he further said. Venezuelan Ambassador to Vietnam Jorge Rondon Uzcategui pledged to actively work with the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) and the Vietnam-Venezuela Friendship Association to implement joint collaboration programmes. Newly-elected President Thao said the association will carry out more activities to enhance the mutual understanding and strategic partnership between the two countries. Vietnam, Cambodia keen to foster border ties Border provinces of Vietnam and Cambodia signed documents stating their determination to build the two countries’ shared border of peace, friendship and comprehensive cooperation for mutual development as agreed at the fourth conference on the theme. A joint statement relating to the work to be carried out in 2014-2016 was inked at the conference, which was held by the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and the National Council of Solidarity Front for the Development of Cambodia’s Motherland (SFDCM) in the Mekong delta province of Kien Giang on December 22-23. Accordingly, the two sides will boost communication campaigns to raise local residents’ awareness of the traditional sound relations and comprehensive cooperation while expanding models of people-to-people exchange and organising more visits at all levels. They pledged to mobilise local residents to wholeheartedly support and assist the border demarcation and the planting of border markers for early completion. They will foster information and document sharing and mobilise their citizens to take part in political events, contributing to building peaceful and sustainable Southeast Asia and Asia- Pacific. In addition, the two sides will help respective enterprises to invest in projects to promote socio-economic development with a view to bringing benefits to the two people and supporting efforts to alleviate poverty. VFF and SFDCM reviewed the implementation of the joint statement reached at the 2012 conference in Ratanakiri province, Cambodia. The fifth conference will be held in Cambodia in 2017. Vietnamese army’s foundation celebrated in Asia, Europe A series of activities were held by the Vietnamese Embassies in Asian and European countries over the last few days to celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army (December 22, 1944-2014). During a December 22 ceremony attended by Lao Vice President Bounnhang Volachit and Deputy Prime Ministers Somsavad Lengsavad and Phankham Viphavanh, Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Manh Hung reviewed the formation, development, and resounding victories of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA), such as the Dien Bien Phu Campaign in 1954 that ended the French colonial rule in Indochina, the “Dien Bien Phu on air” Campaign in 1972 that defeated the US airstrike in Hanoi, and the Ho Chi Minh Campaign in 1975 that liberated southern Vietnam and reunified the country. Nowadays, the VPA is further developed so as to firmly safeguard national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, while actively and proactively integrating into the international community and increasing cooperation with armies around the world, especially with the Lao People’s Army, he said. At a similar ceremony the same day held by the Vietnamese Embassy and the Vietnamese Attaché’s Office in Phnom Penh, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Tea Banh said under the sagacious leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the VPA has continuously developed and fulfilled the international mission of helping his country abolish the Khmer Rouge genocidal regime in January 1979. The Cambodian and Vietnamese armies have been standing side by side throughout history and will expand their mutual support in the future, he added. On this occasion, the Royal Cambodian Army organised a photo exhibition on the solidarity and cooperation between the two armies. Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials and war veterans highly valued the heroic tradition of the VPA while attending a December 22 ceremony marking its 70th founding anniversary hosted by the Vietnamese Embassy in Kiev. They voiced their wish for strengthened friendship and multifaceted cooperation, including in defence, between the two nations. On December 21, the Vietnamese community in Germany also marked the VPA’s foundation with a number of activities across the European country. VNA/VNN