Government News 23/4 Vietnam, Hungary agree to boost procuracy links A delegation led by Prosecutor General of the Supreme People’s Procuracy Nguyen Hoa Binh paid a working visit to Hungary from April 20-23 to promote cooperation between the two countries’ procuracy sectors. During his meeting with the delegation on April 22, Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen stressed that his country will focus on forging procuracy links with Vietnam. He hailed the results of working sessions between Vietnamese delegates with leaders of Hungary’s supreme Procuracy and Court, adding that his country is willing to support Vietnam in training judicial staff. Previously, Prosecutor General Binh held talks with his Hungarian counterpart Peter Polt and President of Hungary’s Supreme Court Peter Darak, during which they shared experiences in fighting hi-tech and financial crimes and protecting human rights. The Vietnamese official said Vietnam wants to learn from and apply successful studies conducted by Hungary’s Supreme Procuracy. According to Binh, the two sides discussed and reached agreements related to personnel training, especially those in the judiciary branch. The Hungarian government also agreed to increase the number of scholarships for Vietnamese students to study in the country. During their stay, the Vietnamese delegation also paid a courtesy visit to Vice Speaker of the National Assembly of Hungary Janos Latorcal. The host said he hopes Vietnam will serve as a bridge linking Hungary with other ASEAN member nations. He also expressed his desire that Hungary and Vietnam would support one another in international forums and organisations such as the International Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership (ASEP).- Tay Ninh fosters cooperation ties with Cambodia’s Preyveng Authorities and residents in southwest Tay Ninh province continually treasure the traditional friendship and solidarity with the neighbouring Cambodian province of Preyveng, said Secretary of the Tay Ninh Party’s Committee Vo Van Phuong. During a reception on April 22 in Tay Ninh for his Cambodian counterpart So Bon Sa Rat and his delegation, Phuong expressed his hope that the two provinces would expand their cooperation across all fields. Tay Ninh has seen an annual average 10.5 percent growth in GDP over the past five years, recording 42.2 trillion VND (2 billion USD) in 2014 with an annual income per capita of 2,360 USD, according to Phuong. The locality is now home to 224 foreign investment projects with total registered capital of nearly 2.9 billion USD, and 355 domestic investment projects worth a total of 37.5 trillion VND (1.75 trillion USD). Trade between Tay Ninh and Preyveng posted at 1.2 billion USD in 2014. The Vietnamese province currently has four big projects operating in Cambodia. For his part, So Bon Sa Rat, who is also Chairman of Pveyreng provincial Council, hoped the two sides would foster cooperative ties between the two Parties and authorities in tandem with delegation exchanges and experience sharing. He also suggested Tay Ninh facilitate trade at the Tan Nam-Mon Cheay border gates and accelerate proposals to upgrade them to international border gates. Vietnam, Japan localities have significant cooperation potential: Ambassador Vietnamese and Japanese localities have enormous untapped potential for cooperation, according to Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Doan Xuan Hung. The ambassador told Vice Chairman of the Hai Phong city People’s Committee Do Trung Thoai during a working session in Tokyo on April 22 that partnership between provinces and cities of the two countries is a good way to go besides traditional cooperative channels. He noted that while governmental cooperation remains the main focus of the countries’ extensive strategic partnership, relations between localities have intensified over the past years, with the partnership between Hai Phong City and Kitakyushu city of Japan’s Fukuoka prefecture as one outstanding instance. Vice Chairman Do Trung Thoai, who is making a working trip to Japan, said Kitakyushu has helped Hai Phong build a strategy on boosting green growth and reducing greenhouse gas emission that includes environmental treatment, clean water supply and transport system planning. His visit aims to seek collaboration with Fukuoka in the aquatic and education sectors, he noted, adding that Hai Phong is also exploring cooperation opportunities with Niigata prefecture, an exemplar of rice production and farm work mechanisation in Japan. PM vows support for war veterans, heroes The Party and State will offer more support to families of war heroes and invalids, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung told a gathering of war veterans and former wartime youth volunteers in Hanoi on April 22. The gathering took place ahead of the 40th anniversary of southern liberation and national reunification (April 30). The PM said the Party, State and people forever remember and respect those who laid down their lives for national liberation. The day April 30 is a glorious historic hallmark, a pinnacle of patriotism and revolutionary heroism, and a triumph of the nation as a whole, he added. He expressed hope that war veterans and wartime youth volunteers will hold up their tradition and set examples for young generations, continuing to contribute to society. On the occasion, the PM also urged the Vietnam Veterans’ Association (VAA) and the Vietnam Wartime Youth Volunteers’ Association (WYVA) to strengthen their organisation and participate in building a strong Party and government. Over the course of its 25-year development, the VAA has united war veterans across the country and launched various social campaigns. The WYVA, founded 10 years ago, has established chapters in 60 out of 63 cities and provinces with nearly 400,000 members. Party official meets head of Lao economic think-tank Politburo member and permanent member of the Party Central Committee Secretariat Le Hong Anh hosted Bouasone Bouphavanh, Head of the Lao Party Central Committee’s Commission for Economic Development Strategy Research (EDSR) in Hanoi on April 22. Anh told Bouphavanh that he believes under the leadership of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, the Lao people will achieve the goals set by the 9 th National Party Congress and successfully hold all-level Party Congresses towards the 10 th National Party Congress. He spoke highly of the outcomes of talks between the Vietnamese Party Central Committee’s Economic Commission and the Lao commission, as well as their effective recent cooperation. The host also hoped for continued collaboration in information and experience sharing, and briefed his guest about Vietnam’s Party building and preparations for the 12 th National Party Congress. Bouphavanh, in return, pledged to increase sharing information and experience with Vietnam while preparing for their respective National Party Congresses. Party chief takes note of development incentives for Lang Son Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong took note of proposed incentives for infrastructure upgrades in border economic zones during a working session with Lang Son province’s authorities on April 22. With over 230 kilometres of border roads and two international, one major and 9 auxiliary border gates, the northern mountainous province is well-positioned to facilitate cross-border trade, especially with China, a vibrant and populous market, he said. Lang Son should also focus on hi-tech processing, agriculture and forestry, the Party chief suggested, adding that the province could easily link with Hai Phong, Quang Ninh and other neighbouring localities. He urged that successful new rural construction models be expanded and multifaceted cooperation with Chinese border provinces be strengthened for mutual benefits. Together with economic development, Party building is crucial and personnel are the root of any revolution, he said while directing steps for personnel training and long-term planning. The leader also hoped that Lang Son would actively put forward initiatives and make the best use of its resources to attract investment flows. He stated confidently that the upcoming 16 th provincial Party Congress will mark a forward leap in local development. Looking back on the past five years, Lang Son has recorded an average income per capita of 33.4 million VND (1,590 USD), driving the poverty rate down to 14.9 percent. Total value of import-export activities in the province rose 1.7 times from 2010 to 3.5 billion USD last year, contributing around 6 trillion VND (286 million USD) to the State budget. In the first quarter of this year, the figure was more than 1.34 trillion VND (63.8 million USD). In 2014, as many as 2,400 people were admitted to the Party. With an additional 461 in the first quarter of 2015; the total number of local Party members currently amounts to 55,297. The Party chief also held a working session with the Party Committee of Chi Lang commune, one of the first two communes in Lang Son recognised as new rural-style areas. He asked the commune to build on its past achievements and improve the quality of Party activities. On the occasion, he visited and presented gifts to families of outstanding farmers. Party chief takes note of development incentives for Lang Son Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong took note of proposed incentives for infrastructure upgrades in border economic zones during a working session with Lang Son province’s authorities on April 22. With over 230 kilometres of border roads and two international, one major and 9 auxiliary border gates, the northern mountainous province is well-positioned to facilitate cross-border trade, especially with China, a vibrant and populous market, he said. Lang Son should also focus on hi-tech processing, agriculture and forestry, the Party chief suggested, adding that the province could easily link with Hai Phong, Quang Ninh and other neighbouring localities. He urged that successful new rural construction models be expanded and multifaceted cooperation with Chinese border provinces be strengthened for mutual benefits. Together with economic development, Party building is crucial and personnel are the root of any revolution, he said while directing steps for personnel training and long-term planning. The leader also hoped that Lang Son would actively put forward initiatives and make the best use of its resources to attract investment flows. He stated confidently that the upcoming 16 th provincial Party Congress will mark a forward leap in local development. Looking back on the past five years, Lang Son has recorded an average income per capita of 33.4 million VND (1,590 USD), driving the poverty rate down to 14.9 percent. Total value of import-export activities in the province rose 1.7 times from 2010 to 3.5 billion USD last year, contributing around 6 trillion VND (286 million USD) to the State budget. In the first quarter of this year, the figure was more than 1.34 trillion VND (63.8 million USD). In 2014, as many as 2,400 people were admitted to the Party. With an additional 461 in the first quarter of 2015; the total number of local Party members currently amounts to 55,297. The Party chief also held a working session with the Party Committee of Chi Lang commune, one of the first two communes in Lang Son recognised as new rural-style areas. He asked the commune to build on its past achievements and improve the quality of Party activities. On the occasion, he visited and presented gifts to families of outstanding farmers. Vietnam, Laos share economic development experience Heads of Lao and Vietnamese economic think tanks met in Hanoi on April 22 to exchange experience in economic development and future orientations. Bouasone Bouphavanh, head of the Institute for Economic Development Strategy Research (EDSR), met with Vuong Dinh Hue, head of the Communist Party of Vietnam’s Central Committee’s Economic Commission during his visit to Vietnam. At the meeting, Hue shared Vietnam’s economic reform experience over the past 30 years as well as introduced important issues concerning social-economic sectors which are intended to be submitted to the Communist Party of Vietnam’s 12th Congress. Hue touched upon important points in Vietnam’s future social-economic development strategy and economy restructuring policy as well as highlights and lessons from Vietnam’s current social-economic development. For his part, Bouasone Bouphavanh informed Hue of the social-economic development situation in Laos and the main points in the Political Report draft for the 10th Congress of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party. The two sides also discussed the global and regional economic situation. During its five-day visit, Bouasone Bouphavanh and his entourage will meet with the Association of Vietnamese Investors in Laos. They also had a working session with the Ho Chi Minh City’s Party Committee to learn from experiences in building social-economic development strategies and plans, attracting foreign investment capital, managing industrial and economic zones and structuring the city’s economy. Vietnam learns from France’s legislative experience A delegation from the National Assembly’s Law Committee led by Phan Trung Ly, head of the committee and member of the NA Standing Committee, has paid a working visit to France to learn from the country’s experience law-making and realising its constitution. During their stay from April 19-22, the delegation met with Pascal Deguilhem, a French parliamentarian and Chairman of the France-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarian Group, who affirmed that the French Parliament is keen on cooperating with Vietnam . He said the French Parliament hopes to promote delegation exchanges at all levels with the Vietnamese NA, diversifying parliamentary collaboration as well as affiliation among professional committees of the two parliaments. On April 20, the delegation had a working session focusing on in-depth professional issues with Bernard Pecheur from the Conseil d’Eat, the supreme administrative court of France that also provides advice to the government on legislation. On April 21, the delegation met with Jean-Jacques Hyest, member of the Law Committee of the French Parliament’s Senate, who introduced the local process for holding referendums as well as legal frameworks for protest freedoms. Earlier the same day, the delegation worked with the Justice Ministry on the law of accessing administrative documents. According to Ly, the working sessions provided useful information on relevant issues for Vietnamese legislators, helping them prepare for the drafting of related laws. At the meetings, both sides expressed their delight at the growing partnership between the two parliaments, pledging to work harder together to further the relations as part of efforts to consolidate the strategic partnership between Vietnam and France . On April 22, the delegation left France to start another working visit in Belgium. PAPI 2014 Red River Delta results discussed Results of the Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI) survey in 2014 in the Red River Delta were discussed at a workshop held in the northern province of Bac Ninh on April 22. This is the first of a series of eight workshops on the survey to be held across the nation by the Centre for Community Support and Development Studies (CECODES), the Centre for Research and Training of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF-CRT) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) this year. PAPI is the most effective policy monitoring tool that reflects citizen experiences with central to local governments in performing their governance, public administration and public services delivery functions. It measures six dimensions, namely Participation at Local Levels, Transparency, Vertical Accountability, Control of Corruption, Public Administrative Procedures, and Public Service Delivery, alongside 22 sub-dimensions and 92 indicators. The 2014 PAPI report represents the results of the fourth annual nationwide survey with data articulating the experience of 13,552 randomly selected citizens who are a representative sample of different demographic groups from 63 cities and provinces. The citizens were also asked to assess the State governance and public administration performance. At the workshop, experts and researchers were briefed on the PAPI nationwide results in 2014 as well as the index of the Red River Delta provinces in comparison with previous years (2011-2014). Thai Binh and Nam Dinh both had relatively good performances. The PAPI has helped motivate public officials and civil servants to improve public sector management and service delivery, better serve citizens and foster national development. Hanoi commemorates Soviet Union’s first leader A delegation from the Party Committee, the People’s Council, the People’s Committee of Hanoi and the Vietnam Fatherland Front’s Central Committee laid wreaths at the statue of Vladimir Ilych Lenin – the first leader of the Soviet Union – in Chi Lang Park on April 22 on the occasion of the late leader’s 145th birthday (April 22, 1870). The officials were led by Ngo Thi Thanh Hang, Deputy Secretary of the municipal Party Committee. Lenin is one of the eminent political figures and revolutionary thinkers of the 20th century, who masterminded the Bolshevik takeover in Russia in 1917 and became the first leader of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). The annual activity is to show Hanoi’s deep gratitude to the great teacher of labourers worldwide. The same day, delegations from other city agencies also laid wreaths at the statue. VNA