Government News 2/4 Party General Secretary to make official China visit General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong will pay an official visit to China from April 7 to 10, the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations has announced. The visit is made at an invitation from General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and President of China Xi Jinping. PM greets Russian Ambassador Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung held a reception for Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Vnukov Konstantin Vasilievich on April 1. At the meeting, the Prime Minister voiced his delight at the growing comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Vietnam and Russia while stating that both sides can leverage potentials to further bilateral cooperation across fields of economics, trade and investment. He said he is looking forward to the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, adding that he believes the visit will be a driving force to elevate the bilateral strategic partnership to a new height. PM Nguyen Tan Dung asked the ambassador to help accelerate the finalization of the free trade agreement between Vietnam and the Customs Union of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus. He expressed hope that the Russian Ambassador will do his utmost during his tenure to bolster bilateral cooperation across fields. On his part, the Russian Ambassador thanked Vietnam for its preparation for the Russian Prime Minister’s visit, underscoring that the visit is crucial for two sides to lift up cooperation relations. He highlighted that Russia will be a trustful partner of Vietnam while pledging that Russia will further cooperation with Vietnam in fields of its strength, including energy, nuclear energy and military technology. Mass mobilisation official visits religious groups on Easter A delegation led by Ha Thi Khiet , Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Mass Mobilisation, visited the Archdiocese of Hanoi and the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (North) on the occasion of Easter. On behalf of the Party and the State, Khiet wished Archbishop Peter Nguyen Van Nhon and all the dignitaries, priests and followers to have an Easter full of happiness and blessings. Khiet congratulated Nhon on becoming the sixth Cardinal in Vietnam and hoped Nhon would continue making contributions to the Church and the country by guiding the Vietnam Catholic community to follow policies and laws in his new role. Archbishop Nhon expressed his thanks to the Party and State leaders for sharing the joy on the most important holiday of Christianity. During the delegation’s visit to the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (North) , Khiet highly appreciated Pastor Nguyen Huu Mac’s contributions to the building and development of the country and affirmed that the Party and the State continually strive to create suitable policies for all religions. Pastor Mac expressed his pleasure at receiving the well wishes for the first time from central officials. Mac said the Party and State’s open policies coupled with support from governmental agencies have helped the Church grow and in turn cement the trust of its followers to the Party and State. The Deputy Head of the Government’s Commission on Religious Affairs Bui Thanh Ha said that the Church has made substantial progress and wished it would guide its followers towards positive virtues. NA Vice Chairwoman welcomes UK Parliamentary delegation National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan had a meeting in Hanoi on April 1 with a UK parliamentary delegation led by Alistair Burt, during which she expressed her delight at the growing relations between the two countries across all sectors. Along with organising meetings among top leaders, both sides have strengthened political and economic consultations and dialogues, promoting mutual understanding and trust as well as bilateral cooperation, she said. She noted the economic partnership is growing, with trade reaching 4.3 billion USD in 2014. However, the figure between the two countries has yet to reach its potential, she asserted. Both sides have striven to increase education collaboration by setting up a Vietnam-UK University which is expected to become operational shortly, she said, adding that she hopes the UK will create favourable conditions for Vietnamese students in the country and grant more scholarship to Vietnamese students. She proposed Vietnam and the UK continue their close coordination at multilateral forums and international organisations, especially at the United Nations, Asia-Europe Meetings, and ASEAN-EU cooperative efforts. Vietnam appreciates the UK Parliament’s approval of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between Vietnam and the EU, she stated, expressing her hope that the UK Parliament would continue supporting Vietnam ’s all-round ties with the union. The NA Vice Chairwoman also voiced her wish that the UK Parliament would push the EU’s approval of the PCA as well as the finalisation and signing of a Vietnam-EU free trade agreement and recognising Vietnam ’s market economy. For his part, Burt lauded Vietnam ’s successful hosting of the 132 nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. He held that Vietnam is on a rapid development trend that is set to continue reaping achievements. He said he hopes both sides would foster their cooperation in the fields of finance, science-technology, education and culture. Lao NA Chairwoman lauds Ben Tre socio-economic model Chairwoman of the Lao National Assembly (NA) Pany Yathotou lauded the socio-economic development model employed in the southern province of Ben Tre during a working session with local authorities on April 1. She learned about local experience in foreign investment attraction, poverty reduction, and the organisation and activities of local People’s Councils. The same day, Yathotou paid tribute to the late Vice Chairwoman of the State Council Nguyen Thi Dinh and visited the Luong Quoi coconut processing company. The 420-strong company produces a variety of coconut products, exporting to demanding markets like Japan and Canada. This year, it expects to earn 29 million USD from exports and 710 billion VND (33.8 million USD) from domestic sales. The Lao NA Chairwoman is paying an official visit to Vietnam from March 30 to April 4 on the occasion of her attendance at the 132nd Assembly of the Inter-parliamentary Union. Hanoi celebrates IPU-132 success A meeting was held in Hanoi on April 1 to celebrate the success of the 132 nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-132) hosted by Vietnam from March 28-April 1. Attending the event were Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung, IPU President Saber Chowdhury and the IPU Secretariat, among others. Addressing the event, Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen The Thao said the capital city was proud to host the IPU-132, an important event in Hanoi and Vietnam as a whole. During the event, parliamentarians from Vietnam and the world voiced their desire for a world of democracy, peace, friendship, cooperation and progress, stated Thao. Together with the Hanoi Declaration, documents adopted during the event are significant in marking a new development period and fuelling parliamentary cooperation in the world, he said. The Hanoi leader emphasised that the success of the IPU-132 is a political highlight not only creating an impetus for parliamentary collaboration and people-to-people exchange between Vietnam and the world, but also generating a chance for the country to demonstrate its progress to international friends and boost trade and investment cooperation. Meanwhile, IPU President Saber Chowdhury said the success of the IPU-132 expands partnership among IPU members. During the five-day event, IPU members worked tirelessly to map out a road to peace, prosperity, democracy and development, he said, adding that he believes in the next 10 or 15 years, the younger generation will take the IPU-132 as an accumulation of intelligence leading the people to a brighter future.- Party official welcomes Japanese parliamentary delegation Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Hoang Binh Quan received a parliamentary delegation from Japan on April 1, who are in Hanoi to attend the 132nd Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly (IPU-132). Quan hailed the delegation’s participation in the IPU-132 as an important contribution to the event’s success. He voiced his delight at the recent development of the two nations’ relations across fields, affirming that Vietnamese Government and people treasure and look for ways to deepen their strategic partnership with Japan. For his part, Shunichi Suzuki, member of the Japanese House of Representatives, expressed his strong impressions of Vietnam and the country’s successful organisation of the IPU-132. He underscored that two peoples’ close-knit relations play a crucial role in promoting cooperation between the two parties and parliaments and pledged to work to bolster the Japan-Vietnam strategic partnership. NA Chairman meets IPU Secretary General National Assembly (NA) Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung has proposed that Inter-Parliamentary Union leaders continue supporting the promotion of parliamentary ties with the Vietnamese NA, while backing and creating favourable conditions for the country at parliamentary forums and the union. Meeting with IPU Secretary-General Martin Chungong in Hanoi on April 1, the NA Chairman thanked the Secretary-General and the IPU Secretariat for helping Vietnam prepare and organise the 132 nd Assembly of the union (IPU-132). The IPU Secretary General lauded Vietnam for successfully hosting the IPU-132, attributing the success to Vietnam ’s professional organisation. The success of the event has raised the position of the IPU among international organisations, stated Chungong. He held that this is an important time to review the operations of the IPU Assembly and determine future growth orientations. The Secretariat will compile all documents of the Assembly, deliver them to parliamentarians and post them to the IPU website, he said. An official note and the Hanoi Declaration will also be sent to the United Nations Secretary General to incorporate the IPU-132 content with the UN agenda, highlighting the host country’s message to the international community and bolstering sustainable development goals, stated Chungong. He also appreciated Vietnam ’s NA and Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung’s efforts in organising the IPU-132, leaving strong impressions on the delegates. NA Chairman holds talks with Swedish Parliament Speaker National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung welcomed and held talks with Speaker of the Swedish Parliament Urban Ahlin during his official visit to Vietnam on April 1. Valuing the Speaker’s visit and presence at the 132 nd Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly, Chairman Hung believed that the visit would open up new opportunities for cooperation between the two sides. Vietnam remembers and appreciates the valuable and goodwill support from Sweden during the country’s previous struggle for liberation and current nation-building and development process, particularly Sweden’s provision of aid for sustainable development, and wishes to enhance the bilateral cooperation to a deeper and more practical level, he stated. The Vietnamese NA is willing to coordinate closely with the Swedish Parliament across sectors, he affirmed, suggesting Sweden intensify its cooperation with and support for Vietnam in clean and renewable energies, transportation, financial-banking services, and health, as well as working with Vietnam to raise bilateral trade from the current 1.2 billion USD. The top legislator also asked Sweden to back the signing of a free trade agreement between Vietnam and the European Union. The two legislative bodies should maintain delegation exchanges, intensify dialogues on regional and international issues of mutual concern and continue sharing experience in law-making and personnel training, he added. Speaker Urban Ahlin highlighted Vietnam’s socio-economic development achievements, especially in poverty reduction, affirming that his country will continue providing aid for Vietnam and collaborate in healthcare, infrastructure, energy use and environmental protection. Sweden is also willing to support Vietnam in its institutional reform, enhancing democracy, ensuring human rights and building laws on sea and corruption prevention, he said. His current visit to Vietnam is a manifestation of the Swedish Parliament, Government and people’s desires to tighten bilateral ties, he added. At the talks, both leaders agreed that trade cooperation has yet to meet its potential, calling on Swedish enterprises to expand their investments in Vietnam. They also reached a consensus on considering the establishment of a friendship parliamentarians’ group to boost partnership between the two legislative bodies. NA Chairman receives Maldivian counterpart Vietnam’s diplomatic policies consistently aim for friendship with South Asian countries, National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung declared while meeting with his Maldivian counterpart Abdulla Maseek Mohamed in Hanoi on April 1. Hung lauded the Maldivian delegation’s suggestion to establish a South Asian parliament union during the 132nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliament Union (IPU-132). Vietnam looks to work with the Maldives in trade, shipping and tourism, the NA Chairman said, adding that the two legislative bodies should support each other in regional and global forums. Concurring with his host, Abdulla Maseek Mohamed noted his country wants to boost mutual understanding and improve tourism and cultural cooperation with Vietnam. He hoped that a Hanoi declaration would be passed at the conclusion of this year’s IPU and urged the launch of practical programmes to celebrate 40 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations (1975-2015). Association of Secretaries General of Parliaments’ session wraps up Experience and measures to improve the quality and efficiency of Parliament’s aid office were shared and discussed at the last session of the Association of Secretaries General of Parliaments (ASGP) on April 1 in Hanoi as part of the 132nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-132). Participants focused their discussions on the prospective strategies of parliamentary organizations aiming to enhance efficiency and transparency in communication as well as the role of information technology in the development of parliaments. In his speech, General Secretary of the Lower House of Parliament of India Anoop Mishra said his country’s specialised committees are responsible for assessing, offering recommendations, and producing periodic reports while legislative bodies supervise and revise laws to ensure the practice of adopted laws. Delegates also heard introductions to the Union’s recent activities and debated on the agenda for the upcoming meeting, scheduled to take place in Cartagena De Indias, Colombia from October 31-November 4. The ASGP—a consultative body of the IPU—seeks to facilitate contact between Secretary Generals in parliamentary assemblies, whether such assembly is a member of the IPU or not. ASGP membership is independent of the IPU. The task of the association is to study the law, procedure, practice and working methods of different Parliaments; propose measures for improving the methods; and secure cooperation between the services of different Parliaments. Vietnam willing to foster parliamentary ties with Syria The National Assembly of Vietnam (NA) is willing to boost cooperation with the Syrian parliament bilaterally and multilaterally, said NA Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan while meeting with Speaker of the Syrian People’s Assembly Mohammad Jihad al-Laham in Hanoi on April 1. She expressed her hope that the countries’ legislative delegations would support each other at inter-parliamentary forums and exchange international matters of shared interest. The official noted closer parliamentary collaboration will help deepen the solidarity and friendship between the two countries, adding that Vietnam is closely following the situation in Syria and hopes the Western Asian country will soon re-gain stability and peace. Speaker Mohammad Jihad al-Laham said he is impressed with Vietnam’s organisation of the IPU-132 and hopes the two countries will intensify cooperation in various fields. He also sent an invitation to visit Syria to the Vietnamese NA Chairman and considered the visit an opportunity for both sides to share experience, bolster connections and enhance mutual understanding.- President meets Cuban workers centre chief President Truong Tan Sang met Secretary General of the centre of Workers of Cuba (CTC) Ulises Giularte de Nascimiento in Hanoi on April 1. During the reception, Secretary General Nascimiento expressed his appreciation to the Vietnam Communist Party (CPV), State and people for their support to Cuba and updated the President on the results of his meeting with the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL). The guest delegation requested additional experience exchanges with Vietnam in attracting investment and trade union activities in industrial zones and non-state businesses to fulfil current Cuban development objectives, he said. President Sang reiterated the close cooperation between Vietnam and Cuba at regional and United Nations forums, and lauded the special friendship between the two nations. He also hailed Cuba’s significant achievements in socio-economic development and urged the VGCL and CTC to promote their exchanges and conduct activities to protecting labourers’ benefits, and on Party-building work. Singapore, Vietnam have warm parliamentary ties: Singaporean Speaker The legislative bodies of Singapore and Vietnam are enjoying a warm and friendly relationship, Speaker of the Singaporean Parliament Halimah Yacob told the Vietnam News Agency. Besides bilateral visits, parliamentarians regularly meet and maintain contact with each other at international and regional parliamentary conferences, such as the International Parliamentary Union (IPU) and ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), she added. She affirmed that her Vietnam visit from April 2-4 will be another manifestation of the partnership. During her stay, the speaker plans to hold talks with her Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Sinh Hung and meet with State President Truong Tan Sang, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan and National Assembly (NA) Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. She will also visit the NA Plenary Hall and the Women’s Museum in Hanoi to gain a deeper understanding about various aspects of Vietnam, particularly the role of women in society. The top legislative representative highlighted the strategic partnership between the two countries, which was elevated during Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s official visit to Vietnam in 2013. Yacob stated the strategic partnership declaration was not only a milestone for the deepening ties, but also a commitment from the two countries to continue to work together bilaterally and regionally in a wide range of areas. She continued, noting the people-to-people ties have grown rapidly and hoped it was only the beginning of a trend. Each year, Singapore welcomes Vietnamese tourists and students to its shores. Through the Singapore Cooperation Programme, the country has helped train more than 14,000 Vietnamese officials thus far. An increasing number of Singaporeans are choosing Vietnam as their holiday destination thanks to improved flight connections. Vietnam and Singapore are building on their strong economic links as bilateral trade has doubled since 2005 to reach 20.3 billion SGD (14.8 billion USD) in 2014. Singapore remains one of Vietnam’s top three foreign investors with a cumulative investment of 32.7 billion USD. Several Singaporean companies like Sembcorp, Capital Land, Keppel Land and Mapletree have been operating in Vietnam for many years and have contributed to shaping Vietnam’s urban and industrial landscapes, she said. The speaker also took the occasion to appreciate the messages of condolences from Vietnamese leaders and people over the death of Singapore’s founding Prime Minister Lee Kwan Yew, particularly Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s presence at the State funeral service for the deceased on March 29. She said she looks forward to many more decades of close ties and strong cooperation between the two countries. Vietnam, Cuba labour agencies boost cooperation The labour agencies of Vietnam and Cuba will strengthen their relationship following the visit of Secretary General of the Confederation of Cuban Workers (CTC) Ulises de Nascimiento to Vietnam. At his working session with Cuban officials on March 31, Chairman of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) Dang Ngoc Tung said Secretary General Nascimiento’s visit was a demonstration of the unity and friendship between the two agencies and countries. While congratulating Nascimiento on the success of the 20th Congress of the CTC, Tung expressed his belief that the two sides will continue to coordinate and build the strong relationship between the two countries’ workers and unions. Expressing his delight at the enthusiastic reception from the VGCL, Secretary General Nascimiento thanked the VGCL’s assistance to the CTC in recent years and hoped the visit would enhance the relationship between the two agencies and the diplomatic relations between the two nations. The delegation is scheduled to pay their respects to the late President Ho Chi Minh and meet with State President Truong Tan Sang and other union agencies. VNA