Top legislator of Republic of Korea starts visit

The speaker of the Republic of Korea’s National Assembly Kang Chang Hee and his delegation arrived in Hanoi on January 13 for a four day official visit.

The visit is made at the invitation of Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung.

The entourage includes parliamentary members of the Republic of Korea from various parties.

Prime Minister visits air defence missile battalion

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung visited air defence missile battalion 64 of the Airforce Service's division 361 yesterday, Jan 13, calling on officers and soldiers to stay prepared for combat in any situation.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung tours missile facility in Ha Noi. (Photo: VNS)

Division 361 is responsible for protecting the airspace of Ha Noi and the northern region.

It was a key force in the 12-day battle against the US B52 bombing of Ha Noi, which resulted in a victory dubbed "Dien Bien Phu in the air" in December 1972.

The division was involved in over 1,800 battles between 1965 and 1970 and shot down 591 enemy airplanes, including 35 B52s.

Today's battalion has been equipped with an S-300 PMU 1 system, which can detect targets at a distance of 300km and raze targets from a distance of 5km to 150km at a height between 10m and 27,000m.

PM Dung lauded both the division and the battalion's efforts to acquire modern weapons and be ready for action, saying this helped maintain the peace, independence and sovereignty of the nation.

He also asked the officers and soldiers to improve their professional skills, utilise advanced technology and create skillful combat plans when situations required them to do so.

The Party and State would strive to equip the army with modern equipment, the PM said.

Italian Defence Minister visits HCM City

Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Le Hoang Quan has hailed the Italian Defence Minister’s visit as opening up a new chapter of cooperation between the two countries, especially between the two defence ministries.

At his reception for the visiting Italian minister on January 12, Quan said both countries have enjoyed growing political and diplomatic ties in recent time. They need to foster their economic, trade and investment cooperation in the coming years.

He expressed his belief that the upcoming visit to Italy by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong will help expand bilateral cooperation further.

Minister Giampaolo Di Paola agreed that Trong’s future visit will further cement Italy-Vietnam relations and bring them to a strategic partnership level while noting that his visit reflected interests Italy gave to Vietnam.

Di Paola said he was impressed by HCM City’s robust development, and potential cooperation opportunities it has offered, which he knew are highly valued by the Italians currently doing business in the city.

He suggested that both countries should carry out a long-term investment strategy in the coming time to exploit their increasing multidimensional ties.

The same day, the Italian Minister and his entourage made a tour of the historical Cu Chi tunnel system.

Earlier on January 10, Minister Giampaolo Di Paola had a meeting with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and held talks with Defence Minister Phung Quang Thanh.

Di Paola was the first defence minister of Italy to visit Vietnam since the two countries set up their defence ties.

He affirmed in the visit that Italy is willing to partner with Vietnam in defence, especially in shipbuilding and training.

High-ranking Lao delegation visits Bac Ninh

A high-ranking delegation from the Lao People's Revolutionary Party paid a working visit to the northern province of Bac Ninh on January 12 to learn from the locality’s experiences in various fields.

Secretary of the Bac Ninh Province Party Committee Tran Van Tuy shared experiences in economic development and Party building with the delegation. He briefed the guests on the province’s recent achievements and its plan to develop into a dynamic industrial locality in Vietnam.

Bac Ninh Province’s focus is to build the Party, strengthen the political system, and expand the Party’s leadership role in local socio-economic development, Tuy stressed.

Lao Party Central Committee Secretary Cheuang Sombounkhan said he was impressed with the province’s economic growth rate and its efforts to attract foreign direct investment.

Laos can learn a lot from the province’s valuable experiences, he added.

Also on the same day, the Lao delegation made a fact-finding tour of several industrial zones in the province.

El Salvador seeks closer ties with Vietnam

El Salvador attaches importance to expanding multifaceted cooperation with Vietnam, especially in economics, trade, science-technology, and climate change adaptation.

President Mauricio Funes Cartagena made the statement while receiving newly-accredited ambassador Le Thanh Tung in San Salvador capital on January 11.

El Salvador will create favourable conditions for Vietnamese businesses to invest efficiently in this Central American nation, said the President.

He expressed his strong admiration for Vietnam’s glorious tradition and its tremendous achievements during the current Doi Moi (Renewal) process.

Ambassador Tung highlighted the positive development of bilateral ties, and said Vietnam is keen to strengthen cooperation in the fields of agriculture, aquaculture and telecommunications with El Salvador.

He thanked the Central American nation for its solidarity with Vietnam, contributions to the success of last year’s Vietnam-Latin America Ministerial Forum on Trade and Investment, and support for Vietnam’s United Nations Human Rights Council membership bid for the 2014-2016 term.

He conveyed Vietnamese State President Truong Tan Sang’s best regards and invitation to visit Hanoi to President Mauricio Funes Cartagena.

President Cartegena said he is looking forward to visiting Vietnam in the near future.

The same day, the diplomat paid a courtesy visit to parliamentary speaker Sigfrido Reyes and met with other El Salvador leaders to exchange views on bilateral ties.

Binh Phuoc completes demarcation with Cambodia

Southern Binh Phuoc province is the first locality to complete the assigned land border demarcation with Cambodia after six years of implementation.

The achievement was announced at a conference held in Binh Phuoc on January 11 by the provincial Border Demarcation and Marker Planting Steering Committee in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The task was completed on November 30, 2012. The province successfully planted 28 markers at 19 locations along 260.4 kilometers of Vietnam-Cambodia border. It is the longest stretch of border that a Vietnamese province shares with Cambodia. The majority of the boundary covers forest, hills and rivers.

In addition, the province planted 81 land border benchmark pillars, creating conditions for better border management and protection.

In 2013, the provincial border demarcation and marker planting team and their Cambodian counterparts will hold meetings to process related data, sign minutes and finalise dossiers on border markers, benchmark pillars and delineation.

Leaders offer get-well messages to Chavez

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Truong Tan Sang and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung sent last Thursday get-well messages to President of Venezuela Hugo Chavez Frias.

The Vietnamese leaders wished Hugo Chavez fast and full recovery from the surgery to remove cancerous tumours.

VNN/VOV/VNS/VNA