President Sang praises youngsters' good deeds

Adolescents should continue to learn from the traditions of their ancestors and take part in the national "Thousand Good Deeds" campaign, President Truong Tan Sang said yesterday, May 15, at a ceremony celebrating the 50th anniversary of the campaign.

The campaign aims to convince young people to make doing good deeds part of their daily routine. It encourages adolescents to follow President Ho Chi Minh's advice, as well as to take part in social activities and help develop the Ho Chi Minh Communist Adolescents Union.

Deputy Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan spoke to the 72 outstanding adolescents at a friendly meeting in Ha Noi. (Photo: TP)

The ceremony was organised by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and the Ministry of Education and Training in Bac Ninh Province, where the campaign was first launched 50 years ago. It marked the 123rd birthday of President Ho Chi Minh and the 72nd anniversary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Adolescents Union and was attended by national leaders as well as 72 exemplary representatives of the country's 15 million adolescents.

National agencies, local governments, teachers and parents were also responsible for ensuring that adolescents did good deeds, Sang said. As role models, these individuals and authorities should encourage teenagers not only to enjoy life and study hard but also to improve society.

On the same day, Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, Deputy Chairwoman of the National Assembly, spoke to the 72 outstanding adolescents at a friendly meeting in Ha Noi.

She affirmed that the Party and Government prioritised taking care of young people and praised the honorees for their good deeds.

Viet Nam condemns fatal bombing attacks in Turkey

Viet Nam strongly condemned the bombing attacks in the Turkish town of Reyhanli on Saturday, which killed at least 45 people and injured more than 100 others.

"We express our deep sympathy and condolences to the Government of Turkey and the families of the victims," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Luong Thanh Nghi said yesterday, emphasising that the bombers should be severely punished.

VN supports Si Lanka’s aquaculture development

A ceremony took place in Colombo on May 14 to launch a Vietnam-funded technical support project for Sri Lanka’s aquaculture development.

The event was attended by Sri Lankan Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Sarath Kumara Gunaratne, National Aquaculture Development Authority of Sri Lanka (NAQDA) Chairman J. Chandrasoma, Vietnamese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Ton Sinh Thanh and Director of the Research Institute for Aquaculture No. 3 (RIA 3) Dao Van Tri.

Addressing the event, Deputy Minister Gunaratne spoke highly of Vietnam’s outstanding aquaculture achievements, which he said are precious experience for his country during the development of the sector.

He expressed his belief that the 2013-2014 project, funded by the Vietnamese Government, will contribute to fostering the effective development of Sri Lanka’s aquaculture sector.

Ambassador Thanh highly valued Sri Lanka’s great potential in aquaculture, affirming that Vietnam is willing to share experience with and help the country develop its aquaculture in order to create jobs and increase incomes for local fishermen.

Thanh said he hopes the project will boost investment in the exploitation of aquatic resources in Sri Lanka by establishing joint ventures among the two countries’ businesses.

Thailand naval ship visits HCM City

The Thai battleship Narathivat left Songkhla province, Thailand, on May 15 bound for Ho Chi Minh City.

It will dock at a Ho Chi Minh City port on May 17 and return home on May 23.

Commander of the Thai Naval Military Zone 2, Lieutenant General Chumpol affirmed that the ship’s visit aims to strengthen relations and mutual understanding between the Vietnamese and Thai navies.

It will also promote bilateral cooperation in conducting joint sea patrols to prevent violations at sea, perform search and rescue missions, and protect marine resources and the environment.

This is the eighth visit by Thai naval ships to Vietnam as part of the close cooperation programme between the two countries’ navies.

National Assembly deputies meet voters in Hanoi, Ninh Binh

National Assembly deputies of Hanoi and the northern province of Ninh Binh on May 14 met voters in the localities and heard their aspirations to prepare for the fifth meeting of the 13th National Assembly.

Meeting with voters in Hanoi’s Hai Ba Trung District, Pham Quang Nghi, Politburo member and Secretary of the Hanoi municipal Party Committee and the city’s deputies listened to voters’ concerns about delayed projects and problems concerning ground clearance for the construction of Ring Roads number one and two.

The voters also complained about the lack of land for public schools and environmental pollution.

In reply, Nghi said Hanoi has been applying a number of measures to tackle the overload at nurseries and primary schools by increasing the number of the schools and upgrading available facilities.

He said in the future, the city will continue to build more schools and expand the existing ones, adding that measures to regulate the flow of students among different areas in the city will be needed to reduce the overload on inner city schools.

Regarding the population growth in several wards in the district that outpaces the development of the infrastructure system, Nghi noted that the Capital Law has been promulgated to regulate all aspects from politics, economics, construction, to culture and land. Local residents should study the Capital Law and comply with it when the law becomes effective in the near future.

In Ninh Binh province, electors requested clearer decentralisation on authorised agencies to handle complaints, disputes and appeals.

Regarding the revised Land Law, they said it is necessary to set up an independent agency to help people and local governments in assessing and verifying land value.

In term of health care, voters suggested that more measures are needed to help people, especially poor and social welfare beneficiary families to get access to health insurance.

Local residents also noted that the market management in the locality is still weak and inefficient, making it difficult for consumers to access high quality products.

Vietnam reiterates commitment to fight against human trafficking

Ambassador Le Hoai Trung, Permanent Representative of the Vietnamese delegation at the United Nations, has reiterated the country’s commitment to the fight against human trafficking.

“Combating human trafficking is a consistent policy and a priority of the Government of Vietnam along a comprehensive approach,” he said at the UN High-level Meeting on Global Action Plan on Human Trafficking on May 13-14 in New York.

The strong political commitment of Vietnam to address the issue is reflected in a large number of important laws, policies, programmes and plans of action in many areas, he added.

According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC), Vietnam has one of the highest conviction rates for traffickers in the world.

The Vietnamese Government attaches great importance to international cooperation, the diplomat said, adding that the country ratified the UN Convention on Transnational Organised Crime and its Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Human Trafficking.

It has also actively participated in many regional and international initiatives and processes on the prevention of human trafficking as well as has had bilateral agreements on this field, he said.

The ambassador highlighted Vietnam’s policies and laws, saying that they “are conformable to the four main pillars of the Global Plan of Action” and conventions on fight against human trafficking that the country has participated.

The Vietnamese Government and organisations have worked effectively with the UNODC and other international governmental or non-governmental organisations in the field.

“Vietnam looks forward to the continued cooperation with the international community to this end,” he stressed.

At the meeting, representatives expressed their concern over the increase of human trafficking and called for cooperation in combating human trafficking between countries, governments and non-governmental and civil social organisations and private sectors.

VNN/VOV/VNS/VNA