Top legislator wraps up European tour

National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung and his entourage arrived in Hanoi on March 17, concluding their nine-day official tour to Russia, Germany and Poland.

NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung meets with Chairwoman of the Russian Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko. (Source: VNA)

In Russia, Hung held talks with Chairwoman of the Russian Federation Council (Upper House) Valentina Matviyenko, and met with Speaker of the Russian State Duma Sergei Naryshkin, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Head of the Russian Communist Party Gennady Zyuganov and President of the Russia-Vietnam Friendship Association Vladimir Buiano.

During his stay in Germany, Hung held talks with President of the German Parliament Norbert Lammert and met with President of the German Federal Assembly Winfried Kretschman.

In the German state of Hessen, he met Speaker of the Hessen State Parliament Norbert Kartmann and Deputy Prime Minister of Hessen cum Minister of Justice, Integration and Europe Joerg Uwe Hahn.

In Poland’s capital city, Warsaw, Hung held talks with Speaker of the Lower House of the Polish Parliament Ewa Kopacz and met with Chairman of the Senate of Poland Bogdan Borusewicz and Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski.

Hung also visited embassy and consulate general staff as well as overseas Vietnamese communities in the three countries.

At talks, he affirmed that the Vietnamese National Assembly, Government and people want to deepen the traditional friendship and all-around cooperation with Russia, Germany and Poland.

The host leaders expressed their hope that they will further bolster links in politics, economics, security, defence, culture, education and training with Vietnam.

They also suggested further enhancing ties with the Vietnamese Government in legislation and supervision of cooperation programmes to foster bilateral ties.

Viet Nam sends congratulations to China's new leading figures

Vietnamese leaders have cabled their warm congratulations to newly elected Chinese leaders as the latters assumed their posts at the first session of China's 12th National People's Congress.

State President and Chairman of the National Defence and Security Council Truong Tan Sang has sent his congratulations to Xi Jinping on his election as State President and Chairman of the Central Military Commission of China.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has also extended his congratulations to Li Keqiang, who was elected Premier of China's State Council.

Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Sinh Hung extended his congratulations to the newly-elected Chairman of the 12th National People's Congress Standing Committee, Zhang Dejiang.

Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan also sent a message of congratulations to her Chinese counterpart Li Yuanchao.

They also expressed their wish to further co-operate with the new Chinese leadership to create new developments in the Viet Nam-China comprehensive strategic co-operation partnership in the future.

Vietnam helps Laos to develop transport infrastructure

Viet Nam's Civil Engineering Construction Joint Stock Company has signed a contract to build seven bridges on National Highway 6A in the Lao northern province of Houaphan.

The company, which is an affiliate of the Ministry of Transport's Civil Engineering Construction Corporation No. 5, will build the bridges with US$5.3 million of funds granted by the World Bank.

The contract was signed on March 15 and on the same day, Chitchareun - a company operated by Overseas Vietnamese in Laos - and Houaphan Transport Department signed a contract to build road No. 3204 in the province with a further $52 million worth of investment.

Addressing the signing ceremony, Houaphan Party Secretary and Governor Khamhung Huongvongsi expressed his gratitude to the Party and Government of Viet Nam, the Civil Engineering Construction Joint Stock Company No. 525 and Chitchareun for their support in building important infrastructure projects in his province.

Former Phu Quoc prisoners hounored

President Truong Tan Sang attended a ceremony to mark the 40th anniversary of the return of imprisoned revolutionaries from Phu Quoc Island held in Kien Giang Province on March 15.

Sang, himself a former Phu Quoc prisoner, recalled memories of the communist prisoners 40 years ago.

He stressed that the prisoners, who were around 20 years old by that time, had demonstrated a strong spirit and were ready to sacrifice themselves for the country.

Sang asked authorities of all levels, organisations and individuals to pay more attention to and continue assisting the former prisoners.

On March 14, Sang visited Phu Quoc Martyrs’ cemetery, which houses the tombs of more than 3,700 martyr heroes nationwide, who sacrificed their lives for the fatherland in the two wars against French colonialists and US imperialists.

CPV delegation attends workshop in Mexico

A delegation from the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) attended an international workshop called “Political Parties and a New Society” in Mexico City from March 14-16.

Addressing the event, Deputy Head of the CPV Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Tran Dac Loi presented general lessons on Vietnam’s socialist-oriented national development.

The Vietnamese head delegate stressed the country’s awareness of the great challenges faced when building socialism in current conditions.

On the sidelines of the workshop, the delegation had talks with a number of political parties in Mexico, Latin American countries and other nations.

The 17 th international workshop drew more than 1,000 delegates from 109 organisations in 38 countries.

While in Mexico, the Vietnamese delegation paid tribute to the President Ho Chi Minh Statue in Mexico City, and visited some historical and cultural relics.

Japan TPP participation backed by Viet Nam

"Viet Nam supports the participation of Japan in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiation process," stated Foreign Ministry spokesman Luong Thanh Nghi on Friday, March 15.

Japan's official participation would contribute to increasing co-operation potential and the attractiveness of economic links as well as intensifying multi-level and mutually beneficial co-operation among regional countries, he stressed.

Nghi was responding to a question on Viet Nam's viewpoint of Japan's involvement in the TPP negotiation process.

It would also create a new cooperation framework and deepen the relationship between Viet Nam and Japan, which had been developing well, said Nghi, adding that Viet Nam had supported Japan's participation from an early stage.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that Japan intended to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade liberalisation talks, in the hope of increasing Japanese exports and boosting the country's flagging economy.

"It is not only for Japan's national interests but also for the prosperity of the world," Abe told reporters, justifying his decision to seek membership of the 11-nation initiative. "I believe that joining the TPP talks is a far-sighted policy," necessary for Japan to envision its future in 100 years.

The TPP talks, led by the United States, currently involve 11 Asia-Pacific nations including Chile, Australia and Singapore.

Abe said that further delay in joining the talks could leave Japan outside the crucial process of rule-setting under the TPP. "Once joining (the TPP), we will be able to lead the rule-setting as an important player," he added.

HCM City Party Secretary visits India

A senior delegation from Ho Chi Minh City headed by Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Le Thanh Hai visited the headquarters of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in New Delhi on March 15.

At the meeting with Rahachanbran Pillaj, politburo member and head of the CPI-Marxist Central Committee’s Commission for Organisation, Hai expressed his gratitude for the support and assistance that Indian communists, left-wing forces and people have given to Vietnam.

Pillaj appreciated the relations between his party and the Communist Party of Vietnam, as well as the ties between the two countries.

However, the results of bilateral cooperation still do not meet the two sides’ potential, Pillaj said, adding that the two countries should further strengthen bilateral relations in the coming time.

The same day, the Vietnamese delegation paid tribute to and laid a wreath at the resting place of Mahatma Gandhi, who led the Indian people in the struggle against the British colonialists.

Also on March 15, Hai and his entourage met with New Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who spoke highly of renewal achievements made by Vietnam in general and Ho Chi Minh City in particular.

The two sides shared experience in developing urban transport infrastructure. They pledged to facilitate their businesses’ operations in New Delhi and HCM City.

Later, the HCM City leader attended a meeting with representatives from businesses that are members of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

The Indian businesses said they want to partner with Vietnam in the fields of automatic equipment production, medical training, agriculture, public transport and transport infrastructure development.

VNN/VNS/VNA