The National Guard Force under the Ministry of Public Security was awarded the Ho Chi Minh Order on Feb. 21.

President Truong Tan Sang at the award ceremony. (Source: VNA)

Addressing the award ceremony, which also aimed to celebrate the force’s 60 th founding anniversary, President Truong Tan Sang hailed the great achievements that the force has gained over the past time.

He suggested the force continue doing its best to fulfill its duties in the context of increasingly complicated and unforeseeable developments in the regional and world situation.

The guard force has been granted numerous noble rewards before, including the title “People’s Armed Force Hero in the Renewal Period,” and the Golden Star Order, among others.

60 years ago on February 16, 1953, President Ho Chi Minh signed Decree No. 141 to establish the guard department, precursor of the National Guard Force today.

Sovereignty exhibition attracts visitors

The exhibition showcasing newly-discovered documents relating to Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago was wrapped up in the central city of Danang on February 21.

The event attracted thousands of domestic and foreign visitors, among them about 300 were from China, more than 100 from Japan and 500 from West European countries. They expressed their support for truth and justice that they learned through the documents at the event.

Dang Cong Ngu, Chairman of the Hoang Sa district People’s Committee, said visitors’ opinions written in the museum’s comment book revealed that they supported the organisation of the exhibition for the first time.

Many condemned China’s illegal occupation of the Hoang Sa Archipelago.

The exhibition, the largest of its kind to date, included 125 collections of maps, three atlases and 102 books published in Western countries during the 18th and 19th centuries. The documents, originally in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian and Dutch, and translated into Vietnamese, affirm Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes.

Scientific studies such as “Vietnam’s Hoang Sa archipelago through archived documents of the Government of the Republic of Vietnam (1954-1975)” and “Documentary fonts on Vietnam's sovereignty over Hoang Sa island district – Danang city” were also available to visitors.

Visitors could also see the maps “Hoang trieu truc tinh dia du toan do” (a Chinese administrative map of provincial boundaries published under the Qing dynasty), “An Nam dai quoc hoa do” (the Map of the Great Country of An Nam) and “Dai Nam thong nhat toan do” (The Complete Map of Unified Dai Nam), as well as maps of Indochinese weather stations.

The exhibition showcased three atlases and 30 of the 150 maps donated by Tran Thang, an overseas Vietnamese in the US. They were published in the UK, Germany, Australia, Canada, the US and Hong Kong from 1626-1980.

Among these maps, Asia and Southeast Asia commercial and maritime maps depicted Hoang Sa and Truong Sa as lying within Vietnam’s territorial waters.

Vietnamese diplomat presents credentials in Laos

Vietnam’s newly-appointed Consul General in Luang Prabang Tran Van Tuan presented credentials to Lao Deputy Foreign Minister Sounthon Saynhachac in Vientiane on February 21.

Saynhachac expressed her hope that in his new position, the diplomat will help enhance cooperation between the two countries in general, and their northern provinces in particular in a more effective manner.

She pledged to create all possible favourable conditions for the Consulate General of Vietnam in Luang Prabang to fulfill its tasks.

Tuan vowed to do his utmost to foster the Vietnam - Laos special ties.

Vietnam, Laos boost security ties

Minister of Public Security General Tran Dai Quang held talks with his Lao counterpart Thongban Seng Aphon in Hanoi on February 21.

Quang, who is also a Politburo member, briefed the guest his ministry’s success in ensuring the social safety and security during the recent Lunar New Year (Tet) festival, as well as the focuses in the ministry’s operation in the future.

Regarding the cooperation results between the two ministries, he stressed that right after the signing of their cooperation plan for 2013, the Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security has directed its units and departments in localities to work out plans to strictly implement the agreement.

During the talks, the two sides reviewed regional and international situation and issues of mutual concern.

The two ministers agreed that in the time to come, the two ministries would step up their cooperation in order to further ensure the national security and social order and safety in both countries, contributing to consolidating the traditional and everlasting friendship between Vietnam and Laos.

On the occasion, the Lao Government awarded the Friendship Order and Freedom Order (Issala) of various classes to Vietnamese public security generals, officials and soldiers, in recognition of their significant contributions to the protection of security as well as the building and development of the relationship between the two forces and two nations over the past years.

VNN/VOV/VNA