President Sang takes a tour of developments in Soc Trang

President Truong Tan Sang and a delegation visited the Mekong Delta's Soc Trang Province during the weekend to inspect socio-economic development and responses to climate change.

During the two-day tour, Sang visited a protective forest and a shrimp farm at Trung Binh Commune, Tran De District; inspected the implementation of the Long Phu Thermal Power Plant 1 project – the largest thermal power project in the Mekong Delta with a capacity of 1,200MW; visited families of war soldiers.

President Truong Tan Sang met heads of Khmer Nam Tong Buddhist pagodas in the southern province of Soc Trang.

In his discussions with provincial leaders, Sang said Soc Trang last year succeeded in maintaining stability and development despite the global and domestic economic difficulties.

Out of the 26 key targets set by the Party Resolution, 22 were realised or even surpassed. In particular, the province's rice production was an unprecedented success with a harvest of 2.25 million tonnes.

Sang said that given the country's economic difficulties, the province's leaders need to be proactive in working out solutions to problems and helping farmers with their harvests, goods distribution, processing and reduction of losses.

For a province with an agriculture-intensive structure, these tasks were very important, he said.

In response to the provincial report last year stating there were 4,200 poor and 5,000 near poor households in the area, Sang said provincial leaders needed to persevere with measures to reduce poverty, especially among ethnic people.

Regarding the 40 per cent of companies reported to be either working ineffectively or having decided to suspend operations; delayed projects involving traffic, irrigation and infrastructure, such as the Long Phu Thermal Power Plant 1 project, Sang requested agencies hold meetings to discuss the causes and work out solutions.

On climate change issues, he stressed that Soc Trang would be among the provinces most affected by a rise in sea levels.

In the face of such alarming risks, he requested local State agencies to co-operate with central State agencies to work out solutions, such as engaging the private sector in investment in climate change projects.

During the visit, Sang also met with representatives of the provincial Patriotic Monks Society and venerable monks from 92 local Khmer Nam Tong Buddhist Pagodas.

He reaffirmed the contributions of the Khmer people in the Mekong Delta to the country's development and expressed his hopes that local Buddhist dignitaries as well as Khmer people would continue their contributions.

Sang also attended the launching ceremony of the renovation project for the Ho Chi Minh Temple in An Thanh Dong Commune in Cu Lao Dung District, a national historic heritage site.

Top El Salvador legislator to visit Vietnam

A high-ranking delegation led by Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador Sigfrido Reyes will pay an official visit to Vietnam on June 6-11.

According to a communiqué released by the National Assembly’s Commission for External Relations on June 2, the visit will be made at the invitation of National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung.

Viet Nam, China discuss sea territory off Tonkin Gulf

Vietnamese and Chinese experts discussed the sea area off the Tonkin Gulf during the third round of negotiations in Ha Noi on Thursday and Friday.

In a friendly, frank and constructive atmosphere, both parties confirmed their determination to push forward negotiations on the basis of the common perception of the two countries' leaders and the principles defined in the "Agreement on the basic principles guiding the settlement of sea-related issues between Viet Nam and China" signed in October 2010. They also declared they would continue to follow the roadmap and principles agreed during the previous rounds.

The two sides presented their detailed opinions on the demarcation of the sea area beyond the mouth of the Tonkin Gulf and agreed to discuss finding locations where they can implement co-operation for mutual development in this area.

They reached an agreement to establish a group of technical experts to jointly survey the sea area off the Tonkin Gulf in order to perform the negotiation tasks.

They also agreed to organise the fourth round of their talks on this area later this year in China.

VNN/VNS/VNA