President Sang welcomes Deputy PM of Cambodia

President Truong Tan Sang received Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Home Affairs Sar Kheng in Ha Noi yesterday, Jan 4.

At the reception, Sang expressed his pleasure at Cambodia's socio-economic stability, despite world and regional downturn in the last year.

President Truong Tan Sang receives Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng yesterday, Jan 4, in Ha Noi.

He spoke highly of the co-operative ties between the Cambodian Ministry of Home Affairs and the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security, and said he believed that agreements reached by the leaders from both sides would create a foundation to fulfill their tasks.

The President said he hoped the upcoming general election in Cambodia would be a success.

For his part, Sar Kheng affirmed that traditional relations between the two ministries had developed well, especially co-operation in human resources development.

He said he believed the two countries' co-operation in preventing crime and maintaining security would become more effective this year thanks to the implementation of their newly signed agreements.

Earlier, Sar Kheng met with Minister of Public Security Tran Dai Quang in which the two sides agreed to work on various agreements, such as on co-operating to prevent human trafficking, transnational crimes, smuggling and drugs.

For this year, both ministries would continue working on maintaining political and social stability and to effectively carry out measures to foster security in the T-junction area (Viet Nam, Laos, and Cambodia).

Vietnam, Cambodia accelerate security cooperation

The Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam and the Ministry of Interior of Cambodia were urged to continue with effective cooperation to maintain social order and safety and fight crimes, especially in the shared border provinces, in 2013.

It was said during Minister of Public Security General Tran Dai Quang's talks with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sar Kheng, in Hanoi on January 4.

In the year, the two sides will continue coordinating in maintaining security and order in the Development Triangle (Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia).

The two ministries were suggested to advise their Governments to step up the negotiation of several agreements, including the extradition and prisoner transfer treaties.

Minister Quang briefed the guest on the outcomes of the 2012 cooperation plan between the two ministries to ensure national security, social order and safety.

He highlighted the two sides’ strengthened coordination and exchange in experience and information, as well as their cooperation in combating trans-border crimes and drug trafficking.

They also effectively implemented signed cooperation agreements between the two countries, including the amended bilateral agreement to prevent human trafficking, increase cooperation in personnel training, and support facilities in provinces along the shared border, Quang said.

Sar Kheng hailed the cooperation achievements over the past years as a basis for the two sides to broaden their future collaboration.

Following the talks, the two ministries signed the 2013 cooperation plan.

Inspectors given more latitude

The Government Inspectorate should crack down on violations in key sectors, including finance, banking, management of State Budget funds - and on the import and export industry, according to Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Reviewing last year's inspecting activities, Phuc pleaded for objective, precise and timely inspections, conclusions and recommendations.

He ordered that no one, especially managers, should be allowed to intervene in the work of inspectors to allow violators to go free.

The Deputy PM also asked inspectors to handle complaints from the public much more quickly and to take drastic measures to solve 528 cases remaining from last year.

He said ministries, sectors and local authorities also needed to cooperate better with inspecting forces in addressing citizens' complaints.

This year, the Government Inspectorate plans to conduct major inspections in the mining and processing industries controlled by the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, contemporary imports for re-export under the control of the Industry and Trade Ministry, and corruption cases in Hanoi and northern Nam Dinh City.

Last year, inspectors conducted nearly 9,700 administrative inspections and examined more than 520,000 organisations and individuals. As a result, they recommended reclaiming nearly 30 trillion VND (1.44 billion USD) for the State Budget and over 1,530ha of land. They also recommended fines of 13 trillion VND (6.24 million USD) in total.

More than 1,033 organisations and 2,212 individuals were found to have broken the law, including 104 found involved in corruption.

Conference on State management of religions

Guiding and assisting religious organisations to ensure stability and safety, and their compliance with the law and church charters is one of the central tasks State management agencies will implement in 2013.

The information was released on January 4 at a video conference hosted by the Government Committee for Religious Affairs (GCRA) to review the State management of religions in 2012 and tasks for 2013.

Participants emphasised the corrupt use of religious and ethnic issues by hostile forces to sabotage the Vietnamese State.

The GCRA has advised on the development of legal regulations and policies for religious activities and proposed amendments to the Ordinance on Religions and Beliefs.

It has consolidated the organisation of its personnel and improved the quality of officials responsible for the State management of religions.

It will join relevant ministries, agencies and steering committees from the northwest, Central Highlands and southwest regions to advise on behalf of the Prime Minister the management of belief and religious issues.

A GCRA leader briefed the conference on the content of the new Decree No. 92/2012/ND-CP stipulating measures to enforce the Ordinance on Religions and Beliefs, supplementing Decree No. 22/2005/ND-CP.

The decree addresses issues in belief and religious life, and the procedures religious organisations and individuals must implement.

It also includes regulations for foreigners studying in Vietnamese religious schools and their religious activities in the country.

According to the GCRA, many large religious activities in 2012 strongly influenced domestic and international opinion. As many as 11 religious organisations convened for the start of new tenures.

Successful annual religious activities reflected the Party and State’s policy of religious freedom.

State management agencies supported important and international religious activities and ceremonies, including the 7 th National Buddhist Congress and the 10 th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conference.

On the same day, the GCRA organised a conference in Ho Chi Minh City to introduce Decree No. 92/2012/ND-CP.

ASEAN leaders discuss economic integration

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Cam Tu led a Vietnamese delegation joining 50 delegates from other ASEAN member countries at the 23rd meeting of the High Level Task Force on ASEAN Economic Integration (HLTF-EI) in Kuala Lumpur on January 4.

The conference’s participants focused on ASEAN economic integration and reviewed the HLTF-EI’s operational regulations. They discussed issues relating to the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and matters concerning management reform and trade facilitation.

They also discussed further consolidating the ASEAN Secretariat’s role.

The idea of building an AEC, one of the ASEAN Community’s three key pillars, was initiated at the 9th ASEAN Summit in October 2003.

Its launch is scheduled for 2015, establishing a stable, prosperous, and highly competitive region with equitable economic development. By 2020, it also aims to reduce poverty and socio-economic disparities and enable the free flow of goods, services, investment, and capital.

Cuba's 54th National Day celebrated

Cuba's 54th National Day (January 1) was celebrated in both Ha Noi and HCM City yesterday, Jan 4.

In Ha Noi, the ceremony was held by the Viet Nam- Cuba Friendship Association in co-ordination with the Vietnam News Agency. It was attended by Cuban Ambassador in Viet Nam Fredsman Turro Gonzalez and Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

Addressing the event, Ngan, who is also President of the Viet Nam–Cuba Association, said she believed with strong will that the Cubans would continue to overcome challenges and successfully implement the Resolution of the sixth National Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba.

Ngan also called on the US administration to quickly end its unfair and irrational embargo against Cuba.

Cuban Ambassador to Viet Nam Fredesman Turro Gonzalez stressed the significance of the Vietnamese Government's renewed commitment to the Food Security Programme in his country.

VNA Deputy General Director Le Duy Truyen highlighted the growing cooperation between the two countries in education, healthcare, trade, agriculture and construction.

VNN/VNS/VOV/VNA