NA Chairman meets World Bank Director ahead of US visit

National Assembly (NA) Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung expressed his delight at meeting World Bank (WB) Country Director in Viet Nam, Victoria Kwakwa, in Ha Noi yesterday, August 24, ahead of his official visit to the US to attend the fourth conference of parliament speakers.

The host appreciated the WB's support to Viet Nam in the past, especially in policy consultation, technical and financial assistance, contributing to the country's poverty reduction and renovation.

He hoped that both sides would discuss more about Viet Nam's reforms, the role of the NA, the issue of public debts and their impact on official development assistance.

Kwakwa praised the NA for its role in drafting legislation, particularly the 2013 Constitution, and vowed to help Viet Nam deal with public debts and fine-tune laws regarding policies, economic and trade affairs.

Viet Nam, Cambodia boost religious ties

Viet Nam and Cambodia, at a high-ranking meeting in Phnom Penh yesterday, agreed to co-operate further to implement the co-operation agreements they signed in the field of religion and belief.

Viet Nam's Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and Head of the Committee for Religious Affairs Pham Dung and Cambodia's Minister of Cult and Religion, Min Khin, reached a consensus on this during their talks in Phnom Penh, as part of the Vietnamese official's working visit to Cambodia — Photo: nhandan

Viet Nam's Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and Head of the Committee for Religious Affairs Pham Dung and Cambodia's Minister of Cult and Religion, Min Khin, reached a consensus on this during their talks in Phnom Penh, as part of the Vietnamese official's working visit to Cambodia.

Dung said the implementation of bilateral agreements signed in February this year would help to enforce religious policies in both the countries.

Co-operation in the field of religion would help facilitate belief and religious activities undertaken by people in the two countries, thus, contributing to strengthen the traditional relationship on the principle of respecting sovereignty and laws of each country, he said.

Minister Min Khin thanked the Vietnamese people for helping the Cambodian people in toppling the genocidal regime of Khmer Rouge and protecting and developing Cambodia into a prosperous country that it is today.

The minister also spoke highly of the co-ordination and assistance the Vietnamese government's committee for religious affairs extended to Cambodia's Ministry of Cult and Religion.

During the meeting, the two sides also informed each other of religious and belief situation and shared experience in the implementation of religious policies in each country.

They also agreed that the immediate task was to encourage localities along the border to implement signed agreements to together build a border of peace and have cooperation for mutual development and benefit of the two countries' people.

Justice sector given First Class honour

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong acknowledged the justice sector's efforts and contribution to national construction and development at a ceremony to celebrate its 70th anniversary on Monday.

"The Vietnamese Party and State will continue to build a state of jurisdiction of the people, by the people and for the people, while promoting legal and judicial reforms, focusing on building a transparent and strong state administrative system to ensure integrated and effective management," the Party leader said.

Trong asked the justice sector to work on improving the quality of legislation and perfecting the legal system.

The sector's first task was to co-ordinate with other ministries and sectors to help the Government prepare and submit draft laws to the National Assembly and strengthen the quality of assessing legal documents, said Trong.

Along with promoting administrative and judicial reforms, the sector needed to consolidate and improve its organisational status. Educating and improving the quality of the sector's staff should also be another main focus, he said.

In his speech at the ceremony, Minister of Justice Ha Hung Cuong said that the sector had recently made significant progress, and judicial work had been strengthened in terms of scope and quality.

He added that the sector would strive to overcome its difficulties and continue its glorious traditions while building on the work of previous generations for the Party, State and the people.

At the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc awarded the First Class Independence Order to the justice sector.

Party leader hails diplomatic efforts

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has hailed the contributions more than 4,000 past and present diplomats and officials have made to the revolution and national development.

Trong was speaking at a meeting with diplomats to mark the 70th anniversary of the diplomatic sector on August 28.

Highlighting the special significance of the sector, Trong said it had formed a strong force with well-trained, active and highly-competent officials.

He urged it to further promote its role in national construction and defence.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh said the leadership of the Party as well as Ho Chi Minh's thoughts on diplomacy was a decisive factor for the diplomatic sector's achievements in the past 70 years.

He said that from the success of the Geneva Agreement in 1954 and the Paris Agreement in 1973, the country had now expanded foreign relations, strategic and comprehensive partnership with neighbouring countries as well as important states in the world.

The attainments had also helped speed up the country's international integration and build an environment of peace for national development and safeguard national territorial sovereignty.

Viet Nam, Cambodia facilitate cross-border transport

Viet Nam and Cambodia reached agreements on a range of transport issues at a ministerial meeting held in Ha Noi on Saturday.

Attending the meeting were Vietnamese Transport Minister Dinh La Thang and Cambodian Public Works and Transport Minister Tram Iv Tek.

They agreed to speed up the organisation of a bilateral session on traffic connectivity and amendments to a protocol implementing a Viet Nam-Cambodia pact on road transport.

The Long Binh – Chrey Thom Bridge connecting the two nations is set to be opened soon.

The two ministers also agreed to co-ordinate on a one stop shop mechanism at the Moc Bai – Bavet international border gate, while working with Thailand to expand trilateral transport links by road and by water.

Both men supported an around-the-clock customs policy at all border gates as part of a bilateral agreement on water transport.

On the occasion, the King of Cambodia granted orders to Minister Thang and his deputy Nguyen Van The for their contributions to expanding co-operation between the two ministries.

VNS/VNA