Ambassador seeks closer Vietnam-Thailand ties

Newly-accredited ambassador to Thailand Nguyen Tat Thanh has vowed to make a practical contribution to strengthening all-round cooperation between Vietnam and Thailand.

Thanh, who presented his credentials to King Bhumibol Adulyadej and was received by Crown Prince Thai Maha Vajiralongkorn in Bangkok on August 14, said he will try his best in the new term to realise an action plan to concretise the Vietnam-Thailand strategic partnership.

With valuable support from the King and effective cooperation between the governments and peoples of both countries, bilateral relations will further develop in all areas, meeting expectations of the two peoples, for peace, stability and cooperation in the region and the world at large, Thanh said.

Crown prince Vajiralongkorn welcomed Thanh’s new term and presented the King’s letter to the ambassador. In the letter, King Bhumibol Adulyadej hailed the constant development of Thailand-Vietnam relations over the years, especially after the two countries established the strategic partnership in 2013.

The King said he believes this relationship will flourish bilaterally and multilaterally in the future, contributing to the establishment of the ASEAN Community in 2015.

The King also voiced his support for the ambassador’s term in Thailand, saying he will ask relevant Thai agencies to assist Thanh in fulfilling his assignment in the country.

Party, State leaders pay tribute to late President

President Truong Tan Sang and National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung on August 15 offered incense commemorating late President Ho Chi Minh at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi.

Vietnamese people are celebrating the 45th death anniversary of the late President on September 2, and the 45th anniversary of realising his Testament.

Over the past 45 years the entire Party, people and army have followed his Testament, carrying out the Doi Moi (Renewal) process, making tremendous achievements in national development and elevating the country’s position in the world arena.

Visiting the house where late President Ho lived and worked during his lifetime, President Sang and Chairman Hung commended officials and staff of the Presidential Palace relic complex for preserving objects closely linked to President Ho’s revolutionary life.    

Every year the relic complex receives millions of domestic and foreign visitors who pay tribute to the late President and inquire into his revolutionary life.

Deputy PM hails Vietnam-Brazil relations

Vietnam attaches importance to strengthening the comprehensive partnership with Brazil, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh told outgoing Brazilian ambassador Victoria Alice Cleaver on August 14.

Minh, who is also Foreign Minister, congratulated the ambassador on the fulfilment of his assignment in Vietnam, contributing to the development of bilateral relations.

He expressed hope that Vietnam wants to lift friendly relations with Brazil to a higher level, through the exchange of delegations, negotiations and signing of cooperation documents, and realisation of cooperation mechanisms.

He also said the two countries need to cooperate closer at multilateral forums.

For her part, ambassador Cleaver noted the flourishing trade between Brazil and Vietnam which grossed US$2.3 billion in value in 2013 and is expected to rise considerably in 2014.

She thanked the government of Vietnam and relevant agencies for supporting her during the term, and vowed to help foster bilateral relations in whatever position she will hold in the future.

Minister calls for reform to military draft

Military service training should be extended to 24 months from the current 18 months, participants at the National Assembly's Standing Committee meeting said yesterday.

Minister of National Defense Phung Quang Thanh said the timeframe would ensure that military officers were always ready to serve the country. Moreover, the Viet Nam People's Army now had modern military forces and equipment, which required more time for proper training.

Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Sinh Hung said that military service should be compulsory for all male citizens from 18 to 25.

Under the current regulation, men in this age group can postpone service if they are attending university or college or can prove that their health is not up to military standards.

The military environment was ideal for training young people to become more mature, Hung said, so they should not be able to postpone training.

Deputies agreed and suggested that there be no difference between college and university students regarding postponement of military service. This would ensure the fairness in education principle stated in the Law on Education, they said.

They also suggested the drafting committee carefully consider permitted reasons for military service postponement to ensure that they were fair and rational.

Party leader tells Can Tho to drive growth

Can Tho should promote its role as a driving force in the Mekong delta region in developing infrastructure, high-quality human resources, and processing industry, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has said.

At a working session with the municipal authorities on August 14, the Party chief asked Can Tho to pay heed to Party build-ups and political system consolidation as well as the combat against corruption and waste.

As a central city in the region, Can Tho has yet established strong connectivity with other regional localities, he said, urging it to proactively work with ministries and central agencies in addressing social problems stemming from urbanisation, like flooding, environmental pollution, and hospital overloads.

During the 2011-2014 period, Can Tho posted an average economic growth of 11.98% annually. Economic structure is shifting on right track, with trade-service accounting for over 60 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP).

Last year, the city’s per capita income was estimated at VND70.5 million (US$3,313), and its budget collection reached nearly VND11 trillion (US$517 million).

The same day, Party leader Trong made a fact-finding trip to the Can Tho-O Mon thermo power plant, and had a working session with the Steering Committee for the Southwestern Region.

He also visited Nam Hai Food Joint Stock Company in the Tra Noc Industrial Park, Binh Thuy district, the High Command of the Military Zone 9, and the city’s general hospital.

Leaders cable greetings on RoK’s National Liberation Day

State President Truong Tan Sang on August 14 sent his greetings to President of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Park Geun-hye on her country’s 69 th National Liberation Day (August 15).

On the occasion, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung cabled his congratulatory message to his RoK counterpart Chung Hongwon; Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Sinh Hung extended greetings to Speaker of the RoK National Assembly Chung Ui-hwa.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh sent a congratulatory message to Minister of Foreign Affairs Yun Byung-se.

More input needed to draft new law on legal documents

Representatives from small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs) and experts met in Hanoi on August 13 to discuss the role of enterprises in the Law on Promulgation of Legal Documents.

The conference was organised by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), Ministry of Justice, and the Public Participation and Accountability Facilitation Fund.

A survey of the chamber shows that most SMEs learned of the new laws through internet and television.

About 60 percent of enterprises knew about the laws after they had been released and put into effect, while less than 20 percent knew about the first and draft stages.

More than 80 percent of SMEs said they were not asked for opinions by state-owned organisations.

Dau Anh Tuan, head of the VCCI legislation board, said that the State should utilise internet and television for public awareness; focus on publicity before enforcing laws, and pay more attention to SMEs.

Tuan said that for transparency in the building and enforcing law period, the State should create opportunities for enterprises and citizens to contribute ideas on procedures from draft to enforcement stages.

Vu Xuan Tien from the Vietnam Association of Corporate Directors, said that the nation's law system was being built on the principle of outline law, which consisted of many provisions, but lacked specific and practical ones.

He said the law contents were not enough to lay the foundation for specific regulations and implementation.

The lack of specific and practical laws made the legal system unclear and decreased the confidence of citizens and enterprises in State laws, he added.

Tien also suggested draft boards should collect opinions and post explanations on Government websites to inform citizens and enterprises.

Mai Dinh Manh, General Secretary of the Vietnam Electro-technical Industry Association, said that the State should consider that opinions from SMEs community and law experts were critical.

Nguyen Kim Dung from Apollo English Training Centre said that enterprises often found it difficult to operate properly when the time from laws to circulars was very long.

The draft of the Law on Promulgation of Legal Documents was released on August 5. It aims to lay a complete and unified foundation for law-making activities.

Leaders congratulate India on Independence Day

President Truong Tan Sang on August 14 cabled a message of congratulations to Indian President Pranab Mukherjee on the country’s 67 th Independence Day (August 15).

On this occasion, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh also extended congratulations to their counterparts, Narendra Modi and Sushma Swara.

Over the past years, Vietnam and India have seen their bilateral ties growing. The two countries targeted a two-way trade of 7 billion USD in 2015.-