NDO/VNA - Chairwoman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan stated that Vietnam’s Party and State leaders have always supported and provided all favourable conditions for the people’s organizations of Vietnam to unceasingly strengthen the friendship and cooperation with their Lao counterparts. She made the statement at a reception for Somphan Phengkhammy, a Party Central Committee member, Vice National Assembly Chairman, and President of the Committee for Peace and Solidarity of Laos in Hanoi on August 22. Ngan spoke highly of friendship and cooperative activities of the people’s organizations of the two countries, including the Peace Committee of Vietnam and the Committee for Peace and Solidarity of Laos, saying these activities have contributed pragmatically to cementing the time-honoured bilateral ties. She wished the friendship and cooperation between the two nations in a general sense and that the two peace … [Read more...]

NDO/VNA – General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam’s Central Committee, Nguyen Phu Trong, met with the Speaker of Indonesia’s Regional Representative Council Oesman Sapta Odang in Jakarta on August 22. The two sides agreed that Vietnam and Indonesia have long-standing relations and both are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which allow the two countries to promote their relations. They stated that the deepening of the bilateral strategic partnership not only satisfies the benefits of their people, but also contributes to building an ASEAN of solidarity, unity and strength, thus promoting peace, stability and development in the region and beyond. They added that the development of cooperation between their State power agencies at central and local levels as well as groups of parliamentarians will help increase the operational efficiency of Vietnam’s National Assembly and Indonesia’s … [Read more...]

NDO/VNA – Speaker of the People’s Representative Council of Indonesia Setya Novanto met with Vietnam’s Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on August 22, noting that his country attaches importance to enhancing the friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Vietnam. Welcoming the Vietnamese leader’s official visit, Novanto expressed his admiration for the country’s struggle for national independence while valuing its great achievements over the three decades of reforms, especially in spurring economic growth, maintaining political and social stability, and in regards to improving people’s living standards. General Secretary Trong noted his good impressions of Indonesia and recalled the memories between late Presidents Ho Chi Minh and Sukarno. He congratulated Indonesia on major attainments in all aspects, voicing his belief that Indonesian people will continue to obtain more accomplishments in the time … [Read more...]

K9 is a venue where President Ho Chi Minh, Politburo and Party Central Committee members decided the country’s crucial issues during the anti-American war. It was also chosen to preserve the body of the late President from 1969-1975. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in relic site K9  At a working session with the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Management Board at the site, the PM asked the board to continue working closely with the Ministry of National Defense to preserve the body of the late President He took the occasion to urge the municipal People’s Committee to consider the board’s proposal to upgrade transport infrastructure leading to the K9 relic site. Cities and provinces nationwide should devise agenda to popularize the site so that more visitors could gain an insight into the life and career of President Ho Chi Minh, he said Major General Nguyen Van Cuong, head of the board and Commander … [Read more...]

Major General Nguyen Xuan Nang (right) receiving gifts from a former Con Dao prisoner. The objects include a cane of Mr. Ngo Dinh Thoi, a former guerrilla in Da Nang City. Thoi joined the resistance war against American imperialists and was imprisoned in Con Dao for seven years. During imprisonment, he and other political prisoners rejected to salute the flag of the Saigon government from 1965 to 1973. He was barbarously tortured by the enemy’s troops. Admiring his brave deeds, a fellow prisoner presented Thoi the cane after he was released in 1973. Addressing the ceremony, Major General Nguyen Xuan Nang, the museum’s Director affirmed that it was an honor for the museum to receive valuable gifts from former Con Dao prisoners. He promised that the museum will well preserve and promote the values of those items. Earlier, the Vietnam Museum of Military History launched a 3D electronic museum in Con Dao in return to … [Read more...]

NDO – Leaders of Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, People’s Council, People’s Committee and Vietnam Fatherland Front, on August 19, paid tribute to late President Ton Duc Thang at his Museum in District 1, on the occasion of the 129th anniversary of the leader’s birth (August 20-1888-2017). The delegation was led by Politburo member and Secretary of the City’s Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan. The delegates remembered the great contributions made by late President Ton Duc Thang to the nation’s revolutionary cause. Following the incense offering ceremony, the delegates visited the exhibition themed ’15 years in Con Dao prison’ where the late President was detained. Comrade Ton Duc Thang was born in An Giang province on August 20, 1888, to a family with a rich tradition of patriotism. He joined the patriotic struggle when he was very young and soon became one of the pioneers of the working … [Read more...]

NDO/VNA – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Governor of Nakhon Pathom province of Thailand Somchai Witdamrong have agreed to foster the cooperative ties between Nakhon Pathom and Vietnam’s border provinces to enhance road, seaway and aviation connectivity, thereby bringing practical benefits to these localities and the people of both nations. During a working session in Nakhon Pathom on August 18, within the framework of PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s official visit to Thailand, the Vietnamese PM shared his sympathy with Witdamrong over the losses caused by recent floods in the province, believing that the local residents will soon overcome any difficulties and settle into their normal lives. He thanked the provincial administration for creating favourable conditions for 10,000 Vietnamese nationals to stabilise their lives in the province, as well as for the construction of a memorial site dedicated to late President Ho Chi Minh. Witdamrong, … [Read more...]

NDO – Seventy-two years ago, on August 19, 1945, under the leadership of the Party, the entire nation, with great determination, rose up in a revolt that overthrew feudalism and broke the chains of colonialist slavery, marking the dawn of a new era of national independence and socialism. With that resounding victory, the Vietnamese working class and people and the working classes and oppressed nations around the world could be proud. It was the first time in the revolutionary history of the colonial and semi-colonial nations that a 15-year-old party with over 5,000 members successfully led a revolution to seize power, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam) – the first ever people's democratic State in Southeast Asia. This great event was a glorious milestone in the history of national construction and defence. The great victory of the August Revolution was a victory of strength of national … [Read more...]

NDO/VNA – Vietnam always treasures and wants to consolidate and further enhance traditional their relations with Mongolia, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Uong Chu Luu said. Luu made the statement during his reception in Hanoi, on August 18, for Secretary General of the Mongolian Parliament Office Tsend Tsolmon, who has been on a five-day working visit to Vietnam. He highlighted that the achievements in bilateral relations over the past six decades will lay a foundation for the two sides to promote cooperation in a more practical and effective manner. The leader hoped that the two countries will maintain high-level meetings and visits in order to enhance the friendship and mutual understanding between the Vietnamese and Mongolian people, increase political trust and expand cooperation. Vietnam and Mongolia should coordinate closely in issues of common concern and support each other at regional and international forums, … [Read more...]

NDO/VNA – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on August 18 met with officials of the Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand and the Vietnamese community in Bangkok, during which he lauded the community’s solidarity and mutual support to integrate into local society and contribute to the motherland’s development. >>> PM urges Thai firms to grasp opportunities in Vietnam He affirmed that the Party and State always pay close attention to overseas Vietnamese in general, and the Vietnamese community in Thailand in particular, while expressing delight at the growth of the community. Regarding the outcomes of his talks and meetings with the Thai leaders, the PM said that both sides shared their delight at the strong growth of cooperation between the two countries over the past 40 years, especially since the two sides set up a strategic partnership in 2013. PM Phuc said that he asked Thailand to continue creating favourable … [Read more...]

NDO/VNA – The cooperation between the Vietnamese and Mexican legislative bodies has contributed to the overall development of bilateral relations, said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh. He made the remark while receiving Gabriela Cuevas Barron, Chair of the Mexican Senate’s Foreign Affairs Committee, in Hanoi on August 18. Minh said the Vietnamese Government offers full support to increasing parliamentary affiliations with Mexico. He asked the law-making agencies from both sides to continue backing the two governments’ measures to enhance their partnership, particularly in completing and implementing relevant legal frameworks and cooperation mechanisms. Praising the robust growth of Vietnam – Mexico relations in politics and trade, and their cooperation at international organisations and multilateral forums, the Deputy PM asked Mexico to help with expanding the ties, which would contribute … [Read more...]

NDO/VNA – Nearly 100 delegates from 21 member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) discussed best practices, sharing of standards and conformity assessment in the development of smart cities within the APEC region, at a workshop held in Ho Chi Minh City on August 18. The workshop is an activity of the APEC Sub-Committee on Standards and Conformance (SCSC) within the framework of the APEC 2017 third Senior Officials Meeting (SOM3) and other related meetings. In his opening remarks, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Tran Van Tung said that the promotion of a digital economy is considered as an important issue of the APEC 2017. One of SCSC 2017 priorities this year is “Development and promotion of standards and conformance to support the digital economy”, in that the APEC region needs to work together to share best practices, identify opportunities and challenges, and boost cooperation, the harmonisation of standards … [Read more...]

NDO/VNA – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his Thai counterpart Prayuth Chan-ocha expressed their satisfaction at the strong development of Vietnam-Thailand cooperation over the past 41 years since they established diplomatic ties in August 1976, during their talks in Bangkok on August 17. >>> Deepening Vietnam-Thailand strategic partnership The two PMs recognised that the bilateral relations have been stable and developed in all fields from politics and security to economy and socio-culture, especially after Vietnam and Thailand established a strategic partnership in 2013. To further the relationship in the coming time, they agreed to enhance all-level delegation exchanges and effectively implement cooperation mechanisms in addition to soon organising the third meeting of the joint committee on bilateral cooperation, the third foreign minister-level meeting, the third meeting of the joint committee on trade, and particularly the … [Read more...]

NDO/VNA – A Vietnam-Cambodia military youth gala night was held on August 16 in Ho Chi Minh City to celebrate the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Year 2017 and the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries. Attending the event was Major General Le Hien Van, Vice Chairman of the General Department of Politics under the Vietnam People’s Army, Major General Du Truong Giang, Vice Commander of Military Zone 7, Im Hen, Cambodia’s Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, and nearly 3,000 young soldiers and officials from Military Zone 7, Youth Union of HCM City’s District 12. Addressing the event, Major General Le Hien Van stated that Vietnam and Cambodia, sharing the Mekong River, have enjoyed close neighbourliness. Through ups and downs in history, the two countries have always stood shoulder to shoulder and shared both hardship and success in fighting common enemies for national independence, and overthrowing the Pol Pot genocidal … [Read more...]

NDO/VNA – A Vietnam-Cambodia military youth gala night was held on August 16 in Ho Chi Minh City to celebrate the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Year 2017 and the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries. Attending the event was Major General Le Hien Van, Vice Chairman of the General Department of Politics under the Vietnam People’s Army, Major General Du Truong Giang, Vice Commander of Military Zone 7, Im Hen, Cambodia’s Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, and nearly 3,000 young soldiers and officials from Military Zone 7, Youth Union of HCM City’s District 12. Addressing the event, Major General Le Hien Van stated that Vietnam and Cambodia, sharing the Mekong River, have enjoyed close neighbourliness. Through ups and downs in history, the two countries have always stood shoulder to shoulder and shared both hardship and success in fighting common enemies for national independence, and overthrowing the Pol Pot genocidal … [Read more...]

NDO – The localities in the Mekong Delta region have welcomed over 17 million visitors since the beginning of the year, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The Mekong Delta region concludes Can Tho city and 12 provinces of An Giang, Ben Tre, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau, Dong Thap, Hau Giang, Kien Giang, Soc Trang, Long An, Tien Giang, Tra Vinh and Vinh Long. Over the past years, the infrastructure of the region has been strongly invested in. Many large bridges, such as My Thuan Bridge, Can Tho, Rach Mieu, Ham Luong and Co Chien, have been completed over all major rivers in the region. A series of important new routes have been completed, such as Can Tho - Ca Mau, Can Tho - Bac Lieu. Many other routes are also being upgraded and expanded. Investing road traffic has brought opportunities to develop the socio-economic status, including in the tourism sector. The area has a large tourism resource system. Most of the tourism resources of the Mekong Delta region … [Read more...]

NDO – The high-level delegation of the National Legislative Assembly of Thailand, led by its President Pornpetch Wichitcholchai and his wife, left Hanoi on August 16, successfully concluding their official visit to Vietnam, which took place from August 13 to 16, at the invitation of Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. >>> Prime Minister welcomes Thailand’s top legislator >>> Vietnam, Thailand should keep mutual support at int’l parliamentary forums >>> Parliamentary friendship group hopes for stronger Vietnam-Thailand ties During his stay in Vietnam, Wichitcholchai held talks with NA Chairwoman Ngan, paid a courtesy visit to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and met with the Vietnam-Thailand Parliamentary Friendship Group. At the meetings, both sides agreed that the relations between Vietnam and Thailand have been growing exceptionally over the past few years, manifested through the regular … [Read more...]

ATHENS: Greece on Tuesday (Aug 15) pleaded for assistance from European neighbours to help battle wild fires including a blaze ravaging a forest near Athens. Greece is asking Europe for four CL-415-type water bombers to help tackle its forest fires. (AFP/ARIS MESSINIS) In total 146 fires have broken out across Greece since Sunday, and while most have been brought under control, authorities are worried about three on the coast near Athens, in the western Peloponnese and on the island of Zakynthos. The government "has asked for the activation of the European civil protection mechanism for air support ... because of the danger posed by the fires," fire service spokeswoman Stavroula Malliri told a press conference. She said Greece was asking for four CL-415-type water bombers, which are built for aerial firefighting … [Read more...]

NDO/VNA – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc stated that cooperation with Tokyo Gas Co Ltd is very important as oil and gas cooperation is one of the top priorities in Vietnam-Japan economic ties. He called on Tokyo Gas to run long-term business in Vietnam during his reception for the company’s President Michiaki Hirose in Hanoi on August 15. The leader noted that the Vietnamese Government always pays attention to and protects legitimate rights of foreign investors. He also highlighted that the Vietnamese Government’s views on developing the gas industry comprehensively and effectively by maximizing domestic resources and intensifying international cooperation. He lauded Tokyo Gas’s opening of its representative office in Vietnam and congratulated the company and PetroVietnam Gas Joint Stock Corporation (PV Gas) on the establishment of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) joint venture in Vietnam. Emphasing the … [Read more...]

NDO/VNA – General Secretary of the Vietnam National Assembly (NA) Nguyen Hanh Phuc on August 15 held talks with General Secretary of the Office of the Mongolian Parliament Tsend Tsolmon who is on a working visit to Vietnam from August 14-18. At the meeting, General Secretary of the Vietnam National Assembly (NA) Nguyen Hanh Phuc stated that the Vietnamese NA appreciated Tsend Tsolmon’s visit to Vietnam, expressing his belief that it will help advance collaboration between the two legislative bodies and their Offices in a more pragmatic and effective fashion. Tsend Tsolmon highlighted the fruitful relationship between the two law-making bodies, of which, he noted, has been demonstrated through the regular exchange of delegations. The guest expressed his wish that the two sides will share experience to promote relations between the two legislative bodies as well as their Offices. At the meeting, host and guest held that Vietnam … [Read more...]