Category: Politics

Hanoi: A national conference reviewing the performance of the People’s Councils of provinces and centrally-run cities nationwide in 2023 and launching 2024 tasks wrapped up in Hanoi on March 25.

In his closing speech, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue said after one day of sitting, the event fulfilled all its set agenda. He requested collecting all feedback at the event to submit to the NA Standing Committee for consideration.

The top legislator asked the People’s Councils to continue to closely follow the leadership of the Party Committees and their standing boards and strengthen the implementation of functions of local people-elected bodies according to the provisions of law to best fulfil their tasks in 2024.

According to Permanent Vice Chairman of the NA Tran Thanh Man, over more than half of the 2021-2026 tenure, the NA and its Standing Committee have carried out a number of reforms and devised measures for better supervising and directing activities of the People’s Councils from perfecting th
e legal foundation to increasing activities that connect the NA, its Standing Committee, and their agencies with the provincial-level People’s Councils.

The People’s Councils have also exerted efforts to boost reforms and creativity during the performance of tasks. Closely following the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies and laws, they have issued resolutions, mechanisms, and policies meeting demand in their localities, thereby substantially contributing to the realisation of local and national socio-economic development, defence, security, and external affairs targets, he continued.

The organisation of the annual conference was an occasion for the NA and its Standing Committee to enhance the momentum for reform at local people-elected bodies, Man added.

However, the official also pointed out several shortcomings, elaborating that the quality of meetings of some People’s Councils remains limited. Some have yet to take strong or effective enough measures for fully handling post-supervision opinions
.

The settlement and reply to voters’ opinions and petitions are still slow in some provinces and cities. Besides, some people’s councils haven’t released digital transformation and IT application directions on schedule while agencies’ coordination is still lax./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Hanoi: Politburo member, permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat and head of the Party Central Committee’s Organisation Commission Truong Thi Mai hosted a reception for visiting Speaker of the Parliament of Finland Jussi Halla-aho in Hanoi on March 25.

The Party official welcomed her guest’s selection of Vietnam for his first official visit outside Europe since taking office and expressed her gratitude for the support and sharing that Finland has given to Vietnam so far.

She outlined several major directions and measures to expand and enhance the effectiveness of cooperation between the two countries in such areas as manufacturing industry, sustainable forestry, green transition, and waste management, as well as in leveraging the advantages of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) to promote bilateral economic, trade, and investment cooperation.

The senior Party official also stressed the necessity of enhancing the sides’ high-level delegation exchanges, their cooperation across
the party, parliamentary, and ministry channels, and their people-to-people exchange.

The Finnish parliament speaker expressed his impression of and congratulations on the Southeast Asian country’s achievements under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam. He said he is pleased with positive progress in the Vietnam-Finland traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation over the past time.

The top legislator affirmed that there is still much potential for bilateral collaboration in areas where Finland has strengths and Vietnam has demands, and that Vietnam is an attractive destination for Finnish enterprises.

He also agreed with his host on the need for the two to continue promoting and creating strong transformations in cooperation across all fields.

Exchanging viewpoints on global and regional situations as well as some common concerns, the two leaders stated that Vietnam and Finland are ready to cooperate bilaterally and at multilateral forums on the basis of respecting international law
and the UN Charter, for peace, stability, and development in the world and the region, including the East Sea./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Hanoi: Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Speaker of the Parliament of Finland Jussi Halla-aho in Hanoi on March 25, believing that his visit will generate an impetus to foster traditional friendship and all-around cooperation between the two countries.

PM Chinh proposed that the Finnish Parliament support the European Commission’s early removal of the “yellow card” warning against Vietnamese aquatic products, and hasten the parliaments of EU member states’ ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).

He suggested that both sides should explore new potential for educational cooperation in vocational training, share experience in building quality education systems, and expand student exchanges. He thanked and urged the Finnish Government and Parliament to continue creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese citizens living there, contributing to upholding their role as a bridge for bilateral friendship and collaboration.

Halla-Aho, for his part, acknowledged Vietnam as Finl
and’s most important economic partner in ASEAN and wished to fortify bilateral cooperation to fully tap great potential between the two countries.

Informing the host about Finland’s talent development programme, he extended a warm welcome to skilled Vietnamese workers and students to the European country for working and studying.

The two leaders concurred on the need to explore new directions, approaches and impetus to further deepen bilateral relationship, partly via facilitating the exchange of delegations at all levels and across the Party, State and NA channels, and offering mutual support at multilateral forums for the sake of stability, peace and sustainable development.

They vowed to facilitate the connectivity among businesses and investors while fully tapping the benefits from the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), especially in areas of their demands and strengths such as hi-tech, green development, environment, agriculture, forestry and information technology.

Both sides will continue eff
ectively carry out the two Governments’ Framework Agreement on projects funded under the Finnish Government’s Public Sector Investment Facility Scheme, with a focus on priorities to improve the competitiveness of the private economic sector, develop knowledge-based economy, address challenges related to sustainable development and climate change, and promote sustainable development in the Mekong Delta.

On global and regional issues of shared concern, they promised to respect sovereignty and territorial integrity, and settle disputes through peaceful means, while upholding international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The Speaker expressed support for ASEAN’s and Vietnam’s stance on the East Sea issue, including ensuring safety and freedom of navigation and overflight, backing efforts of ASEAN and China to effectively and fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and formulate a Code of Conduct in the waters (COC)./.

S
ource: Vietnam News Agency

Hanoi: National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue affirmed that Vietnam attaches importance to developing its traditional friendship and multi-faceted cooperation with Finland while holding talks with Speaker of the Parliament of Finland Jussi Halla-aho in Hanoi on March 25.

At the talks, which took place following a welcome ceremony for the top Finnish legislator earlier the same day, Hue expressed his hope that Halla-aho’s official visit from March 24-26 will be a milestone in the relationship between the two countries.

For his part, Halla-aho recalled visits to Finland by all-level Vietnamese delegations in 2023 when the two countries celebrated the 50th founding anniversary of their diplomatic ties.

Mentioning the visit by Hue in 2021, the guest said it contributed to opening up many new cooperation opportunities between the two legislative bodies, and boosting trade and collaboration between Vietnam and Finland.

Halla-aho noted with pleasure as the two countries have shifted from development aid
to development cooperation, and enhanced mutually beneficial trade ties, and called them good development steps in the bilateral relations.

Vietnam is one of Finland’s important trading partners in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with two-way trade expanding significantly over the past 50 years, the Finnish leader said.

He emphasised that the Finnish legislature has ratified the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), adding that the two countries boast substantial potential for cooperation in energy, information-technology and education, among other fields.

Hue also expressed his delight at the positive development of the bilateral cooperation, especially in politics-diplomacy, economy-trade, development collaboration, and education-training.

The Vietnamese leader spoke highly the fruitful cooperation and mutual support between the two countries at multilateral forums, particularly the United Nations (UN), and called on Finland to continue supporting Vietnam in stepping up
its comprehensive cooperation with the European Union (EU). In return, Vietnam stands ready to work as a bridge between Finland and ASEAN, he pledged.

The NA Chairman held that the two-way trade, valued at nearly 380 million USD in 2023, remains modest as compared with the two countries’ potential, saying Vietnam is willing to facilitate the enhancement of the trade ties.

He also used this occasion to call on the Finnish side to further open doors for Vietnamese major exports, such as iron and steel products, machinery, equipment, means of transport and spare parts, and garments-textiles and accessories.

Hue thanked the Finnish Parliament for its ratification of the EVIPA, and suggested it urge other parliaments in the EU to complete the process, explaining that the deal is expected to open up new cooperation opportunities for the two countries’ businesses, especially in green economy, digital transformation, high-tech, telecoms, renewable energy, environment, water treatment, forest technology, ICT, and s
mart urban development.

The host leader proposed Finland to raise its voice to support the European Commission (EC)’s removal of its ‘yellow card’ warning against Vietnamese seafood, thus helping European consumers access good quality seafood with competitive prices and fostering Vietnam’s socio-economic development.

The Vietnamese NA highly values the signing of the framework agreement between the two governments on projects funded under the Finnish public investment programme, creating a framework for the implementation of official development assistance (ODA) projects and concessional loans provided by the Finnish Government, contributing to promoting socio-economic development in Vietnam, he said.

Hue suggested Finland help Vietnam in personnel training in innovation and startup, pay more attention to labour cooperation in the fields of IT, health care, education and agriculture, and assist the country in forest protection, development and management.

The top Vietnamese legislator touched upon other c
ooperation spheres like crime combat, peacekeeping operations and humanitarian activities.

Multilaterally, the two sides have coordinated and supported each other at regional and international parliamentary forums such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and the Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership (ASEP).

Hue said the two legislatures should step up supervisions over the implementation of international treaties and cooperation agreements inked by the governments, ministries, agencies and localities of the two countries, while perfecting mechanisms and legal corridors to facilitate cooperation between competent agencies and enterprises.

Halla-aho shared Hue’s views on the need to foster educational cooperation, saying Vietnam is one of the prioritised countries in Finland’s Talent Boost programme that aims attract international talents and promote their immigration to and integration in Finland.

He expected that relevant agencies of the two nations will discuss measures to deal with obstacles to Finl
and’s public investment support fund in Vietnam.

Earlier the same day, the Finnish leader and his encourage laid a wreath in tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum in Hanoi.

Hue is scheduled to host a banquet for the Finnish guests in the evening of the same day./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vientiane: Vietnamese Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra and her Lao counterpart Thongchanh Manixay vowed to continue their agencies’ cooperation for the 2024-2026 period during their talks in Vientiane on March 25.

Both ministers exchanged updates on their respective ministries’ achievements in home affairs during the past year, with an emphasis on progress in areas like institutional development, organisational restructuring, personnel reduction and civil service reform.

Following the two ministries’ signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation for the 2023-2026 period, they expressed their delight at the increasingly practical and effective collaboration over the past time.

During 2024-2026, the two ministries will continue holding the exchange of high-level delegations and leaders of their units and agencies to review annual cooperation results. Additionally, short-term training courses lasting 1-3 months on home affairs will be provided at Vietnam’s National Academy of Public Adm
inistration.

They further agreed to enhance knowledge sharing and offer direct support in areas where each holds expertise, such as personnel training in public administration, archives management, religious affairs, emulation and commendation, and State organisation science.

On a final note, both sides pledged to collaborate on submitting a digital transformation project of the Lao Ministry of Home Affairs for approval by their respective governments. The project aims to enhance operational efficiency, transparency, accountability and cost-effectiveness in the Lao ministry./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

HCM City: Experience in social supervision and criticism was shared between the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Committee of Ho Chi Minh City and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Shanghai Committee at their talks in Ho Chi Minh City on March 25.

Briefing the Chinese side of the city’s economic-cultural-social situation in 2023, Vice Chairman of the VFF Committee of Ho Chi Minh City Nguyen Thanh Trung said that the city faced formidable challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic’s impacts as well as complicated and unprecedented global and regional political-economic developments.

However, it carved out impressive achievements thanks to the concerted efforts and resolve of the whole political system, support from local people and business community, and contributions from VFF chapters at all levels.

The city’s VFF committee has worked to renew its social supervision and criticism activities to better ensure the legitimate rights of local people, strengthen democracy and social co
nsensus, and consolidate trust in the Party and State, he said, adding over the past 10 years, it has organised 703 social criticism conference on important projects, including one related to piloting special mechanisms to develop Ho Chi Minh City.

In the time ahead, it will continue promoting its leading role in the supervision work and social criticism activities, he stressed.

Vice Chairman of the CPPCC Shanghai Committee Wu Xinbao, for his part, introduced the committee’s roles, functions and missions, which are to conduct policy consultations and democratic consultations, engage in political discussions, and build common awareness in the community.

While carrying out the constitution and legal regulations as well as making big decision, the CPPCC always organises referenda before sending reports to relevant leaders to provide recommendations, he said, adding the Shanghai Committee assigns its members to join meetings with local people and hold conferences to discuss issues of locals’ concerns, among ot
hers.

Both sides agreed that they can learn from each other’s experience and concurred to continue implementing the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation for the 2023-2026 period signed in November 2023./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency