Category: Politics

Hanoi: A delegation of the Party, State, Government, National Assembly (NA) and Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) paid tribute to late President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum in Hanoi on February 7 on the occasion of the Lunar New Year of the Dragon.

The delegation included Politburo members: President Vo Van Thuong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, and Permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat, and Chairwoman of its Organisation Commission Truong Thi Mai.

Other members included former Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh, former President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and former NA Chairpersons Nguyen Van An and Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, among others.

The delegates showed their profound gratitude to the late leader who devoted his whole life for the struggle for national liberation and reunification as well as the nation building cause.

The delegation also laid flowers and offered incense at the Monument for Heroic Martyrs on Bac Son street near the mausoleum.

On the same day,
delegations from the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Public Security, as well as the Party Committee, People’s Council and People’s Committee of Hanoi paid tribute to President Ho Chi Minh and laid flowers at the Monument for Heroic Martyrs.

Senior officials of the Party and State also paid tribute to revolutionaries and martyrs at the capital city’s Mai Dich Cemetery./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Hanoi: Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong offered incense in tribute to late President Ho Chi Minh at House 67 inside the Presidential Palace complex in Hanoi on February 7 on the occasion of the Lunar New Year (Tet) Festival – the most important traditional festival of Vietnamese people.

The Party chief expressed his deep gratitude to the beloved President who devoted his whole life to the revolutionary cause of the Party, the nation and the people of Vietnam, and the international community.

The Thought, the morals and working style of President Ho Chi Minh have become invaluable spiritual assets of the Party and people.

House 67 in the Presidential Palace complex is the place where President Ho Chi Minh lived during the final years of his life and breathed his last. Many mementos associated with the President’s life and career are still kept there./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Hanoi: Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Vo Van Thuong have cabled a message of congratulations to former Chairman of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and former President of Laos Khamtai Siphandone on the occasion of his 100th birthday, which falls on February 8.

In the message, they said the Vietnamese Party, State and people highly value Siphandone’s dedication and brainpower, highlighting his important role in the Lao revolutionary cause and in consolidating the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the Parties, States and people of Vietnam and Laos.

They wished Siphadone and his spouse good health, happiness and longevity to stay alongside the Lao Party and State leaders in steering the nation toward even greater achievements in renovation, national construction and defence; successfully implementing the Resolution of the LPRP’s 11th National Congress, and building a country that is peaceful, independent, democratic, united, and prosp
erous towards the goal of socialism.

“The Vietnamese Party, State and people will work together with the Lao Party, State and people to protect, preserve, and foster the bilateral special solidarity in a practical and effective manner across all fields, bringing benefits to the people of both countries and contributing to maintaining peace in the region and the world,” the message read./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

New York: Merle Ratner, a renowned left-wing and anti-war activist in the US and a close friend of Vietnam, passed away February 5 evening in New York in a traffic accident.

Her husband Ngo Thanh Nhan, who is a professor at New York University, said that she was killed by a tow truck in the East Village while crossing the street near her house in Brooklyn.

Merle Evelyn Ratner, born in 1956 in New York City, has a special love for Vietnam. She took to the streets to protest against the Vietnam War when she was 13 years old and became famous for hanging anti-war slogans on the Statue of Liberty. She is a co-founder and coordinator of the Vietnam Agent Orange Relief and Responsibility Campaign (VAORRC) in the New York area.

Ratner actively participated in protests against the US war in Vietnam since the late 1960s, the anti-imperialist movement in the 1970s and 1980s, and anti-racism campaigns in America today.

After 1975, with a deep love for Vietnam, Ratner campaigned for the normalisation of Vietnam-US
relations, and supported Vietnam’s international activities. She visited Vietnam many times, and engaged in joint work with mass organisations, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics.

Ratner was awarded the “For the Development of Vietnamese Women” insignia in 2010 and the ‘For Vietnam Agent Orange Victims’ insignia in 2013.

In an interview with Vietnam News Agency on February 1 in New York on the occasion of the 94th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), Ratner once again emphasised the leadership role of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) as a decisive factor behind every achievement and success of Vietnam. She affirmed that the CPV is steadfast on the path to socialism, fighting for the values of socialism worldwide and that Vietnam will certainly succeed on its chosen path./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Hanoi: The consolidated cooperation between Vietnam and Morocco is the result of their shared desire to promote and strengthen South-South cooperation, Moroccan Ambassador to Vietnam Jamale Chouaibi said in an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) on the occasion of the Lunar New Year (Tet) Festival.

This desire has been materialised through many visits by high-ranking government and parliament delegations as well as the signing of cooperation agreements in various fields, he said.

The diplomat noted that since the establishment of Morocco-Vietnam bilateral diplomatic ties more than 60 years ago, the bilateral partnership has been developing fruitfully in multiple spheres.

The two countries share similarities in orientations of foreign policies, he said, adding Morocco was the 11th largest contributor to UN peacekeeping operations in 2023, with more than 1,700 peacekeepers working in different African countries.

Both hold important geopolitical locations as Vietnam is seen as a gateway to Sou
theast Asia while Morocco is an economic bridge between Africa and Europe, the ambassador said.

Chouaibi expressed his belief that such similarities will create conditions for their cooperation to grow further in the future, stressing that the two countries are emerging, dynamic economies with sustainable growth and they are resolved to promote policies to diversify their trade partners.

The ambassador reviewed a workshop on speeding up the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement held on the sidelines of African Day in Hanoi last May. It looked into contributions and opportunities generated by the agreement to countries that want to invest in Africa, including Vietnam, and prospects of cooperation between Vietnam and African nations, especially Morocco.

Despite the bilateral trade yet to match potential of the two countries, it has increased year by year, making Vietnam the second most important economic partner of Morocco in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Vietna
m is focusing on expanding its economic partner network, and the country can count on Morocco to help Vietnamese firms access African markets easily and safely, he said.

The ambassador suggested the two countries jointly initiate trilateral or quadrilateral cooperation activities in African countries, especially in agriculture, with the participation of international donors.

Both countries have ambitious cooperation plans in renewable energy, digital transformation, tourism, agriculture, infrastructure and logistics, industry and technology, aiming to become leading emerging economies in their respective regions. It is an opportunity for them to share experience and knowledge through the establishment of inter-sectoral committees, he emphasised.

In 2017, Morocco was the first African and Arab country to join, as a partner member, the Mekong River Commission (MRC) which includes Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.

Morocco has financed the construction of an educational centre in Vientiane, Laos, with the
mission of developing training programmes relating to the history of the Mekong River and the opportunities and challenges in the region, the ambassador said.

Chouaibi also highlighted prospects for cooperation between Vietnamese and Moroccan localities, saying the future twinned relationship between Casablanca, Morocco’s industrial and financial centre, with Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam will create new momentum for the bilateral cooperation.

Asked about Vietnam’s approaching Tet, the ambassador said the festival helps him learn about Vietnamese traditional culture, and wished Vietnamese people a New Year filled with happiness, prosperity, opportunities and successes./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vientiane: Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos Nguyen Ba Hung on February 7 handed Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone letters of best wishes from Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Vo Van Thuong to former Chairman of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and former President of Laos Khamtai Siphandone on the occasion of his 100th birthday, which falls on February 8.

In their letters, the leaders wrote the Vietnamese Party, State and people highly value Khamtai Siphandone’s dedication and brainpower, highlighting his important role in the Lao revolutionary cause and in consolidating the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the Parties, States and people of Vietnam and Laos.

At the handover event, the diplomat affirmed the Vietnamese Party, State, and people will work together with their Lao counterparts to protect, foster, deepen the special solidarity shared between the two countries across all fields, bringing about mutual benefits and contributi
ng to maintaining peace in the region and the world.

The Lao PM thanked the Vietnamese Party and State leaders for their letters, flowers, and gifts, considering them a testament to the enduring bonds of the bilateral ties./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Hanoi: Politburo member and National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue extended his Tet greetings to the Party Organisation, administration and people of Hanoi during his visit to the locality on February 7, as the Lunar New Year (Tet) – the country’s longest and biggest traditional festival is approaching.

In his remarks, the top legislator assessed that the capital achieved its overall socioeconomic development objectives in 2023. Particularly, the local tourism experienced a robust recovery, emerging as a “bright spot” nationwide. Comprehensive investments in transportation infrastructure were made, with many significant projects initiated and completed. Hanoi’s products under the One Commune, One Product (OCOP) programme took the lead in the nation in terms of quantity and quality.

The city has maintained a peaceful, stable, and progressive environment, serving as a safe destination for foreign visitors and a venue for important national and international events and conferences, he noted.

The NA Ch
airman urged the municipal Party Organisation and administration to fully grasp and effectively carry out resolutions issued by the Party Central Committee, the NA, the Government, and the city.

Highlighting the importance of prioritising the building of a mechanism for the capital city’s comprehensive and synchronous development, Hue recommended Hanoi closely coordinate with the organs of the NA and the Government to complete the draft amended Capital Law, the municipal master plan for 2021-2030 with a vision to 2050, and an adjusted general planning for the city towards 2045 with a vision to 2065, which will be submitted for the legislature’s consideration, approval or feedback at its 7th session in May. He held that the implementation of the approved plans, especially those concerning the planning of the local Red River and Duong River areas, is necessary for fundamental urban transformation of the city.

The leader also suggested the capital concentrate on advancing the development of its cultural indust
ry, ensuring public welfare, improving the quality of life for its residents, and strengthening its Party and political system. He went on stressing the importance of ensuring defense, security, order, and social safety in all circumstances, particularly during festive seasons.

In response, Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Dinh Tien Dung affirmed the local determination to make breakthroughs, complete key tasks, and promptly address livelihood issues to raise people’s living standards. The municipal authorities will carry out the amended Capital Law following its passage by the NA, and continue working on major plans for the development of Hanoi, he said./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency