Political Headlines December 31 Vietnam condemns Volgograd terror blasts Vietnam strongly condemns the terror bombings in Russia’s Volgograd city on December 29 and 30 that left many dead and injured. Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Luong Thanh Nghi made the statement while answering reporters’ queries on Vietnam’s response to the Volgograd twin blast that killed at least 31 people. “We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to families of the victims as well as the Russian Government and people. We believe that the terrorists will be strictly punished” the spokesperson said. VN President sends condolences to Vladimir Putin President Truong Tan Sang yesterday conveyed the nation's condolences to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin over two deadly terrorist attacks in the southern city of Volgograd. The blasts rocked a trolleybus and a railway station in the city on December 29 and 30, leaving at least 31 people dead and many others injured. Also yesterday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Luong Thanh Nghi said Viet Nam strongly condemns the attacks and wants those responsible brought to justice. VN, China FMs exchange New Year greetings Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Pham Binh Minh and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi yesterday exchanged New Year greetings over the phone. The two leaders noted significant improvement in bilateral relations in recent years and affirmed that both countries would strive to further strengthen their strategic partnership in the years to come. They also agreed that all countries in Northeast Asia must work together to promote solidarity, peace and co-operation in the region. Russia – a strategic partner of Vietnam The Vietnamese Party and State have affirmed that Russia is a strategic and comprehensive partner. This statement was made by Vietnamese ambassador to Russia Pham Xuan Son at a conference held in Russia to review diplomatic agencies’ activities in 2013 and welcome the New Year. During the event, Minister Counselor Nguyen Hung briefed participants on activities of Vietnam’s diplomatic agencies in Russia and reviewed the political, socio-economic situation in the resident country. Although economic difficulties Russia have affected the living conditions of the Vietnamese community, ambassador Son said embassy staff has managed to fulfill their tasks as a contribution to developing the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Russia. They also made important contributions to high-level exchange visits by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, National Assembly (NA) Nguyen Sinh Hung, and former PM Nguyen Thien Nhan as well as those by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian State Duma delegation. Son commended embassy staff for their contributions to developing a strong Vietnamese community abroad. He also praised diplomatic agencies for having successfully organized this year’s Youth Student Festival in Russia. Vietnam marks victory over genocidal regime in Cambodia President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan on December 30 chaired a meeting with ministries and agencies on the preparations for a ceremony to mark the 35th anniversary of the victory over the genocidal regime in Cambodia. During the meeting, representatives from ministries and agencies reported the progress of the work and gave their ideas so that the ceremony, slated for January 5, will be held in a solemn and effective way. Speaking at the meeting, VFF President Nhan said the ceremony is an important event that commemorates the victory of Vietnamese army and people in the Southwestern border battlefield. With the timely and effective help from Vietnamese voluntary soldiers, the Cambodian United Front for National Salvation won a victory and overthrew the genocidal regime in Cambodia on January 7, 1979. Nhan emphasised that the victory is an important milestone in the solidarity and friendship between Vietnam and Cambodia. Party leader meets with Theory Council General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Nguyen Phu Trong yesterday held a working session in Ha Noi with the Steering Board of the Central Theory Council. Hearing reports on the results of the implementation of the council's 2013 tasks and orientations for next year, Trong acknowledged that in the past year, it had fulfilled many of its tasks and reformed its working methods. He expressed his hope that in preparation for the 12th National Party Congress, the council would continue to review 30 years of renovation. The Party leader asked the council to review 20 years of the Politburo's resolution on theoretical work and 15 years of implementing the Party Central Committee's resolution on building a progressive culture imbued with national identity. He also urged the council to raise the quality and effectiveness of international seminars in order to exchange experience on theoretical issues with other countries. Cuban National Day marked in HCM City    Bernabe Garcia Valido, Cuban Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City.  Despite geographical distance, Vietnam and Cuba always support each other in their national defence and construction over the last 55 years, said a senior official of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisation (VUFO). Phung Cong Dung, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City chapter of the VUFO, made the remark on December 30 at a ceremony held in the city to mark the 55th anniversary of Cuba’s National Day which falls on January 1. He recalled the fight for liberation in Cuba and the country’s valuable support given to Vietnam over the last decades. Citizens in Ho Chi Minh City and people across Vietnam are exerting every effort to nurture the two countries’ traditional friendship, he added. Bernabe Garcia Valido, Cuban Consul General in the City highlighted the special relationship between the two nations, saying the visits to Vietnam made by high-ranking Cuban delegations manifest the desire to strengthen Vietnam-Cuba comprehensive cooperation. PM urges fiscal prudence in 2014 Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung yesterday pressed for all possible measures to be adopted to ensure effective use of next year's State budget. His remarks were made at a teleconference in Ha Noi to review the performance of the 2013 State finance-budget and to set tasks for 2014. Touching on budget collection and expenditures, PM Dung called for stronger cooperation between the Ministry of Finance and other ministries, agencies, and localities to achieve budget targets for 2014, such as ensuring economic growth of 5.8 per cent next year. Inflation must settle at 6.5-7 per cent and foreign exchange rates must be stable, while social welfare and national defence and security is ensured, he stated. According to a report presented at the conference, Deputy Finance Minister Nguyen Cong Nghiep said that in the final months of 2013, the collection of the State budget was projected at some 99 per cent of the total estimate. Earlier this year, the National Assembly approved the government's request to extend the State budget deficit to 5.3 per cent of the GDP from the current 4.8 per cent. He also requested the finance sector to prioritise spending on salary reforms and social welfare. The costs of working trips at home and abroad should be reduced, he added. The government leader called for macro-economic stability on the back of fiscal and monetary policies, the removal of barriers to business and production, and an impulse for growth recovery. In terms of price management, PM Dung urged the ministry to manage prices more effectively, especially those of essential goods, in the run-up to the traditional Lunar New Year. The ministry must direct the restructuring and equitisation of State-owned enterprises that must divest themselves of non-core areas. Governor of the State Bank of Viet Nam Nguyen Van Binh said the financial and banking sectors must exert stronger efforts to control the State budget's over-spending at 5.3 per cent and curb inflation at below 7 per cent next year. President urges Dak Lak to make full use of agro-forestry land President Truong Tan Sang has asked the Dak Lak province to fully exploit its rich agro-forestry land resources to avoid wastefulness. At a working session with the provincial authorities in Buon Ma Thuot city on December 29, President Sang also asked Dak Lak to pay special attention to land policy applied to ethnic minority people while strengthening protection of local forests. "The management of 2.5 million hectares of planted forest for economic purposes is as important as protecting the natural and protective forest," Sang said, adding that this is a factor to generate jobs and incomes for the local people and protect the environment together with mitigating the climate change impacts. The province posted a Gross Domestic Products ( GDP ) value of 160 trillion VND (7.62 million USD) in 2013, up 7.3 percent over 2012, according to reports. However, Dak Lak failed to fulfill the target of import and export, poverty reduction and State budget collection. Meanwhile, shortcomings in land management still existed. The President asked the provincial authorities and enterprises to provide direct assistance to local people in terms of land, capital and cultivation techniques, helping improve their income from forestry and farming. During his working trip to the province, President Sang also visited workers of the M'Drak Forestry One Liability Limited Company which is managing 25,000 ha of natural forest and forest for production. He inspected the situation and met with local residents in Buon Tai village, Krong Jing commune, M'Drak district, and Ea Bar commune, Buon Don district. At a meeting with the Steering Committee for the Central Highlands, the President stressed the need to implement land policy to ensure ethnic people have land for production and consolidate the political system to provide a firm foundation for economic development and national defence-security in the region. VUFO’s performance praised The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organization (VUFO) and its members have made significant progress in operations over the past few years earning them great success. VUFO President Vu Xuan Hong spoke out about the union’s achievements at the fifth national congress in Hanoi on December 30 and reviewed the organisation’s work over the past five years. VUFO’s effective activities have helped international friends and associates to fully understand the situation in Vietnam and the country’s Party and State policy to acquire support from foreign organisations and individuals for national construction and defence. VFF President Nguyen Thien Nhan gives a speech at the fifth VUFO congress in Hanoi. Gunner F.Andersen, chief representative of the Save the Children Office in Vietnam highlighted the event as an important landmark in the development of VUFO to promote people-to-people diplomacy and cross cultural exchange with people worldwide. Foreign non-governmental organisations (Foreign NGOs) are ready to act as a bridge, connecting people around the world and helping people in difficult circumstances enjoy a better quality life, including the Vietnamese people, he said. In his speech, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan asked the union to implement effective objectives and solutions to build on what it has already achieved and deal with limitations and weaknesses, to make greater contributions to the 11th National Party Congress resolution on international integration. Throughout the reviewed period, 192 new Foreign NGOs operated in Vietnam, with disbursed capital of US$1.4 billion in aid for 14,000 projects and programmes in 63 provinces and cities. VNA/VNS/VOV