VIENTIANE — A delegation from the Defence Ministry led by Deputy Minister Lieutenant-General Nguyen Chi Vinh is on a working visit to Laos from September 10-12.
On Saturday, the delegation was received by Lao Prime Minister Bouason Bouphavanh, who stressed the importance of the upcoming ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM+) that will be held in Ha Noi.
The meeting will be attended by participants from ASEAN and other countries, he said.
The Lao PM congratulated Viet Nam for successfully hosting major international meetings. He said he hoped that the two defence ministries will continue to share experiences and contribute to boosting Laos-Viet Nam relations.
Earlier on September 10, Deputy Minister Lt. Gen. Vinh and his Lao counterpart Lt. Gen. Chansamone Chanyalath held talks, where they discussed issues relating to the upcoming ADMM+ meeting.
Francophone conference kicks off in Cambodia
Phnom Penh — The fifth Asia-Pacific Francophone Parliamentary Assembly (APF) conference has commenced in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, from September 9-11.
Vice Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly's External Relations Committee and APF Vice President Ngo Quang Xuan attended the event together with delegations from Cambodian, Lao, French, Belgian and Canadian parliaments and many international organisations.
The conference focused on socio-economic development policies and the global financial crisis. The group also talked about new co-operation opportunities for French-speaking countries in the Asia-Pacific.
The delegates adopted a joint communique, expressing their consensus on enhancing co-operation among French-speaking countries in the Asia-Pacific in education and economic development to raise the people's living conditions and reduce poverty rates.
VN joins L'Humanite newspaper festival
PARIS — The Nhan Dan (People's) newspaper – the official voice of the Communist Party of Viet Nam – opened a pavilion at the 80th L'Humanite Newspaper Festival in Paris on Friday.
While addressing the opening ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to France Le Kinh Tai said since its inception in 1930, the festival had become an important political event for the Communist Party of France (CPF) and the L'Humanite newspaper.
The event is a festival-like setting that is attended by representatives from social organisations, politicians and activists for social progress, peace, solidarity and development. — VNS
